COMPASS Hike ~ Red Mountain Open Space
By: Carolyn Rasmus, Administrative Coordinator
The group sets forth at Red Mountain Open Space.
Photo Carolyn Rasmus
Herb Saperstone, Geologist and Naturalist volunteer, explains the vast history on display at RMOS.
Photo by Joe Santavicca
It’s hard to believe that I have lived in northern Colorado for 11 years and I have never made it to Red Mountain Open Space. With its close proximity to Wellington and Fort Collins, there is really no excuse to not get out to see this stunningly beautiful open space.
I had the pleasure of going on about a 3-mile hike on Bent Rock Trail with a few of my coworkers and a Larimer County DNR volunteer (Herb) who opened my eyes to the incredible history strewn across the landscape.
Being able to walk the trail with Herb was such an incredible experience. He was able to point out the different layers of sandstone, gypsum, formations and folds in the hillsides, showing us the history of the area dating back billions of years.
Even if you don’t have a geologist along for your hike, just walking through Red Mountain Open Space is breathtaking with all its beautiful colors and views.
There is also plenty of signage explaining the different rock formations and the “layer cake” of the landscape along the trail. After this experience I look at the different landscapes, hillsides, and hogbacks that I pass on my morning commute through Loveland a little differently.
It’s amazing how much history is all around us, and we are just a speck in the grand scheme of things.
