The Sun Also Burns
Wednesday, August 12, 2020
Phase 1: Greenbelt Plateau
The sun descended into wildfire haze as C, D, and S gathered at the Greenbelt Plateau trailhead. With pungent wood smoke in the air, and eyes stinging, our fearless adventurers set forth upon the trail. Numerous cyclists—all with pleasant demeanors—passed up and down the trail.
No birds, no bugs. A few culverts. A cowpie or two. Some old stone walls. And plenty of brittle, dry grass, ready for fall.
A mile and a half went by, and the group arrived at a newly-constructed wood bridge across a bone-dry Community Ditch. A bend in the trail provided a stage for the summit photo.
A mile and a half back. The sun dropped into the smoke, and vanished behind the hills.
Phase 2: Greenbelt Trailhead
Evening fell. The parking lot emptied. Our intrepid explorers gathered their sandwiches, and sat down for supper.
Phase 3: After Dark
Having recently acquired a new oven, D baked up some brownies, and brought them to P3. A pleasant accompaniment as we researched the evening’s questions.
Questions of the Night
Where is this smoke coming from?
According to CBS4 Denver, “The smoke is coming mostly from the Grizzly Creek Fire near Glenwood Springs and the Pine Gulch Fire on the Western Slope.”Where is Boulder Fire Department’s practice area?
Boulder County Regional Fire Training Center, east of Boulder Reservoir.