It is springtime in the Rockies. The record snows of April have watered the foothills. The days are warm and the trails are covered with wildflowers. Mandy the dog and I were off to the Sanitas Valley Trail which is one of Boulder Colorado’s Cool Trails for Hot Dogs.
As soon as we got to the Centennial Parking Area we encountered a hiker excitingly reporting some sort of uncommon wildflower. She pointed me in the direction of an “undesignated” trail which I remembered as turning pretty steep and narrow up toward the Anemone Trail.
My first surprise was that this narrow footpath had been turned into a beautiful official trail by Boulder’s Open Space and Mountain Parks Department. The new trail is designated the Sunshine Canyon Trail.
Hey, a beautiful day a new trail and a rare flower! Let’s check it out…
Start at the Centennial Parking area and head toward the Red Rocks Trail which is on the south side of the lot…
The Centennial Parking Area is Our Starting Point
Head South Toward Red Rocks
Our first stop is the Silver Lake Ditch. This new trail has plenty of cool clean Ditch water all summer and it is a Voice and Sight trail…
Mandy Hydrates For The Hike
We follow the Trail west along Sunshine Canyon…
Head West Up The Sunshine Canyon Trail
Our Hike Begins
There is a profusion of flowers but all are the usual suspects…
Larkspur (Delphinium nuttallianum)
Nuttall’s Violets and Phlox
Oregon Grape (Mahonia repens)
Pasqueflower (Pulsatilla patens)
Sand Lily (Leucocrinum montanum)
The trail winds its way through meadows and woods…
Heading West Through Meadows and Woods
Up the steps…
Mandy on Sunshine Steps
Come On Slowpoke!
We finally happen upon a field of large purple wildflowers. These uncommon flowers, known as Sugarbowls, are hard to find here in Boulder. I have seen a few on the Goshawk Ridge Trail but this is the largest patch of Sugarbowls I’ve ever seen in one place…
Field Of Sugarbowls (Clematis hirsutissima a.k.a.Coriflora hirsutissima)
Hairs covering the flower and its stalk give rise to its name “hirsutissima” or “hairy”. “Cori” is Greek for “leathery”, referring to the texture of the flower. Frederick Pursh named this species Clematis hirsutissima in 1814 from specimens collected by Meriwether Lewis in Idaho in may of 1806. “Clematis” is an ancient Greek name for various climbing plants.
We Found Our Hairy, Leathery, Beautiful Sugarbowls
After my photography session we continue west into the woods…
Into the Woods We Go
Until we reach the west end of the Trail…
The West End Sunshine Canyon Trail is 1.3 mi/2.1km from the Start
Mandy gets to cool down and rehydrate in the Sunshine Canyon creek…
Mandy Cools Down for the Return Trip In Sunshine Creek
It’s time to head back…
Into the Woods and Back Down the Canyon We Go
The view east reveals Boulder’s Red Rocks…
Boulder’s Red Rocks Means We Are Almost Back
We had many treasures to savor on this pretty little trail. We also found our wildprize…
Sugarbowl Treasure
Tales from the Trails 