fall

Hike The Devil’s Head for Fall Foliage

September 14th, 2016|Life On Deck|

If you are a Denver native, then you already know about the amazing Devil’s Head Fire Tower hike in the Front Range. The trailhead is about an hour from town, and the hike itself — a 2.8-mile round trip — will take a couple hours to complete. But whether you’ve done this hike a dozen times or never before, you need to hike it once before winter. As September turns into October, the Devil’s Head Fire Tower route turns into the best view of fall colors near Denver. Directions To get to the trailhead, take Highway 85 south from Denver to Sedalia. In Sedalia, turn right on Highway 67 and drive 10 miles. Turn left on Rampart Range Road and go another 9 miles. The trailhead will be on the left. You’ll start seeing gorgeous aspen trees on the way up, especially on Rampart Range Road. Devil's Head Fire [...]

Mule Deer, Icons of the West in Decline?

October 18th, 2014|Animals Out the Back Door|

For many people, one of the great attractions to Colorado is our abundance and wide array of beautiful wildlife. Some of us with homes in the foothills have the added advantage of being able to watch that wildlife from the comfort of our backyard decks. And this time of year is a great time to get out the binoculars for a glimpse at the magnificent wild mule deer. What is a mule deer? There are two main species of deer in our region—the whitetail and the mule deer. Both animals weigh between 130 and 280 pounds, support large antlers or "racks," and are seen in abundance throughout the year. The whitetail tends to be found more on the eastern plains of our state, while the mule deer or "muley" is scattered throughout Colorado and the entire west. The big visual differences between the two species are in the tails and [...]

Fall is Time to Play in the Dirt

September 20th, 2014|Garden & Lawn Care, Gardening|

The first cold of the autumn hit recently, and with it comes the desire to pack everything into the garage and snuggle up under your nearest blanket. But for gardeners everywhere, this change in weather is all part of the rhythm of life. There is still plenty of work to do at this time, and plenty to enjoy about being outside. Right now is a great time to be thinking about next spring. We gardeners can run to our garden shops and catalogs and picture great color for when the last of the snows melt away, even if we haven't experienced the first touch of winter yet. Now is a great time to amend the soil for next year's gardens. Betsy Kelson, staff horticulturalist with Jared's Nursery spent a little time with us to review this past summer's challenges and getting the ground ready for next spring. "The problem this [...]

Enjoying the Change of Seasons

September 13th, 2014|Blog, Life On Deck|

Most of the time, we like to think of the art of outdoor living as having something to do with enjoying your backyard and the deck you may have had built there. But the great outdoors can encompass so much more. Take, for example, the wonderful colorful display Coloradans enjoy each fall. This year, sometime between September 15th and the end of October, we will have a chance to see Mother Nature in all her glory as the trees of our state first burn with incredible color before dropping off for a well-earned winter's nap. Unfortunately, Mother Nature doesn't keep time the way we humans do, so you need to be prepared to jump into your car on your own chosen weekend and drive to locations throughout our area to truly enjoy the spectacle of the season. Wave Dreher, a spokesperson for AAA Colorado said, "These autumn drives are a [...]

DeckTec’s Second “Season”

August 30th, 2014|Deck Design Tips & Trends, DeckTec News & Updates, Outdoor Living|

It's hard to imagine that the wonderful summer weather we've been experiencing will soon come to an end. This year, particularly, homeowners have been grateful for drought relief with plenty of rain and cooler temperatures than the last few summers have shown. So, as surely as the seasons change in Colorado, it's time to enjoy that one last fling of Labor day, then return kids to school and make summer vacations a fond memory away. With this in mind, it may be tempting to think that all the outdoor fun is over. But at DeckTec, we celebrate this time of year, because it marks the beginning of our "second season"—a deck building and maintenance time that runs from September through the end of the year. We're committed to being a part of your community all year round, and have the construction and maintenance teams ready for your new dreams and [...]