Get It While You Can...
The Black Pearl and I ventured to South Valley Park for an afternoon ride just hours before a fast-moving storm blanketed the Deer Creek Canyon area with 15 inches of heavy and wet white stuff. The accumulation was some variant of snow; hence, the word stuff suffices.
Sections of South Valley Park were an active cattle ranch until 1980. Off topic, but the approaching storm may be seen in the background.
The area is for now preserved and home to elk, deer, bear, lion, coyote, fox, rattlesnake and humanoid, et cetera.
Headquarters for the Johns Manville Corporation (I believe they owned the farmstead, too) were built on a parcel of the ranch in 1971. Then in 1987, Lockheed Martin purchased the property, adding to the several Lockheed compounds already in the area. The property turned over again in 1999 when Jefferson County acquired 909 acres to set aside for open space preservation of wildlife, archaeological and scenic values.
Violators will be shot on site! Just kidding! Trail erosion is the reason for the closure.
The Grazing Elk Trail sits above the beginning of one of the finer road bike climbs in the area – Deer Creek Canyon. You can make out the entrenched, narrow canyon below.
Riparian areas are turning green. I haven't seen any rattlers this year, despite the warm weather.
The Park has a lot of smooth, somewhat flowy, singletrack upon which to ride.
Here's a parting shot for this post; thanks for reading!
Adios