Horseback riding in Garden of the Gods

Sleeping Indian is supposed to rise up and protect his people if they need it. He is a red sandstone formation in a spectacular park in Colorado Springs called Garden of the Gods. The Kissing Camels are touching noses, with daylight showing under. The Kissing Camels are behind me in this picture. Behind the Kissing Camels is Pikes Peak.

A few of us from work attended a class in Colorado Springs this week. Friday afternoon, we went horseback riding in Garden of the Gods. It was a one hour very slow walk through a small section of the park.

Cowgirl Latifa starts out on Strawberry

Regina, Roger, and Latifa with our guide in the middle of some of the scenery.

End of the ride! She said I could use this picture, honest.

We took a taxi to get there, and Kim, the driver, came back for us afterward. She, like our class instructor, was obviously in love with the town. She said we could NOT come all the way here and not see the whole park, so she turned off the meter and took us on a scenic tour.

Kim and me at one of the viewpoints she took us to. 

She has hiked up Pikes Peak 3 times. I had another taxi driver who had run the Pikes Peak Marathon 5 times! That’s 13.1 miles up from 7000 ft to 14000 ft and back down. Colorado Springs is jam-packed with runners. On Tuesday night, while eating dinner downtown facing out the window, I saw a single handful of walkers, and probably 200 runners. I hear that it is the third thinnest city in the country.

Roger and Regina at another viewpoint

Kim says that lots of young people come up to the park to make out at night, and that it’s also a good place to come cry.

What a beautiful place to live! It’s understandable that people here get smiles on their faces when they talk about Colorado Springs.