Book Club Hiking & Adventure Group

A spellbinding and darkly humorous coming-of-age story about an unusual boy, whose family lives on the fringe of society and struggles to survive in a hostile world that shuns and fears them. He was born an outsider, like the rest of his family. Poor yet resilient, he lives in the shadows with his aunt Libby and uncle Darren, folk who stubbornly make their way in a society that does not understand or want them. They are mongrels, mixed blood, neither this nor that. The boy at the center of Mongrels must decide if he belongs on the road with his aunt and uncle, or if he fits with the people on the other side of the tracks.

Let's discuss "Mongrels" while hiking the upper trails of Mt Falcon. At the release of The Buffalo Hunter Hunter, the author kept talking about how the characters in Mongrels were his favorite. Let's find out why!

Copies of the book are available from the Denver Public Library.

We'll meet at the kiosk by the vault toilets at 6am, starting down the trail at 6:15am. Sunrise is at 5:43am so we'll have plenty of light. We'll go to the ruins, the Summer White House, Two Dog Trail, Devils Elbow, and up to the Tower. 5.1 miles, not a huge elevation gain (few hundred feet?). 2mph pace, not super fast since we'll be discussing the book.

https://www.jeffco.us/DocumentCenter/View/19619/Mount-Falcon-Park-map

I prefer to hike without pets or children.

You'll want normal hiking stuff, hat, water, sunglasses.

The United States Forest Service is offering access to Picket Wire Canyon as part of a guided auto tour. The tour includes a visit to the largest dinosaur track site in North America, but also includes stops at several Apishapa rock art sites.

Registration for the auto tour is through the Forest Service:
https://www.recreation.gov/ticket/234166/ticket/138

The book, which I believe will be an excellent reference is:
https://www.routledge.com/Thunder-and-Herds-Rock-Art-of-the-High-Plains/Loendorf/p/book/9781598741513

New it's pricy, used copies aren't too expensive.

This volume is the first summary and synthesis of the rock art of the American High Plains, from Archaic times to the historic period. Even more, it presents an engaging combination of Plains archaeology, rock art sites, and holistic archaeological research. This refreshing approach to rock art studies reminds us that archaeologists glean information from the whole site and everything that may have occurred there, rather than simply focusing on the images on stone. Clues to understanding rock art can be found in other images, in associated artifacts, and in ethnographic analogy. Archaeologists are shown how rock art integrates with other materials available for study. With each page, the reader will be engaged in a compelling, and comprehensive story that focuses equally on the art and the archaeology of the prehistoric plains.

Market Street Madam tells the story of Annie Ryan, a woman who is running a second-rate brothel in 1890s Denver with an eye toward expansion. By chance she encounters Lydia Chambers, a society woman suffering from a laudanum habit and a bad marriage, who owns a prized property on the infamous Market Street. Annie's fortunes at the brothel turn on her niece Pearl, a pretty young girl swept up in Denver's underworld of jealousy, booze, and vice--until murder stalks the good-time girls and puts everyone's future in doubt. A rollicking tale of blurred lines, flowing booze, played-out miners and upstairs girls, Market Street Madam delivers a compelling look at the intrigues of the Wild West, where women were enterprising and justice could be had . . . for a price.

Let's discuss "Market Street Madam" while walking from Union Station down Market Street and to any other possible nearby locations mentioned in the book.

Some planned stops:
https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=96236
https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=96234

Copies of the book are available from the Denver Public Library.

We'll meet inside Union Station, I'll post how to find me the morning of the event, but it will be inside Union Station. There's a Tattered Cover at Union Station, restrooms, coffee, etc. I'm not sure parking, as I often just ride the light rail, but being Sunday there is likely free street parking nearby.

2.8 mph pace, not super fast since we'll be discussing the book while also looking for referenced locations. I'm not sure distance, but it could be 5 miles as we work our way from LoDo to RiNo. While fiction, I believe it might be heavily inspired by Mattie Silks: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mattie_Silks

https://www.historycolorado.org/story/2023/12/15/women-market-street

I prefer to explore without pets or children.

You'll want normal hiking stuff, hat, water, sunglasses.

Arts in the Open is hosting a series of theater hikes in Chautauqua Park. While not directly related to a "book" as such, it's still a themed hike which may be of interest to the group.

https://www.chautauqua.com/event/rumpelstiltskin-and-other-tricksters/

Tickets are $26.88. When registering it really wanted to encourage a $5 donation to Colorado Chautauqua, but it didn't add any additional fee to the transaction.

Check in starts 9am, the hike will leave the shelter at 10am. They typically go about 2.2 miles, and a few hundred feet of elevation gain. The performances will take place both at random spots along the trail, as well as in larger settings where it's possible to setup a chair or blanket to sit on. We'll hike as a group between performance locations.

I'm not sure which stories the writer will choose, but I'm planning to read Grimms' Fairy Tales prior to the hike to better understand some context. The Denver Library has multiple versions available. We can discuss the Grimms stories after checking in, while waiting for the hike to start.

Parking for Chautauqua can be a challenge. I've found it easier to park in the neighborhood to the north, and just walk a few blocks into the park.

You'll want normal hiking stuff, hat, water, sunglasses. A compact chair, or something else to sit on, can be useful during the performances.