Quality is key to enjoying fall outings

By Stephen Hlawaty
Outdoors Columnist

Quality--not quantity--is an appropriate viewpoint to have when enjoying much of what autumn has to offer. The season's diminishing daylight hours should provide us with a heightened sense of appreciation for such things as colorful fall foliage, the crispness of the air, or the brightness of blue skies overhead.

With fewer daylight hours during which to enjoy what autumn has to offer, particularly when compared to the lazy days of summer, fall outings take on a more immediate timeliness than those of last season. But less daylight --and often times considerably cooler temperatures--in which to enjoy the outdoors, doesn't mean that we should burrow ourselves under cover of home and hearth.

To make the most of enjoying the autumn outdoors, it's important to consider a few of the more quick-and-easy outings in the area.

The Great Stupa at the Shambhala Mountain Center, 45 miles northwest of Fort Collins, is a sacred landmark intended to honor the aspirations for peace, harmony and compassion in the world. Visitors to Stupa will enjoy a short, 15-minute hike along the wide and smooth Foot Trail to the Stupa. Along the way, hikers pass through meadows and scrub oak, aspen and mixed conifer forests. Opportunities to extend your hiking abound via eight miles of trails, which include the Wild Bird Trail loop that passes through the center's Botanic Gardens, as well as the Shambhala Mountain Center Hiking Trail, which passes the Shinto Kami Shrine.

The 600 acres of the Botanic Gardens include over 150 species of native plants and wildflowers and 75 species of animals. The Kami Shrine is an unassuming wooden house encircled by a wooden fence. These stand in stark contrast to the multicolored rise of the Stupa, setting it unmistakably apart from the area's natural surroundings. But such separation resides only in its physical attributes. The spirit of harmony, tranquility and peace, for which the Stupa stands, connect it more directly with its natural surroundings. Once at the Stupa, visitors can partake in the meritorious custom of circumambulating (in a clockwise direction) around the Stupa. No doubt the Stupa's most recent notable visitor, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, took part in this custom when he visited in September. For more information, view the web site www.shambhalamountain.org.

Leisurely drives

Should autumn weather prohibit you from taking even a 15-minute hike, consider a leisurely drive. Drives in northern Colorado often pass through some of this area's most historically significant landmarks and townsites. Two such drives include the Cache la Poudre-North Park Scenic Byway and the Red Feather Lakes Scenic and Historic Backway.

The byway begins at the intersection of State Highways 14 and 287 north of LaPorte. Traveling west on Highway 14, drivers will enjoy the craggy granite walls of the Poudre Canyon, as the road winds its way along the Wild and Scenic River System of the Poudre River. The Poudre River has the distinction of being the only river in Colorado to receive protection under the National Wild and Scenic River Act. As one exits the canyon, ample opportunities for wildlife and fall foliage viewing abound before crossing Cameron Pass at 10,276 feet and entering spectacular North Park. Contact the U.S. Forest Service Visitor Center at 295-6700 or the North Park Chamber of Commerce at 723-4600 for more information.

The Red Feather Lakes Scenic and Historic Backway offers drivers a loop along Red Feather Lakes Road (County Road 74E), Boy Scout Camp Road (CR 68C), and 162 Road. This loop takes drivers past Goodell Corner, which marks a transition in the area's history of when the earliest pioneers and settlers replaced the Native Americans and fur traders. Visitors to the area can still see the original Goodell Homestead built by Ermine Robinson and Clark Goodell in 1886, which is now a private residence.

An informational kiosk at the intersection of Boy Scout Camp Road and 162 Road recalls the area's first inhabitants over 10,000 years ago, as well as the onetime gold-mining townsite of Manhattan and its accompanying cemetery Graveyard Gulch. Tombstones that date back to the 1800s can still be seen from 162 Road. Less noticeable, but perhaps just as noteworthy, is the large Douglas fir that used to serve as the hanging tree for Manhattan's criminals. This too can be seen from 162 Road as it cuts sharply to the right. More information is available by contacting the Canyon Lakes Ranger District at 970-295-6700.