Hiking Mount Galbraith Loop in Golden, CO on a perfect spring day will keep my spirits soaring for the entire week! Although the morning began with hazy skies, my husband, Jim and dog, Jake, joined me west of Denver at the mouth of Golden Gate Canyon. Just minutes from downtown Golden, the trailhead provided plenty of parking as well as restroom facilities.
The initial part of the hike called Cedar Gulch Trail still had patches of slippery ice and mud but we quickly gained elevation which took us to sunnier terrain. I carried my new Nikon D7000 in the hopes I would find some early springtime flowers. We hiked for 1.3 miles to the beginning of the Mount Galbraith Loop, 1.6 miles, which would provide 360 degree views.
About ten minutes into the hike, I was thrilled to find a clump of Pasque Flowers which always bloom around Easter.
Moss Campion bearing pretty pink flowers were just starting to bloom:
Amidst the alpine flowers I also found intriguing Cactus:
Unless we get some moisture, this month looks like it will be the warmest March in recorded history. No moisture is predicted at this time. The total hike of 4.2 miles took 3 hours. I look forward to many more hikes and photography opportunities in my beautiful backyard of Colorado. If you would like to enjoy more photos, visit my photo tour.
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