Trail 44 South Mesa

South Mesa has a good loop trail and lots of interconnecting trails with many other areas.  The loop takes you from the trailhead and around the South Mesa. Technically, this is not the route shown in 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Denver and Boulder, but it still a nice hike with good views.  The hike starts out with thick brush, but transitions to forest on the Westside of the Mesa, as you switch from Mesa Trail to Homestead Trail before returning to the trailhead.

This is a good hike for dogs. The Mesa Trail, in particular, being fairly wide and well-maintained. There are come connector trails that do not allow dogs. These are very narrow and rocky.

We visited these trails in Fall. I wonder how this location blossoms in late Spring.

Tool that Rounds to the Nearest Fraction

When working in trades like carpentry, machining or cooking, you often run into decimal measurements that are difficult or impossible to translate to a standard ruler, tape measure, or measuring cup. Sometimes, you just need to work with fractions.

While a CAD program might output a required component hole as 0.6875 inches, a person on the shop floor needs to select a tool or check a dimension using the common fraction 11/16 inches. Similarly, scaling a recipe can result in awkward numbers like 0.833 cups, which is much easier to manage when converted to a practical fraction like 5/6 or the nearest standard measuring cup size. Below is the tool that is designed to bridge that gap by converting any decimal into its closest usable fraction.

The Fractional Rounding Tool (below) takes any decimal number and, based on your chosen level of granularity (the maximum denominator, such as 1/8 or 1/16), it determines the nearest possible fraction. This is essential because it allows you to standardize your precision and use common measuring instruments effectively. You also have full control over the rounding method, which dictates how the tool handles numbers that fall exactly halfway between two fractions. This is a great feature when working with tolerances, negative numbers or specific industry standards like rounding half up or half even. Use the tool below to instantly convert your decimal plans into measurable, actionable fractions.

Fractional Rounding Tool 📏

Decimal Number to Round (e.g., 4.375)

Round to the Nearest Fraction (Max Denominator)

Nearest 1/2 Nearest 1/4 Nearest 1/8 Nearest 1/16 (Standard Measure) Nearest 1/32 Nearest 1/64 Nearest 1/10 (Metric) Nearest 1/100

Rounding Mode (Determines how to choose the nearest numerator)

0: Round Up 1: Round Down 2: Round Ceil 3: Round Floor 4: Round Half Up (Standard) 5: Round Half Down 6: Round Half Even (Banker's) 7: Round Half Ceil

Rounded Fractional Result (Simplified)

For information on other tools and topics:

• Futhorc Runic Bi-Directional Converter: Turn your message in to First Millennium runes and back! [Try out this rune conversion tool on your own messages.]

• Earth's Looming Expiration Date: Why Earth faces an early deadline as Sun's energy output increases. [Idea on how to preserve our planet] 

• Number Rounding Tool: This the rounding tool that you didn't know you need! Multiple methods of rounding are supported. [Type Your Number and Round it up or down!]

Trail 33 Chautauqua Park

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.

Trail 14 North Table and Mesa Top

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.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/BjyU2fHnvNH/, https://www.instagram.com/p/BVDUg0sFjIZ

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.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fcsuper/p/BYrhAUjnZyA/

If you want, you can hike to the top of the top at Lichen Peak. Why is it named Lichen Peak?  

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When buy a used DVD is cheaper than a movie's digital rental

...when buying a good quality DVD is cheaper than renting the movie digitally...

(Also, it's funny that the AI gave Bryan Cranston the arms of Kevin Hart)

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Trail 31 - Betasso Preserve Canyon Loop

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.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fcsuper/p/BkfoWuCnh0P/, https://www.instagram.com/fcsuper/p/BkYDv45HZAe/

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).