Hiking, day 22: Schoolhouse Loop

I hit up one of the new trails at Heil Valley Ranch today - the shorter, kid-friendly Schoolhouse Loop. It's a mere .9 miles...so great if you're in a time crunch, like I was this morning, but still want to get a good 20 minutes in.

There are a few old train cars right at the trailhead. They're currently off-limits to get closer to, however, it looks like you'll be able to check them out later once the area around it being developed is complete.

I walked clockwise on the trail (against the mandatory bike direction) so one of the first things I came across is the creek that borders the trail for a short while.

I did definitely get the feeling this trail is geared towards kids / families, due to the distance and lack of major elevation gain - and this is another good reason why: about half-way through, there are strategically placed cow bones along the trail.

The above may be one of the best hiking pics I've gotten in awhile - a few flowers against a backdrop of an interesting rock in a field. Nice to see something a bit different than my normal trips!