Shanahan Ridge
It's been a while since we've gotten out and hiked because of all the fires. We knew we needed to get out and enjoy the mountains while there was no smoke and before it starts getting too cold. We headed to Boulder because it's a location that wasn't too far away and also not currently on fire. Because of the fires, our options for hiking are pretty limited. It seems like most of the fires have almost died out or slowed enough that they're not a major thread to rapidly spread, but there's a lot of damage that's either blocking road access to get to hiking trails or the fire went through hiking trails and isn't safe to hike yet.
Shanahan Ridge was a great trail to come back to hiking. It was under 4 and a half miles and less than 1,000 feet of elevation gain. Just like all the trails in Boulder, there were many options that would allow us to go more or less distance, but we set out to do the entire 4 miles hike and completed all of it, but nothing extra.
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![Dry Field](/photos/2020/november/album061705img_0373.jpg)
Dry Field
It's fall and all of the plants are dying including the grass. I'm sure this photo would have been filled with more green a month ago.
![Smoothed](/photos/2020/november/album061705img_0404.jpg)
Smoothed
This tree has obviously been a resting point for many people. You can tell that this tree has been smoothed out from a lot of people touching it.
![Smog In the Distance](/photos/2020/november/album061705img_0415.jpg)
Smog In the Distance
This hike took us mostly through trees, so I took a photo every time it opened up. I didn't realize it at the time but the main city of Boulder is straight ahead and you can see some city smog in the horizon.