Blessed with another sunny, mild morning along the Front Range, my wife and I visited South Valley Park. Southwest of Denver, the Park's grasslands are studded with salmon-colored fins and domes of the Fountain Formation (Pennsylvanian in age) and the yellow-gray wall of the Lyons Formation (Permian in age). The entire valley lies between the Dakota Hogback (Cretaceous) to the east and the Front Range foothills (PreCambrian granite) to the west.
Access to the Park is provided by a fine network of sandy trails that wind through and past the rock formations and across the yucca-studded meadows. Mule deer are common here throughout the year and elk winter on the Park's grasslands. This morning we also observed a golden eagle, a pair of prairie falcons, common ravens, scrub jays and spotted towhees, among other common species.
This will be our last warm, spring day in Colorado for a while since cooler temperatures and snow are forecast for tomorrow and we will begin our trek back to Missouri. The beauty and grandeur of South Valley Park certainly offered a pleasant send-off.
