Mt. Evan's Scenic Byway

The star of any trip up Mt. Evans. One of the resident Mountain Goats.

Taking the Mt. Evans Scenic Byway, near Idaho Springs, is a jolly, near death experience with stupendous views. It is also a great way to beat the heat and carouse with Big Horn Sheep, Mountain Goats, and Yellow-bellied Marmots. Mt. Evans is 14,264 ft and is one of two 14ers in the state you can drive up. If you don't like heights, however, you may want to snort some Valium before starting out. The road has no guard rails but plenty of breath-stealing drop offs. You will also share it with bicycles and oversized pick-up trucks. There is a fee past Echo Lake unless you have an all Federal Parks Pass.

Image (not my own) of the Mt. Evans Scenic Byway. I have never been able to take my knuckles off the steering wheel to get a picture!

Things to Do:

• Stop at Echo Lake, which is before the fee station, for a picnic or fishing derby.
• Hike the Pesman Trail, which leaves from the Mt. Goliath Nature Center. This trail travels across the tundra through a grove of ancient Bristlecone Pines. Bristlecones are the oldest thing on earth, easily reaching 1,700 years. Alpine plants galore dot the trail.
• Visit the Nature Center itself and see a mock up of an Alpine Spring Beauty with its 10-foot root that enables it to survive on harsh mountain tops. A small terraced alpine garden with helpful placards surrounds the building.
• Stop at 13,000 ft Summit Lake, a jumping off point for folks heading to the summit the old-fashioned way...via their feet, for an incredible view looking down on Chicago Lakes. A resident heard of Big Horn Sheep often congregate here. Volunteer rangers will also set up interpretive displays.
• Call on some parking karma and get a coveted slot on the summit itself. On the summit you can explore the ruins of an old hotel, feel the power of mother nature via freezing temps and extreme winds and stroll to the top itself. 
 

The summit parking lot. The Boulder field is often filled with tourists climbing the 120 ft from the pavement to the summit. Cars can stretch for a good 1/4 mile on both sides down to the left.

This goat was in need of a Hollywood makeover. He/she/it was shedding its winter coat. Not exactly a red carpet moment. Still, it had panache and liked to pose for the 200 lenses flashing all around.

This celeb was already done shedding and looked like it had just returned from a posh salon. Nothing like a new 'do to make you feel like a mountain diva.

Not to be out done, this B-actor was posing for us on the way down. Yellow-bellied Marmots are known for their hedonistic lounging upon warm rocks 

To get to the byway, take I-70 West from Denver to exit 240 (Hwy 103), the second exit at Idaho Springs. Because of snow the road is usually only open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Even if there is no snow, CDOT will close the road after the Labor Day weekend, so plan accordingly. Come prepared for any of the following: intense sunlight, cold temperatures, snow, hail or rain, high wind, and low oxygen levels. The road can close any day throughout the summer due to winter-like conditions.

Mountain Goats!

How I envy the Mountain Goat (Oreamnos americanus). Mother Nature has equipped them with all the mountain equipment they need to thrive in a high alpine environment where I have to take out stock in REI. For starters, they have a double coat, the inner one being a dense fur and the outer one being long hollow hairs. This haute couture is rated to -50F. Next time one of your buff friends says he does not need to layer, just throw the Mountain Goat in his face. These bad boys invented technical fabrics and are stylish to boot.


Speaking of boots, how much money did you spend on your last pair? Well, I wish I had the Mountain Goat’s feet. Their toes are padded for extra grip, they have a dewclaw that also allows them to cling to cliff faces that only the hardiest rock climber would dare ascend, and their hooves are cloven, which allows them to spread and grip. Take that Spiderman!

Did you know that Mountain Goats are not native to Colorado? Experts believe that the farthest south they naturally roamed was southern Wyoming. They were introduced into the state back in 1947 to provide game for hunters. In 1993 though, the Colorado Division of Wildlife made them naturalized citizens and declared them “native”. I wonder how many of the people sporting those “native” bumper stickers are doing so on similarly shady circumstances!


Despite their long beards and curved black horns, Mountain Goats are really not goats. They are actually closer to antelope and cattle. They spend their entire life on one mountain but will occasionally come down from their precipitous heights to seek out mineral licks. I think that is why I was able to get such great pictures of these goats. There was a mineral lick in the cleft of a rock that was drawing them down. When not sucking on rocks, however, Mountain Goats eat grasses, herbs, sedges, ferns, moss, lichen, twigs, and if you are not careful your topo map. And you say they are not goats…hmmm.


Bad boys of the mountain lounging on a shelf above the mineral lick
Sighting a Mountain Goat in Colorado is a blessed event. There are two prominent herds, one on Mt. Evans and another in the Chicago Basin. My envy of Mountain Goats extends to their choice of Colorado real estate. So get out there and explore Colorado and maybe you’ll be blessed too…Yodel-a yodel-a yodel-a-hee hoo!