Westminster Hills Snowshoe

Distance: 3 mile loop
Elevation: 5,500 ft - 5,600 ft
Elevation Gain: 100 ft
Dogs: Off leash (Run baby run!!)
Bathroom at the trailhead: No

Two feet of snow covers the wide expanse of the Westminster Hills Dog Park.  All the pictures in this post were taken blindly (due to sun glare) with the camera on my phone.

Westminster Hills is an open space dog park near the Broomfield Airport.  I take Ginger, the hyper one, there at least 4 days a weeks because she can roam over the entire 400 + acres of prairie while I run the trails.  After the February 2012 dumper (24 inches and counting), the park was transformed into rolling hills of crystalline beauty.  I grabbed a pair of showshoes and left the normal trails to bushwhack in a fit of childish glee.  What is it about breaking the rules that feels so naughty?  As you can sense, I don't allow myself to do that often.

Route taken.  If you zoom in on the map you can see the dotted outline of some of the trails.  They have greatly expanded in the last few years.

The well tracked entrance to the park

Looking south to the southern plateau.  You can sense the snow depth.

Heading south to the top of the southern plateau.  This segment was along an official trail.

On the southern plateau looking southwest towards the hills

The open space consists of a large meadow bordered on either side by plateaus that rise around 100 feet higher than the surrounding area.  A gully travels between the two into a distant and deep field transected by power lines.  You can loop the meadow,  go "up the gut", take either of the plateau routes, head to the "back 40" or any combination of these.  When I run, I can loop around and get in 4 miles.  On this trip I ignored these established routes and tried to find the deepest snow.  The route turned out to be around 3 miles according to the GPS on my phone.

The trail across the southern plateau is around 0.75 miles long.  That is the Boulder Flatirons in the distance.

At the far end of the "Back 40"

Walking along the edge of the northern plateau where the snow was deepest

Heading back down to the trailhead.  The trail "up the gut" is slightly visible on the hillside to the right.

A giant cottonwood borders a small pond that fills with water in the spring.  Water loving dogs romp there with their owners.

North Table Mountain

Distance: 5.5 mile loop
Elevation: 6,030 ft - 6,485 ft
Elevation Gain: 455 ft
Bathroom at Trailhead: Yes
Dogs: Leash Only

Ancient lava forms a basaltic cap on top of North Table Mountain

Ever seen a Coors commercial showing majestic Mt. Wilson?  This peak is actually located in the southwest corner of the state but Coors likes to pretend its brewery is near this scenic edifice when in fact, it is sandwiched between North and South Table Mountains in Golden, CO.  These mesas are just as much a part of Colorado topography as Mt. Wilson, but the marketers obviously found their unique rock formations too mundane to sell beer.  Don't fall into the same trap.  A stroll to the top of these eroded monoliths is a pleasant excursion for the whole family.  I have already profiled the Lubahn Trail, which goes to the top of South Table Mountain.  Another unseasonably warm day in January 2012 was an opportunity to visit the area's northern cousin.

Large Parking Lot

Map of the area and our route

Rabbitbrush along the side of the initial ascent

This wide road forms part of the North Table Loop

While the Lubahn Trail, is more of a neighborhood trail (e.g. you have to know it exists), North Table Mountain is an Jefferson County Open Space park with a large parking lot and bathroom.  Getting to the top of the mesa is easy, there is a large, obvious road that heads up from the parking lot.  We passed several families with small children whose little feet could easily navigate the gravel road.  This road is part of the North Table Loop and it is 0.7 miles to the top of the mesa.  Once at the top, the route splits with the North Table Loop continuing to the right while the Tilting Mesa veers off to the left.

Trail junctions are marked with large rock signs.

The distant rock formations along the Tilting Mesa Trail with pockets of ice

The wide open expanse of the Tilting Mesa Trail.  Could you tell that you are on top of a mesa and not out on the eastern plains?

The far end of the Mesa Top Trail, just as it descends to the other side

Having never been to this area, I wanted to explore it as much as possible, so we took the Tilting Mesa Trail which heads off to the northern side of the mesa.  This area is dominated by distant rock formations (they are sequestered behind do not enter signs), flat grasslands, and an open sky that seemed to stretch all the way to Never Never Land.  We could see Mule Deer  wandering across a distant hill while runners and mountain bikers dotted the landscape.

Heading down the other side

Heading north on the North Table Loop

Heading East on the North Table Loop

At the three-way junction of Tilting Mesa, Rim Rock, and  Mesa Top Trails, we decided to head east on the Mesa Top Trail, which ended up taking us down the other side of the mesa.  At the bottom this became the North Table Loop Trail again,  which we followed all the way back around to the parking area.  This part of the route was slow going.  The trail was full of mud and ice.  I fell at least twice in spots where the slightest incline turned the trail into an commercial for high-powered laundry detergent. 

Houses appear, but we are a long way off yet

The icy and muddy trail and occasional inclines made for difficult walking.  There was no one else on the trail.

Several bridges cross drainages coming off the mesa

If I were to go again, I might choose to head out the Rim Rock Trail, which deadends on top of the mesa, and then turn around and return the way I came.  I can see in the spring when the grasses are green and the trails are dryer, this open space would a great spot for a sunset stroll.
 

At last we return to the parking lot

Buffalo Cabin Snowshoe

Distance: 3 miles round trip
Elevation: 9,760 ft - 10,619 ft
Elevation Gain: 700 ft
Date Hiked: 15 January 2012
Dogs off leash:  Until Eagles Nest Wilderness Boundary
Bathroom at trailhead: No

The view of Lake Dillon, the Continental Divide and the condos of Wildernest from 700 ft up Buffalo Mountain

Buffalo Mountain (12,777 ft) is the large as in very large as in immensely large round mountain you see after jetting down from the Eisenhower Tunnel heading west.  Climbing Buffalo Mountain (3 miles/3,017 ft elevation gain) is one of the steepest ascents around but snowshoeing 1/3 of the way to the summit to the ruins of Buffalo Cabin is something mere mortals can do.   While devoid of views unless you press on for at least another 0.2 miles, it is very popular with the locals.  This is in fact why I was on this trail.  I wanted something close by to exercise both the dog and myself on a Sunday afternoon.

Standing at the trailhead and looking at the parking lot.  The trail to Lilly Pad Lake is just around the bend.

The trailhead

The route starts at the Buffalo Cabin Trailhead, 3.5 miles up Ryan Gulch Road (one of two main roads that shoots straight up the mountain's slopes).   Note this road starts out as Wildernest Road lower down.  This trailhead shares a parking lot with Lilly Pad Lake, which you can also access from Frisco.

Playing with the shadows on the snow.

The route is easy to follow if a bit monotonous.  You pass the Wilderness Boundary at 0.36 miles and come to a 4-way junction at 0.6 miles.  Go straight to intersect the Gore Range Trail and South Willow Falls, go right to dead end at the end of the other road that goes up the mountain, and go left to continue climbing.

Typical trail segment.  Packed snow in the trees

There are actually several ruins of cabins along the way but it can be hard to tell in the snow.  The first one appears around 0.95 miles while the official (e.g. largest) one occurs shortly thereafter at 1.1 miles.  All that remains of these cabins are a few logs piled on top of each other.

Trail sign at the 4-way junction

I had snowshoed this trail before but it had been 9 years ago and my memory was very foggy.   I do remember reaching a point where I could not go any further and this trip was no exception.  On this trip, I was in microspikes and reached the point where the angle of the trail became very steep.  Snowshoes and poles would have been required to go any further.   I snapped a few photographs of the views and headed back down.  This spot is only a few tenths of a mile beyond Buffalo Cabin, but it is up and around another switchback.

The ruins of Buffalo Cabin.  With all the downed trees it is hard to tell what is a tree and what is a cabin log.

Buffalo Mountain was so named because it reminded the early settlers of the large hump of a buffalo.  There are two prominent avalanche shoots that the grace the eastern side.  These slid in 1986 and 2003.  The large cirque that is also one of the prime identifying feature was carved by glaciers.

The view at the turn around point

I would not send tourists on this trail since there are so many more scenic options in the area, but for general exercise this trail will get your heart pumping and burn off last night's fried chicken wings.  Sometimes that is all you want.

Pennsylvania Gulch Snowshoe

Distance: 5 miles round trip
Elevation: 10,400 ft - 11,105 ft
Elevation Gain: 705 ft
Date Hiked: 14 January 2012
Dogs: Off Leash
Bathroom at Trailhead: No
Tags: #snowshoe, #breckenridge, #coloradooutdoors

Pacific Peak (13,950 ft), Unamed Peak, Crystal Peak (13,852 ft) (barely visible), and Peak Ten (13,633 ft) dominate the view of Pennsylvania Gulch.

Pennsylvania Gulch is a lesser known but scenic snowshoe south of the Breckenridge Ski Resort in the hamlet of Blue River. It is known mostly to locals who use it extensively. Snowmobiles are allowed on the road but did not bother us at all.

You get to the trailhead by traveling 3.4 miles past the last Breckenridge traffic light and then turning left onto the Blue River Road. Proceed about 0.2 miles then turn bear right on Royal Drive. Bear right at the junction. Proceed about 0.2 miles then turn right on Regal Circle. Proceed about 0.1 miles. Turn right on Coronet Drive. Travel on Coronet Drive about 0.6 miles. The trailhead is by the information kiosk.

Map showing the location of the trailhead and the general route. 

The trailhead

Ruins of an old cabin less than 0.5 miles up the trail

The route follows Pennsylvania Creek up a eastward traveling gulch.  It starts out in the trees and heads steadily uphill for the first 0.5 miles. After that it levels out and comes to nice wide open expanse at 1.0 miles. This broad meadow filled with willows peaking out of fluffy snow mounds made the trip worth while. The views back down the valley were stunning as well with Pacific Peak and Peak 10 dominating the western horizon.

Typical early trail segment...in the trees

Breaking out into the meadow at 1.2 miles.  You can see the route on the left in the distance.

The only people we met were two cross-country skiers who turned around after the large meadow once the trail returned to the trees at 1.75 miles. We decided to continue and after another half mile in the trees we came to another open area and decided to continue to its end before turning around. This brought us to the spot at 2.5 miles where the trail crosses the creek. Along the way we crossed two other trails. Trail 6113A at 2.0 miles took off to the left while 113A at 2.35 miles crossed the creek and ascended into the trees on the right.

Whipped cream and willows grace Pennsylvania Creek

Looking west towards the Tenmile Range

There as been so little snow in Summit County this year, that I having been wearing microspikes everywhere instead of snowshoes.  This trail was no different, but since I had never done it before I wore snowshoes just in case.  They weren't necessary.  It is amazing how sore your hips feel after 3 hours in snowshoes.  The wider stance stretches muscles that aren't used very much.  I was glad when we turned around and headed back down.

The rocks on the area are high in iron and have a pleasing red tint.

Where the trail crosses Pennsylvania Creek...our turn around point

Pennsylvania Gulch is a pleasant outing that is suitable for beginners and skiers who like wide trails and a gentle slope (e.g. no head meet tree introductions).  I would take others there just to see the views of Tenmile Range.

Lawn Lake Llama Outing

Distance: 6 miles round trip (12.9 mile round trip to Lawn Lake)
Elevation: 8,540 ft - 9,632 ft (campground)
Elevation Gain: 1,092 ft
Date Hiked: 22 October 2011
Dogs: No, National Park
Bathroom at trailhead: Yes
Tags: #rmnp, #estespark, #llamas, #hiking

Llamas on the Lawn Lake Trail

One day in October we decided to take a few llamas on a stroll in Rocky Mountain National Park.  We called the park information line and asked if the Bridal Veil Falls trailhead had space for stock trailers.  The voice on the phone sounded like something out of the "Mummy's Revenge", ancient and crotchety, but it said yes so we were foolishly pacified.  This turned out to be very wrong and in fact we almost got ourselves stuck trying to turn around at the end of McGraw Ranch Road.  Needless to say we were not happy.  With On Star in the truck we called the park headquarters again.  This time, the mummified assistant answering the phone was more forthcoming... "Eh, what is stock?" Like horses and stuff and we answered.  "Eh, Bridal Veil Falls has no space for horses".  Duh we replied we just found that out.  Where in the park can we take our llamas we asked as we drove back into Estes Park.  "Eh, I have no idea" the voice replied with the unmistakable sound of a sarcophagus lid closing.  We were not about to let this go, however and made our B movie reject look it up.  That is how we ended up at the Lawn Lake Trail.  This turned out to be a much better option.

The stock parking for Lawn Lake is a quarter of a mile up Fall River Road from the Lawn Lake Trailhead.  It is quite large and the stock trail starts just across the road.  While it does head to the trailhead, there is a turnoff for the trail itself that cuts a few hundred yards off the trip.

Looking down on the Alluvial Fan.  Large boulders the size of cars litter the valley, testament to the power of water. 

20 years later and flood is still evident

I have always liked this trail because it winds leisurely along the eroded banks of the Roaring River.  Back in 1982, the Lawn Lake dam failed, causing a torrential flood that ripped out the banks of the the Roaring River, creating the Alluvial Fan (a great place to walk in the park), and flooding Estes Park, killing one camper.  The force of that flood is still evident today.

Mt Chiquita (13,069 ft) peeks above the trees while Ypsilon Mountain (13,514 ft) stays out of site just to the right.

Long's Peak dominates the view looking back down the trail

After hiking with llamas to Thunder Lake, which can only be classified as a death march, the Lawn Lake trail was like Disneyland.  It was flat, without rocks, blanketed with soft pine needles and airy.   A few peaks were visible from the trail, but the big draw was the solitude, pleasant Lodgepole forest, and crisp fall breezes that tickled the senses.

Our turn around point.  Lawn Lake is another 3.5 miles further near the mountain in the distance.

Llamas Krescent and Liberty smile for the tourists..."Can we pet them?" was a common refrain. 

We turned around at the campground, which is 3 miles in.  The hike to Lawn Lake is much longer (13 miles round trip).  I would love to come back and run it.  As it was we were walking at least 3 miles an hour.   We might return this summer to take the llamas all the way.  They are great for carrying your caviar and inflatable butlers to remote picnic locations.  Just don't forget that etiquette demands a cummerbund for such formal occasions.  

South Boulder Creek West

Distance: 4.0 miles round trip
Elevation: 5,485 ft - 5,803 ft
Elevation Gain: 318 ft
Date Hiked:  11 December 2011
Dogs: Off leash in designated areas with Boulder green tag
Bathroom at trailhead: Yes
Tags: #Boulder, #osmp, #openspace, #hiking

Big sky and open space greet the hiker on the South Boulder Creek West Trail

South Boulder Creek West Trail is an east/west trail that connects Highway 93 to the Mesa Trail south of Boulder.  It can be walked or ran in its own right or used as a means of connecting into the many trails of the South Mesa Trail system. 

Looking back at the trailhead after crossing through a grove of Cottonwood trees

Flatirons in the distance.  The trail will curve off to the left.

While I have seen this trail listed on a map of the area, I have never been sufficiently motivated to check it out, preferring to start out on the Mesa Trail itself from the South Mesa Trailhead.   A friend convinced me to go, however and I was pleasantly surprised by the experience.   The views of the flatirons are quite expansive from this trail and the broad open fields, lightly covered in snow, were welcoming as only wide open spaces can be. 

Trees dot the landscape

Twisted Cottonwood

We did this hike late on a Sunday afternoon in the middle of December.  At that time of year, the sun sets behind the flatirons around 3:30pm, so we did not have much light to play with. The trail is easy going, particularly when covered with snow, however so we were able to make good time.  It is almost a mile before the trail starts of narrow and become more rocky. 

A more narrow, rocky trail segment

Clouds in the sky, snow on the ground.  Can you tell the difference?

There is not much to tell about this trail other than it winds over hill and dale, passes through occasional groves of Cottonwoods or Ponderosa Pine, but is otherwise in the open.  This exposure felt great on a cold, but sunny day in winter but would feel like Hell's Half Acre in August.  The scaly ones would be out then too,  looking to snag an ankle snack. 

We got back to the trailhead just in time.  The sun had set and the temperatures dropped 20 degrees.

For other posts of trails in this area, check out my description of the Homestead/Mesa Loop.  The pictures for this post were taken with a cell phone camera.  Amazing eh?