Take a Hike
I decided to explore a part of the Clear Creek trail system I hadn't hiked before. Clear Creek meanders through town, and the trail more or less follows it, randomly stopping and starting again. Like many places in Wyoming (and a few places in town, including the intersection by the Grace Fellowship Church that hasn't had any street signs for over a year, so I call it the juncture of this and that), the trail is not always clearly marked.
It was a beautiful afternoon. The snow had melted much of the snow that fell this morning, the wind scudded clouds across the sky and kept the temperature in the low 30s, and the afternoon sunlight was soft.
The trail was wet and muddy, dotted here and there with patches of snow that escaped the sunlight. It cut through wide open land, where the only sounds were the occasional cry of a bird and the muted roar of the water. At odd intervals, a bench overlooked the creek. Snow and ice sometimes narrowed the creek, and in some places, the water flowed under the ice.
In my hour hike, I only saw two other people, accompanied by their dogs. It was a lovely way to be alone with my thoughts.
I turned back home at the .5 mile marker, back to my warm little house and noisy little dogs. Now that I've figured out a good route to get to the trail, I plan to take a longer hike in the near future.
