I got a call from former co-worker Scott Smith over the weekend. He was taking a vacation day Monday and was thinking about doing a hike up to Horn Lakes in the Sangre de Cristo mountains near Westcliff. He was wondering if I’d like come along.

I’ve hiked with Scott on a couple of occasions, both times taking on Greenhorn Mountain, Pueblo County’s highest peak. He’s a strong hiker with alot of trail experience. I jumped at his invitation. After all, I just hiked most of the Pawnee Pass with Marco a few weeks ago and have been walking out at the Red Gate, too. I was ready for my first hike in the Sangres. Or so I thought.

The Horn Creek trail kicked my ass. There were some easy stretches but there were some steep, loose, stretches that were tough. Unless you’re Lacy.

Scott’s dog raced up the trail, then back down the trail, then into the brush along both sides of the trail all day long. If the out-and-back mileage for this hike is 11 miles, Lacy did and extra five miles, easy. And she never showed any effects of doing all this at elevation. “You’ll be happy to know,” Scott wrote in an email a couple days later, “that Lacy played enthusiastic fetch after dinner (Monday)….”  Lacy’s a charming dog with excellent trail etiquette, but nobody likes a showoff.

The top of the trail ends at 11,900 feet. I ended about 1,000 feet short of that while Scott and Lacy continued to the top and a view of upper Horn Lake. I don’t know if how much better the view from the upper lake was from where I topped out at it. The views were amazing. I couldn’t help but think how can something so spectacular be so close to Pueblo?

Getting down the trail was alot easier for me than going up. Thank God for gravity. Scott, who motored up the trail without much apparent effort took it easy on the way down; Lacy displayed the same impressive form as she had on the way up.

It was a beautiful day to be in the mountains of southern Colorado. And I’m glad Scott extended the invitation to me to tag along.