Please note that the date for this event has been changed from Monday, May 22nd to Tuesday, May 30th.

We are fortunate to have David Bayer, a master naturalist with the City of Fort Collins Natural Areas, as one of our members. David has offered to guide us on a hike at Bobcat Ridge. The hike is about 3 miles and follows the Valley Loop trail.

Trail description: The trail passes for one mile through the prairie in the glade (valley). It then ascends gently up about 100 feet in elevation for about a half-mile. We’ll turn south and follow the trail along the lower shrub and tree line for 1.2mile and then descend a half-mile back to the entrance.

The interpretive hike passes through three life zones: prairie, shrub lands and lower montane forest. Each of these vegetative zones will be explained as to its primary vegetation and the birds and mammals adapted to each. Several important geological principles and examples will also be demonstrated, e.g. Bobcat Ridge is the boundary between the foothills’ hogbacks and uplifts of the Rocky Mountains.

If you enjoy hiking and want to learn more about the natural areas, please join us on Tuesday, May 30th from 10:30 AM to 1:00 PM, Members only.

Bring a lunch to enjoy in the shade of the ponderosa forest about half-way through the hike. A brochure is available on-line at:
https://www.fcgov.com/naturalareas/pdf/bcr-brochure2014.pdf?1443629521

Directions to the Trailhead:

Bobcat Ridge's address is 10184 West County Road 32C, Loveland.

From Fort Collins, take Harmony Road west, it turns into CR 38 E. Follow CR 38 E to Masonville. Go left (south) at the Masonville Mercantile onto CR 27. Follow CR 27 about 1 mile to CR 32 C, head west about 1 mile to the Bobcat Ridge parking lot.

From Loveland, go west on Highway 34 about 4.5 miles west of Wilson Avenue. Turn north on CR 27 by Big Thompson Elementary and drive 4.5 miles. Turn left on CR 32C and go 1 mile west to the Bobcat Ridge parking lot.