The Gold Run Bridge is eight rigorous miles from the highway. The trail consists of steep climbs, rocky passages, creek crossings, close, narrow tracks alongside the roiling whitewater, and precipice-edged climbs leading far above Bear Creek, a distant strip of white, blue or brown, depending on the season. It winds along the mountainside, in and out of forest and exposure. It feels like an epic journey, culminated with a descent to a grassy meadow, a campfire ring, and fishing protocol.
The bridge crosses Bear Creek in a gentle arc. Step off, and Gold Run Trail tugs you onward. Its effortful, steep ascent makes trivial all that has come before, where fire has opened wildflowers to the sky and scree fields cascade downslope like a vast gray river of stone across your path. Two mighty trails, two fragments of the Colorado mountains’ healing soul.
To abandon the pain
It’s long we’ve ridden
to find this haven
to rest at the bridge
before the climb
A swift path into darkness
unknown beckoning mystery
Gossamer strings of light promise revelations
within the lonely tunnel of forest
beyond our ken
Strange to see the sky
arcing over barriers
river stones
heartbreak
loneliness
Siege of the Spirit 