Butler Gulch

Distance: 6 miles round trip
Elevation: 10, 546 ft - 11,963 ft (at the Jean Mine)
Elevation Gain: 1,238 ft
Date Hiked: 14 July 2012
Dogs: Off leash, National Forest
Bathroom at Trailhead: No

Mountain Views on the Butler Gulch Trail

Butler Gulch,  near the large switchback on the way to Berthoud Pass, is a close-to-Denver alpine journey filled with wildflowers, waterfalls, historic mining ruins, and make-me-move-here scenic views. This trail is fantastic!

The parking area is just the road by a gate

While most of the route follows an old road, it  occasionally gets soggy

Columbine near the trail

Another stream crossing

You get to Butler Gulch by first turning off of Highway 40 at County Road 202 and then heading due west towards the Henderson Mine. Just before the mine, a dirt frontage road splits off and parallels the paved road.  Continue on this dirt road until the parking area right at the junction with the Jones Pass Road.  Park along the side of the road by a large gate.

Monkshead along the trail

The waterfall at 1.5 miles

Indian Paintbrush along the trail

Mosses extend like beach sand from the "forest" of this riparian ecosystem

The lower sections of Butler Gulch are soggy and tree shrouded with several stream crossings and numerous stands of wildflowers. As the trail rises, it comes to a long cascading waterfall at 1.5 miles and finally breaks out of treeline at 1.8 miles. From this point on, the trail travels westward across a wide alpine shelf and finally reaches the remains of the Jean Mine at 2.7 miles.

View to the west as the trail breaks out of the trees

Heading across the shelf to the mine

The Continental Divide to the north

More flowers because I could not resist

Wildflowers dot as well as carpet this high altitude play land and I found myself irresistibly drawn to them as our group continued on their way. I would scurry to catch up only to be distracted by the latest colorful bauble.

From the western end of the shelf looking back at the Continental Divide

Getting closer to the mine

The mine tailing come into view

The ruins of the Jean Mine are interesting as well.  Purists may be offended by the piles of metal, old cars, and defunct machinery that covers the area, but this is our Colorado history and it has been part of the landscape for good or evil for the last 100 years.

Playing with an old car

More ruins

Behind the mine and wrapping around the entire area is the Continental Divide.  There is also a small spur trail leading to a shelf that formally contained a small glacial tarn.

Near the mining ruins was a whole field of Indian Paintbrush

When you see clouds like this above treeline, you should run away!  

If you are from the Denver area and are trying to decide whether to petal peep at Diamond Lake in the Indian Peaks Wilderness or on Butler Gulch, choose the latter.  It will be significantly less crowed and may actually have more wildflowers.

Stanley Mountain

Distance: 6.5 miles
Elevation: 11,307 ft to 12,521 ft
Elevation Gain: 1,214 ft
Date Hiked : 9 August, 2009

The view looking south from the summit of Stanley Mountain

Stanley Mountain is a lovely tundra walk on the west side of Berthoud Pass. It is not as topographically varied as Mt. Flora on the east side of the pass, but it is lovely none-the-less, and a great place to let the dogs run.

The initial trail goes in and out of groups of trees

Views of mountains and meadows periodically grace the lower portion of the trail

The route gets rockier as the trail approaches the plateau. The trail eventually ascends the hill in the distance.

The trail starts out winding up through coniferous trees with occasional openings into cascading meadows with views of nearby peaks. The initial destination of this portion of the trail is a flat, rocky plateau. For those looking for an al fresco lunch spot, this would be sufficient in and of itself. 180° views of verdant peaks combined with interesting geology make this more interesting that your average picnic ground. It is a bit of a lung buster to get to this point though so leave the candelabra in the car.

Looking southeast from the plateau

On the plateau, heading towards the ridge

Looking up at the wall. It looks harder than it is.

A short walk across the plateau leads to a wall about 200 ft high. Tight switch backs ascend this wall in short but steep segments. This is the hardest portion of the hike. On top of this wall is the ridge and from here, it is just a tundra walk to the summit of Stanley Mountain.

Looking north from part way up the wall

Looking southeast and down onto highway 40

On this trip, the temperatures were warm, but the wind was blowing at least 20 mph. We had to wear our rain coats the whole way, and since I had forgotten to put my newly washed gloves back into my pack, my hands were freezing. I walked with them shoved into the pockets of my pants, making for an awkward gait. This is one more reminder that even in early August, conditions in the high country can be unpredictable.

On top of the wall, the trail extends across the tundra

A little ways along the ridge, a hidden lake comes into view

You can not see the summit of Stanley Mountain until you are within a 100 yards or so of it. The trail undulates across the tundra in a series of false bumps. That is in essence what Stanley Mountain looks like from the trail, a small pile of talus, a bump on the tundra. It is not until you scramble to the top of this pile that you realize you are on a mountain. The sides to the south and west drop off precipitously. The wind was blowing so hard and cold that we did not linger on top, but eased down part way to hide in the rocks and wolf down our sandwiches.

Even though this was the first weekend in August, the tundra flowers had all turned brown.

Vasquez Peak is off to the right and in the distance. Notice Elaine's rain jacket. It is filled with wind.

Those looking for a longer challenge can bushwhack across the tundra to the west and the summit of Vasquez Peak. There is no designated trail to this peak and the route descends quite a bit before heading straight up Vasquez, so plan accordingly.

The summit of Stanley Mountain comes briefly into view. It is the bump at the far end of the ridge.

The summit viewed from below

We did meet two hikers on the summit who were doing a shuttle hike down into the tree filled gulch visible from the ridge. The far end of the gulch is accessible from the Granby area.

Vasquez Peak from the summit. Here the pile looks like a bump.

The view looking south from the summit. From this angle the rock pile feels more summit-like.

While I think that Mt. Florais more scenic than Mt. Stanley, this trip is worth doing particularly at the height of the tundra wildflower season. Consider it an altitude training hike for loftier, and more difficult pursuits.

Mt. Flora

Distance: 6.4 miles round trip
Elevation: 11,307ft - 13,132 ft
Elevation Gain: 1,832 ft
Dogs: Off leash
Bathroom at trailhead: Yes, but TP can be limited

My friend Barbara next to the summit cairn

Hiking Mt. Flora is like a free trip to a Swiss Disneyland with E-ticket views. Listen closely and you may just hear a distant Swiss Horn or some blissed out hiker belting out show tunes from the Sound of Music. Hike this trail at the height of the tundra flower season and you'll know why they named it Mt. Flora. I kept alternating between shoving my nose in the turf and jumping up to admire the vistas. Whiplash is an unexpected hazard on this trail!

Sign at the trail head

The first part of the trail is on a dirt road surround by Spruce and Pine.

The trail itself was mostly packed dirt and the one small rock pile on the route has had steps placed through it. After trudging up Mt. Audubon the day before, I felt like I was levitating up Mt. Flora. I certainly did not need my heavy boots. As mountains go, Mt. Flora is very accessible.

Sign at the beginning of the single track trail

Heading off on the single track trail

The trail up Mt. Flora begins at Berthoud Pass. There is a restroom at the pass, but bring your own supplies. Tourists from far and wide stop here on the way to Winter Park and Steamboat Springs.

Taking a break on the open tundra. The road in the distance is highway 40.

James Peak and the open tundra views

The route begins up a wide dirt road that heads up to the top of Colorado Mines Peak, another 13er, covered in industrial looking buildings. At 0.89 miles (11,700 ft), a small sign appears directing the hiker off the road and onto a single track trail that skirts the peak. This is where the fun really starts. In the distance, looms Long's Peak and the Mummy Range, while all around is the verdant grasses of a nearly empty slope. This is where I started to channel my inner Julie Andrews. What is it about a green field dotted with flowers that makes us all want to start racing across it. I get jealous of the dogs who have the sure footedness to do so without breaking their necks. My middle-aged body would not fare so well.

View from the saddle with Colorado Mines Peak

Looking up to the left from the saddle. This section is steeper than it appears.

After skirting the side of the Colorado Mines Peak, we reached a saddle (1.64 miles, 12,138 ft) with a grab-your-chest-and-gasp view of a hidden lake and valley. While I know that I-70 is just beyond the entrance to this valley and that the area is not wilderness, it still had that feel of discovering something totally new. Flowing green tundra grasses filled the slopes and the small tarn was surrounded by bucolic willows. Leading up the valley was a rivulet of coniferous trees. This spot is a worthy destination in and of itself for those who don't want to climb all the way to the summit.

Looking back on Colorado Mines Peak

Flowers are abundant on Mt. Flora in late July.

To the left of this view is the other side of the saddle. Climbing up this wrinkle in the earth was the most strenuous part of the trip. It was both steep and somewhat slippery with loose dirt, but oh the views. The higher we climbed the more expansive the mountains around us became. Colorado Mines Peak becomes a bump and the Gore Range blends with the Ten Mile Range to form a continuous row of snow dotted mountains from north to south. Additionally, the larger peaks of the Continental Divide (Grays Peak, Torreys Peak, Square Top Mountain, Grizzly Peak, etc) are clearly visible. I am lucky I did not fall off the hillside with all my twisting around to take it all in. At 2.31 miles (12,730 ft) you can finally see the summit.

Higher up the steep section, looking back on Colorado Mines Peak

Views of the Gore Range and the Ten Mile Range kept me turning around.

Don't let this steep section fool you, there is still some distance to travel. A short ridge walk ends at a small pile of boulders and talus. The folks at this mountain Disneyland have made this obstacle trivial by placing convenient flat rocks in the form of steps all through it. Within seconds, we reached the top (2.7 miles, 12,858 ft) for another surprising view down to a valley and its tarn. The whole back side of this area is gorgeous.

Ginger, the wonder dog, takes a VERY RARE break from her continuous and joyful running. Is she as enamored of the flowers as I was or is it Pika droppings that have her smiling?

The rest of the crew catches up. In the far distance is Grays and Torreys, two Front Range 14ers.

From the rock pile, it is only a short 0.5 miles to the summit, which is very obvious. There was a stream of folks coming off the top, but these were the only people we saw, and by the time we settled in with our 360 degree view and our peanut butter sandwiches, we had the place to ourselves.

After the steep section, the summit comes into view (far right bump).

The rock pile

Now in addition to the views already mentioned, one can clearly see Mt. Evans and Mt. Bierstadt to the southeast and James Peak a stones throw away to the north. Looking down the precipitous drop off is tiny Ethel Lake. The summit is wide and broad. We had to wander around a bit to focus on the views in different directions. More tundra plants were growing amongst the rocks and the weather was sublime. Our group must have hung out for over an hour marveling at the world laid out before us. Colorado really is grand.

The surprising view from atop the rock pile

On the summit and looking southwest

If you can't tell by my many superlatives, I really liked Mt. Flora. It is easy and therefore accessible to the average hiker, the views are some of the best I have yet to see in Colorado, and we had the place to ourselves. My witnessing to this wonderful location may spoil it in the future, but I do feel that everyone who lives here should enjoy Mt. Flora at least once. It will fill your soul with gratitude for the wonders of our State and the natural beauty we get to have for free.

A broader view of the seemingly continuous waves of peaks

Alpine Avens (Acomastylis rossii turbinata) on the summit. This flower grows only in the tundra and can be seen from mid-June to early August.

Disneyland comparisons aside, I would be remiss if I did not remind you that Mt. Flora is a mountain above 13,000 ft, which means all the usual precautions apply. Watch the weather, carry water and layers, slap on plenty of sunscreen, and be emotionally prepared for gale force winds.

Moss Champion (Silene acaulis subacaulescens) seems to be the most predominate flower on Mt. Flora. Moss Champion grows only in the tundra and can be seen from late-June to early August. It grows like a carpet in the nooks and crannies of rocks.

Looking down on Ethel Lake

I would suggest looking to climb Mt. Flora in the last two weeks of July. By mid-August many of the flowers are gone. The tundra still has an appeal in the late summer to early fall, but to really commune with everything Mt. Flora can be save it for a mid-summer reaffirmation of life, color, and open sky and don't forget to bring your lederhosen

Heading down

A final goodbye to the flowers of Mt. Flora. This whole hillside was filled with Alpine Avens.