A step in the right direction

I've been struggling in the focus department this year. I recently got 2 emails that really helped me put things into perspective. I think I'm gonna be ok. Thanks so much to both TK and MC for the gentle nudge. The last 2 days I went for mtb rides and was grinning ear to ear again. Yesterday I rode up to Rampart Reservoir and did 2 laps before heading home. I saw some really cool stuff and that's what I miss. So today I decided to go and check out a trail down in Green Mountain Falls that I hadn't been on before. It's a hiking trail but I've always wanted to see what's back there. These pics are hopelessly out of order but...

This isn't too far after starting to hike up it. LOTS of carrying the bike for about an hour I guess.

Probably about halfway up to the top.

This was a little side trail that led to a nice overlook of the valley below.

After I checked out the overlook I went the other direction and saw this. It was gorgeous up there. Eventually this wrapped around to the left and I got boxed in on both sides by rocks but there was a stream running right through the middle.

There were sometimes some decent sized pools and in several of them I saw fish. I'm 99.9% sure that these are Brook Trout. If you look real closely you can just make out the white tip on the fins. This little guy was maybe all of 4 inches but they are a beautiful fish. These are probably one of my favorite fish here in Colorado. If you hold them gently in your hand it's almost like somebody has painted them with a fine brush. The water in this pic was flowing from top to bottom of the pic and a little eddie was back flowing right towards the bottom of that rock that he's parked in front of so he was actively feeding. This is the stuff that I think I have been neglecting this year. I got so caught up in the race that I started to forget the scenery around me. When I first started this thing it was because I wanted to see things that most people that live here never get to see. For the last year I've been worried about times and that's a shame. In doing so, I've missed some kick ass sights. I have also neglected to visit the fish for quite some time and that's gonna have to change.