Less than a week had passed since an early blizzard had slammed into Colorado on Oct. 11, and the members of the Bijou Springs Hunt were wondering as they drove to the hunt country near Castle Rock, Colo., if they could even get into the parking area and what the footing would be like.

Well, the footing was great, with nary a snow bank to be found. The weather was downright balmy, especially for October, and the hunting was glorious.

MFH Martha Love and her helpers greeted foxhunters while serving a welcome stirrup cup. Father Don from Ave Maria Parish gave a blessing, and pipe major Shelly Whelan, in full Scottish regalia, played “Amazing Grace” and a stirring Scottish medley as the hounds went out.

As we say in Colorado, “If you don’t like the weather, wait a minute.”

In sharp contrast to the previous week’s blizzard, the hunter’s moon of Saturday night and Santa Ana winds made the task of the Bijou Springs hounds a daunting one. Coyotes had spent the night howling at the moon and then played far into the morning, secure that the prevailing winds would whisk away any trace of their passage.

New huntsman Nancy Mitchell and her staff had their hands full with a large contingent of new entry, many of whom were less than familiar with their new huntsman. In spite of the conditions, the hounds responded beautifully to Mitchell’s direction and two of the new hounds, Musket and Mystique, showed great promise for the new season ahead.

The outstanding ability of these hounds to work in less-than-ideal conditions became obvious as hounds were cast north toward the Sulfur Gulch runoff and directed into the scrub above the creek to the best scenting advantage. After working dutifully through the brush, BSH Roscoe and Raven found a promising line and spoke, leading honoring hounds east and south toward the windmill ravine.

Doubling back into the scrub, hounds lost as soon as they climbed into the open at the crest of the hill.

After the wind had blown hounds back into the scrub, they reclaimed the line and again crested the hill in a different place, screaming north along the ridge, down toward the pond at the north end of the country.

Mitchell gathered hounds and praised Mystique, who was among the leaders.

She recast hounds southeast toward Lemon Gulch, where they worked several arroyos and into the south country, with short finds and runs, and many breaks for cool-offs in the streambed.

The temperature had climbed close to 80 degrees, and the whips’ horses were beginning to show the strain. After one last blast through the big east/west draw, hounds were gathered at the cattle pond and loose-packed toward the trailers. Many field members loosened coats and stocks in relief as the heat continued to mount.

In spite of the warm, dry weather and a brisk wind, the hounds were stars as they treated the field to some excellent scenting work and several fine runs to wonderful hound music.

Said Jerry Kalamen, the hunt president, afterward, “We are so lucky to flirt with paradise on a weekly basis.”