Hogback

Distance: 3 miles round trip
Elevation: 5,560 ft - 6,393 ft
Elevation Gain: 880 ft
Bathroom at Trailhead: No
Dogs:  Not allowed at all
Date Hiked: 1 April 2012
Tags: #Boulder, #osmp, #hiking, #coloradooutdoors

Heading up to the Hogback on the Hogback Trail north of Boulder

The Hogback lollypop trail, just north of Boulder, is an unassuming jaunt across open grassland and up the steep slope of the first foothill of the Front Range.  Its name is derived from the large outcropping of rocks known as the Hogback, that are the apex of the route.  Since dogs are not allowed on this trail at all, this is only the second time I have hiked it.  If you don't care about Fido, however, this trail has sufficient elevation gain to classify as great shoulder season training hike.  It is rarely impassible but its exposure and lack of shade would make for a toasty outing in summer.

The Hogback Trail starts at the Foothills Trailhead, just north of Boulder

The Trailhead.  That is a tunnel under Hwy 36 a 100 yards in the distance

The winding first 0.5 miles of the trail 

The bright yellow breast and distinctive song of the Meadowlark accompany the hiker on the Hogback Trail.

The initial part of the trail traverses a small valley filled with Prairie Dogs and Meadowlarks, who brazenly yoddle from every fence post and stalk of Yucca.  At 0.5 miles the trail intersects and merges with the Foothills Trail and then splits off at 0.65 miles to the Hogback Trail.  A short distance beyond this is another T-junction that represents both sides of the Hogback Loop.  I prefer to ascend via the left.  From this vantage, there are lovely views of the Flatirons and the ascent to the Hogback itself traverses a hidden plateau that for at least a few minutes makes you forget you are near the city.

The intersection of the Foothills Trail and the Hogback Loop

The junction of the loop itself.  Take the left fork for a harder and more scenic climb.

Looking out onto the plains and back down on the parking lot 600 feet below

The steepest section of trail has improved stairs.

It is 1.5 miles to the middle of the Hogback formation itself.  The trail stays below the edge, so if you want views you'll have to do a little rock scrambling.  Just be on the lookout for Rattlesnakes lounging in the nooks and crannies.

Looking up at the Hogback from the south

This brief but pleasant segment winds through rocks and Ponderosa Pine

An exposed section of rock below the summit

Walking below the summit of the Hogback ridge

For you geology buffs, a Hogback formation gets its name from its resemblance to the bristled spines of a wild hog.  These formations occur where erosion has revealed the sharp rocks of a tilted or uplifted rock formation.   Hogbacks can be seen up and down the Front Range.  The most famous one to the south, Dinosaur Ridge, has the preserved footprints of Sauropod and carnivorous dinosaurs.

Still on the ridge but starting to descend

Looking down the decent

Looking north from below the Hogback

This herd of Mule Deer walked right up to me

While the Hogback trail will not attract tourists from far and wide, it is still a pleasant outing, particularly if you live in Boulder and are sick of the trails around Chautauqua.  I do suggest checking it out...just leave Fido at home.

Ptarmigan Trail to Bench

Distance: 2.5 miles round trip
Elevation: 9,150 ft - 10,100 ft
Elevation Gain: 950 ft
Bathroom at Trailhead: No
Dogs: Off leash
Date Hiked:  31 March, 2012

Aspens and the Tenmile Range dominate the view to the southwest from the "Ptarmigan Trail Bench"

The Ptarmigan Trail is one of the few trails along with Acorn Creek that ascends to the top of the Williams Fork Range in the town of Silverthorne.  This is a pity because the Williams Fork Range looks across to the more scenic Gore Range with its jagged peaks and enticing passes.  You can take this trail all the way to Ptarmigan Peak (12 miles round trip), do a lolly pop loop (~7 miles round trip), or make a shorter jaunt to an open meadow looking down on a field of Aspens and across to Buffalo Mountain.  On this trip we had intended to do the loop but were finally turned around at 3 miles by deep snow.  Elsewhere the trail was dry, except for a few icy spots when the trail drifted into a Spruce/Fir biome.

Even at the trailhead there are views

Trailhead kiosk

I can see the Ptarmigan Trail from my condo on the slopes of Buffalo Mountain but because I have always wanted to go all the way to the peak I have ignored it.  I should not have waited because this trail is just lovely and will now become a favorite after work doggie outing along with the Tenderfoot, North Tenmile Creek, and Lilly Pad Lake.

The short road segment with signs.  This portions is actually wickedly steep.

A nice view of the hill the early segment traverses.

To get to the trailhead, drive up past the hotels on the east side of the Silverthorne exit until you see Ptarmigan Drive. Turn right here and drive a short distance to a small parking area on the right.  A trail kiosk is on the other side of the road.  The terrain here is Sagebrush, rocks, and relentless sun.  Even though we were hiking this trail on the last day of March, it was HOT.  I can not imagine what a sunny day in August would feel like.

American Pasqueflower (Pulsatilla patens)

Looking southeast to Dillon Valley, a small "town" hidden by the walls of I-70

The guidebooks will tell you that the first 0.6 miles of this trail are a calf and lung buster and they are right!  After cutting along the edge of some private property the route intersects a road and then heads STEEPLY upwards for around 100 yards on the hot pavement until it heads off into the Sagebrush again.  Fortunately, there is a nice wooden sign with an arrow pointing the way and another wooden sign with the text "Ptarmigan Trail" at the point where you leave the road.  This short segment is as fatiguing as the notorious approach to Mt. Sniktau and only slightly lets up as the trail goes up and around a  large hill.  Having to photograph the area is always a good excuse to stop and gasp and I found myself turning around frequently to admire the views of Lake Dillon, Peak One, and the many Pasqueflowers that were already blooming, God help us, in March.

A critter version of a buffet line.  Grubs and insects are on the menu.  Shall I make you a reservation?

The second trail kiosk at 0.7 miles

On the other side of the hill is another trail kiosk that reminds hikers that this trail will eventually end up in the Ptarmigan Wilderness Area.  Dog owners, don't worry about this yet.  The boundary is not for another 3 miles!

Heading into the Aspens at 1 mile

A view of the Gore Range and Aspens

From this point on, the trail drifts in and out  of Aspens as it climbs more gradually northwards and upwards along the lower slopes of the Williams Fork Range.  When the trail curves inwards the biome changes from Aspens to Spruce/Fir and Lodgepole Pine, and becomes darker and damper.  These interludes are short lived, however.  Most of the trail is on exposed slopes with lots of sun and Aspens.  I had read that this trail was a Fall color bonanza and I can see why.

I caught this American Red Squirrel in the act of protesting my presence with its ear shattering call.

The turn around point for this post is an open area with majestic views of the Gore Range.  Over the years, hikers have manipulated fallen trees to form a series of benches upon which to lounge.   We did not linger too long however,  because our goal was the loop.  From this point on the trail goes deep into a Lodgepole forest, filled with downed trees that must be navigated.  It was not for another half mile that we finally came across deep snow.

Forest Service Trail #25, the Angler Mountain Trail, intersects the Ptarmigan Trail at 2 miles.  I did not even know this trail existed.  We ran into two hikers who came up this way.  They said it was steeper than the Ptarmigan Trail, which means I will have to check it out!

Slick ice prevailed in the Spruce/Fir Forest.  We had brought our micro-spikes just in case and they came in handy but we had to take them on and off. 

For those of you who have not visited Summit County this winter, the realization that we did not find snow until we were only a mile away from the tundra may shock you.  In 2011 the snow did not melt until late July and we grumbled that summer never really came.  2012 saw hardly any snow and the fact that we were hiking on bare dirt in MARCH is actually scary.  Two days before this hike, there was already a fire near Keystone.  2012 looks to be a dangerous drought year.  It will however promise to have a long hiking season.  Everything is a trade off in this world.

The bench

This is the 2.5 mile view from the bench. From left to right is Peak One (barely visible), Buffalo Mountain, and Red Peak.

The only thing that disappointed me about the Ptarmigan Trail was the fact that I had not hiked it sooner.  A favorite with the locals, it traverses four different biomes and a fifth if you make it to the tundra, so it is great for experiencing the entire ecology of Summit County in one day.  If you are just visiting, the initial ascent should be taken very slowly (or not at all...there are easier trails to be had), but for locals, this is a great way to stay in 14er shape in the off season.  Don't wait as long as I did to give it a try.

Betty Ford Alpine Garden

The naturalist setting of the Betty Ford Alpine Garden in Vail

The Betty Ford Alpine Garden near the ski resort of Vail, Colorado is a lovely place for an early morning or late afternoon stroll. Not interested in climbing Mt. Flora to see Moss Champion, a ground hugging tundra flower, you can do so at the garden with Fifi or an aged P in tow.  If you are of the fur coat, Lexus-with-a-bow set then lunch in Vail and you will have an outing.

The garden gift shop

The entrance to the Garden.  Like most great things in Colorado there is no entrance fee!

Trees, flowers and winding paths.  Each route reveals something new.

There are four main gardens constructed between 1989 and 2002.  Don't expect to see just Colorado flowers, however.  The garden have collected alpine and high-altitude plants from around the world.  Visitors can wander between the Mountain Perennial Garden, the serene Mountain Meditation Garden, the Alpine Rock Garden, and the latest Children's Garden.

Columbine actually comes in many colors.

Another path

This could be a shot of manicured path in Rocky Mountain National Park

I confess that botanical gardens can be overly neat for my tastes.  I once went on a vacation to Vancouver Island Canada and visited the Butchart Gardens.  The formality, rigidity and never ending structure of that garden were a harsh contrast to the wild, chaotic, moss-coated old growth forests north of the city.  The Alpine Garden has some of that and you won't think for a moment you are ogling the wildflowers on Shrine Mountain, but the organizers have done a good job of adding waterfalls, rough hewn steps, and large shrubs of I'll-grow-as-I-please Columbine...enough to give visiting New York socialites a  Disneyland-ish taste of wild Colorado.

Ok Alpine curators, what is this flower?

An American Red Squirrel was chattering away in the tree above this bench but declined to have his picture taken.

One of the many water accents

The garden is located at exit 176 in Vail near the Ford Amphitheater.  Follow the frontage road east  to a large parking lot near some baseball fields and tennis courts (Ford Park).  Follow the path that leads to the amphitheater, go past its entrance until you see a small green cottage.  The entrance to the garden will be on the right.

Several artistic tree trunks watch over visitors.

Looks like another type of Columbine

So, if you are in Vail or just passing through, stop for a moment for a breath of fresh mountain air and a dose of vibrant color at the Betty Ford Alpine Garden.  You will learn something about the unique adaptations plants make to high-altitude while soothing the soul.  If you are a hiker like me, remember that returning to civilization every once in a while is a good thing, so take a shower, put on something besides sweat stained hiking pants, and use the gardens as a means of easing yourself back into the real world.  It will be less jarring than the traffic through the Eisenhower tunnel!

Hopeless Aid Station...Leadville Trail 100

One of the first runners cresting Hope Pass
in the 2011 Leadville Trail 100

In August of 2011 I helped out at the Hopeless Aid Station just below 12,600 ft Hope Pass (see blog post of the hike itself).  This aid station is the most remote station on the 100 mile ultramarathon route and is so isolated that all tents, water purification, food, oxygen tanks, cooking equipment etc has to be transported in via llama.  The Hopeless Aid Crew have been doing this for over 20 years.  They are dedicated to the runners and to their llamas and are great group of people who are only slightly less certifiable than the runners themselves. 

The Leadville Trail 100  is a grueling, only-for-the-crazy, kind of event and it was amazing to watch from the vantage point of the most extreme point on the route.  The aid station is located at mile 45 on the outbound route and mile 55 on the inbound.  Hope Pass is traversed twice, a double wammy of sheer, painful oxygen deprivation.  I was surprised, however at just how bloody perky many of the runners were by the time they got to us, even for the second time.  I had heard tales from friends in the crazy-enough set who talked about hallucinations, hypothermia, and hypoglycemia. I can think of a few more words that start with an 'h', like "hypoxia" but I digress.  I was surprised therefore by the front runners who wore hardly any clothes and who were whooping with joy when they crested the pass.  Slower runners dressed in outlandish colors, which better complimented their more civilized pace.  Everyone had big smiles on their faces as if running 100 miles was like...fun!

Some runners of course were not so peachy by the time they reached us.  The medical tent had no vacancy at one point as runners were snuggled into plush sleeping bags and given effervescent doses of oxygen.  The race rules changed in 2011 and anyone accepting a quick trip to sea level via a nasal canular was automatically excluded from the race.  Many chose to take the trip anyway so they could finish the race, albiet unofficially.

The one-way elevation profile for the race.  The tall spike on the end is Hope Pass.

The cook and medical tents the day before the race.  The food tent will go up the day of.

My station was the water station.  It was pretty slow during the early part of the day, but by the time the runners and their pacers (folks in the crazy-enough set who run the last 50 miles back to help the main runners along) returned I was so busy I did not have time to blink let alone do anything useful like eat or drink.  The folks coming through were on a mission...run fast or be stranded in the dark on the trail up to Hope Pass.  My team and I opened water bottles, untwisted Camelbacks, and lugged around 5 gallon jugs of water.  After nine to ten hours of that I felt like I had run the race myself.  I had been kneeling on the ground the entire time and my quads were permanently contorted.  The folks in the medical tent were unsympathetic when I begged for an oxygen martini.  Imagine wanting to reserve it for the runners! The fact that I went and got the oxygen tanks from the clinic in town and put them on a llama should have given me insider privileges but no!  One final interesting note about the water.  All of the water used in the race was pumped from Little Willis Lake, run through a water purification system that looked like the innards of a nuclear reactor, and dragged over 300 ft up steep terrain throughout the event on the backs of llamas!

Looking back down the valley towards Leadville.  Imagine running that entire distance...twice!

Sunrise on race day.  The runners have been running for a while now.

I was coming down the slopes of Quail Mountain when one of the frontrunners crested the pass.  Just a dot in the wilderness, the elite athletes of the Leadville Trail 100 must train their psyches as much as their bodies.

Two of my friends worked in the cook tent all day.  The llamas brought up 300+ packages of Ramen noodles, which were prepared all day along with instant potatoes.  All this took several propane tanks, two cook stoves, numerous pots and more and more water from the nuclear reactor.  In the food dissemination tent, noodles, potatoes, pretzels, GU packs, bananas, orange slices, candy, and saltines made for a smorgasbord of easily digestible tidbits.  Uncarbonated Coke syrup was mixed with water from the nuclear reactor and paired with the edibles with as much attention to service as a wine dinner at the Palace Arms.  The Coke served to settle stomachs upset by their owner's total disregard for their digestive tract.  Unfortunately, like any all-you-can eat buffet, the choicest bits began to run out by the end of the day.   Still, the food tent felt more like a day at Ascot..."I can really have as many M & Ms as  I like, how very kind!" or "Where may I place my trash?"

The station in the early hours with only the first runners through.  The crowd on the right is the youngsters from the Golden High School Track Team, who run up the pass to help out.  Little, crazy Leadvilliers in vitro they are!

The food tent with just a few runners sampling the fare. 

It was well after dark when the last runners finally crested the pass. We could see their headlamps glowing in the dark as they trudged their way down to us.  With no hope of finishing on time, they hung out for a while by our raging fire, which also served as a literal beacon in the wilderness, before heading on.  The very last people through are two hardy souls on mountain bikes who cruised the route looking for the bodies of the fallen.  They were late in arriving because they had in fact ended up dragging a stricken runner back down the other side. 

The medical tent

The water station with the 5 gallon jugs of water.  The coolers contained an electrolyte brew.

The llamas on departure day.  I ended up leading the second string of fractious, overloaded, barn sour llamas down the steep path to the bottom.  Who knew I could move that fast!

As the hush ensued, the Hopeless Crew made a feast of pasta, cheese, summer sausage and wine some unknowing llama had trudged up the hill.  A celebratory vibe settled over the small group as the veterans regaled us novices with tales of years past.  All in all it was a phenomenal experience that very few Coloradans get to experience...that is unless you are just crazy enough to join the crew this year!