By Mike Loughrin, CEO, Transformance Advisors
West of Boulder
You can find the Little Switzerland Trail:
- About 45 minutes from Boulder
- West up Boulder Canyon to Nederland
- North 6.2 miles on the Peak to Peak Scenic Highway
There you will find an old road which has been closed for a very long time. This is the starting point for my more favorite hiking spot close to home.
It is both a great place to hike and a great place to ponder the imponderables.
Trout Stream
Hike down this road as it leads to a trout stream which is running fast this time of year. The summer storms and isolated patches of melting snow are feeding this stream which will eventually reach Boulder Creek.
Find the trail running along the stream and walk upstream to a point where the trail seems to disappear into the water.
At this point, gather your courage and cross the stream by scrambling across the unstable logs which serve as a bridge.
Mountain Meadow
After crossing the steam, continue on the trail as it winds through the woods and then into a mountain meadow.
At this time of the year, the meadow is full of wild flowers.
As you reach the far edge of the meadow, you will find find an unmarked and unusual looking trail that winds it way through the woods and along the side of the mountains.
Story to Tell
As you hike along this unusual trail, you will sense this level trail is out of place in the mountains and must have a story to tell. An observant hiker will soon see many hints pointing to an exotic history and the story which this trail wants to tell.
The hints collect in your mind and then the story explodes into view as you realize you are walking on the old bed of a narrow gauge railroad. The story is that of the Little Switzerland, a railroad which ran from Boulder to the gold and silver mines which dotted the mountains all around you.
This long-gone engineering feat was a critical link in the supply chain which served the miners of the late 1800s.
Opportunity to Contemplate
And, fortunately for the supply chains of today, this trail provides a great opportunity for the members of Transformance Advisors based in Boulder.
You will find us leveraging the isolation and peaceful serenity of this trail as we take long hikes to contemplate solutions for the challenges faced by our clients.
When You Go
When you decide to go: take along your challenges that require deep reflection. Go early and try to finish up before supper time.
Those of us that have hiked in the evening have gotten a strange feeling that a mountain lion is up there watching and waiting!
Mike Loughrin
Mike Loughrin is the CEO and Founder of Transformance Advisors. He also teaches for Louisiana State University Shreveport and is on the board of directors for the Association for Supply Chain Management Northern Colorado.
Mike brings exceptional experience in industry, consulting services, and education. Mike has helped organizations such as Levi Strauss, Warner Home Video, Lexmark, and Sweetheart Cup.
Keeping a commitment to a balanced life, Mike loves downhill skiing, bicycle rides, and hiking in the mountains. See one of his trails of the month at: Little Switzerland.
Want More?
