Colorado Pictures (36 pictures)
14er note: If you are thinking about hiking some of the 14ers
(mountains over 14,000 feet) in Colorado, I highly recommend
taking a look at www.14ers.com - an excellent site with maps,
trail details, directions, and other things for the 54
Colorado 14ers. Be forewarned that hiking 14ers is addictive.
I've done 7 so far (plus have also done Mt Whitney in
California). Many can be done as day hikes and a number are
not technical (no mountain climbing, permanent snow fields).
Keep in mind that no matter how nice of a day it is, it can be
cold and windy at the peak (I was flurried on 3 times on my
August 2009 trip and pulled out my wool scarf a couple of
times). It is recommended to peak by noon as afternoon
thunderstorms are common in the summer in the Rockies.
Altitude sickness is a concern, so keep an eye out for your
co-hikers and be aware of indications you or someone else is
in trouble - headache, nausea, dizziness. If any of those
signs occur, stop and take a long rest and drink some water.
If the symptoms don't improve with rest, turn around - the
mountain isn't going anywhere and you can come back some other
time. Drinking water, eating some, and hiking at a slow pace
with short and longer rests along the way will help prevent
altitude sickness.
Colorado State Forest State Park
Directions:
I25 to Fort Collins. Head west on Rt 14 (weaves through
Fort Collins, so keep an eye out for turn signs for Rt
14). It's 62 miles from Fort Collins to CO State Forest
on Rt 14, a very pretty drive as it winds through mountain
canyons and mountain valleys (which also means you won't
be going more than 45 mph, at times less). As you see
peaks in the distance, you finally are getting close to
the park.
4 parking options for the trails below (there are other
trails in park):
Michigan Ditch trailhead - At Cameron Pass on Rt 14 (sign
for pass), turn right/north in to the parking lot/loop.
The trail starts across the road slightly to the right
as a gated dirt road.
Vault toilets at the parking area.
$3 pay station shortly along dirt road.
Crags Campground - Rt 14 to 2 miles west of Cameron Pass,
south turn (only turn in area) on to dirt road. Self
pay station and park brochures just past turn. The
road drops and then is a junction, take a right. Soon
is another junction, take a left (my sedan made it, but
wasn't too happy with the road). The road heads up,
turns right and then is the one-way small campground
loop (outhouse right there). The signed trailhead is
near camp site #8. Note: no day-use parking in the
campground.
Vault toilets at the start of the campground loop.
$6.
American Lakes trailhead - Rt 14 to 2 miles west of
Cameron Pass, south turn (only turn in area) on to dirt
road. Self pay station and park brochures just past
turn. The road drops and then is a junction, head
straight. The road heads along the valley floor and
ends at a parking area.
$6
Lake Agnes trailhead - Rt 14 to 2 miles west of Cameron
Pass, south turn (only turn in area) on to dirt road.
Self pay station and park brochures just past turn.
The road drops and then is a junction, take a right.
Soon is another junction, head straight. The road ends
at the day-use area.
$6.
Trails:
Well, I started this day with high expectations - 3
mountain lakes and a mountain pass. Reality of it being
too early in the season (with a heavy winter) soon set
in and I reached none of those objectives. Still, it is
a pretty area and my miscues may help you better plan a
good outing for this area. I stayed in the campground
(and there was snow in my campsite, first warning of
problems to come), so I headed out from the campground
trailhead. The one-person dirt trail heads a harder up
from the campground. It reaches a trail junction, go
left and the trail is mild for a bit. The trail then
switchbacks up a few times (and I started hitting snow
patches) and eventually reaches a dirt service road
(with a sign for the campground, the only signed
junction I encountered) - there is a pretty cascade
near there. My first oops was heading right along the
road (thought it was the 2nd trail junction on the map,
where it was really the 1st). I took the level road
for out 20 minutes before figuring out I was heading
the wrong way and turned around (but decided I'd try
that way later for Lake Agnes). Back at the campground
junction, I headed a very slight bit left along the
road and then headed right up a trail with a stream
coming down the middle. The rocky and muddy trail
heads sharply up and there are sometimes blue diamonds
on trees marking the way. There were several side
trails, but stick to the blue diamonds (I took 3 of
them and eventually ended up turning around back to
the main trail, probably old mining trails). I got
within sight of the Crags (rugged peaks at the top of
the valley) and there was more snow on the trail.
I reached the large rock mound and to the right there
was a single boot-path through the solid snow heading
up - I figured that was the way to Snow Lake and I
didn't go due to the snow. I took a left at the
mound and made my way through and around the snow.
The occasional diamonds curved to the left and I
reached a large snow patch where I didn't see any
diamonds in the distance and wasn't sure which way
the trail went, so I turned around - had thought I
was on the branch for American Lakes, but might have
actually been on the Thunder Pass branch. I headed
back to the dirt road (only took me 30 minutes to
reach) and took the packed level dirt road as rounded
the mountain. As the road rounds the bend, there are
good views of the Rt 14 valley and Diamond Peak across
the way. The road rounds the other end of the
mountain and soon there are great views of the Lake
Agnes valley. After a while, views of the other side
of the Crags (up to the left) will become visible.
Soon after the trail started heading a mild up, was
junction for a wide trail/road that headed down
(guessing the Lake Agnes trailhead trail) and not too
long after that I reached an impassable snow slope
(guessing the trail headed sharply up that slope and
the lake was just over the ridge. Thus ended my
attempts to reach mountain lakes and I headed back to
the campground.
So I started my 2009 trip with another go for the
American Lakes, this time starting from Cameron Pass
(Michigan Ditch route). The trail starts as a (still in
use) dirt road as it makes it's way for 3 miles around
to the top of the valley (mild, no climbs). Next to the
road is a water flow for a water supply system (Michigan
Ditch). You do get road noise from Rt 14 for a ways.
There are a few cabins along side the road. After about
an hour, the road reaches the top of the valley (and
then the road curves and goes along the other side of
the valley) and keep an eye out for the trail branch on
the left - there is a sign, but it's a few steps off of
the road. Take a left on to the dirt and rock trail.
From the junction it is 3 miles to the American Lakes
and another mile further to Thunder Pass. The wide
trail heads up for a bit and then down as it rounds a
long oblong meadow. The trail then starts heading back
up through the trees. The trail crosses a creek
(bridge) and narrows to one-person width and is packed
dirt (few rocks) as it starts zig-zagging up and up.
When you can see Thunder Pass to the left, there is
still another zig-zag. After the last zag, it's a short
hard up to a ridge, where there are some great views.
The lakes are a little further ahead, but not too much
farther. It took me 2:20 to reach the lakes. The twin
lakes (really an hourglass shaped lake) have green
slopes on the left and right sides and a rock field at
the top with the crags higher above. From the lakes,
you can head left for a mile to Thunder Pass (not a
hard hike) and/or go up the rock field (a very hard up)
to Snow Lake. Heading back from the lakes, I did try to
find the other route back to the dirt road (the way I
came up in 2008), but failed to find any side trail and
ended up heading back the way I came.
For Thunder Pass, take a left rock hop across the outlet
stream at the top of the American Lakes. You can
clearly see the trail as it makes its way up to the
saddle, less than a mile away. For a pass route, it's
actually a mild hike from the lakes. At the pass, take
a right up the rocky slope to the top of ridge for grand
views into Rocky Mountain National Park to the south
(and a nice resting spot).
For Snow Lake, head around the right side of the lakes
to the rock field. You should see a sign at the top of
the lake pointing the way up to Snow Lake. But that
won't help you much as there isn't much of a trail and
most of the time you are just making you way up the
steep rocky slope the best that you can - it is a rock
scramble as you'll need you hands free to help you get
up the rocks - if you see something that looks like a
trail, follow it until you lose it. The rock
surrounded lake is in the shelf where you'd expect it to
be. It's pretty, with the crags looming directly above,
but very difficult to reach and not really worth the
danger.
Since I had already hiked about 15 miles and wanted
to get some more driving in for this day, I skipped
going to Lake Agnes.
Trail Length + Elevation:
6 miles, 800 feet Michigan Ditch
5.5 miles, 1680 feet American Lakes trailhead
3 miles, ?? American Lakes from campground
.8 miles, 340 feet Lake Agnes from parking area
Area:
Rocky Mountains
Pictures
When I did the hike:
Monday, June 30, 2008 (campground); Tuesday, July 21,
2009
Recommendation:
Though pretty, it is out of the way and (with all the
road walking) there are better outings in Colorado.
Now, if you want to do a mix bike ride, hike outing,
this would be a good spot (bike the dirt road to the
trail junction).
Lulu City - Rocky Mountain National Park
Directions:
From Estes Park, take 36 to 34 all the way to the Colorado River
Trailhead parking lot (other side of the mountains).
$20 per car for a week's pass or National Parks Pass
Trails:
The Lulu City-Little Yellowstone trail is about 5 miles one-way on
a mostly one-person width (starts out wider) trail. Along the way
to Lulu City, take a short hike up to the mine shaft (can't go in).
Besides the hike up to the mine, it is a mostly flat (but some
elevation change) hike to the Lulu City area. There are a couple
of log cabin foundation remains (not much) along the way, but not
much is left of Lulu City. A short ways past Lulu City is a big
climb up for a mile or two where there is a pretty view of Little
Yellowstone Canyon (pretty, but not really worth all the effort).
Area:
Lulu City is in a valley between the mountains.
When I did the hike:
September 1999
Recommendation:
Unless you have a lot of time at RMNP, don't do the Little
Yellowstone Canyon trail - stick to the trails in the eastern area
of the park. There is not much at Lulu City (not worth a hike just
for that), but Little Yellowstone Canyon is kind of pretty.
Fern Lake Loop - Rocky Mountain National Park
Directions:
From Estes Park, take 36 to Bear Lake Rd to the end of the road and
the Bear Lake parking lot.
$20 per car for a week's pass or National Parks Pass
Chemical toilets at parking lot.
Trails:
The trail starts to the right of Bear Lake (pick up a trail map of
the area at the info kiosk at the parking lot if you don't already
have one). A short bit onto the trail is another junction and
take a left (the right is the return spot if you do the full loop).
The packed dirt and rocky trail (well defined trail, but they
didn't clear all the rocks so it isn't smooth (not complaining,
just describing) heads up for a while. After the Flattop Mt
junction (continue straight), the trail is a milder up and it
remains that way almost all the way to Lake Helene (2.5 miles in).
Make sure you get off the main trail and make your way lakeside for
Lake Helene - the prettiest of the lakes along this hike. It is
not a deep lake and there is a nice backdrop of mountain peaks
(probably some snow on them). From the north side of the lake, you
can make your way up a rockcrop for a pretty view down the valley
(don't head down any of the pseudo-trails you see - there is no
trail down to Odessa Lake from there). Back on the main trail, the
trail heads a steady down (no switchbacks) alongside the mountain
for a little over a mile to just past Odessa Lake. At the
junction, the main trail continues straight, but first take the
sharp left and a short level walk to the top of Odessa Lake, a tree
surrounded lake with the peaks visible above. Back on the main
trail, it is .7 miles further and more down to the uneventful Fern
Lake. From there, you can take a .9 mile (one-way) sidetrip to
Spruce Lake. I didn't do it on my second visit (and don't remember
it from my first), but this is what I had written from the first
trip: it's a thinner trail and you have to climb over some rocks,
but the payoff is beautiful. The rest of the hike is uneventful.
It is a little over 2 miles to The Pool (a small area of water (not
lake-sized) along the river). At the junction next to The Pool,
you can either head left for a fairly blah 1.7 miles through the
trees and another .8 miles of road walking to reach the free park
shuttle spot (chemical toilets there) or take a right for a much
harder blah 4.3 miles to complete the loop. The views along the
back portion of the loop are nothing exciting (no peak views), Cub
Lake is nothing to write about, and the trail goes up a small
mountain and down the other side.
Trail Length + Elevation:
Total: 13.4 miles
2.9 miles Bear Lake to Two Rivers Lake
1.1 miles Two Rivers Lake to Odessa Lake
.7 miles Odessa Lake to Fern Lake
1.0 mile Fern Lake to Spruce Lake
2.2 miles Fern Lake to The Pool
4.5 miles The Pool to Bear Lake
Area:
It's the Rockies. Mountainous with a number of mountain lakes
Picture
When I did the hike:
September 1999; Saturday, September 1, 2007 (half-loop)
Recommendation:
The Bear Lake area is gorgeous. I really like Lake Helene, but
could skip the rest of the hike. If you want to do more than just
Helene, do the half-loop with taking the shuttle back to the start.
I felt really sorry for the people who hiked 5 miles from the Fern
Lake trailhead to Fern Lake (a lot of effort for almost no reward).
Emerald-Haiyaha-The Loch loop - Rocky Mountain National Park
Directions:
From Estes Park, take 36 to Bear Lake Rd to the end of the road and
the Bear Lake parking lot.
$20 per car for a week's pass or National Parks Pass
Trails:
For this trip I went on the hike that I had planned in 1998, but
got snowed out. I did a pseudo-loop starting from the south of
Bear Lake. The 1.1 miles up to Nymph and Dream lakes are on a 2
person paved (but not smooth) trail. The elevation gain to Dream
Lake is 425 feet. The lakes are very pretty and you can see why
it is the most traveled trail in the park. Past Dream Lake, the
trail thins into a rocky and rooty trail that makes its way up to
Emerald Lake for .7 miles. Emerald Lake is a beautiful mountain
lake with mountains surrounding it. You climb an additional 180
feet to get to Emerald Lake. I started at 6:50 am and had the
trail to myself, but passed more than 15 people just heading back
from Emerald to Dream Lake. Back at Dream Lake, I hooked a right
onto the Lake Haiyaha trail. It starts with a climb over the
mountain and then the elevation change is not quite as dramatic.
After about 1.4 miles from Dream Lake and 320 feet additional
elevation, you reach the large, rocky Lake Haiyaha. There are
lots of fun rock scrambling to be had around this lake. Going
back about .3 miles from Lake Haiyaha is a branch trail towards
The Loch. It's a small trail in that it's a 1 person width and
does not see as much traffic as some of the other trails - the
trail is also going downhill most of the way. At the 4 trail
intersection, take a hard right on to The Loch trail and start
climbing again for a little over a mile. The Loch was another
pretty lake and I enjoyed my lunch break there. Then came my
mistake. Lake of Glass looked to be less than a mile away and I
decided to head for it. See the pretty waterfall in the distance?
The lake is at the _top_ of that. After over a mile of hiking
uphill (not too steep) and over some rocks, I came to 2 snow
fields and the waterfall. The snow fields were steep, but
passable. At the top of the 2nd snow field, you are right next
to the impressive waterfalls. The wonderful view of the falls is
the good news. The bad news is that you have to climb up the
small waterfall to the right - and it's pretty scary. At the top
of the falls is Lake of Glass - a clear mountain lake that almost
makes the climb worth it. Another .3 miles ahead on a thin trail
that involves some rock scrambling is Sky Pond - a bowl encased
lake. If you've come this far, go on to Sky Pond. The climb
back down the waterfall wasn't quite as bad as I thought it was
going to be, but I did butt-slide through the second half of the
2nd snow field (and my fingers were tingling for the next hour).
Back at the 4 trail intersection, head towards the Glacier Gorge
Junction for 1.9 miles - its a little climb for the start and the
downhill for the rest of the way. The trail goes passed Alberta
Falls (the falls at Lake of Glass are more impressive). At
Glacier Gorge Junction, head left for .5 uphill to Bear Lake (I
resisted the strong temptation to take the shuttle from Glacier
Gorge parking lot to Bear Lake). I finished the about 13 mile
hike a little after 5 pm. Ouch.
Trail Length + Elevation:
Total: 12.7 miles, over 2000 feet
1.1 miles, 425 feet Bear Lake to Dream Lake
.7 miles, 180 feet Dream Lake to Emerald Lake
1.1 miles, 320 feet Dream Lake to Lake Haiyaha
1.9 miles Lake Haiyaha to 4 trail junction
1.5 miles 4 trail junction to The Loch
.8 miles, 720 feet The Loch to Sky Pond
1.9 miles 4 trail junction to Glacier Gorge Junction
.5 miles, 235 feet Glacier Gorge Junction to Bear Lake
Area:
It's the Rockies. Mountainous with a number of mountain lakes
Picture
When I did the hike:
June 24, 2001; Saturday, September 1, 2007 (Dream and Emerald lakes)
Recommendation:
This was a little much for one hike, but all of the sights along
the way were worth it. Definitely go up to Emerald Lake and to
Lake Haiyaha. If you want to go to Lake of Glass and Sky Pond
(and be fully aware that it is a tough hike - I can't not recommend
it though as the sights are worth it), I'd do it on a separate day
(ie, not like I did). The Loch is pretty and worth going to even
without going on to Sky Pond. If you have 2 days, do the loop as
I did it and head towards Mills Lake and Jewel Lake (1 mile) [haven't
been there] from the 4 trail intersection and do The Loch/Lake of
Glass/Sky Pond on a separate day. Start your hikes _early_ to avoid
the crowds. Dream Lake is my favorite lake in the park.
Dream-Haiyaha-Black Lakes loop - Rocky Mountain National Park
Directions:
From Estes Park, take 36 to Bear Lake Rd to the end of the road and
the Bear Lake parking lot.
$20 per car for a week's pass or National Parks Pass
Trails:
See the Emerald-Haiyaha-The Loch loop description for most of
of this pseudo-loop hike. After hiking to Dream [Emerald was
temporarily closed due to trail work when I went] and Haiyaha
Lakes and taking the connecting trail between Lake Haiyaha and
Glacier Falls 4-trail junction, I took the branch towards
Glacier Falls (not impressive) and Mills Lake instead of towards
The Loch. It's a mild up from the junction to Mills Lake (with
little shade). Mills Lake is a large mountain lake and there
are some good views and resting spots early on. The trail
continues in the tress along the lake and then goes passed the
small, blah Jewel Lake. And then it is forever and a day 2
miles with some good ups to Black Lake - you'll think you should
be there long before you finally reach it. You're not almost
there until you spot the waterfall, and then it's a hike up next
to the falls. But you are rewarded with a very pretty lake in
a half-bowl. The best views and resting spots are right as you
cross the stream at the front of the lake. The trail does
continue along the lake and there is a small viewing area at the
head of the lake (but may be buggy). There also may be a snow
field near the head of the lake and the falls that feed it (the
trail does continue along the falls and you can off-trail hike
up to Frozen Lake, but I didn't do that). Back at the 4 trail
intersection, head towards the Glacier Gorge Junction for a long
blah 2 miles (it's not a pure down, you head up immediately from
the junction for a good while before it starts going down). You
can cheat and skip the last uphill .5 miles by taking a right
for a mild .3 miles to the Glacier Gorge parking lot and catch
the shuttle back to Bear Lake.
Trail Length + Elevation:
Total: 13.1 miles, over 1800 feet
1.1 miles, 425 feet Bear Lake to Dream Lake
1.1 miles, 320 feet Dream Lake to Lake Haiyaha
1.9 miles Lake Haiyaha to 4 trail junction
.6 miles 4 trail junction to Mills Lake
2.6 miles, 680 feet Mills Lake to Black Lake
1.9 miles 4 trail junction to Glacier Gorge Junction
.5 miles, 235 feet Glacier Gorge Junction to Bear Lake
Area:
It's the Rockies. Mountainous with a number of mountain lakes.
When I did the hike:
July 18, 2005
Recommendation:
Again, it's a lot for a day hike, but it has several worthy
stops along the way (if there was just a way to skip those last
2.5 miles). Dream Lake is probably my favorite Lake in the park.
Black Lake was definitely worth the effort and Mills Lake is
pretty, but can get crowded later in the day.
Start your hikes _early_ to avoid the crowds.
Chasm Lake - Rocky Mountain National Park
Directions:
From Estes Park, take Hwy 7 to the turn off on the right for the
Longs Peak area (the turn off is a short ways pass Lily Lake).
Flush toilets at the parking area.
Free [they don't check for a park pass].
Trails:
Nothing like a recent weather-reason failed hike to make you want to
come right back and try again. My unexpected free time (unemployed
and taking the summer off due to other previously planned trips)
and wanting to hit a couple of hikes in Colorado and return to
Glacier National Park prompted an on-the-cheap-side driving trip
with Chasm Lake definitely on the schedule. My first attempt at
this hike was cut short a little over a mile short of my destination
as the skies opened up and it really, really started snowing on me
with a very strong wind - a quick turnaround and fast walking to get
below the tree line - and that was in June. So my 2nd try came with
a beautiful clear day (despite rain prediction) and I reached the
lake with no problem. The trail is 2-person width that starts
climbing right away and continues going up through the woods for
about a mile. It levels for a bit with a mild up and then starts
going up again and goes next to a creek and then later crosses 2
creeks. Shortly after the 2nd creek crossing, the trail comes out
of the forest and is above the tree line the rest of the way and is
a mild up for a bit. After turning a sharp corner, you'll soon have
great views of the peaks. There is a harder up, then a stretch with
a mild up, then a harder up to a ridge. There are posts to tie
horses to at the ridge [the trail does not seem to be used much by
horses - manure traces were very few and old when I went] and an
outhouse to the left of the trail. From the ridge, the trail heads
down to a meadow with a waterfall above - along the way, there are
pretty views down to a lake (not your destination) with falls above
it. There may be a short snow patch along this section - only go
through it if there is a worn boot-path. The meadow is pretty and a
nice resting spot. There is an outhouse up to the left and a patrol
hut/emergency shelter to the right. The good news is that the lake
is just above you, at the top of the pretty falls that feeds the
meadow. The bad news is that it is a little ways ABOVE you. Catch
your breath because the trail becomes a rock scramble up behind the
hut. Take your time, use your hands, and watch your step - follow
the rock cairns when you can and look for footprints where you don't
see cairns or simply just head up. There is one part where you do
have to lift yourself up - it gets a little tricky right there
seeing which way is the best way up and the way you are supposed to
go. The lake is just a short ways after that harder up. Find a
nice spot near the smaller size (not dinky, though) lake and enjoy
the view with Longs Peak above you. It took me 2:45 to get to the
lake. Be careful going back down the rock scramble and take your
time.
Trail Length + Elevation:
4.2 miles, 2,360 feet (one-way)
Area:
Rocky Mountains, woods, creek, above tree line, mountain lake
Picture
When I did the hike:
Sunday, June 12, 2005; Tuesday, July 19, 2005; Sunday,
September 2, 2007 (part of Longs Peak hike)
Recommendation:
It's a lot of up, up, up. But it is a pretty hike with nice views.
Longs Peak/Keyhole - Rocky Mountain National Park
Directions:
From the town of Estes Park, take Hwy 7 south about 10
miles to the Longs Peak road (on the right) (the turn off
is a short ways pass Lily Lake). Take that road to the
parking area at the end.
Flush toilets at parking area, outhouses at Chasm
Junction (3.5 miles) and the Boulder Field Campground
(5.9 miles).
Free [they don't check for a park pass].
Trails:
Because of the threat of afternoon lightning storms,
this is one of those hikes you have to start in the
middle of the morning (as in before 3 am). I started
at 2:15 am - and I wasn't alone as a lot of people were
doing this hike (didn't help that it was Labor Day
Weekend). With such an early start, you are hiking by
headlamp for several hours. It didn't start to get
light until I was on the backside of Mt. Lady
Washington (past Granite Pass). The trail starts by
heading up (a common theme with this hike) and
switchbacks through the forest (it is a pretty hike,
see the Chasm Lake hike description). There is a
milder section through the Goblins Forest area
(campground) and then more switchbacks ahead before
crossing over the bridge (2 miles). The trail is then
mild for a bit. When it rounds the curve, you head
up again (no switchbacks) and you are above the tree
line. At the junction, take a left and the trail goes
through the open rocky area (not that you can see any
of this) - the trail remains a rocky area (path through
the rocks) the rest of the way. Right before Chasm
Junction is a harder switchback up to the junction.
Take a right at the junction and the trail is fairly
mild as it heads around the east side of Mt Lady
Washington. When the trail rounds the mountain to the
north side, the grade is more up. Shortly past Granite
Pass (4.2 miles) is more switchbacks. When the sun is
out, you'll have nice views the rest of the way of the
valleys and mountains to the west. Then it is milder
to the campground of Boulder Field (5.9 miles). The
views of the Keyhole (a distinct sight of a gap in
a pass that actually looks like a keyhole) and Longs
Peak are great. Someone told me that from the
campground, you can make a (no trail) trek across the
rocks to a low point to the left and have a view
down on Chasm Lake. From the campground, there is no
true trail up to the Keyhole. The parks service calls
it a rock scramble, but the end is more of a rock
climb. It is only about .3 miles from the campground
up to the Keyhole, but you gain 354 feet in that short
distance. There are some cairns along the way up, but
there are multiple ones marking different routes and
it is hard to follow them. So you simply make your
way up (yes, up) the rock field by chosing the route
that looks best to you and/or following others. A
hiking stick will help you maneuver over the rocks
until the last hard bit where you'll need to use your
hands to get up the rocks. It is not a technical
climb as you don't need climbing equipment, but I
heard one person say that it is as non-technical as
you can get before being technical. Take your time,
watch your step, and take plenty of breaks (don't
rush to get up). The Keyhole area is a very small
area and you'll likely be sharing it with other
people. Find a nice spot and sit and enjoy the
great views down on Glacier Gorge Valley below
including a number of mountain lakes [you can hike
to Black Lake, one of the lower lakes you see, from
the Bear Lake area]. Then take a look to the left
and see the trail up to Longs Peak - there are
Bullseye paint spots marking the way along the
mountainside heading to a scree slope and the trail
heads up that slope (on which for the down, you
reportedly have to crab walk). The Keyhole was
actually my planned destination. I was worried
about the last bit for the Longs Peak hike and
decided that I would make my decision for continuing
up to the peak based on what I felt like at the
Keyhole and seeing the rest of the way. I took one
look to the left and said, 'No fricken way!!!' It
is about 1.3 miles and 900 feet gained from the
Keyhole to Longs Peak. Since I didn't do Longs
Peak, I took a sidetrip to Chasm Lake on the way
back down (only .7 miles and 260 feet from the
Chasm Junction).
Trail Length + Elevation:
about 6.2 miles, 3754 feet trailhead to Keyhole
7.5 miles, 4853 feet trailhead to Longs Peak
Area:
Huge mountains and mountain views.
Pictures
When I did the hike:
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Recommendation:
Even with going just to the Keyhole, it's more of an 'I
did it!' hike than a beautiful hike - you get just as
pretty of a hike going to Chasm Lake. Though the view
of Glacier Gorge Valley from the Keyhole is very pretty.
If you are thinking about going all the way to Longs
Peak, read some of the trip reports out there about the
hike and make sure you understand what you are getting
into - you need to be in great shape to do this hike and
the area past the Keyhole is harrowing.
Lost Lake and King Lake - Hessie area
Directions:
72 to Nederland. 1/2 mile south of Nederland on 72, go west toward
the Eldora Ski Area. At the ski area fork, go straight through the
town of Eldora (the road will become dirt just after the town).
Park at the fork in the dirt road (there's room for a handful of
cars). There is a pretty little trail that goes besides the road to
Hessie (and the road to Hessie is _definitely_ high clearance
vehicles only as it is part creek - there is more parking at Hessie
and a few spots at the end of the road) that includes a small pond
where I got a pretty reflection picture.
No facilities [nearest is in Nederland]
Free
Trails:
Hessie is the site of an old mining town (there are no building
remains at Hessie - just a field). Crossing the bridge over the
river takes you to the trailhead for the Hessie trails. The trail
starts as an old mining dirt road, but there are more rocks than
dirt. A short ways up the road is an abandon cabin that you can
roam around. The road starts with a nice climb up a small
mountain. Near the top, you can see 2 cabins on the mountain side
to the left (look for the orange mounds) - you can get to one of
them from the Lost Lake area. The road continues on and crosses
the stream over a solid bridge. A short ways later (1 mile from
the trailhead), the Lost Lake trail branches to the left for 1/2 a
mile (and a good climb) up to Lost Lake. Lost Lake is a very
pretty lake with a nice view of the rocky peaks of the Continental
Divide in the distance (the base of which is the destination for
the King Lake trail). From Lost Lake, you can see an abandoned
mine on the far hillside. The road continues around the lake and
up to the mine - with a branch to the left up to another (smaller)
mine. An abandoned cabin is also somewhere to the left, but I
didn't bother trying to find a way to it. Back on the King Lake
trail, the road continues for a bit and then crosses the creek
(the last crossing of the creek you'll make until the Bob Lake
branch). Woodland Lake trail heads off to the right and King
Lake trail heads off to the left. And finally you are on a true
trail. The trail narrows to a one-person width and at times
rocky trail that slowly gains in elevation. A ways along the
trail, you can see 2 old train trestles from the old Rollins
Pass Road on the mountainside to the left - before Moffat tunnel
was built, the trains used to go over Rollins Pass and then it
was a road for a number of years before being abandoned.
There's also an old crashed car on the mountainside before the
first trestle. After the trestles, the trail started getting
muddy at spots and I had to hike over a number of small snow
fields (it had snowed 2 weeks before I went). After a little
bit longer, the trail starts heading up a mountain with a number
of switchbacks. At the top was a large rock with snow surrounding
it. I couldn't figure out which way the trail went (there was
a post nearby, but no sign on it with directions). I took one
step into the snow, my foot sunk, and I pulled it out and
decided to stop there. I had lunch and enjoyed the views of
the large granite bowl I was in before heading back. Ya, I know
I was likely at the fork for the King Lake and Bob Lake trails
and only 1/2 mile from King Lake, but I was pretty tired (did a
10 hour hike the day before), sick of hiking over snow (not fun)
and there was snow everywhere (not blanketed, though), the lake
was probably snowed over, I couldn't figure out which way the
trail really was, and I was tired. Despite my cutting my hike
a little short (had planned on hitting King, Betty, and Bob
lakes), it was still a 8 hour and 50 minute hike by the time I
got back to the car. Ouch.
See the King Lake-Devil's Thumb Loop description below for more
details of the King Lake, Betty Lake, and Bob Lake area.
Trail Length + Elevation:
1.75 miles, 777 feet (one-way) to Lost Lake (from parking area)
5.75 miles, 2,422 feet (one-way) to King Lake (from parking area)
Area:
Indian's Peak Wilderness/Roosevelt National Forest: mountains,
trees, abandoned cabins, and mines.
Picture
When I did the hike:
September 1999 (short visit), June 25, 2001
Recommendation:
Once you get passed the old road (and Lost Lake is worth visiting
despite the old road), there are some very nice trails with
interesting sights along the way. The fact that it is isolated
and there are few parking spots means it's not crowded. A great
place to hike (but better with less snow).
Devil's Thumb Trail - Hessie area
Directions:
72 to Nederland. 1/2 mile south of Nederland on 72, go west toward
the Eldora Ski Area. At the ski area fork, go straight through the
town of Eldora (the road will become dirt just after the town.
Park at the fork in the dirt road (there's room for a handful of
cars). There is a pretty little trail that goes besides the road to
Hessie (and the road to Hessie is _definitely_ high clearance
vehicles only as it is part creek - there is more parking at Hessie
and a few spots at the end of the road).
No facilities [nearest is in Nederland]
Free
Trails:
Hessie is the site of an old mining town (there are no building
remains at Hessie - just a field). Crossing the bridge over the
river takes you to the trailhead for the Hessie trails. The trail
starts as an old mining dirt road, but there are more rocks than
dirt. A short ways up the road is an abandon cabin that you can
roam around. The road starts with a nice climb up a small
mountain. The road continues on at a smaller grade and comes to
a bridge with a branch for the Devil's Thumb Bypass heading up to
the right. You can either can either take the bypass or head
across the bridge (the trails meet up later and the distance is
the same). Take the bypass - it's a true trail (not the old road)
and gives you some nice distance views of your destination. The
bypass heads up for a little ways before leveling off and going
through a long meadow. From the meadow, you can see the granite
peaks ahead. Your destination is at the base of the farthest
peak to the right. After the bypass re-joins with the Devil's
Thumb Trail, the trail starts heading up (not steep) and varies
between the old mining road and a one person-width trail. I
encountered lots of snow and water (with streams taking over
parts of the trail - my socks were soaked by the time I got to
the lake) along the way. From the junction for the Diamond Lake
trail, it is 1/2 mile to Jasper Lake. It was an almost pure snow
1/2 mile for me, so I can't tell you what the trail was really
like. When I was there, Jasper Lake was 80% frozen over (very
pretty, though) and there was no way I was going to continue on
to Devil's Thumb Lake with all the snow and threatening clouds
rolling in [I didn't get the expected rain or storms on my way
down, but it started flurrying 15 minutes after I left Jasper
Lake, which was cool]. Back at the branch for the bypass, I opted
for not repeating my path and took the Devil's Thumb Trail back.
I'd recommended using the bypass both ways as from the branch, the
trail is purely the old mining road, there were several stream
parts [maybe dry later in the summer], and no interesting views.
See the King Lake-Devil's Thumb Loop description below for more
details of Devil's Thumb area.
Trail Length + Elevation:
about 5 miles, 1,805 feet (one-way) to Jasper Lake
about 1 mile, 325 feet further to Devil's Thumb Lake
Area:
Indian's Peak Wilderness/Roosevelt National Forest: mountains,
trees, abandoned cabins, and mines.
When I did the hike:
Saturday, June 11, 2005
Recommendation:
Very pretty area. Hiking on the old road isn't that great, but
the mountain lakes are worth it. I went too early in the season,
though, as there was too much snow. Be fore warned: seeing snow
early on the hike is not a good thing as that means there will be
lots more to come. A bonus to the area is that it is not crowded
(the Lost Lake trail gets the most people), even if the parking
area is full.
King Lake - Devil's Thumb Loop - Hessie area
Directions:
72 to Nederland. 1/2 mile south of Nederland on 72, go west toward
the Eldora Ski Area. At the ski area fork, go straight through the
town of Eldora (the road will become dirt just after the town.
Park at the fork in the dirt road (there's room for a handful of
cars). There is a pretty little trail that goes besides the road to
Hessie (and the road to Hessie is _definitely_ high clearance
vehicles only as it is part creek - there is more parking at Hessie
and a few spots at the end of the road). Note that more people have
found the Hessie area and the parking area fills up early on the
weekends.
No facilities [nearest is in Nederland]
Free
Trails:
Hessie is the site of an old mining town (there are no building
remains at Hessie - just a field). Crossing the bridge over the
river takes you to the trailhead for the Hessie trails. The trail
starts as an old mining dirt road, but there are more rocks than
dirt. A short ways up the road is an abandon cabin that you can
roam around. The road starts with a nice climb up a small
mountain. The road continues on at a smaller grade and comes to
a bridge with a branch for the Devil's Thumb Bypass heading up to
the right. For my hike, I did the King Lake branch first, but
would recommend going to the Devil's Thumb area first [mostly to
make sure the Devil's Thumb Pass is not snowed over - it's a
steep down from the pass]. The King Lake trail is described in
more detail above. So after 2 3/4 hours of hiking with mostly a
gentle up (start with a harder up and end with a harder up and
mild in the mild), I reached the top of the waterfall and the Y
junction for Betty Lake and King Lake. I headed to Betty Lake
first - taking a hard right at the junction. The narrow trail
heads up for about .5 mile to the tail of Betty Lake. Betty Lake
is a long, oblong lake next to a mountainside. Pretty, but Bob
Lake is prettier. It's also harder to get to as the trail will
keep disappearing on you. Head along the left side of Betty Lake
and make your way as best you can for about .5 mile to Bob Lake
(it's just above Betty Lake, where you'd expect it to be). Once
you find your way there, sit and have a rest and enjoy the
smaller lake in a mountain bowl. Back at the Y junction, King
Lake is about .5 mile to the left (or straight if you're coming
from Betty lake) and some more climbing. With some careful rock
hopping, you should be able to cross the stream near the Y
junction without getting your feet wet. As you near the lake, you
should see a branch to the right while the trail continues up -
take the branch to reach the lake. King Lake is also in a bowl,
but is not as pretty as one side is pure slate (and maybe snow).
After a rest at the lake, you can continue on the trail heading up
towards Rollins Pass (it's not as hard as an up as it looks). At
the ridge, the trail T intersects with the Continental Divide
Trail. Heading left for a very mild quarter of a mile to the
ghost town of Corona and Rollins Pass (and the parking area for
Rollins Pass for those with 4-wheel drive that came up from Winter
Park). There is hardly anything left of Corona, just one
foundation and a collapsed roof. But the view from the collapsed
roof area down the valley and over to the Y junction area is
wonderful. Back at the T junction, the Continental Divide Trail
heads up over a mountain and continues for about 2 miles (and the
CDT continues passed that) to the Devil's Thumb Pass. However,
there is no sign indicating the Devil's Thumb trail branch and it
is hard to locate it (I passed it, going over the next mountain,
located it looking down into the valley, and had to go back over
the mountain (off trail) sticking to the ridgeline and keeping an
eye out for the trail headed down) - the 2nd reason to recommend
doing this hike the opposite way that I did it. It's a steep
down from the pass for about a mile to the small sized Devil's
Thumb Lake. There is not really a good lake side resting spot
for Devil's Thumb Lake. It's about a mile further at a much
milder down to Jasper Lake, a pretty larger lake. There is a
wet water crossing along the shore of Jasper Lake, right before
the open resting (and camping) area. You can see the Devil's
Thumb trail description above for more information for the hike
to Jasper Lake. It was a long hike for me, but I wasn't
rushing and took long breaks at each lake. Including about an
hour for missing the Devil's Thumb Pass and trying to locate it,
it was over an 11 hour hike for me.
Trail Length + Elevation:
about 5 miles, 2,000 feet to the King Lake-Betty Lake Y junction
about .5 miles, 400 feet to Betty Lake from Y Junction
about .5 miles, 200 feet to Bob Lake from Betty Lake
about .5 miles, 422 feet to King Lake from Y junction
about .5 miles, 250 feet to Rollins Pass
about 2.25 miles from Rollins Pass to Devil's Thumb Pass (not level)
about 1 mile, 595 feet down to Devil's Thumb Lake from the pass
about 1 mile, 375 feet down to Jasper Lake from Devil's Thumb Lake
about 5 miles, 1,805 feet down to trailhead from Jasper Lake
[Note: book descriptions describe the King Lake-High Lonesome Trail
(CDT)-Devil's Thumb Lake loop as a 13 mile hike, but I think it's
a bit longer than that, even without all the side trips I took.]
Area:
Indian's Peak Wilderness/Roosevelt National Forest: mountains,
mountain lakes, trees.
When I did the hike:
Sunday, July 17, 2005
Recommendation:
It's a very pretty, long loop and worth doing (if the pass
isn't snowed over). If you have a full day and are in
condition, it's worth doing.
Blue Lake - Brainard area
Directions:
72 to Ward. Just north of Ward, you should see a sign for the
Brainard Recreation Area and turn on that paved road and drive
for about 5 miles to the entrance station. If you can find a
parking spot, park in the Mitchell Lake parking lot.
Note that it is very popular.
Chemical toilets at the parking lots.
$7 per car
Trails:
The well used dirt and rock trail goes a mild up for a mile to
Mitchell Lake (not all that pretty). The trail continues passed
Mitchell with a little more up for 2 miles, pass a couple of
small ponds and a stream, to Blue Lake. Blue Lake is in a bowl
with granite peaks above and a small waterfall feeding it. It
was windy when I was there. [I was going to also do the Long
Lake and Lake Isabelle trail in the park, but gave up after
waiting 20 minutes for a parking spot that never came.]
Trail Length + Elevation:
1 mile, 200 feet from trailhead to Mitchell Lake
2 miles, 1100 feet from Mitchell Lake to Blue Lake
Area:
Indian's Peak Wilderness/Roosevelt National Forest: mountains,
mountain lakes, trees.
When I did the hike:
Monday, August 1, 2005
Recommendation:
Na, far too many people (and it costs money) - go to Hessie.
If it was this crowded on a Monday, I could only image how
crowded it gets on the weekend. Because of the trail length,
it probably would be a good outing for a family.
Mt. Elbert
Directions:
On Hwy 24, 5 miles south of Leadville, turn west on to
Colorado 300. Drive .7 miles and turn left on to CR
11. Drive 1.2 miles and turn right on to Halfmoon
Creek Road. Drive the well graded dirt road
(passable for all vehicles) for 5 miles to the signed
turn for the Mt. Elbert parking lot - it's a large
parking lot. Camping note: there are a number of free
disperse camping spots (no facilities) along the
Halfmoon Creek Road. There are 2 fee campgrounds
along the road - one just past the Mt. Elbert parking
lot. You are allowed to camp in the parking lot, but
if you want to set up a tent, it's best to use one of
the disperse spots or campgrounds.
Vault toilets.
Free.
14er note
Mt. Elbert Summit: 14,433 - Colorado's tallest, 2nd
tallest Continental US
Trails:
Don't expect solitude as it's a very popular trail
with many wanting to peak Colorado's tallest - that's
the bad news, the good news is that the trail is in
very good condition and easy to follow. The trail
starts next to the information sign (top of the
parking lot). Head a short ways up from the parking
area to the T-junction with the Colorado Trail and
take a left (be careful not to miss the junction on
the way back; if you do, just take a right when you
hit the road and walk the road back). The 1 1/2
person width dirt trail heads a steady up, with some
switchbacks, to the ridge. After rounding the ridge
bend, the trail is mild as it stays slightly below
the ridge and the signed Mt. Elbert junction is not
too much farther ahead. Take a right at the junction
(leaving the Colorado Trail) and the trail remains
mild for a little ways (enjoy it, because that's the
last of the mild) before resuming heading up. The up
is not too bad to start with, but soon you'll be
huffing and puffing as the trail gets steep (still in
the trees). I eventually started calling this the
trail of a thousand pauses. After a while, the trail
does calm down a little, but still remains heading
up. There is a short section where the trees thin
and you get your first view of Mt. Elbert (can't see
the real summit, just one of the false summits). A
little further ahead is a short clearing with a
better view. The trail goes back in to the trees for
a bit before reaching the tree line (a good resting
spot). There's lots of up still to go. The trail
narrows and gets rocky as it heads up the slope with
some switchbacks (rocky the rest of the way, no rock
scrambling though). The trail rounds the ridge and
is milder for a short bit - there is a view of a
small pond in the valley down to the left (and you
may see people on the ridge across the valley as that
is another trail to reach Mt. Elbert). Ahead is the
long final up - keep an eye out for the trail on the
steeper sections (it rounds the mound to the right);
I didn't have trouble following it, but encountered a
trio that had lost the trail and were making a more
difficult rock scramble up. Also, a hiking stick
will make this section much, much easier. Be aware
that you are heading to a false peak - and once
reaching the false peak, there is another false peak
ahead (even knowing that, I still groaned reaching
the 2nd one). The true summit is not much farther
from the 2nd false peak. There is a log stick a
geological marker at the summit. There are also a
number of windbreaks at the top, which were very
popular as it was a cold and very wind day when I
was there. At the top, you get 360 degree views of
the Rockies. It took me 6 hours to reach the peak
(I was going at a slow pace - only took 4 sit-down
breaks, but had a ton of short leaning-on-my-stick
breaks).
Trail Length + Elevation:
4.5 miles, 4393 feet one-way
Area:
Rocky Mountains.
Picture
When I did the hike:
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Recommendation:
It's an accomplishment hike (both "I did it!" and "I
hiked Colorado's Tallest/2nd Tallest in Continental
US!"). Although it has the usual grand 360 degree
views at the top, I didn't think it was all that
pretty of a hike [I thought Mt. Massive was a much
prettier hike].
Mt. Massive
Directions:
On Hwy 24, 5 miles south of Leadville, turn west on to
Colorado 300. Drive .7 miles and turn left on to CR
11. Drive 1.2 miles and turn right on to Halfmoon
Creek Road. Drive the well graded dirt road
(passable for all vehicles) for 5 miles to the signed
turn for the Mt. Elbert parking lot. The road gets
rougher (but still passable) just past that turn and
it's .5 miles further to the smaller Mt. Massive
parking area on the right (don't turn in the overflow
lot on the left) - there is a large pothole just
before the turn that you'll need to be careful driving
through. Camping note: there are a number of free
disperse camping spots (no facilities) along the
Halfmoon Creek Road. There are 2 fee campgrounds
along the road - one just past the Mt. Elbert parking
lot. You are allowed to camp in the Mt. Massive
parking lot, but if you want to set up a tent, you'll
need to use one of the disperse spots or campgrounds.
No facilities (but vault toilets at the Mt. Elbert
parking lot). [This is the longer route to Mt.
Massive: the shorter (4 miles) route is 2.5 miles
ahead on the rougher road (definite 4-wheel drive
last 1/2 mile).]
Free.
14er note
Mt. Massive Summit: 14,421 - Colorado's 2nd tallest,
3rd tallest Continental US
Trails:
The trail starts in the trees on the Colorado Trail,
and stays on the Colorado Trail for about 3 miles.
The 1 1/2 person width dirt trail heads up to a ridge
to start and then is mild for a ways - first as a
mild up, later as a mild down. After crossing a
stream, the trail heads more down to a creek crossing
(rock hop). Then it is a mild up from the creek.
The trail stays mild to the 2nd creek crossing (again
easy rock hop) and just ahead is the signed Mt.
Massive junction - take a left. The trail heads up
for a bit (not steep) and eventually comes out of the
trees and you can see Mt. Elbert to the left and a
bit of Mt. Massive straight ahead. [The trail you
see heading up the green hill is the old trail.] The
trail is now above the tree line for the rest of the
way. The trail heads up the hill with switchbacks,
going in and out of the waist-high shrubs. Once past
the end of the old trail (2nd "rehab" sign), it's a
steady up through the rock-strewn mountainside (still
a well-defined trail) - you can see the saddle
(where the trail goes) ahead and slightly to the
left, you can also see several of Mt. Massive's peaks
(there are 4), but it's hard to pick out the true
summit (the 3rd). Once you see the saddle, it's a
long, long, long way to reach it. The trail does get
a little steeper as it nears the saddle. It took me
5 hours to reach the saddle and another hour to reach
the summit. There are good views to the southwest
from the saddle and, walking around the rock mound
(nice resting spot), of Mt. Elbert. There is only
500 more feet to gain from the saddle, but it's a
steep up with rock scrambles along the way. The
trails heads up from the saddle to the right, with
natural stone steps to start. Then it is a rock
scramble most of the rest of the way (some mild
sections, though) - you'll need your hands free for
balance (it can be challenging at spots, but nothing
too difficult or scary). Once the trail reaches the
ridge, there are some nice views to the left down on
the pretty valley that contains several lakes. On
the ridge, head to the right. The trail reaches the
2nd "peak" (the 1st peak is to the left of the
saddle) and then heads a slight down before heading
up and reaching the true summit - there is a long
wood stick marking the summit, but no geological
marker. Enjoy the grand 360 degree views of the
Rockies including more views down on the valley with
4 lakes. The large, tree surrounded lake in the
distance to the northeast is Turquoise Lake. It
took me 6 hours to reach the summit (again, I was
going at a slow pace - the weather was beautiful and
the hike way my day, so there was no need to rush).
Trail Length + Elevation:
6.7 miles, 4500 feet one-way
Area:
Rocky Mountains.
Picture
When I did the hike:
Monday, August 17, 2009
Recommendation:
It's a long hike and a rock scramble the last 1/2
mile, but I thought it was very pretty, especially
at the peak with the views down on the 4 lakes
below.
La Plata Peak
Directions:
Hwy 24 to Rt 82 (about 15 miles south of Leadville).
Drive 13 miles west on Rt 82 and keep an eye out for
the La Plata Trailhead road sign (on the right side
of the road) and the small parking area is on the
left side of the road. [Note that you are not
allowed to camp at the parking area.]
No facilities.
Free.
14er note
La Plata Summit: 14,336 feet - Colorado's 5th tallest
Trails:
Head up the dirt road for 1/4 mile (private property
along the road, no parking on the road) to the
signed trailhead on the left. The trail soon
crosses a bridge - go right after the bridge. The
trail meanders through the forest and comes to a
creek crossing (log crossing). The 1 person width
trail then heads up (and it is an up) next to the
creek. Soon there are log steps to help with the
steep climb. After the steps, the trail varies
between mild and hard ups as it makes its way up and
around the hillside. The trail finally calms down
and is mild for a ways as it goes along a wider
valley, with some nice views of the small peak to
the right. The trail eventually reaches an area
where you can see La Plata ahead and to the left -
the valley you are in is also pretty with a
distinctive orange mountain to the right. The
trail resumes heading up near the end of the rock
field - and it's up, up, up to the ridge, starting
with a steep zig-zag up the grassy slope (dirt and
rock trail - my least favorite section of the hike)
that takes you above the tree line. At the end of
the zags, the trail heads up to the right through
the top edge of a rock field. After a bit, the
trail resumes the zig-zags as it heads up to a
grassy meadow with a large square boulder at the
end of the zags. The trail heads a milder up
through the meadow and then it's more up (word of
the day) as the trail goes through the rock field
with some switchbacks and a number of natural rock
steps up to the ridge. At the ridge there are nice
views both of the valley to the left (which you
came up) and to the right. Also, to the north you
can see Mt. Elbert and Mt. Massive in the distance
(if you know what they look like) - it's a nice
resting spot (and needed as more hard up is still
to come - 1500 feet still to gain in 1.5 miles)).
The trail is somewhat easy to follow as it heads up
through the rocks (rocky the rest of the way), but
it's also easy to lose or to take a harder
"shortcut" branch - keep an eye out for rock cairns
and follow them for the easiest route. There is
some rock scrambling (hands for balance, not to
pull up), but not much - a hiking stick will make
going through the rock fields much easier. After a
short green area, the way becomes trickier as you
make your way up the ridge as best you can, going
from one (widely spaced) cairn to the next [lots of
fun going down with several "Now what?"s as in "Now
what way do I go?"]. The way is a little more
defined ahead with loose dirt and rock heading up -
the trail stays that way the rest of the way up
(starting steep and then getting more moderate).
At the saddle, head left (the other route joins the
trail from the right). The peak ahead to the left
is, of course, a false peak - but the real peak is
just ahead. There is a windbreak at the summit,
but no geological marker. The views at the top are
grand 360 degrees, including pretty views down on a
couple of lakes in the valley to the south. It
took me 5 hours to reach the summit [due to weather
concerns, I did go at a little faster pace than I
did on my other 2009 14ers (I was prepared to turn
around, but the distance clouds never looked stormy
until I reached the peak - so I only stayed 10
minutes, and even then the storms were kind enough
to miss me on the way down (did get flurried on
and it was very windy))].
Trail Length + Elevation:
4.75 miles, 4336 feet
Area:
Rocky Mountains.
Picture
When I did the hike:
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Recommendation:
It is a tough hike, especially with all the rocks
above the ridge, but it's pretty most of the way
and at the top.
Quandary Peak
Directions:
Rt 9 to 8 miles south of Breckenridge. Look for the
small street sign for Blue Lakes Road (not well
marked) - it's on the inside (west) of a sharp curve
and there are some houses in the area - heading up
towards Hoosier Pass (on the north side of the
pass). Take Blue Lakes Road (west of Rt 9) for just
a tiny bit and turn right on to McCullough Gulch
Road [you can also drive further up Blue Lakes Road
(dirt) to the 2 lakes at the top of the valley
(upper is a reservoir)]. The very small parking
area (room for about 4 cars) is shortly ahead on the
right (large trail info sign at parking area) - and
the signed trailhead is just ahead across the road
on the left. Due to the small parking lot you may
have to park your car along side the road - it's a
popular trail and would be difficult to find a
parking spot on a nice weekend. [They re-did the
trail a number of years ago, the old trailhead was a
mile further up the road.] Note that you are
allowed to camp at the parking area, but there is no
where to set up a tent (and no toilets).
No facilities.
Free.
14er note
Quandary Peak Summit: 14,265 feet
Trails:
The well defined dirt trail heads a steady up (not a
hard up) through the trees (mostly 2-person width -
wider at times, narrower at times). At the clearing,
you can see Quandary Peak to the left and the old
trail along the green slope (they re-did the trail a
number of years ago - the new trail heads up around
the back of the hillside). The (new) trail is then
mild through the trees before it climbs up and around
the hillside. The trail soon reaches a rock field
and you're above the tree line - and it stays rocky
the rest of the way (but no rock scrambles). The
trail heads up, up, up through the rock field, with
some rock steps. There are pretty views down on the
2 Blue Lakes and be sure to spot the neat mine ruins
low on the rock slope of the left valley wall - there
is a smaller log shack at the top of a talus slope
and then about 20 feet above that (on the rock wall)
is an old shaft building - pull out the binoculars
for a better view. The trail heads up to the ridge
through the rocks, but remains will defined. From
below, it looks like there is a dip in the trail at a
saddle, but there actually isn't as the trail is
angled up the entire way. Once you reach the ridge,
the trail simply heads up (and up) the backbone all
the way to the summit. There are a number of
windbreaks at the top (well used on this windy day)
and 2 geological markers (if you look closely, the
second (lower) one says "2nd" and has an arrow
pointing towards where the first one is). It's
pretty at the top with the usual grand 360 degree
distance views as well as views down on the valley
to the north that contains a number of small lakes
(no views of the Blue Lakes in the valley to the
south). It took me 4 hours to reach the summit.
Due to it being an easier 14er hike and so close to
Breckenridge and I70, don't expect solitude.
Trail Length + Elevation:
3.4 miles, 3415 feet
Area:
Rocky Mountains.
Picture
When I did the hike:
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Recommendation:
A good trail, beautiful views, and one of the easier
14ers to hike.
Mt. Sherman
Directions:
Head 1 mile south of Fairplay on Rt 285 (a little
south of the Rt 9 junction) and turn right (west) on
to County Road 18. After a mile, 18 turns to dirt
and it's a very bumpy ride for the next 9 miles (all
vehicles can use it, it just has constant small
bumps - you won't go very fast (plan for 30 minutes
or more)). 8 miles from Rt 285 is a fee campground
and shortly after that the area along side the road
is private property the rest of the way [I did use
the campground, but abandoned my site during the
night as there were determined rodents (probably
squirrels) making noise trying to get into my car
and my attempts to make them go away failed]. 2
miles ahead is the neat looking Leavick mine ruin
(private property, so just look at it from the
road). Just past that is a large parking area on
the left. The trail writeup I read suggested
non-4-wheel vehicles park there, so I did; but most
vehicles can make it at least 3/4 mile further
without too much difficulty - the last 1/4 mile is
definitely not for smaller cars (a rocky up), but
there is a grassy pulloff area on the right just
before that. There is a locked gate at the end of
that last 1/4 mile and room for several vehicles to
park.
No facilities.
Free.
14er note
Mt. Sherman Summit: 14,036
Trails:
As I said, I parked just past the Leavick mine
ruin, so I had an extra mile of hiking the road -
spent lot of it grumbling about the trail writeup
telling me to park there as my car could have gone
further and it is not scenic or interesting along
the way. After 1/2 mile you do start to get a view
of the top of the valley - Mt. Sherman is to the
far right, Mt Sheridan is straight ahead. Both
mountains are tree barren, but that means you get
great distance views of the mine ruins. Up at the
road gate, there is again a sign stating that the
area is private property, so do your best to stay
on the road until you get above Hilltop Mine [there
is no sign at the gate saying "No Trespassing", so
I assume either the road is public or the owners
allow hikers]. The Dauntless Mine is just ahead
from the gate. The ruins including a falling down
building, some track, and (with 2 short steps off
the road to see) a mine tunnel (gated) with a
stream coming out of it, as well as other mine junk.
The road curves right just past the building and the
view becomes dominated by the Hilltop Mine high up
on the mountainside, still with the neat tall shaft
building. Continue on the road all the way up to
the Hilltop Mine (try not to get a kink in your
neck from constantly looking up). If you notice,
there is also a small old mine to the left (not
much relics) with a neat looking old engine a bit
to the mine's right. The road goes up and behind
the Hilltop Mine, between two old buildings (one
neat looking, one not). If you can resist from
taking side trip for a closer looking at the
Hilltop Mine, then you're doing better than I did
(be cautious). From the backside of the Hilltop
Mine, a trail branches from the road and heads up
to the ridge - it looked pretty clear to me where
the branch was, there is a large rock cairn to
mark the junction and it's just past the gray rock
mound. It is a rocky trail and it's rocky all the
way to the top. If you are unsure which way the
trail goes, look for small rock cairns and keep in
mind that the trail comes out just to the left of
the saddle (Sherman is to the right of the
saddle). Note the old telegraph pole still
standing to the north of the saddle. The summit
trail from the other valley joins this trail at
the saddle. From the saddle, it looks like there
are several options for which way to head up - I
took the route ahead and slightly to the right,
the grayer trail with short zig-zags. Again, the
way is easy to follow and cairns help guide the
way. The trail gets steeper where it reaches the
white rocks. The trail heads along a narrow
ridge and reaches a false peak. A short up from
that peak leads to a 2nd false peak next to a
snow field (trail doesn't go through the snow).
From there it is a mild walk along the wide ridge
for about 1/4 mile to the true summit. There is
a sign-in sheet at the metal pole indicating the
summit, but no geological marker. Although you
get the usual distance Rockies views, the view is
not all that grand - the wide valley for Leadville
is to the west. Also to the west and a little
south, you can spot Mt. Elbert and Mt. Massive.
It took me 3:40 to reach the summit.
Trail Length + Elevation:
4.25 miles, 2786 one-way from Leavick
Area:
Rocky Mountains.
Picture
When I did the hike:
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Recommendation:
The hike itself isn't all that pretty, but the 3
mine ruins are really neat.
Chasm View Trail - Black Canyon of the Gunnison (North Rim)
Directions:
From the north/west: Hwy 50 to Delta and east on Rt 92 for
30 miles to the town of Crawford.
From the south/east: Hwy 50 to the north turn for Rt 92
(just to the west of Sapinero, about 40 miles east of
Montrose and 25 miles west of Gunnison) for 41 miles to the
town of Crawford.
In the small town of Crawford, turn west onto the North Rim
Road (brown sign for the Black Canyon of the Gunnison).
Take the North Rim Road 11 miles to the end - the road is
paved for 8.5 miles and the rest is unpaved (but passable
for all vehicles). Stop at the ranger station to the
right to pay the entrance fee or show your park pass.
Continue on the road to the right and loop (one-way)
through the campground. At the end of the loop is the
trailhead on the right, room for about 2 cars to park
along the side of the road. Note: the road is closed in
the winter.
Vault toilet at ranger station.
$15 per week per car or National Parks Pass
Trails:
You can pick up (and return) a nature guide for the
trail at the trailhead. It's a short loop to two
viewpoints of the narrowest part of the canyon.
Trail Length:
.3 miles loop
Area:
Small trees, scrub-like area on the rim; massive but
narrow canyon
When I did the hike:
Monday, July 28, 2008
Recommendation:
Worth the short hike.
Exclamation Point - Black Canyon of the Gunnison (North Rim)
Directions:
From the north/west: Hwy 50 to Delta and east on Rt 92 for
30 miles to the town of Crawford.
From the south/east: Hwy 50 to the north turn for Rt 92
(just to the west of Sapinero, about 40 miles east of
Montrose and 25 miles west of Gunnison) for 41 miles to the
town of Crawford.
In the small town of Crawford, turn west onto the North Rim
Road (brown sign for the Black Canyon of the Gunnison).
Take the North Rim Road 11 miles to the end - the road is
paved for 8.5 miles and the rest is unpaved (but passable
for all vehicles). Stop at the ranger station to the
right to pay the entrance fee or show your park pass.
The trail starts to the left (as you face the ranger
station) of the parking lot, between the toilet and
building. Note: the road is closed in the winter.
Vault toilet at ranger stations.
$15 per week per car or National Parks Pass
Trails:
The trail heads through the shrubs and then through the
shrubs and small juniper and pinon pine trees - not much
shade. It is fairly level, with a small down as you
round a bend. Skip the sidetrip to the "overlook" - it's
not much of an overlook and the views are just as good
from the trail. After a slight up (the trail is not hard),
take a left at the trail junction for Exclamation Point -
you can continue straight for 2 miles to the top of Green
Mountain (more of a big hill), but I've read that the view
isn't that pretty. For Exclamation Point, the trail loops
to the rim, so you can go either direction. At the point,
there is a nice canyon view to the east.
Note: be sure to take the scenic rim drive to the east
and stop at the many viewpoints, including the neat
looking Kneeling Camel rock. There is another trail near
the end of the scenic drive, which is actually an old
service road - it goes for 2.5 miles one-way (didn't do).
Trail Length + Elevation:
1.5 miles to Exclamation Point
3.5 miles, 840 feet trailhead to top of Green Mountain
Area:
Small trees, scrub-like area on the rim; massive but
narrow canyon
Picture
When I did the hike:
Monday, July 28, 2008
Recommendation:
The view from the point is pretty and if you have to
time and/or desire, do it. If you don't, the overlooks
from the rim drive will satisfy any needed canyon views.
Warner Point - Black Canyon of the Gunnison (South Rim)
Directions:
From Montross, head east on Hwy 50 for 8 miles to Rt 347
(brown Black Canyon of the Gunnison sign). Turn
left/north for 6 miles to the park entrance. Continue
straight and take the South Rim Road as it winds its
way along the rim to the end of the road. The
trailhead is at the top of the small loop parking area.
Note: there are no trails down into the canyon from
either the rim in the park.
Vault toilets.
$15 per week per car or National Parks Pass
Trails:
The wide, dusty trail heads down and then up through
the shrub and pinon pines to Warner Point. No canyon
views until the point.
Note: There are lots of short walks (from just off
the road to .3 miles) to the rim from parking spots
along the scenic rim drive road.
Note: Be sure to take the windy, steep drive down
Portal Road, a right turn next to the entrance station.
The road goes down to the river and you can walk a
short ways alongside the river - it's really pretty
down there.
Trail Length:
.75 miles one-way
Area:
Small trees, scrub-like area on the rim; massive but
narrow canyon
When I did the hike:
Monday, July 28, 2008
Recommendation:
Na. It is a pretty view at the point, but the hike
to the point isn't pretty and the point view isn't
as impressive as some of the views you get from the
shorter viewpoints along the drive.
Pine Creek Trail - Curecanti National Recreation Area
Directions:
Hwy 50 to the Pine Creek turnoff, about 35 miles east
of Montrose and 25 miles west of Gunnison, and about a
mile west of the Rt 92 turnoff - keep a look out for
the Pine Creek sign. The short road soon turns to dirt
and heads down, with one curve, to the parking area.
Vault toilets.
Free.
Trails:
The trail heads down 232 wooden steps next to a creek
(fun coming up). At the bottom is the river (actually
the middle of the 3 reservoirs of the river, but it
looks like a river and not a lake). From there the
wide trail is level as it heads along the river.
About 1/2 mile ahead is the launch for the boat tour
(see below), with two picnic tables near by. The
trail continues for about another mile. The trail is
an old railroad bed (the later part of it was floaded
when the reservoir was created).
Note: The park system does offer a 1.5 hour boat tour
along a section on the river. Pre-paid reservations
are required (you can't simply show up at the boat
dock and try to get on) and it was $15 in 2008. It is
very pretty and well worth your time and money. Pick
up a park magazine or ask at a visitor center (either
Black Canyon of the Gunnison or Curecanti) for more
information.
Trail Length:
About 1.5 miles one-way
Area:
Massive, but narrow canyon; some trees
Picture
When I did the hike:
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Recommendation:
The river area is really pretty and worth a visit.
Mesa Creek Trail - Curecanti National Recreation Area
Directions:
Hwy 50 to Cimarron. Turn south at the Cimarron
Visitor Center (some railroad cars at center) and
bear left to take the (paved) road down to the
parking area at the end (going by an old train
engine and some cars on a trestle near the lot).
Vault toilets.
Free.
Trails:
The trail starts the in the center-left of the
lot - or you can walk the gated road towards the
dam to the right [restricted area at the end]
and (after taking a closer look at the large dam)
walk the dirt road down to the river and then
along side the river back to the bridge. From
either way, go across the bridge over the
Gunnison River and the dirt trail heads to the
left. The trail has small ups and downs (not
hard) next to the river in the pretty canyon.
The trail narrows towards the end. It ends where
I hoped it would - next to a rock/curve in the
river with a small shore where you can sit and
feet soak with a nice view.
Trail Length:
less than a mile
Area:
Gunnison River, tall and narrow canyon
Picture
When I did the hike:
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Recommendation:
Very pretty area.
Ice Lakes Basin
Directions:
Hwy 550 to Silverton. About 2 miles north of
Silverton, turn left/west on to CR 585, South Mineral
Creek road. Take the well-graded dirt road for 4
miles to the parking area on the right - the South
Mineral Campground is on the left.
Vault toilets in campground.
Free.
Trails:
(Trail #505 in Uncomphagne National Forest)
The one-person width trail starts switchbacking
through the trees, with some short meadow sections,
almost immediately. Not too far in, the trail
crosses a creek (easy log crossing) with a pretty
waterfall above. The trail continues switchbacking
up, with occastional short views of the falls. At
the spot where there is a trail to the right, take
the right a very short bit to near the top of the
falls - though early for a rest, it is a very pretty
spot and I stopped there both going and coming back;
it's also the trail from CR 12 (4-wheel drive only),
but that side trail has a dangerous looking wet water
crossing through the falls. Back on the real trail,
the trail is mild for a bit and you'll see a mine
ruin down to the left. Soon after, the trail heads
into a large, open meadow (from the peaks down,
probably an avalanche slope). The trail heads up
through the meadow and then turns into the trees,
still heading up - it stays mostly in the trees to
the ridge. Shortly before the ridge, is a short
meadow, then a short section of trees, and then a
larger meadow full of pretty wild flowers when I
was there, including the largest columbines I've
ever seen. The trail rounds a small rock section
(nice resting spot) and then it's a mild (not
climbing) hike through the pretty Lower Ice Lake
Basin. There is a small lake in the lower basin,
but there is no access from the trail and the trail
doesn't go near it. The trail goes to the far end
of the basin and there is a rock-hop across a
creek (another pretty resting spot) - you are now
above the tree line for the rest of the way. It's
a huff-and-puff from there as the trail heads above
the waterfall at the top of the valley. And it
continues as a huff-and-puff to the ridge. After
the falls, the trail heads almost a direct up and
then takes a right turn and continues to the right
(the small ridge ahead is not the top). Once you
finally reach the top, the trail turns left (if
you are going to take the Island Lake sidetrip, you
turn right through the meadow shortly after this
point) and it is a mild walk to the lake. The
good-sized lake is a stunning electric blue with
pretty, rugged peaks above - just a beautiful area.
There isn't really a trail access to the lake, just
take a side trip through the meadow (try to stay on
rocks when possible) - I liked to sit and enjoy the
views from the outlet area. It took me a little
less than 3 hours to reach the lake. I walked
around the left side of the lake to the inlet and
then went over the rocks heading up and to the
left - saw several marmots on my first visit and
none on my second (more people). There is a small
lake/pond on the other side of the rocks and the
real trail goes over the small hill between Ice Lake
and the pond and then heads up, up, up the open
ridge. The views along the way down on Ice Lake are
stunning. After lots of huffing-and-puffing, the
trail reaches the ridge. It's then a mild walk, and
sometimes muddy, as the trail makes it's way over to
the unimpressive Fuller Lake. There is an old mine
cabin (metal siding) next to the lake, but it isn't
very interesting. It's less than a mile from Ice
Lake to Fuller Lake.
For Island Lake: Immediately after reaching the
ridge before Ice Lake (past the green mound), turn
right (no trail) through the alpine meadow and head
straight to the Ice Lake outlet stream. Make a cold
wet-water crossing through the stream and head
straight - you should soon encounter a path that heads
to the right, this is the "trail" for Island Lake. As
you reach the mountainside, the narrow trail starts
angling up. It's a hard up and at times harrowing as
the trail rounds the mountainside. In 2008, I made it
though the rocky section, but only got halfway through
the orange mound (the not-flat trail goes through near
the bottom of the mound, over loose dirt) before my
nerves gave out and I turned around a carefully made
my way back. I tried again in August 2009 and
actually made it through the orange mound (still
harrowing, but slightly better than 2008 as it was a
little later in the summer and more people had been
along it). That's actually the end of the hard part
as the trail is then mild as it rounds the bend and
you soon get a view of Island Lake, a small lake with
an island in the middle in a bowl. It's kind of
pretty, but nothing stunning. The trail heads down to
the left of the lake and soon fades away - you can
non-trail make your way down to the lake and walk
around it (no real resting spots, though). There is
an old mine to the right of the lake - no relics, just
the orange mound remains (the hole is covered too).
Keep in mind that afternoon storms are common in the
summer in the Rockies.
Trail Length + Elevation:
4.5 miles, 2420 feet to Ice Lake
Area:
Rocky Mountains, mountain lakes.
Pictures
When I did the hike:
Wednesday, July 30, 2008; Saturday, August 2, 2008;
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Recommendation:
Absolutely. A top 10 hike. I liked the hike so
much that I went back and did it again 3 days later.
Try to go when the wild flowers are in full bloom.
Silver Lake
Directions:
Go through the town of Silverton and bear right for
CR 2 (spur of the Alpine Loop road). Just past the
Alpine Loop info sign area (on the right) and just
before the Mayflower Mill, turn right onto CR 21 and
the one-lane dirt road immediately heads a sharp
steep down to the river. I wasn't sure about the
road for Arrastra Gulch with my sedan and ended up
parking my car near the bridge and walking the rest of
the way (with a number of detours as there were no
road signs). But the road was fairly well graded
(until later) and you can drive further. Cross the
bridge and the road heads up. Stay on the main road
(there are a couple of side-branches early). At the
3-road branch, take the high one (the low one
dead-ends shortly, the middle one reaches private land
after .5 miles). At the next fork (straight is signed
for 21A), turn right - if not in 4-wheel drive, you
may want to park near the fork; the road does cross a
gravel creek and gets a little rockier, but stays
level to the switchback (the Mayflower Mine is now
visible above). At the switchback, park your car if
not in a 4-wheel drive vehicle (room for about 2
cars) - if in a 4-wheel drive, engage it as the road is
loose fist-sized rocks and it's a steep up. The road
switchbacks 2/3rds of the way up and then ends at the
Mayflower Mine (2 entrances cemented up, above the
wooden relics), with room for several cars to park. It
looks like a rusting junkyard at the mine as lots of
mine relics were simply left there.
Tram note: there was a tram between the mine and the
mill and the towers are still there. The wires and
some tram cars are still up on the lower section of
the road, but not near the mine.
No facilities.
Free.
Trails:
Okay, I actually didn't end up doing the trail (except
for a tiny short bit) as I had so much trouble finding
the trailhead and didn't really like the looks of the
"trail" (more of a path from what I could see). And I
did do a lot of road-walking (a few miles) to finally
get there, so I'd thought I'd include listing the trail
to help those who want to find it (and in case I decide
to try again). For the drive/walk up, the tramway
(with some cars still suspended) is really neat (and I
got a better view with my walk than if I had driven)
and the mine junk around the Mayfield Mine itself is
neat. For the Silver Lake trail, the narrow trail did
look a little harrowing as it headed up, up, up over
the large ridge (so it's not a mild little mile). The
trail heads out from the back left of the mine area.
Trail Length:
1 mile
Pictures
Area:
Rocky Mountains, mine ruins
When I did the hike:
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Recommendation:
Well, I didn't do it, so I can't recommend it. Neat
mine stuff along the road, though.
Highland Mary Trail
Directions:
Go through the town of Silverton and bear right for
CR 2 (spur of the Alpine Loop road). After 2 miles,
the road turns to dirt (passible with all vehicles).
Go for 3 miles to the ghosttown of Howardsville
(you'll see a wooden mill ruin on the left). Take a
right, just past the 2nd bridge - there is a sign for
Hundred Mine and Storm Pass. The road is a little
rougher, but still passible. Take a right at the
unsigned road junctions as you head up Cunningham
Gulch (2 or 3 junctions). You'll see a sorry excuse
for a toilet on the left and there may be some
campers to the right. Continue on. I parked at the
mine ruins (foundations, nothing exciting to look at)
at the top of the valley and walked the road to the
trailhead (about 3/4 mile walk), but you can probably
take your car further, going up the hill and then park
your car at the top of the orange mound just past the
fork in the road. If you have 4-wheel drive, take a
left at the fork, cross the creek (no bridge), and
just ahead to the right is grass parking area for the
trailhead. For those on foot, it is a wet water
crossing of the creek - you'll want to have watershoes
as the creek has a gravel base and it is painful to
cross barefoot. There is an info sign at the
trailhead. The trail (#606) is in the Wenninuche
Wilderness, part of the San Juan National Forest.
Note: there are a number of interesting mine ruins
visible from the road (both next to the road and high
up on the mountainsides), but none (besides the pipes)
along the hike.
No facilities.
Free.
Trails:
The trail starts heading up to start - it's a wider
trail and looks to be an old mining rough road bed.
There are lots of unsightly old mining pipes near the
trail early on, but they eventually go away. There are
also some pretty steep sections early on, including to
the top of a gorge (the trail is in the trees near the
creek for the first couple of miles) and is rocky at
times. The trail narrows some and continues a hard up.
After log-crossing the double-stream (near the Highland
Mary's sign), the trail goes out of the trees (bushes,
not meadow) and continues heading up. The trail drops
slightly into a basin (now above the treeline) and is
mild for a bit, though it can be muddy at spots. If
you look carefully, you can spot the trail as it heads
up next to the stream cascading down to the left. And
up it is, steep. The trail reaches a rockfield and it
is difficult to figure out which way to go - you'll
want to head straight through, keeping close to the
creek and evenutally crossing it, even though it looks
like a trail to the right that goes beneath the large
rocks (if you do go that way, you'll eventually have
to make a more diffcult crossing of the rockfield and
then through a marshy area before reconnecting with the
real trail). There is a pond in the small bowl of the
rockfield, but the trail doesn't go near it as the
trail hooks a left over the small ridge to the left.
Just past that ridge is a small lake with an island in
it. It's pretty, but not stunning as the backdrop is
green mounds and not rugged peaks. The trail continues
around the right edge of the lake (a short bit of
negotiating over and around larger rocks) and then near
the top of the lake hooks a right over a small ridge
and the middle Highland Mary Lake is right there - you
can rest on the ridge and view both lakes. The middle
lake is a larger lake and I thought the prettiest of
the 3, with a more interesting background to the right.
The trail continues halfway around the lake to the left
then a small up and fairly mild for a bit before finally
reaching the far corner of the upper lake - you'll be
able to see the lake to the left long before the trail
reaches it. The trail continues straight and over the
green ridge is Verde Lake - I didn't do that it was a
very marshy area at the top tip of the upper Highland
Mary Lake and I wasn't overly impressed with the area.
I did walk around the left side of the upper lake and
found a nicer view of the lake and then took an
off-trail trek to re-connect with the real trail for
heading back.
Trail Length + Elevation:
4 miles, 1690 feet from trailhead
Area:
Rocky Mountains, mountain lakes.
Picture
When I did the hike:
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Recommendation:
This was a hike where my impression of it was damaged by
the fact that I did a stunning hike (Ice Lake) the day
before - I probably would have liked it more if I had
done this one first (my reaction of the lakes was "Oh").
Redcloud Peak
Directions:
Rt 149 to just south of Lake City (46 miles south of Hwy
50, 74 miles north of Hwy 160 (South Fork); mountain
driving both ways). Head west on the south section of
the Alpine Loop Road (CR 30) - the turn is signed for
Lake San Cristobal. The first 4 miles are paved, the
rest is dirt. The next 8.3 miles to the fork in the
road is well-graded dirt, passable by all vehicles.
Bear right at the fork (left is Sherman Valley) and the
road heads up a little bit and it gets rough with some
rocks and it is narrow and you won't be happy if a car
comes the other way (keep an eye out and one of you will
have to pull over and stop at a wider section) - they
say it is still passable by most vehicles (no trailers),
but the highter clearance you have, the better (my sedan
wasn't happy). From the fork it is 4.2 miles to the
trailhead (it took me 30 minutes to go about 8 miles
from the Mill Creek Campground to the trailhead). There
is a small parking area to the right and an old wooden
building to the left. There is an info sign at the
parking lot (but not informative) and the sign-in sheet
is a little ways in to the trail. Note: you are
permitted to camp at the parking area.
Vault toilets next to the road.
Free.
14er note
Redcloud Summit: 14,034 feet
Sunshine Summit: 14,001 feet (smallest 14er)
Trails:
Here is a chance to hit 2 14ers (mountains over 14,000
feet) in one hike. That's the lure for this trail. The
reality is it is not that pretty of a hike and the last
mile is really nasty. The trail starts wide as it heads
through the trees (an old road bed, sometimes 2 trails
with grass in the middle). It is a steady up to start -
not hard, but constant. The trail narrows later. After
about 30 minutes, the trail drops a bit and is then
surprisingly mild for a little while before continuing
up alongside at times and above at times a creek - you
are now above the treeline. Redcloud Peak is the orange
mountain to the right. There were still 2 large
snowfields on the trail when I went at the begining of
August (heavy winter) - there was a path above the first,
but I had to go over the second (very unpleasant, but I
don't like hiking on snow). The trail leaves the main
creek and heads a harder up to the left along a small
creek. After a rock-hop across the creek, the trail
continues up for a short bit and then it is again
surprisingly mild (though still angled up) through the
green valley. Take a break at the small pond next to
the trail, you might hear the pikas (small mouse-like
animals) squeak. The trail rounds the top of the valley
and starts it's climb. It's up, up, up with a couple of
switchbacks. The trail is loose dirt, so take your time
so you don't slip. After reaching the ridge, take a
longer rest and enjoy the views. As hard as that up was,
it's nothing compared to what's ahead. The rest of the
way is just nasty as the trail is loose dirk and loose
fist-sized rocks - not stable footing. And it heads up
very steep. I nearly turned around near the peak as I
was so unhappy with the trail, but managed to talk myself
into peaking. It is a pretty 360 degree view of the
Rockies at the peak. It took me 4 hours to reach the
peak. Redcloud Peak is at 14,034 feet. I wasn't going
to Sunshine Peak (someone said it was about 2 hours away
and there was a concern for afternoon storms), but after
a 30 minute rest at Redcloud, I did head towards
Sunshine. The trail drops down to the saddle, still
loose rocks so not fast going (note: there is no trail
or route down the valley of the saddle and there are
signs warning not to try going that dangerous way). I
reached the point where the climb up to Sunshine started
after 30 minutes and let my mind (not heart) rule and
turned around - I figured it would take me another hour
to peak and I'd still have to return to Redcloud and
there were clouds in the area. Sunshine Peak is the
shortest 14er at 14,001 feet. On the way down from
Redcloud (and to and from Sunshine if you go there),
take your time as it is more dangerous descending on
that loose rock crap (I actually crab-walked twice
through two very steep short sections).
Trail Length + Elevation:
4.8 miles, 4300 feet to Redcloud Peak
1.3 miles, down then 500 feet up Redcloud to Sunshine
Area:
Rocky Mountains.
Pictures
When I did the hike:
Friday, August 1, 2008; Saturday, August 15, 2009 (to
pond [weather])
Recommendation:
Unless you want to add to or start your list of 14ers,
skip it. It's an accomplishment hike ("I did it") as
the trail is difficult and not all that pretty. The
view from the peak is pretty, but you can get that
with easier hikes and better trails.
Handies Peak
Directions:
Rt 149 to just south of Lake City (46 miles south of Hwy
50, 74 miles north of Hwy 160 (South Fork); mountain
driving both ways). Head west on the south section of
the Alpine Loop Road (CR 30) - the turn is signed for
Lake San Cristobal. The first 4 miles are paved, the
rest is dirt. The next 8.3 miles to the fork in the
road is well-graded dirt, passable by all vehicles.
Bear right at the fork (left is Sherman Valley) and the
road heads up a little bit and it gets rough with some
rocks and it is narrow and you won't be happy if a car
comes the other way (keep an eye out and one of you will
have to pull over and stop at a wider section) - they
say it is still passable by most vehicles (no trailers),
but the higher clearance you have, the better (my sedan
wasn't happy). From the fork it is 4.2 miles of rough
road to the trailhead. There is a small parking area to
the right and an old wooden building to the left. The
trailhead is across the road (south side) and to the
right of the toilets. Note: you are permitted to camp
at the parking area.
Vault toilet next to the road.
Or for a shorter hike/non-loop, you can continue on the
road for 4 more miles and turn left at the American
Basin branch (and 4-wheel drive road heading straight) -
if you are not in a 4-wheel drive vehicle, you'll need
to park soon after the turnoff as there is a creek
crossing just ahead (no bridge), else you can drive a
mile ahead to the parking area. No facilities.
Free.
14er note
Handies Peak Summit: 14,048 feet
Trails:
The trail starts to the right of the toilets, goes over
a small bridge, and the sign-in sheet is just ahead.
The trail starts in the trees for about the first 45
minutes, with a couple of short meadows and a rock
field. Enjoy the mild sections as they are usually
followed by a harder up. The trail goes through the
shrubs and past a solitary tree and is mild for a bit
and you get good views of the top of the valley and
Handies Peak (the rounded one straight ahead). Once
past the small cluster of trees next to the creek (nice
resting spot), the trail is above the tree line the
rest of the way. After the last trees, the trail
resumes heading up. Trail crosses the creek (with
"Trail" sign) and zigs back as it heads up towards the
side ridge. Eventually the trail zags back towards
Handies and continues the hard up to the ridge. Just
ahead is a large rock field (with pikas) and some nice
resting spots. Past the rock field, the narrow trail
gets steep (can be harrowing at spots) as it
switchbacks up to the ridge. There are some nice views
from the ridge (including seeing some of the Alpine
Loop dirt road and the American Basin parking lot) -
take a moment to enjoy the view as the next 1/4 mile is
really hard. It's a hellacious up and you're going to
need your hands free to help you as it's part rock
scramble up the steep slope - try to follow the rock
cairns for the best route up. If you are doing the
loop, you'll be glad you are as you wouldn't want to go
down that rock scramble. After finally getting to the
top of the rock scramble, it's a short mild walk to the
summit (with a short rock up at the end). The views at
the top of the small summit are grand 360 degrees and
include great views down on Sloan Lake. It took me 4:30
to reach the peak (was going slow and was my first 14er
of the trip). For the loop, head straight (south) from
the summit and you can see the dirt trail heading
steeply down (no rock scrambles for the American Basin
route). Take your time heading down as footing can be
slippery (and, if you're heading up from American Basin,
it's a long, steep up from the rock field past Sloan
Lake). The trail eventually calms down some as it
continues down. The trail goes through a rock field
(again, look for pikas) and then has a short up before
heading down near Sloan Lake - do make a stop at the
pretty lake. After the lake, the trail heads down the
open valley with switchbacks. After a good ways, the
trail rounds a bend and becomes part of an old roadbed
and you can see down the open valley (still above tree
line) to the upper parking lot. There are a couple of
old mines in the valley (nothing exciting, no relics or
ruins) - look for orange mounds. From the parking lot,
it's .9 miles to the main road. Shortly past the
parking lot is a side trail for hikers for about 1/4
mile to avoid an up in the road. At the road junction,
take a right and it's 4 miles of dirt road walking back
to the trailhead. Keep an ear out for vehicles
(including ATVs) and move out of the way when they
pass - most vehicles are not alert for hikers on the
road. Along the road, there is a mine ruin with some
relics off to the right (gated, so you don't get a real
close look) that you might miss if you were driving.
Also in the pond area, look for the many beaver dams
and beaver homes. Note that the Grizzly Gulch trail is
not heavily used (only a handful or less a day) [but
still well defined] while the American Basin trail is
heavily used.
Trail Length + Elevation:
Loop total: 11.6 miles, 3650 feet
Grizzly Gulch: 4 miles, 3650 feet
American Basin: 3.6 miles, 2830 feet (from road
junction; 2.7 miles from jeep parking area)
Road walk to complete loop: 4 miles, mild down
Area:
Rocky Mountains.
Picture
When I did the hike:
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Recommendation:
It's a long loop, but I thought it was the prettiest of
the 14ers that I've done and recommend doing it as a
loop (or two vehicles). A there-and-back from American
Basin is good for those looking for a shorter hike, but
not as pretty as doing it as a loop - but I've heard
that the American Basin is really pretty when the wild
flowers are in bloom.
Cooper Lake
Directions:
Rt 149 to just south of Lake City (46 miles south of Hwy
50, 74 miles north of Hwy 160 (South Fork); mountain
driving both ways). Head west on the south section of
the Alpine Loop Road (CR 30) - the turn is signed for
Lake San Cristobal. The first 4 miles are paved, the
rest is dirt. The next 8.3 miles to the fork in the
road is well-graded dirt, passable by all vehicles.
Bear right at the fork (left is Sherman Valley) and the
road heads up a little bit and it gets rough with some
rocks and it is narrow and you won't be happy if a car
comes the other way (keep an eye out and one of you will
have to pull over and stop at a wider section) - they
say it is still passable by most vehicles (no trailers),
but the higher clearance you have, the better (my sedan
wasn't happy). From the fork it is 4.2 miles of rough
road to the Redcloud trailhead. Continue a mile pass
the toilets/Redcloud parking area to the small pulloff
area on the left. The trail starts across the road
(small sign).
No facilities.
Free.
Trails:
It rained all night, so hiking a 14er for this day was
out, so I went with my backup plan of hiking to Cooper
Lake. The clouds stayed heavy all day and I got rained
on some. The trail starts as an old road bed and makes
a half-circle around the meadow before starting to head
up the valley - sometimes in the trees, sometimes
through meadows. The trail loses the road briefly as
it heads through a meadow, but then rejoins the road
back in the trees. Not too much further, the trail says
goodbye to the road and enters a long meadow and heads
down for a creek crossing, there is the old wheels and
base of a mine cart upside down next to the crossing
(rock hop and thin logs). The trail heads up from the
creek and then is mild. In the trees just ahead are the
faint remains of 2 small log buildings. One of the
mines for the buildings is on the other side of the
creek down low (look for the yellow mound) - you get a
bit of a view of it looking back in the meadow ahead
[like most old mines, it's nothing more than a small
hole with a mound of orange or yellow dirt in front of
it]. You can also spot some other mines higher up on
the left mountainside (but no neat mine relics). The
trail actually stays mild for a good ways as it heads
up the pretty valley, sometimes in the trees, sometimes
open meadows. The lake is in the hanging valley ahead
to the left. The trail crosses the creek with a rock
hop. Where the trail branches, take the left branch
and the narrow trail starts to head up and up and up.
The trail rounds the bend and ... nothing - the lake is
not in this hanging valley shelf, but the one above it.
The trail petered out on me (and lost it again heading
back), so I simply head straight and found a resting
spot with a view of the thin waterfall to the right (I
was considering turning around as the weather was still
poor and I didn't like the looks of the steep narrow
path for the way up to the lake). Of course, I
eventually decided to continue on. The trail to the
lake goes up to the left and is harrowing at times (and
worse going down). Fortunately, it's not too long of
an up. After the nasty up, it's a short walk through
the rock field and around the bend to the lake. Round
the lake as much as you can for the best views. The
like is kind of pretty, but not worth all the effort it
takes to reach it.
Trail Length + Elevation:
3.7 miles, 2190 feet one-way
Area:
Rocky Mountains, mountain lake, some mine ruins
Picture
When I did the hike:
Friday, August 14, 2009
Recommendation:
The valley is pretty and the mine ruins are a bonus,
but it's a lot of work to reach a not extremely pretty
lake. Only if you have an extra day and want to do
another hike in the area.
Crystal Lake
Directions:
From Lake City, head north from the visitor center
(bend in the road) on Rt 149 to the next left turn,
next to the bakery, onto Ocean View Drive. Follow
the well graded dirt road as it winds its way up
(bearing right a couple of times and the road changes
names) and then take a left as the road goes next to
the cemetery and the large parking ahead is on the
left next to the cemetery. The trail starts as the
jeep road that heads straight (not right) from the
parking area - there is a sign for the trail at the
parking area. Note that the jeep road goes through
private property and there is no place to park along
the way or at the gate 1/2 mile ahead.
No facilities.
Free.
Trails:
Weather concerns again knocked off my planned hike to
Sunshine Peak (did part of the trail before turning
around), so I again found myself in need of a lower
level hike. I talked with someone and she
recommended Crystal Lake. So I found the trailhead
and headed up the steep jeep road - the first 1/2
mile is actually the hardest part of the hike (not
that the rest of the way is easy). At the gate,
continue straight - to the right is the way to
Thompson Lake (a mile from junction). The old
roadbed is mild for a bit and then heads up after
rounding the bend. Then the dirt trail becomes
one-person width as it heads around and up the open
hillside, with views down on Lake City. There is a
switchback shortly before the trail heads into the
aspen trees. The trail remains in the trees most of
the way (couple of short meadows) as it heads up to
the ridge. The trail eventually (still in the trees)
re-joins the old roadbed (notice carved initials,
some very old, on some of the trees in the area) and
then soon enters an open area with a rock field to the
left. Ahead to the right (slightly off trail) is a
small pond [wishful thinking, but not the lake; still
lots of up to go]. The trail alternates between rock
fields and trees as it continues to head up. The
trail then zig-zags up to another ridge. Once at the
ridge, the trail is surprisingly mild for a ways as
it rounds a hillside (the roadbed is slightly below
the trail for most of this section - don't know why
they made a trail and didn't just use the roadbed).
Eventually you can see Crystal Peak ahead and to the
right. After 2 final ups (sorry, there's another
small ridge after the first one; not too long of an
up, though) and a mild walk through the trees to the
left, the trail reaches the lake area. There is a
falling down small log building and 2 picnic tables
at the lake. Round the lake to the left for better
views. The lake is pretty with a small island in it
towards the right and Crystal Peak looming above (not
stunning or outstanding, though). It took me a
little over 3 hours to reach the lake. [Added to my
partial morning hike, I ended up hiking up 5000 feet
this day.]
Trail Length + Elevation:
4 miles, over 3000 feet one-way
Area:
Rocky Mountains, mountain lake.
Picture
When I did the hike:
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Recommendation:
Although the lake is pretty, it's not stunning and I
didn't think it was worth all the effort [though I
had done Ice Lake earlier in the week, one of my all
time favorites, so my opinion of Crystal Lake may be
biased due to having gone to that lake so recently].
Garden of the Gods
Directions:
From Colorado Springs and I25, head west on Hwy
24 for about 3 miles to the Garden of the Gods
exit (signed). Follow the signs in to the
park. The tourist store is a little bit past
Balanced Rock (at the northwest entrance) -
head right at the junction. The visitor center
is actually outside of the park, to the central
east on 30th Street - go halfway around the
center of the park (one-way loop) and turn
right at the stop sign and you'll see the
visitor center straight ahead.
Restrooms at a number of stops.
Free.
Trails:
You can do a tourist visit by driving the loop
road around the Central Garden (center) and
stopping where you feel like and walking around
where you feel like. The trails in the Central
Garden go through and around the massive
sandstone formations and are all paved - stay
on the pavement [yeah, not as fun, but needed
with the high usage of the park]. There are a
number of longer dirt trails in the areas
around the Central Garden that don't receive as
much usage. The park is very popular (and for
good reason), so don't expect solitude in the
afternoons or on weekends. But if you get
there early, you can find some solitude and
extra enjoyment around sunrise with the morning
light turning the sandstone a brighter orange.
Trail Length:
Short and long.
Area:
Large distinctive orange sandstone formations.
Picture
When I did the hike:
Thursday and Friday, August 20+21, 2009
Recommendation:
One of the prettiest city parks in the US.