Brrrr.
The first Sunday in November brought windy, wet, chilling weather that beckoned for a fireplace and a warm beverage.
But then the skies cleared, the election ads ceased, and Colorado looked like a fun place to go outdoors again.
For me, it was time to walk around a lake in one of my favorite state parks. As the trees shed their leaves, mountain scenery emerges. Lakeside sunsets turn spectacular, especially in the state parks east of the Front Range.
Given the weather we’ve had this past week, some lake trails may be more suitable for cross-country skis and cleats this weekend — if they’re not too muddy. But most years, I find lower-elevation hikes (even at our state parks’ lakes) dry enough for just my boots through the winter.
With that in mind, I visited southeast of Denver earlier this month. It’s a big park, with six square miles of land and water, 30 miles of hiking trails and 27 miles of bicycling and horse trails — “a quiet island in an urban sea,” and “just a stone’s throw from downtown Denver,” according to my state parks guide. Provided you can throw a stone about 25 miles. (And a tip of the hat here to a volunteer who gave me an old guide to all the state parks, except Staunton, our newest.)
Some of my other favorite state parks near Denver with lake trails: Barr Lake, Chatfield, Boyd Lake and St. Vrain.
If you want a long, flat loop hike, is a great choice. It’s 12 miles around and features a bald eagle nest that can be seen with binoculars. The drawbacks: Interstate 76, railroad tracks and the Adams County Courthouse are part of the scenery, along with the majestic mountains to the west.
Bring ear buds here, or to , if you find traffic noise annoying — though the mallards and the great blue herons don’t seem to mind, which makes these parks great places to watch birds during a lakeside stroll.
This weather might have you thinking ahead to next summer already. If you desire a small, peaceful, natural lake in one of our state parks in the high country, try north of Steamboat Springs. When I visited in August, I could hear only my own footsteps on the trail.
Nearby, offers beautiful hiking, bicycling and horse riding trails in the shadow of Hahns Peak, along with renowned trout fishing.
But today, I hope to crunch around the Cherry Creek State Park reservoir in my sturdy hiking boots. Many of its trails are paved, and I can tolerate flurries.
But just in case the weather forecasters are wrong, I’ll bring Yaktrax along.
David Olinger: 303-954-1498, dolinger@denverpost.com or twitter.com/dolingerdp
