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Our neighbor to the south, Jefferson County Open Space, has recently completed a multi-use trail system at the North Table Mountain Open Space. The new trailhead is located off Highway 93 (just north of Golden), and offers a nice parking lot with space for seven horse trailers. There is currently a total of 14 miles of trail, arranged in several stacked loops, so you can choose how long you want to ride. Pat Holgate, Anne Davidson and I explored most of the new trails in mid-February and suggest that it “rides” best in a clockwise direction from the trailhead. This enables you to climb up the steep parts instead of descending them. Be prepared for some narrow, steep, and rocky parts; deer, mountain bikers, and spectacular views in every direction. The top is pretty exposed—so you probably don’t want to be up there on a very windy, stormy, or a very hot day. All in all it’s a unique ecosystem and it’s much more interesting than it might appear from down below. A Bit of Geology: Table Mountain was formed by a volcanic basalt flow about 60 million years ago, so you get very familiar with igneous rocks on this ride. Happy Trails Suzanne Webel

January 23, 2013 Suzanne Webel, Anne Davidson, Joe Juckas, and I rode the newly rerouted Homestead Trail starting from the South Boulder Creek West trailhead. There is very nice trailer parking assigned for two rigs.  It was a beautiful 60 degree day, the horses great, and the scenery incredible! Spain has nothing on us! – Pat Holgate Note: The horse (right) with the pink leg wraps is an ex-racehorse, a Standardbred from New York who had never been out on a trail until this fall.  What a trooper!  – Suzanne