13 Mile Hike Deja Vu in the Springs

(Colorado Springs, CO: 2 July 2010) We gave ourselves a day to get acclimated to the arid weather and high altitude and then set out exploring. We chose the 13 mile hike that loops through a small chunk of the scenic expanse of the AF academy. The challenge of this particular hiking trail is it is also used by mountain bikers. You have to keep alert or you will get run over...which happened twice. It is a narrow rocky trail in places with not huge elevation changes, but the switch-backs and blind turns make it hard to know what is ahead (or behind). All along the way the views are incredible with a surprise or two along the way. We stumbled onto a cabin in the woods that was built in the 1880's when Colorado was first being settled. It is one of the oldest in the state and some graves were there of the former occupants. We spooked a deer that got real confused and tried running toward a building and road nearby rather than back into the woods. The deja vu part of the hike was the rumbling thunder we started hearing after about 8 miles...just over half way around and the farthest spot in the hike away from our car. We kept on and eventually felt a few drops of rain and more thunder. We had flashbacks to the hike around Hot Springs AR back at the end of May where we got soaked about 2/3 of the way around a 13 mile loop! What really startled us was the booming voice that came over the base PA system with the announcement, "This is the USAFA Command Post. Observed lightening is within 5 nautical miles of the base. Take cover immediately!" That scared us more than the flashes in the distant sky. We were at about the 10 mile point when we heard it the first time and tried to pick up the pace. Joy had developed a blister on her big toe and was walking like Festus from Gunsmoke. She gamely tried to double-time, but could only go so far before having to back off. Still we covered the last two miles in under 30 minutes. We made it to the car and got back to the RV just as the thundering and lightening exploded and the skies opened up with a downpour at least equal to the one in Hot Springs if not louder and longer. Maybe it is the number 13 or hiking in towns with Springs in their name, or both...not that we're superstitious! But we think we'll keep the hikes in the single digits from now on!!