Horsetooth Mountain & Our Road Trip

 

My husband and I recently returned from a nine day road trip from Wisconsin to Utah and back again.  We went to visit our youngest son who lives in the Ogden area.  The weather was great for driving both ways. Unfortunately, the weather in Ogden was not ideal.  It rained for three straight days!  They have had a dry summer, so it was needed.  We had a good visit with our son, but didn't get to see much of Ogden.  On the way out to Utah, we spent a few days in Fort Collins, CO and were able to hike at Horsetooth Mountain.

Horsetooth Mountain is a mountain summit in the foothills of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The 7,259-foot peak is located in the Horsetooth Mountain Open Space, 7.0 miles west of downtown Fort Collins in Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Wikipedia

From visitftcollins.com:

Knowing the water from the Poudre River was inconsistent, sometimes providing too much and at other times not enough, Horsetooth Reservoir was developed to solve the problem. The reservoir acquired its name from the unique rock formation that sits above the large body of water.

There is an old Native American legend regarding this famous stone. The Valley of Contentment (today’s Horsetooth Reservoir) was once guarded by a giant so that no buffalo, deer, or antelope were hunted in the valley. Chief Maunamoku led Indians to slay the giant. In killing the giant, the Chief slashed at his heart, first in the center, then on the right and then on the left with a tomahawk from the heavens. The next day the giant turned to stone and is now known as Horsetooth Rock.

We hiked a 6 mile loop that passed by a waterfall.  Unfortunately, there was no water right now, so no waterfall. But the scenery was beautiful.

If you look carefully, you can see the path we hiked.

This is from the highest point of the hike, looking toward the reservoir.

The rock formations were amazing, as were the views.  Of course, the pictures don't do it justice.  I hope you enjoyed this little glimpse of the Rocky Mountains.

~ Gretchen