Looking south from City Market — (I’ve also seen this area referred to as River Market). We spent a couple of hours soaking up all the exhibits at the Arabia Steamboat Museum – https://www.1856.com/. The Arabia sank in 1856 and was excavated in the 1980s. The museum provided a fascinating insight into the goods being shipped by steamboat into the Midwest
Chinatown Food Market — Lots of tasty morsels were purchased along with enough packets of noodles for many backpacking lunches.
Orange cat and spot — Of course a visit to see Katie also means a chance to see Dick, our grandcat in his native environment and with a nice midcentury modern style rug too.
Top of the Power and Light Building. I love Art Deco architecture.
The Kauffman Center from the 32nd floor terrace, Kansas City Power and Light Building — We were at the Kauffman Center last night for Chris Thile with the Kansas City Symphony.
View to the east from the 32nd floor terrace, Kansas City Power and Light Building.
View to the west from the 32nd floor terrace, Kansas City Power and Light Building — Featuring the Diocesan office and Grace & Holy Trinity Cathedral, which can be seen just past the convention center. I waved at my ex-colleagues, but I don’t think they saw me.
Empty Chair — I’d planned on taking a picture of Ginger sitting enjoying the view, which would have been a great silhouette. But Ginger got up as I grabbed my phone.
The Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs — I arrived in Colorado Springs on time. Now what? We’d booked a hotel in Colorado Springs so that Ginger could take a rest, and I could get cleaned up ready for the next part of our trip. Our hotel room wasn’t ready, so we went for a quick walk around some of the more popular parts of the Garden of the Gods.
The sudden shock of being confronted with the expanse of the plains — I saw this picture — well, one like it — while driving north on Day 3 and made a note to take a picture on the return trip, except I couldn’t find the exact viewpoint I’d found, which is a shame because it was a much better composition. Oh well, this photograph will have to do.
Plains and mountains — Seen from Hwy 24, Colorado. The Rocky Mountains are striking, but the unexpected plains between them took my breath away. Driving across the plains for miles and miles was humbling.
Leaving Chalk Creek Canyon — I hadn’t gone far before the scenery in the rearview mirror begged me to stop and take a picture.
Sunshine on the cliff tops — Just after seven the sunlight caught the tops of the cliff behind the campground. Time for a quick picture, finish packing everything away in the car, and get on my way.
Day 9. Pre-dawn light — It’s six-thirty, and I have to be in Colorado Springs shortly after ten. I allowed plenty of time to wake up and get ready to go. This was the view that greeted me when I got out of the tent.
Well staked out — It’s been very windy, so I used all the tie out points on Ginger’s Zpacks Duplex tent. I also used the freestanding kit so I didn’t have to collapse the tent to use my hiking poles for hiking.
Entrance to the Cascade Campground — Looking out towards the road.
Back to the start and some trailside pumpkins — I saw these near the start of the trail. Hike totals: 6.5 miles and 1,300 ft. of elevation gain/loss.
Nearly down — it took me around fifty minutes to get here from the top of the ridge.
Trailside deer — the deer here are not timid, there were three in this group, but the others were enjoying an afternoon snack behind the cover of some bushes, so I could only get a picture of this one.
A brief respite — The trail levels out briefly in places.
Looking up the trail — Going up was much easier than coming down. I have just noticed that I can see my footprints going up the trail in this picture.
The views continue to impress me.
Descending — The long trudge down the ridge has begun. The trail is steep and sandy at the top, making for a very loose footing.
A last look to the southeast — before dropping back down into Chalk Creek Canyon, I popped over to the other side of the ridge for one last look at the view across the plains to the southeast.