Cool cloudy day – rain forecasted for the afternoon.  Additionally, had a Flatlander visitor this weekend (before a work conference the following week in Denver).  Decided on a local hike in Longmont – no huge altitude, no road trip.  Quick out-and-back and no one pukes (from altitude sickness) 🙂

Rattlesnake Mountain was renamed ‘Rabbit’ Mountain to increase park attendance.  Er…saw zero rabbits but did see multiple snake tunnels near a flat rocky stretch of the hike.  But although we saw no rabbits, at the trailhead was an entire prairie dog colony.  Camouflaged well against the landscape, life as a prairie dog could be a good one – if they didn’t chirp so often and so loudly.  Their ‘alarm’ system worked as an ‘alert’ system for Ro – no possibility of a ‘leash-less’ hike for Rowan O’Roark this week.

Hike highlight – WILDFLOWERS.  Vivid spring colours garnished this trail.

Back in before the rain – and no snakes 🙂

https://www.thedenverchannel.com/weather/13462118/detail.html

Still limited a bit by drive time.  Read that North Boulder parks are overcrowded by prairie dogs – so much so that ‘relocation vs extermination’ was the focal point of the local news story.  So…another new life experience.  Done; check 🙂

Online research led me to believe that prairie dogs hibernate in the winter – not so!

Wonderland Lake was all iced over (normal for January) so Ro tentatively attempted his first ice walk.  Energized by seeing plant life trapped under the ice, Ro eased past the shore in an effort to chew & devour.  Lucky for him I brought along snacks because these reeds were deep under the ice & not budging.  Fun watching little guy move out on the ice – ‘Bambi’ reminiscent.

After learning to walk on water, we approached prairie dog village.  Only slightly smaller than Ro, but these dogs chirp, chirp, chirp – and chirp.  Camouflaged well in our winter grasses – if only they could keep down the noise.  LOL>

protrails.com – Wonderland Lake