By Blake Nichols |
As summer comes to an end we are trying to get as many hikes in as we can before the chaos that is the fall semester takes hold. This hike was Ashleys first major hike, so we didn't want to overwhelm her too much, so we picked a simple hike up to the Palmer Lake Reservoirs. I was looking for something with water that was close by since our previous hikes have all been dry, and this one was perfect.
We started up the trail with vigor but quickly had to slow our pace. The trail was a little steeper than expected, and we didn't get much of a reprieve from the sun. The clouds were sparse and a lack of shade on the path meant that we needed to stop frequently to keep ourselves hydrated.
About three quarters of a mile up we had made it to the lower reservoir. The first thing I noticed was that the spillway was not what I expected. I grew up in Dallas and my dad would take us over to the White Rock Lake Spillway after it rained and that spillway would have massive amounts of water roaring over it, so maybe my expectation was a little off.
After resting a little at the lower reservoir, we started the final push up to the upper reservoir, which I was hoping would have a much nicer view and provide us a spot to stop for lunch.
The Lake, Lunch, and Chipmunks!
Once we reached the Upper Reservoir, we saw the beauty of what a Colorado water view has to offer! It was mighty and majestic, and the perfect place to stop for lunch. There is always wildlife on our hikes, but this one had some unexpected visitors, chipmunks!
There were a ton of them, and they were obviously quite use to being around people. As we at our lunch they would come right up to us, so naturally we gave them little pieces of our food (we probably shouldn't have though lol).
All in all a great hike with nice water views. Some takeaways from this trip was that it is time for some equipment, mostly water packs and shoes!
Goofs: The failed selfie!
I tried to get a selfie with this guy, but when trying to take the picture he started scurrying down the tree!
Check out our route
Click map to see route details on All Trails.