CUB SCOUTS

Day two in Colorado. Time to get down to some semi-serious hiking. We decided to start out with an easy trip to Cub Lake (above), not to be confused with the larger and higher Bear Lake. It's a 4.6-miler that only rises 540 feet. We flatlanders didn't want to strain ourselves too much right off the bat.

This trail starts out in a field (see Big Bore below), then works it way through aspen groves and up a rocky forest. Don't you think the next picture looks like I've split that boulder with my trusty walking stick? Or do you prefer that it appears I'm about to become pancake batter?


When we finally arrived at Cub Lake, we were greeted by an array of friendly critters. The park, of course, has a rule that the animals are NOT to be fed, but these guys are so adept at pilfering from picnickers that it's obvious no one is paying attention. Ducks, blue jays, gray jays, and chipmunks came right up to us like long-lost friends, asking for hand-outs and, more often than not, just taking whatever they could grab and run off with. Here's a duck that was cordial enough to waddle out of the water and sunbathe on a rock with us.
Next up: Ouzell Falls in Wild Basin