We spent an hour or so exploring the regional park nearest to our new home (or, to be more precise, to where our new home will be. We expected a pleasant walk through the Ponderosa Woods, and that’s what we got—for about a quarter mile.
We then entered an area burned by the 2013 Black Forest fire, the most destructive forest fire in Colorado history. Almost 500 homes were destroyed and two people were killed in the disaster that spread over 14,000 acres.
The area cleared by the fire did give us a view of Pikes Peak we wouldn’t otherwise have had.
When we got to the “hut,” we studied the informative trail map and decided to turn around. We basically explored the entire white trail.
It was a pleasant-enough hike, and better than walking sidewalks through a housing development. But the woods have been cleared to reduce the risk of future fires that it didn’t really feel like a natural setting.