Mosquito Pass Road Snowshoe

Distance: 4 miles round trip
Elevation: 11,140 ft - 12,226 ft
Elevation Gain: 1,200 ft (cumulative)
Bathroom at Trailhead: No
Dogs: Off leash
Date Snowshoed: 18 January, 2014
Tags: #snowshoe, #leadville, #wintersports, #powerdays
Other snowshoes in the area: Treeline Loop,  Lower Mosquito Pass to 3B, Vance's Cabin

Mountains galore on a Mosquito Pass Road Snowshoe

There is nothing more sublime than a sunny winter day in Leadville, Colorado. With its mounds of whipped cream snow and American blue sky, this rustic mountain town takes on a sleepy, I-just-want-to-hibernate feel that is a welcome contrast to the nearby frenzy that is Ski Cooper and Copper Mountain. While the hordes are jostling for parking in lines two to three miles long, Leadville is devoid of humanity and filled with outdoor options for the back country skier and snowshoer.

Trailhead

Heading past mining ruins

Approaching the junction where County Road 3B, which splits off to the right (at the blue sign)

On this particular day we headed to Mosquito Pass Road (aka 7th Ave, and County Road 3), which heads east out of town. The road is plowed for several miles and ends at a berm where the road would otherwise twist around a small hillside. From here it is simple to park and cruise up the road for whatever distance you please or detour off onto County Road 3B.

At the gate to the Diamond Mine

The Diamond Mine

Having crossed the gully, the route heads up the hillside before turning west again.

This area is traversed by snowmobiles, which churn up the snow making snowshoes a better option than Microspikes but just barely. At 0.75 miles the road takes a sharp left at the gate to the Diamond Mine, a modern looking structure with a tall tower that is hard to miss. This turn, at least from a distance is veiled by the terrain and we wondered if the route actually deadened at the gate. Keep going and soon you will see where it goes.

Turning west again. The saddle is in the distance.

Looking across the valley at Mt. Evans

Continuing upwards

From this point on the route stays to the left of the valley and continues relentlessly up the hillside towards a saddle at 12,200 ft. Beyond the saddle, the road switchbacks precipitously up another 1,000 ft before cresting out at Mosquito Pass at 13,186 ft. We tend to go to the saddle which has lovely views looking north into the valley beyond.

The views of Mt. Evans and Mt. Dyer from the trail

Up and more up

Mt. Massive from higher up the route

On Mosquito Pass Road, the higher one climbs, the broader the views. Visible to the west in one continuous wall of ice and rock is Mt. Massive (14,429 ft), Mt. Elbert (14,439 ft), and Mt. Hope (of Hopeless Crew fame, 13,933 ft). To the south is a concave bowl of jagged rock bordered on the left by Mt. Evans (13,577 ft) and pyramid shaped Dyer Mountain (13,855 ft). In the valley below are two lakes Diamond and Mountain, which on this trip were invisible.

The lower part of the route is more gradual, climbing only 330 ft in the first mile, but gets steeper on the final approach to the saddle. At 1.5 miles Dyer Mountain comes into view. On the slopes to the left were several natural avalanches. The 2013/2014 winter has been particular dangerous with several deaths already reported. That did not detour one perky couple from skiing up the road, across the hillside and down again in graceful S-curves, their equally perky dog bounding down beside them.

With no where to sit but the road itself, we plopped down on inflatable butt pads and had our lunch wallowing in the stillness. There is nothing like a sunny winter day in Leadville, Colorado. 

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!

Treeline Loop Snowshoe

Distance: 3 miles round trip
Elevation: 10, 407 ft
Elevation Gain: 630 ft (cumulative)

Typical Segment of the inner portion of both the Treeline Loop and Powerhound Loop

The Treeline Loop on Tennessee Pass near Leadville and Ski Cooper is not the most exciting trail but it sure is popular. Exceptionally well marked, blue diamonds and large wooden signs guide cross-country skiers and snowshoers through the loop options, which is good, because otherwise it would be very easy to get lost.

The Treeline Loop starts in the trees past the bathroom and comes out just out of view to the left of the photo.

The route starts on Tennessee Pass in a large parking lot directly across from the entrance to Ski Cooper. For this parking lot there are 4 possible routes. The Treeline Loop and the Powderhound Loop are the shortest and together form a very mushed numeral 8. The middle portion of the 8 is the same for both loops.

The first trail marker. Both the Treeline Loop and Powderhound share the inner portion.

You can take either loop in any direction, but we chose to start at the western end of parking lot. This segment is coincident with the Continental Divide Trail and a sign within 50 yards lists mileages to Copper Mountain Ski Resort to the north (23 miles), and Hagerman Tunnel (see summer hike to that area) to the south (14.9 miles). Shortly beyond this is another sign showing the turn for the Powderhound Loop continuing up the Continental Divide Trail and both the Treeline Loop and Powderhound heading up the middle. This is the direction we chose.

Coming into the open meadow at the top of the ridgeline

The initial portion of the trail is totally in the trees and winds east and west as the trees permit. This is the first trail I have been on where there was a separate track for skiers and snowshoers. I found this particularly tedious because the two tracks interwove continuously so we were constantly trudging back and forth.

The trail sign at the end of the middle portion (at 1.34 miles)

After 400 ft or so of elevation gain we came to the top of the ridge. Here there were a few open meadows but still no views. There were so many tracks that it took us a while to find a blue diamond and our route. Don't let the meadow bushwhacks fool you, there is another wooden trail sign at the apex of the 8 (at 1.34 miles) and you should persist along the ridge until you come to it.

There are a few more open areas on the lower portion of the Treeline Loop, but not many.

Our original intent had been to do the Powderhound Loop, but we were frankly so bored with the area that we wanted out of there as quickly as possible and so chose to head left on the shorter Treeline Loop.

The junction with the Continental Divide Trail (at 1.92 miles) indicating the Treeline Loop heading left. The back side of this sign says "Colorado Trail" and points to the right from this angle.

From this point the trail heads sharply downward through yet more trees until it reaches the other side of the Continental Divide Trail. This junction at 1.92 miles is also marked with a wooden sign. From this intersection the Treeline Loop heads left and back up to the parking area.

Don't get excited by this "peek-a-boo". It lasted for a couple of seconds and was the only one we saw.

Anyone who has read this blog for any length of time knows I don't like being in the trees. Whether hiking or snowshoeing I like the wide-open view. Having done the Bemrose Ski Circus off of Hoosier Pass near the Breckenridge Ski Resort the day prior, this trail seemed like a snore-fest. Don't let my jaded attitudes prevent you from trying it however. It is ideal for novices since it is relatively flat and well marked and it would be ideal on a day when the nefarious Leadville winds are blowing. If you are in the area and want something more challenging with better views, check out Vance's Cabin, the Lower Mosquito Pass Road or my all time favorite Mayflower Gulch near Copper Mountain.

Leadville Snowshoe: Lower Mosquito Pass Road to County Road 3B

Distance: 3 miles round trip
Elevation: 10,900 ft -11,200 ft
Elevation gain: 300 ft
Bathroom at Trailhead: No
Dogs: Off leash
Tags: #snowshoe, #leadville, #coloradooutdoors

Looking east towards the Mosquito Range from County Road 3B in Leadville CO 

Leadville is known for both wide open spaces and lots of snow.  That makes Leadville a great snowshoe destination.  One of the lesser known routes starts out on Mosquito Pass Road (County Road 3) and then turns south onto County Road 3B. The latter climbs sharply, which affords lovely views of the entire area.

Map of the area showing where the parking usually is and the turn onto County Road 3B

The parking area where the road is no longer plowed

County Road 3 makes a sharp right turn and crosses the Evans Gulch drainage.

Looking west down the drainage at snowy Mt. Massive 

To get to this snowshoe, take County Road 3 out of the middle of leadville and head east. This road is plowed but will most likely be snowpacked. Pass under the bridges for the Mineral Belt Trail and stop at the small parking are were the road is no longer plowed. While the berm indicating the spot may appear small don't go any further or you risk getting stuck until spring.

Snowmobile tracks

All of the mounds are mine tailings.

Cabin and tailings covered in snow

This area is frequented by snowmobiles, which can be an advantage. Their tracks will keep you on the road and not wandering off into one of the many mining ruins in the area. In winter these ruins are transformed into quaint Santa Claus villages.

Ruins, ruins, everywhere

Heading west on County Road 3B

On the map, County Road 3B turns off to the right at two locations, the first just after the road bends south. On this trip, that turn was under several feet of snow. Instead we continued on County Road 3 almost to the Diamond Mine before turning eastward.

Turning around and heading back down

Blue skies, Mt. Massive in the distance, and lots of happy snowshoers 

The reality, this area is crisscrossed by roads. Depending on the snow depth, all sorts of routes should be possible. One particularly scenic option is to just continue up County Road 3 (View Mosquito Pass Road Snowshoe). On that road, you can go all the way to the pass or turn around at any point.

Vance’s Cabin Snowshoe

Distance: 6 miles round trip
Elevation: 10, 550-11,120 ft
Elevation gain: 1,040 ft
Dogs: Not near the cabin
Date snowshoed: 19 January 2008
Bathroom at Trailhead: In the ski resort
Tags: #snowshoe, #coloradooutdoors, #skicooper, #tenneseepass, #10thmountain, #hut

Standing on the back of Vance's Cabin, near Ski Cooper (Leadville)

A trip to Vance’s cabin near Ski Cooper/Leadville is a moderate snowshoe with potentially spectacular views of nearby 14ers as well as the Continental Divide. On this trip most of the views were diluted with low hanging clouds. Since the cabin is well used in both winter and summer this is not a trail for total solitude. Vance’s cabin is the smallest hut in the 10th Mountain Division’s hut system.

From the Ski Cooper parking lot head up the side road to the obvious sign and take a left.

After making the left at the sign, the route travels up a small drainage towards are large meadow.

The trail to Vance's cabin starts at Ski Cooper, at the top of Tennessee Pass. From the parking area there is a maintenance road heading east with a prominent red sign that reads “Vance’s Cabin” in 2000 pt font.

Turning left (west) and heading up a large meadow.

The first half-mile of the trail is along a well-groomed road bordered on the left by a creek and the right by drifting banks. An equally prominent sign marks the next turn off. This one has a large arrow pointing to the left.

Approaching the far end of the meadow.

After this well-marked left turn, the trail crosses a creek and heads up a wide valley. Mid-way up the trail turns sharply upwards to the left and climbs 300 feet. At the top are two large meadows that are perfect for power hopping. I would have killed for a clear day because this spot must contains some lovely views to the east.

After the meadow, the trail spends a part of time in the trees.

After the meadows the trail continues for 1.5 miles through the trees. Modern art sculptures abounded as the copious “snow blobs” transformed both tree and stump into mythical creatures.

The final pitch to the cabin is down a broad slope.

The trees end at the highest point of the trail, which resides at 11,300 ft. From here descend down a broad slope to the cabin. The slope is dotted with the burnt out remnants of a long forgotten fire.

The interior of Vance's Cabin