I've hiked at Meyer Ranch numerous times over the years, but when I went to search for it on my own blog I was shocked to see that I had never done a blog post about it before. Meyer Ranch is a great place to get out of the heat in the city, the trail is a shaded pine forest and the hike is a gradual incline up the mountainside.
A new friend that I recently met asked if I wanted to hike, so I suggested Meyer Ranch, easy, shaded and out of the city. We were on the trail before 11:00am, hiked up the Lodgepole Loop out to the neighborhood access, then back down the loop to the picnic tables for some lunch. I carried Magnolia in the Eddie Bauer hiking pack gifted to us by my friend Christina; and it felt pretty good, although a lot of the weight was carried in my hips and I still have some adjusting to do on the pack.
Getting there: Meyer Ranch directions per the Jefferson County Open Space website:
10508 S. Turkey Creek Road, Morrison CO 80465 Located on Route 285 approximately 1/2 mile east of Aspen Park, Colorado. The hike is right off 285, if you go into Conifer you have gone too far. Its on the left side of the hwy if heading South on 285.
Specs: There are picnic tables and pit toilets, but neither are at the parking lot trailhead, instead they are .2 of a mile up the trail to the bathrooms and farther to the picnic tables. But they are in the shade (the tables) and there is also a picnic table higher up on the trail as well.
The Hike: Sara and I were both new to our backpack hiking carriers, but she got hers on real quick and even got Elodie onto her back without a hitch, I had a harder time -- but managed. I am very sensitive to the weight on the backpack because I have back problems that I continually go to physical therapy for, and while I still enjoy hiking and want to share that with Magnolia, its not as easy for me to carry her as I'd like it to be. I've heard if you have a good pack you don't feel the weight, but I've tried most in the market on, and own 2 of them, and none really suit me very well. Nonetheless, the pack felt as good as any ever had after we got hiking for a little bit; we basically just walked around for an hour, then headed toward the picnic tables for some lunch. After lunch we walked back to the parking lot and on the way saw two other mama's with kiddos eating lunch by the trail map sign. They said they just saw a bobcat on the trail by the picnic tables and instead of it running away, it stared at them and they were pretty scared. They waited for another hiker to come up the trail and asked them to walk back to the parking lot with them. The gal said she hiked all the time, but the last two times on the trail she has seen a mountain lion and bobcat; the mountain lion scared her so badly she didn't hike again for 6 months after! I sure hope that I don't see one...
Here's some of the photos.
Birch trees
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We hiked the Lodgepool loop and then out to the neighborhood access (not on the open space map) out to the road and back. This bridge crosses over that part of the trail.
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Magnolia leaning out of the carrier, she just wants to see more and has to lean out the entire time!
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Views!
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Heading out to the neighborhood access which is the trail that can been seen just outside of Conifer off 285.
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Neighborhood access road, here we turned around.
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More views!
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Stopping for some lunch on the way down.
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Two cute babies!
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Magnolia and I
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View from the parking lot, trail sign, and trail toward the forest.
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What other trails do you know of in Conifer or the surrounding areas? I'd love to know if there are more nearby that aren't Jefferson County Open Space.
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