Native Lake Hike

Distance: 8.4 miles round trip
Elevation: 10,800 ft (trailhead), 11,879 ft (on the plateau), 11,293 ft (at the lake)
Elevation Gain: 1,665 ft (cumulative)
Dogs: On Leash (Wilderness)
Tags: #coloradooutdoors, #travel, #mountainlake, #leadville, #hiking

The approach to Native Lake. We ate lunch on that large boulder that surveys the scene.

Native Lake in the Mount Massive Wilderness near Leadville, CO is a wonderful trail filled with variety. The initial part of the trail switchbacks 2 miles through a Spruce/Fir forest. It is damp, mysterious, and filled with pizza-sized mushrooms, many of them edible. At 2.18 miles, you break out onto a wide tundra plateau. Here the edifice that is Mt. Massive (14,443 ft) dominates the western skyline. I did this hike in the fall when the tundra grasses were golden. I can imagine them being verdant in the spring. The views of Leadville from this plateau are expansive. The western skyline is filled with 14,000 ft peaks. Across the plateau, the trail descends 500 ft to a valley. It is there that Native Lake rests.

The start of the route

Several early switchbacks are narrow and precipitous

Looking west at Hagerman Road

The lake itself is slowly receding and is being replaced by meadow grasses. The hike down to the lake was somewhat laborious too. If I were to do this hike again, I would stop part way down where you can see the lake from the ridge. That view is quite nice.

Looking down the drainage. You can see the trail far below.

Crossing a pleasant open area

The first view of the tundra

You get to the trailhead by driving west along Turquoise Lake to Hagerman Tunnel Road. This dirt road is narrow in places but is passable by a passenger car. Hagerman Pass road traces a long and narrow U. At the apex of the U is a wide area that contains 2 trailheads. Native lake is the first trailhead. It is situated slightly back from the road. The second parking area spans the road and is for ATVers heading up to the pass, and hardy hikers attempting the steep but scenic Windsor Lake. Farther up the road is the trail for Hagerman Tunnel.

Mount Massive comes into view

Looking east off the plateau towards Leadville and the Mosquito Range.

Several small ponds dotted the tundra

This trail was a treat because of its flora. There is something about hiking in a Spruce/Fir forest in the fall. This forest ecosystem is more shaded than the Lodgepole forest that dominates much of the state. As such, it was cooler, damp, and definitely fall like. At the request of my hiking partner, I started taking pictures of all the mushrooms. I have never seen so many mushrooms in Colorado before. King Boleta and Scaly Urchins were particularly common. I discovered after the fact, that King Boleta is highly prized by wild mushroom connoisseurs. That is probably why I have not seen it before. They have been quickly snatched up by fanatical fungi followers.

Heading down the other side

The first view of the lake

Looking west on the route down to the lake

The first 2 miles of the trail switchbacks up a single drainage as the trail climbs higher. It was obvious that some people chose to walk parallel to the creek and head straight up the hillside. The Forest Service has put dead fall all along this narrow social trail as a deterrent. Please stay on the trail even though it is much longer. The views of Hagerman Tunnel and pass are worth the extra effort.

A trail segment down in the valley

The lake comes into view

Admiring the grasses on the lake floor

I would recommend Native Lake to anyone. It is unpopulated and filled with changing views. If you are camping at Turquoise Lake, then you have no excuse what-so-ever!

Mayflower Gulch Hike: Fall

Fall has arrived to the high country!

Looking down Mayflower Gulch on a beautiful fall day

On 19 September I went with a friend to spread the ashes of her dog in Mayflower Gulch near Copper Mountain, his favorite place to get lost in the Willows. Mayflower is one of my favorite places to hike too. I have snowshoed it many times and ogled at its summer wildflowers, but I have never been in the fall. True to form, it turns out to be gorgeous then too. Below are a series of photos from the trip.

Vogel Canyon

Distance: 2.25 miles
Elevation: 4,400 to 4,300 ft
Elevation Gain: 100 ft
Dogs: Off leash
Bathroom at Trailhead: Yes
Date Hiked: 10 April 2009

A few of the more visible petroglyphs from Vogel Canyon

I have lived in Colorado for ten years now and had no idea that the southeastern Plains are dotted with canyons. These are not Black Canyon of the Gunnison kind of canyons, but they are interesting nonetheless. The advantages of this area is that the canyons are filled with archeological points of interest as well as geologic wonders like dinosaur tracks.

The beginning of the hike starts out on a rock plateau. Cairns lead the way.

Vogel canyon is located 13 miles south of La Junta, which is the best place to stay if you plan to visit. A loop around the canyon is a short hike, suitable for an afternoon excursion. We hiked it after driving 3 hours from Denver. There are picnic tables and bathrooms there, but the nearest store is La Junta so plan accordingly.

The initial side canyon is filled with sandstone rock formations. Staghorn Cholla (Cylindropuntia veriscolor), which are first visible.

Staghorn Cholla bugs. These will fall off and grow roots.

The scenic attractions in Vogel Canyon are Indian petroglyphs, settler ruins, several fresh water springs, Staghorn Cholla cactus, unique rock formations, and lots of birds.

The canyon contains 4 separate trails. Our route traversed all of these in a loop that covered both the canyon floor and the plains above.

Approaching the petroglyph cliffs

This wall is actually filled with petroglyphs, but you have to look closely to see them.

Is this a real petroglyph or a vandal's damage? With so much destruction, it is hard to tell.

Our hike started out in the picnic area and the Canyon Trail. This trail starts out on a broad rock shelf. Cairns guide the hiker into a small unnamed side canyon. The ruins of the Westbrook homestead quickly come into view on the right, and within a half of a mile, a large rock face is clearly visible on the left. It is here that the petroglyphs can be found.

The first spring near the petroglyphs

Several side trails and sign posts guide the hiker to the glyphs, which have been badly vandalized. At one point some irreverent school kids spray painted them under the noses of their chaperon teachers. There are no words to describe what I would have liked to have done to those children. One thing is for sure; none of them would be reproducing.

The second spring off the main trail

There are reportedly many more glyphs in this area, but the Forest Service is justifiably hesitant to point them out to people. We undoubtedly missed some of the best ones in our quick run through the area. The glyphs are also very hard to see with the naked eye and even digitally enhancing the photos has not brought them out much. Compared to the petroglyphs at the V-bar-V ranch in Arizona, these glyphs seem hardly worth the effort. A little more patience might have revealed some better specimens.

Turning right and heading up into wider Vogel Canyon

Near the petroglyphs are one of two springs in the area. A natural spring is certainly a draw for both humans and wildlife. These are nestled next to large rock walls. Trees grow abundantly nearby. Note that there is a trail leading down from the first spring to the second, but this second spring is not on the main trail. In fact, it is in a side canyon near private property. It is worth walking down to it, but you will have to back track. The main trail actually heads off at right angle from the first spring.

Vogel Canyon becomes very marshy.

Stagecoach ruins

At this point, the trail heads up into Vogel Canyon proper. Vogel Canyon is wider than the unnamed canyon the route first traverses. It quickly becomes a marsh, and only the remains of fallen down Cairns indicate that one is on the correct route. The trail was also quite muddy here.

This is the trail we bushwhacked to. It eventually connected with the Mesa Trail. This trail originated down in the marsh just before the stagecoach ruins. It is not on the map. Note Staghorn Cholla.

Near the end of the canyon are the rock ruins of an old stagecoach stop, which was active from 1872 to 1876. I would like to see where this stagecoach went, because it seems very strange to have a stop down at the bottom of Vogel Canyon.

At last we found the real trail.

The trail guide we received from the Forest Service shows the Mesa and Prairie Trails splitting off from each other just beyond the stagecoach ruins. The drawing was not the best, however, and it looked as if the Mesa Trail split right at the ruins while the Prairie split a little farther. This led us to head up the cliff face, a short 100 ft scramble, right behind the ruins. This was not correct. The two trails do not split until they are up on the mesa itself. Cairns near the ruins show the way. We ended up bushwhacking across the prairie a bit before we intersected with the Mesa trail.

The Mesa Trail traverses a broad plateau of short grass prairie. There are occasional juniper trees and lots of big big sky. A hundred yards away from the edge of the canyon, and you would not be able to tell it was even there. At one point on this trail, there is a metal stairway built over the barbed wire fence. The view from the top of this lofty perch was actually quite pleasing…prairie as far as the eye could see.

View of the short grass prairie from the stairs that go over the fence

The Mesa Trail dead-ends into the Overlook Trail. To the left are the picnic grounds. To the right, the trail travels to the edge of the cliff face for a bird’s eye view into the canyon. Since it was getting late, we opted to head back to the car. The Overlook trail is wide and sandy. It is meant to be handicapped accessible.

Overlook Trail

Vogel Canyon is not the most impressive of the southeastern canyons but in the spring when the prairie is awash with wildflowers, it would be very pleasant indeed. It is such a shame that its unique petroglyphs have been so damaged and are so hard to see. People are pigs. Still, if you are near La Junta with nothing better to do, a stroll through Vogel Canyon may just brighten your day.

Homestead/Mesa Loop…Don’t forget the history

Distance: 4 miles round trip
Elevation: 5,645ft – 6,300ft
Elevation Gain: 655ft
Date Hiked: 12/13/08
Dogs: Off leash in designated areas with Boulder green tag
Bathroom at Trailhead: Yes

The Dowdy-DeBacker-Dunn Homestead gives the Homestead trail its name.  Frozen in place, its cold stones hold the memory of many Front Range winters. 

With yet another storm raging in the high country we once again set our sights on a lower hike along the Front Range. This loop near Boulder travels up the Homestead Trail for 1.1 miles, heads west along the Towhee Trail for 0.4 miles, then jogs 0.3 miles on Shadow Canyon before finishing up with 2.0 miles along the Mesa Trail.  There is a web of trails at the southern end of the Mesa Trail, and hikers can choose many different options.

Map of the route 

The beginning of the trail.  The homestead is just out of the picture to the left.

Heading up the Homestead Trail

The Homestead Trail is nice because it is a steeper and more strenuous ascent. It will get your heart rate going as you climb the many steps leading up to a broad plateau. From the top, there are views of the distant plains as well as the ever-approaching Flatirons.

View from the Homestead Plateau

Snow on the back side of the Homestead Trail

The Towee Trail is in a gully and the snow here was packed and slick. 

The Homestead trail descends back down the north side of the plateau to intersect with the Towhee Trail, which comes up the gully from the right. This (north) side of the plateau was still snow encrusted and very slick. The Towhee Trail also has the disadvantage of being a leash only, which is another good reason to start out on the Homestead Trail if you have dogs that need to run free.

Near the intersection of the Towhee and Shadow Canyon Trails

View from the Shadow Canyon Trail

Heading up the Mesa Trail

From the Towhee Trail, the loop heads east on Shadow Canyon for just 0.4 miles. There are nice views of some rock formations near this intersection and nice views of the plains a few yards up the trail. The Mesa Trail stretches 6 miles south to north, and at the intersection of Shadow Canyon and the Mesa Trail the hiker has the choice of heading north for another 4 miles or heading south directly. We decided to head north and upwards but were turned around by very slick conditions within a quarter of a mile. Just past the ruins of an old cabin, we turned around and headed back to the trailhead. The southern portion of the Mesa Trail is a broad. It winds gracefully downwards with sweeping views of the plains. The willows along the trail are filled with birds in the spring and summer.

Heading back down the Mesa Trail as it curves southward

Around half way back

Looking across to the Dowdy Plateau.  

At the apex of the Homestead and Mesa Trails are the remains of the Dowdy-DeBacker-Dunn Homestead. Built in 1858, all that remains is the stone section, unique for its multi-sized slab construction. In its day, an irrigation canal ran through it, providing fresh running water…of a sort. It seems hard to imagine this popular trailhead as the deep frontier but long before Boulder was founded, hearty stock had been settling in what was then Arapaho Indian country. For some it was gold but for others if was land for both farming and ranching. The original settler, Dowdy, ran a gristmill.

Close up of the rock construction

Crossing the stream at the trailhead.  Even in winter it has a stark beauty. 

 Colorado is filled with history and many of its trails are strewn with mining relics, the ruins of old cabins, and the ghosts of pioneers. Half the time we overlook these doorways into the past. Glued to our iPods and focused on cardiovascular performance, they simply fade from view. So, next time you hit the southern Mesa Trailhead, take a moment to examine what is left of the homestead and look around. Imagine living there over 100 years ago.