Hiking at Deer Creek Canyon Park

I was sluggish today and didn't get around to hiking until after noon.  A quick Google search indicated that the Deer Creek Canyon Park was easily accessible.  So I hopped into my Mazda and off I went.

The trailhead was adjacent to a little road that ran past million dollar houses with acreage.

I consulted the park's information kiosk and picked trails to compose an easy 2.5 mile loop.

Half way around the loop, I looked across the canyon and saw a great flight of steps carved out of the hillside.  Each step was as high as a pine tree.  I heard a young boy tell his mother that it was a staircase for a giant.  It was as plausible an explanation as any I could think of.

I followed the trail to the top of the hill and then down through forest to the bottom of the canyon.  This was wonderful for scenery; but the shaded trail was covered with slippery ice that made for a risky descent, made even more risky by foolhardy mountain bikers whizzing by.  It was a relief to finally leave the forest and return to open space and a dry trail.

As I was rounding the final bend of the loop, I saw some charming geology in the form of red and white layers of rock.

 All in all, it was a surprisingly satisfying little hike.