Page 44 - AUG 2018 The Castle Pines Connection proof 1

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Ever been told to “take a hike”... well you should
By Patte Smith; photos??
Indian Creek Trail of the Pike National Forest.
And for hikers who want to “blaze a new trail,” Douglas County Outdoors is o ering four guided hikes at the future Macanta Regional Park on the East side of Crowfoot Valley Road between Lemon Gulch Drive and Pradera Parkway. The hike is 3 – 4 miles long and is o ered on January 1, January 19, February 9 and March 2. There are some restrictions.
For more information about Douglas County Open Space and trails or to register for the guided hikes, visit www.douglas. co.us/dcoutdoors/.
Remember, if you are planning on hiking this winter, please take safety precautions. Do not hike alone, let family members or friends know where you are hiking, take
a GPS device if possible, dress warm and take plenty of water and food.
For more information on hiking safety and hiking, visit americanhiking.org/hiking- resources/.
A frosty winter walk with the family.
A hike along Plum Creek in the Columbine Open Space trail south of Castle Rock, is easy and features an old red barn and an old rock spring house.
Winter can be chilly, but also invigorating. Coloradans are outdoor folks. It does not matter what the weather is, people love being outside ... well, most people.
Douglas County o ers winter hiking options in the open space trails areas 365 days a year, weather permitting. The only exception being the east/west trail when the eagles are nesting.
The closest trail to Castle Pines is the Glendale Farm Open Space trail that was the Kroll family homesite back in the day. It is a short walk up to the top where there is a beautiful view of the front range – a must to see on a snow-clad, blue-sky day.
The Spruce Mountain loop trail in Larkspur has a forested north side with rock
formations. When hikers reach the rock cli at Windy Point, they enjoy the view of 14,114 foot, Pikes Peak.
If you want a short 1.5-mile trail, south of Castle Rock is the Columbine Open Space, where an old barn and 1800s rock spring house still stands. East Plum Creek meanders through the area with beaver dams, willows and old cottonwood trees.
West is Roxborough State Park with its amazing sand stone rock formations. The area has numerous trails that are great for winter hiking and snowshoeing. For a long hike, south on Roxborough Park Road is the Sharptail Open Space trail that eventually leads to the Swallowtail Trail and Nelson Ranch Open Space. You can keep on hiking even further for several miles leading to the
Basketball team in Derby, Australia
become Jags
Article by Lisa Nicklanovich; photo by Andrew Jackson
Donated Rock Canyon High School (RCHS) boys basketball uniforms were a big hit with a team picture, in Derby, Australia. Nick Mahan, an assistant coach for the Rock Canyon High School (RCHS) boys basketball team, helped coordinate an e ort to donate RCHS home and away uniforms after the Derby coaches, Trev Sr. and Trev Jr., came into the classroom and spoke about their experiences.
Mahan said, “The class was so moved by what Trev Sr. and Trev Jr. said, that we reached out to di erent sources to try and nd basketball attire for the kids. The kids in the tribal land of Derby have very little and the majority of the teams didn’t even have shoes to play in.” Trev Sr. and Trev Jr. run a basketball league with about 100 kids and they are community leaders in Derby helping kids with meals, rides, counseling, support and teaching the Aboriginal culture.
Shortly after receiving the jerseys, the team played in a tournament held outside of Derby, in Halls Creek, and were victorious over 14 other teams to win the tournament wearing the RCHS uniforms.
NBA jerseys were also collected and sent to Derby and handed out as prizes during the town fair. The RCHS uniforms will be used by all the local kids and even adult teams in Derby.
The boys basketball team in Derby, Australia wore uniforms donated by Rock Canyon High School (RCHS). The boys basketball team at RCHS learned about the Derby team after coaches from Derby came to RCHS and spoke about their community.