Boulder In The Snow

Boulder, Colorado is a beautiful place any time of year, but it especially pretty in the snow. We had a little bit of snow here in Denver this past weekend, but as usual, Boulder received a lot more, due to its location right up against the Flatirons. I drove up there last Sunday, when the sun was finally shining again, although the temperatures were still in the 20s. The photograph on the left, which I took from my car window, shows the Pearl Street Mall under a coating of snow. The main streets were all plowed, but on West Pearl Street the parking spaces were not, and the snow looked pretty damn deep. I was afraid that if I stopped to take a photograph and parked there, I would never be able to get out again.

Instead, I headed to Chatauqua Park, located off Baseline Road, directly underneath the Flatirons. And yes, all the parking spaces there were indeed plowed out, allowing me to finally park and take a few photographs, including of Chatauqua's Dining Hall, as seen in the photo on the right. I noticed that there were no diners on the front porch, which is usually the prime spot to sit. I have had brunch there a number of times, but never in the winter.  Fun is fun, but the view is not worth dining out in the cold.

The photograph on the left shows the snow-covered bear in front of the Chatauqua General Store. I have been in the General Store exactly once, when I had parked in downtown Boulder and biked up the hill from there to Chatauqua Park. It was in the middle of summer, and the ride took a lot of energy. And so, I was dying of thirst by the time I arrived. I went into that general store and was happily able to buy a coke, although I do remember it did seem a bit pricey. But not enough to keep me from buying it. I am a cheapskate, but not insane. Crazy, but not insane.

And I must say, the parking spaces along the start of the hiking trails were all filled, and lots of people were out and about, including the fellow on cross-country skis in the photograph on the right. The park in front of the Dining Hall is relatively flat, but just to the west the trails quickly get pretty steep as they wind into the Flatirons. It has been quite a few years since I last hiked in them, and only once did I try it during the winter. I wound up almost falling down quite a few times, as I remember. As humorist Dave Barry famously says, "The problem with winter sports is - follow me closely here - they take place in the winter." I can't agree more.