5 reasons to snowshoe Mayflower Gulch this winter. Number 4 is for badasses.

Mayflower Gulch near the Copper Mountain Ski Resort is by far one of the best snowshoes in Colorado and it is within an easy drive of five major ski resorts. Here are five reasons you should not pass up this phenomenal adventure:

Heavy snow years means an "up the gut" exploit

While most people get to Mayflower Gulch by snowshoeing up the well traveled road through the trees, in years when there is plenty of snow, you can travel up the open valley to the left of the road. This adventure will take you over buried willow shrubs and around rock formations with a never ending view of the mountains ahead. Going "up the gut" will make you grin. People pay big bucks for this sort of thing.

A close up of the ridgeline

Mayflower is free, accessible, and close to what matters

Unlike Vail Pass with its ridiculous winter fees, Mayflower Gulch is totally free. There is a large parking lot at the trailhead that can hold a hundred Subaru Outbacks plus the odd RV. Only seven miles up Hwy 91 from Copper Mountain, it is also close to Frisco, Silverthorne, Keystone and Breckenridge. Talk about bang for the buck!

Whipped cream snow, crenelated peaks, and post card blue skies

The snow in Mayflower Gulch is special. I don't know if it is the wind, the sun, or just magic but the snow always seems to drape the surrounding features like globs of Cool Whip. You will want to eat it, wear it, and otherwise frolic in it. It is just so damned precious. Add to this an amphitheater with jagged peaks beneath high-altitude darkened blue skies and you have a winter tableau worth a million bucks!

Whipped cream anyone?

"Cornice of the buried dead"

On the right hand side of the bowl is a large snowfield over which hangs a cornice formed by the persistent winds blowing north from Leadville and Colorado's highest peak, Mt. Elbert. This cornice is big, bad, and nasty. It persists well into the spring but in winter creates the ultimate skiers challenge. I have observed the hearty stomping on it before launching themselves, their screams of joy only mildly dampened by the surrounding peaks. I have slogged up and over this cornice to wonder and the layers of mountains in the distance. Are you bad ass enough to try it.

The cornice

Passing skiers about to tempt the cornice

Climbing along the cornice

A back bowl of waist deep snow will make your cardiologist proud

It is only a short two miles from the parking lot to the ruins of the old Boston mine, which sits at the bottom of the gulch. Most folks stop here and sip spiked drinks from steaming thermoses. The fit can continue on towards the back bowl, however and earn bragging rights. There is trail around the right...a road in summer, that ends at a two-story mining ruin. Skiers often take that route. I am fond of slogging straight up the hill to the left. The snow is deep...which is great for return tumbles and face plants. On the way up however, you might just exhibit a gasp or two. The Boston Mine sits at 11,500 ft, after all, an altitude likely to remind you that doing turns at Keystone is not the same as conquering this mountaineering StairMaster.  

The back bowl

Vital Statistics

Distance: 3.4 miles round trip to the Boston Mine, 6 miles round trip to Gold Hill
Elevation: 10,996 ft -11,520 ft (Boston Mine) – 11,980 ft (Gold Hill).
Elevation Gain: 580 ft to the Boston Mine, 1,040 ft total to Gold Hill
Dogs: Off leash
Bathroom at Trailhead: No
Tags: #snowshoe #winterwonderland #BYO2 #photographersparadise #yehsnow

Mining ruins and the crenelated spires of Mayflower Gulch.

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.

Mayflower Gulch to Gold Hill

Distance: 6 miles round trip
Elevation: 10,996 ft -11,980 ft
Elevation gain: 1,040 ft
Date Hiked: 27 July, 2008
Bathroom at the Trailhead: No
Dogs: Off leash

The ruins of the Boston Mine stand out against the jagged contours of peaks surrounding Mayflower Gulch.

Mayflower Gulch near Copper Mountain is one of the most stunning hikes in Summit County and is one of my favorite spots to photograph wildflowers. We usually go up at least once every summer to check it out. It never seems to disappoint. 2008 was no exception. The fields were filled with many different species, the clouds were building, providing much needed shade to photograph the colorful ones, and the weather was sublime.

The trail to the back of Mayflower Gulch is a road that quickly disappears into the trees and heads steadily but not outrageously upwards.

Flowers grace the base of one of the cabins of the Boston Mine.

You get to the Mayflower Gulch trailhead by turning off of I-70 at the Copper Mountain and heading towards Leadville. There is a large parking lot on the left around 7 miles up the road. Because of the berm, you may not see it until you pass it. While packed in the winter, there is usually parking available in the summer.

There are many mining remnants in Mayflower Gulch

Looking down on the Boston Mine from part way up the road to Gold Hill.

The trail follows a rocky road (that you can drive if you want) for two miles. Occasional views and mining ruins along the way entertain the hiker but most likely you will be watching your footing and avoiding the streams that pour down during the melt off.

The cabins of the Boston Mine seen from the road to Gold Hill

The real fun begins when you exit the trees and enter into Mayflower Gulch's bowl. The picturesque jagged peaks and old cabins of the Boston Mine great the hiker at this point. I am often torn between lounging here to admire the view, continuing up the back bowl to the other ruins, or turning right and heading up the hill to Gold Hill. On this trip, we did it all until the threatening weather finally made us turn for home.

The further up Gold Hill you go, the farther back into the Gulch you can see.

In the summer, the slopes of Mayflower Gulch are verdant green and covered in wildflowers.

The route to the back bowl is quite obvious, simply follow the road.  From two thirds of the way to the end, there are several choices.  You can follow the road itself, bushwhack up the hill to the left, or climb the trail to the right that deadend into an old mine shaft.  All present stunning views back down the valley. Note the mileage listed on this post does not include the diversion to the back bowl. [Note: in 2010, the route to the mining ruin in the far back bowl was closed off for safety reasons].

View from Gold Hill looking south

View from Gold Hill looking southwest towards the Climax Mine retaining pond

Taking a right turn at the cabins and heading up the road to Gold Hill is also a fantastic way to explore the area. In the winter this is a bushwhack but in the summer you can follow a dirt road to the top. Most years there will be a slight scramble over the remaining snow cornice. 2008 was no exception.

View from Gold Hill looking southeast

Looking west across the broad ridge of Gold Hill

Many of the most beautiful wildflowers grow along the broad slope that borders the road to Gold Hill. I like to shove my telephoto lens into the grasses and play with bringing into focus various layers of the flowers. There are so many, it is hard to choose.

The mountain to the west

Once you get to the top of Gold Hill, you might just forget the flowers since the views from the ridge of Gold Hill are extraordinary. The green meadows to the south remind me of the Sound of Music. If you listen carefully, you can hear the opening strains of that musical and I swear Julie Andrews is about to come twirling out into the open.  You are going to want to linger here, so bring lunch and enjoy the phenomenal scenery.  Slightly southwest, you can see the giant retaining pond of the Climax Mine. While not a pretty wilderness sight, its colors do make a nice contrast to all verdant greens.

The mining ruin at the back bowl.  This area is now closed to the public.

White Crowned Sparrow (Zontrichia leucohyrus) nests in the central mountains of Colorado. It feeds on the ground scratching backwards with both feet simultaneously.

Some of you may have already seen my winter Mayflower Gulch post. Summer or winter, Mayflower Gulch is a destination not to be missed.  As a few parting shots I'll include a few obligatory flower pictures to get you motivated.

A close up of Indian Paintbrush

Purple Larkspur

Monkshood (Aconitum columbianum), Bistwort (Bistora bistortoides), unknown yellow aster, Aspen Daisy (Erigeron speciosus)