Chautauqua Park is a great mountainside park with various interconnecting hiking trails of easy to hard classes. Allie and I have been here many times. We almost never hike the same combination of trails. In fact, I don't think we've hiked the specific trail choices mentioned in 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Denver and Boulder. Segments of the trails are in shade, while other segments are exposed. There are great views of Flatirons and Boulder. This park is particularly dog friendly, though dogs need to be leashed.
This past summer, an eagle flew right by me at eye-level within 10 feet as it zoomed past. The eagle was so quiet that I didn't even know it was flying near me until it was already at its closest, right before I felt the air being pushed aside by the flapping of its wings. I was able to get one photo of it flying away.
Though it's mostly exposed, one of my favorite hiking areas is North Table and its various trails. The easier trail loop is described in 60 HIkes Within 60 Miles: Denver and Boulder as "a brief hike straight up the side of this iconic mesa (North Table) leads to a unique experience atop an ancient lava flow that feels like a tabletop." The hardest segment to hike for the mesa top trails is the initial slope right up the side of the mesa cliffs. It's steep by hiking trail standards, as it was originally an access road for a now abandoned quarry at the top. Once you are on top of the mesa, the trails have very little elevation change. It's a hike for the views. Hiking in late Spring will give you a chance to see many different flowers in bloom.
However, there's also the North Table Loop. This is a more challenging and long trail that continues around the mesa along it's slopes in a full loop. I've hiked this trail once. It's a lot tougher. I may hike this trail again, but better prepared with water and snacks. The only rattlesnake I've ever found while hiking was found on this trail, along with many more rattlers I could hear in the brush, particularly on the Southside. The Northside is more open. This magpie kept one eye on me while its other eye was on the lookout for its lunch.
I've visited the Betasso Preserve Canyon Loop Trail a few times during late Spring and early Summer. I really like this trail. It has a variety of terrain with beautiful mountain scenery. The trail is shared by hikers, joggers and cyclists. The area is a good mix of brush and trees without heavily overgrown areas with wild bramble. Early Summer supports a wide variety of flowers.
You can also visit nearby Bummers Rock during the same drive. This trail is Hike #31 from 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Denver and Boulder. Within which, it's described at "a geological enthusiast's wonderland." Even though it has diverse terrain, the change in elevation is only about 400 feet. You'll have a chance to see some wildlife here as well. It's recommended to enjoy this trail on the weekday, as weekends can be crowded (at least in the parking lot).
The Ogham alphabet (often pronounced "OH-um") is
the earliest known form of writing used in Ireland and parts of Britain,
appearing primarily in inscriptions between the 4th and 9th centuries AD. It's
unique among world writing systems for its striking visual form and method of
inscription.
Historical Context and Use
Ogham emerged during the period of Primitive Irish, the
oldest attested form of the Gaelic language.
Form
and Structure: Unlike the Latin or Runic alphabets, Ogham consists
entirely of a system of notches and parallel strokes etched along a
central line, or "stemline." On monuments, the natural corner or
edge of a standing stone served as this stemline, making Ogham essentially
a three-dimensional script. It reads vertically, typically from bottom to
top.
Primary
Function: The vast majority of surviving Ogham inscriptions are found
on monumental stones (known as Ogham stones) scattered across Ireland and
Wales. These stones functioned primarily as commemorative boundary markers
or memorials, usually bearing the name of an individual and that person's
lineage.
The
"Tree Alphabet" Tradition: Ogham is incorrectly known as the "Celtic Tree Alphabet." This
association comes from medieval manuscript tradition, where each of the 20
original Ogham characters was given a name corresponding to a native Irish
tree or plant (e.g., ᚁBeith = Birch, ᚇDair = Oak). This tradition popularized the script but often
overshadowed its true linguistic purpose.
Decline:
Ogham usage declined dramatically after the 7th century, largely being
replaced by the Latin alphabet as Christianity spread and written language
shifted from monumental inscriptions to manuscripts.
Transliteration for Modern English
The original Ogham alphabet had only 20 core characters (feda),
which reflected the limited sound set of Primitive Irish. To adapt this ancient
script for Modern English (which has 26 letters and many more sounds), a
systematic approach is necessary.
This converter (below) uses a modern, mostly reversible
transliteration method that maps the six missing English letters (J, K, P, V,
W, X, Y, Z) to their closest existing Ogham phonetic or orthographic neighbors,
ensuring every modern English word can be accurately rendered in Ogham. We also
use the dedicated
(Ogham space mark) for all word separation and punctuation to maintain the
authenticity of the script's digital representation.
Ogham Bi-Directional Converter
ⓘ
Output (Click to Copy):
Note on Mapping: This converter uses the 20 core Ogham letters plus the later Forfeda for missing English sounds (P and CH). Punctuation is converted to the Ogham space mark ( ) for a more authentic output.
Latin Input
Ogham Output
Ogham Name
Mapping Rationale
A, E, I, O, U
ᚐ, ᚓ, ᛁ, ᚑ, ᚒ
Ailm, Edad, Idad, Onn, Ur
Direct Ogham Vowels
B
ᚁ
Beith
Direct Ogham character.
P
ᚚ
Peith
**Uses the Forfid (supplementary letter).**
F, V
ᚃ
Fern
V is voiced pair of F.
C, K
ᚉ
Coll
K shares the hard C (/k/) sound.
CH
ᚙ
Eamhancholl
**Uses the Forfid for the CH sound.**
G
ᚌ
Gort
Direct Ogham character.
D
ᚇ
Dair
Direct Ogham character.
T
ᚈ
Tinne
Direct Ogham character.
H
ᚆ
Uath
Direct Ogham character.
L
ᚂ
Luis
Direct Ogham character.
M
ᚋ
Muin
Direct Ogham character.
N
ᚅ
Nuin
Direct Ogham character.
R
ᚏ
Ruis
Direct Ogham character.
S, Z
ᚄ
Saille
Z is voiced pair of S.
J
ᚉ
Coll
Mapped to C/K as a functional default.
W
ᚒ
Ur
Mapped to the vowel U (closest to 'oo' sound).
Y
ᛁ
Idad
Mapped to the vowel I.
Q
ᚊ
Quert
Direct Ogham character.
X
ᚉᚄ
Coll + Saille
Mapped as the two-character phonetic sequence CS (/ks/).
On the Fall Solstice or near-abouts in 2025, I visited Eldorado State Park. This park has a trail that is listed in the 60 Hikes within 60 Miles: Denver and Boulder at #34. Like many Spanish-origin names in Colorado, the name "Eldorado" has an anglicized spelling, so it's not "El Dorado". Instead of hiking the Eldorado Canyon Trail, as suggested in the book, I hiked the loop called Rattlesnake Gulch Trail.
The trail is challenging, as there is significant uphill segments with several large cutbacks. I was able to visit on a day that was comfortably warm. Major portions of the hike are shaded. There are two uncommon points of interest on this trail too.
Crags Hotel Ruins is a location where a hotel once stood but long since burned down. The ruins of central fireplace still remain, along with a few other fleeting signs of some long-past structures.
Also on this loop, you'll find the Continental Divide Overlook. This a great location for some awesome Rocky Mountain views (presumably including the Continental Divide).
I really enjoyed Eldorado Canyon State Park. This will be a location to which I'd love to return. Parking is $10 and is paid upon arrival. Reservations are required for weekends between May 1 and October 1.
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