Mt. Thomas

Distance: 9 miles round trip from trailhead, 10 miles from lower parking lot
Elevation: 10,448 ft - 11,977 ft
Elevation Gain: 2,404 ft (cumulative)

View from the summit of Mt. Thomas

Mt. Thomas is a lesser known mound of red talus a top the sprawling and geologically unique Red Table Mountain. It presents sufficient challenges worth bragging about but also has some of the most expansive views in the state. Toss in never ending wildflowers and languid tundra strolls and you have the makings of a quintessential Colorado experience.

Power lines that mark the parking area

The trailhead

The trailhead is a 2-hour drive from Silverthorne near Sylvan Lake State Park south of Eagle. The road past the lake is very narrow, grated dirt with some washboards. It is passable with a passenger car but would be better with a 4x4. Around 5.3 slow miles past the lake, which is very scenic, is Crooked Creek Pass. If you are in a passenger car, park on the pass, there is ample room. If you have a 4x4 and want to cut 1 to 1.2 grueling miles off the trip, then read on.

White Indian Paintbrush

Looking southeast towards the backside of Holy Cross

For 4x4 owners, take a moment to face the sign at the top of the pass. There is a road going down to the right and one down to the left. It is the left road that you want. It dips down sharply and then starts up again. It is not rocky but was very rutted from spring run off. You need a true high-clearance 4x4 on this road, not a Honda CRV or Subaru. Around 0.6 miles is a very sharp turn up to a parking lot underneath some power lines. You'll need to gun it to get up there. The sign for the trail is on this small plateau. If you start heading down you'll have missed this turn off.

A trail segment climbing towards the top of the ridge

Wildflowers dot the trail

The payoffs on the Mt. Thomas trail start immediately. To the left one can see deep into the Hunter Frying Pan Wilderness, which is filled grassy knolls surrounded by impenetrable and towering Spruce trees. I felt like I was spying on the hidden home of the Valkyries. Would my warrior spirit be recognized? Would I be welcomed into their cadre and allowed to romp forever in the golden light of Asgard? Or would I be turned into an Elk and made to join the herd that grazed peacefully out of sight of any humans wandering below?

Reaching the ridge, looking north towards Sylvan Lake

A trail segment in the Spruce Forest

These views continue for 1.6 miles as the trail switch backs up to the top of the ridgeline. This entire route was covered in wildflowers. They filled the meadows, nestled in the trees, and poked out from between every rock. At the top of the ridge, the trail crosses over to the other side for a view to the north and Sylvan Lake below. It then winds upwards to the top of a large hill. Enjoy the respite this segment provides. It is in the shade and relatively flat.

Coming down from the first high point to the pass that traverses the sea of red tallus

Looking down the right side of the pass

Descending from this hill at 2.56 miles takes you to the "sea of red tallus". You cross the sea on a small pass with expansive view both north and south of never ending red rock. I wondered if the sea had been placed there by receding glaciers. It certainly took great force to create the mammoth piles of rock.

Looking left from the pass

On the "point of hyperventilation" looking at Mt. Thomas which is the ridge in the distance

The route up the other side of the pass is steep and filled with loose and eroded rock. There is one brief segment where the trail is very close to the edge. I did not linger on this portion since I felt a mild vertigo setting in. For those with extreme fear of heights, you may wish to avoid this section.

A cluster of Rose Indian Paintbrush

A typical segment across the tundra

A half a mile beyond this point you come to the "point of hyperventilation". This physiological condition is not due to fearful heights or carnivorous beasts, but to the near-360 degree view of every mountain range in Colorado. Ok, I exaggerate, it just felt like every mountain range. To the left is the back side of the Holy Cross Wilderness including Mt. Massive. Directly ahead was the Maroon Bells and Pyramid Peak near Aspen along with more peaks than I was able to identify. To add to the build up of CO2, one is standing on a bucolic grassy knoll with only a few spruce trees to mar its pristine beauty. For those that don't want to climb Mt. Thomas, this is an excellent destination.

The final segment before the final talus field

Looking south to all the mountains in the distance

You can see the summit of Mt. Thomas from the "point of hyperventilation". It is a small cairn on top of a red tallus ridge way off in the distance. In reality, it is only 1. 5 miles further. To get there, one descends from the knoll, across another wide pass and up a small incline to the far side of ridge. The trail from this point on travels below the ridge across a large slope of red tallus. There is a well worn trail through the tallus, so don't be intimidated by the rock.

Entering the final talus field. Mt. Thomas is the last bump along the ridge line

Looking south and down from the talus field

When the trail is directly below the summit, you will be standing next to a 60° slope that ascends through dirt, skree, and thistle. To get to the summit, you must crawl up this slope to a small saddle above. I did not measure it, but I am guessing it is about 100 ft. The crawl is not technically difficult, but was so steep that I was on all fours the entire time, my heavy pack pulling me backwards. It might be best to leave you pack. It is easy to slip and slide in the loose dirt and there is not much stable rock to grab on to.

Looking up the slope you need to crawl up to get to the summit. It is steeper than it looks.

Looking at the summit from the final saddle. There are long drop offs on either side of it.

I was expecting to reach a broad ridge, and when I finally stood up for the final lunge upwards, I almost lunged off the 90° drop off on the other side. Eyes bulging, I flung myself down onto the sharp rocks of the ridge and quivered for a second. The top of the ridge was very narrow and some of the small talus on the edge were loose.

Looking back down the ridge of Red Table Mountain

The northern valley below Mt. Thomas

Once my companion joined me, we looked back down the way we came with some trepidation about how we would get back down without tumbling head over heals. We also lamented to ourselves that not a single soul knew where we were, we had broken the cardinal rule and not notified anyone of our destination. If we fell now, we might not be found for months. We never did see anyone else that day.

The author on the summit

Heading back down the final pitch to our backpacks on the saddle

Once the initial shock was over we started exploring, albeit carefully, the top of the ridge, inching closer to the edge for photos etc. Ginger, the hyper one, bolted up and back from the summit, so my companion decided to try her luck and wormed her way up the narrow (as in two body widths) ridge to the top. Noticing that she was not paralyzed with fear, I followed, as close to the ground as I could possible get. Be one with the rock. My dangling camera was a nuisance. It kept me a good 3 feet off the rock.

Another view of the valley

The summit itself is quite large and could easily hold a square dance party. The rocks are more stable there and we stood next to the large cairn seen from below. After sufficient time exulting in the otherworldly views, I crabbed my way downwards off the summit.

Heading down in the evening with shadows on the peaks

A longer view with the meadows in shadow

Since neither of us wanted to cleave our head in on a rock, we decided to ignominiously slide down the final slope on our posteriors. My pack and behind gathered dirt and skree like a glacier and dragged it down hill with me. I gazed back at the huge swath and swore to find a "Buns of Steel" video if I made it down alive. Using my heavy boots as a brake I narrowly avoided several large bundles of thistle waiting to prick my nethers. Finally, after much maniacal laughter we regained the trail. Note to self, bring leather gloves next time.

The 3 story Spruce Trees look small seen from above

The trip back to the trailhead was long as most descents are. An ice coffee half way back would have helped immeasurably, but alas all we had was a few drops of very warm water. Like the rest of the country, Colorado was very warm that day. Here we were at 12K ft and it was almost 80°. We should have been in jackets.

Another view of the meadows. Can you tell I was enthralled? The herd of Elk was in the hook shaped meadow below. The threes surrounding it are 3-stories tall.

Climbing Mt. Thomas is a wonderful adventure on a trail less traveled. If you dislike heights or peaks in general, just go as far as the "point of hyperventilation" and you will get a great deal out of the trail. Do pack some extra fluids and leave them in the car. It is a long, dry, drive back to civilization.

Wild Chamomile

Wild Chamomile

Wild Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) is as cheery as a summer's day. Just looking at its white petals basking in the sun makes me want to whistle a tune and take up painting. You can not admire this flower without smiling, quitting your job, and learning to tie-die t-shirts. It is a goddess-loving, age-of-Aquarius crooning, flower of flowers.

Called a weed by some, this plants seems to thrive in disturbed habitats like dry roadsides or empty lots. Flower power indeed!

Vasquez Pass

Distance: 6 miles round trip
Elevation: 10,555 ft - 11,734 ft (at the pass)
Elevation Gain: 1,539 ft (cumulative)
Dogs: Off leash
Tags: #coloradooutdoors, #hiking, #CDT, #mountainpass
Nearby hike: Butler Gulch, Vasquez Peak Pass

Verdant Vasquez Pass

A trip to Vasquez Pass near Empire CO, will fill you will solitude and make you feel like you are worlds away even though you are close to the Denver Metro area. Part of this trail is on the shaded Henderson Spur Trail and part is on the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) as it winds its way from Mexico to Canada. The final pitch is across open tundra.

Looking down on the Henderson Mine

A typical lower segment in the trees. 

The trip starts in a large dirt parking lot across from the Henderson Mine just off highway 40 out of Empire. This lot also serves Butler Gulch, which starts a little further up the road and so can be a little crowded on weekends.  A small wooden sign marks beneath some power lines marks the trailhead. A small CDT logo is also present.

Cow Parsnip (Heracleum maximum)

The initial ascent begins with a series of gentle switchbacks that climb steadily through a Lodgepole and then a Spruce forest. The mine and its attendant noises are obvious here, but the solitude makes up for it. There were several pleasant water crossings and the higher you go the more often you will see wildflowers, which congregate around the many small rivulets that cross the trail.

Getting above treeline. The trail travels the ridge towards the cleft in the distance.

Jacobs Ladder

At 1.56 miles is the intersection with the Continental Divide Trail. There used to be a large wooden sign here, but it has since collapsed. Go left to "Vasquez Peak Pass" and right to Vasquez Pass and Stanley Mountain.

Looking south

A typical segment above treeline

At 2.0 miles the trees thin and the tundra appears. From this point on the trail weaves up and down on a narrow trail that does not get much traffic. The views to the south will have you stopping for a while to gaze fondly at the topography.

Looking southwest

Parry's Primrose (Primula parryi)

At 2.6 miles the trail curves sharply right and crosses another small stream. This is the turn off for Vasquez Pass, which lies 0.5 miles up the drainage to the left. On the way up, I bushwhacked across the tundra to the pass, but on the way down found a partial trail that fades in and out.

Looking back down the trail towards the Continental Divide

Almost to the turnoff

The pass itself is small but a pleasant place to lounge. Alpine Sunflowers dot the grasses in summer and the views to the south towards Granby are lovely. The probability of running into another human being is practically nil. This is a great place to get away from the hustle of the city.

Turning left and beginning to bushwhack up to the pass

Looking back down the gully

Looking back down the gully from a small "false pass" part way up (2.89 miles)

On the left side of the pass is a tall ridge to an unnamed 12K ft peak. To the right is Stanley Mountain. Why they call this Vasquez Pass I have no idea since there is another pass to the west that I have dubbed "Vasquez Peak Pass" since it sits beneath Vasquez Peak itself.

On the pass looking north

Looking up at the unnamed 12K ft peak. The slope is dotted with Alpine Sunflowers.

To get to the trailhead, take I-70 west to Hwy 40 and head towards Winter Park. Drive through the town of Empire. At around 7.3 miles from the highway, there will be a sign for the Big Bend Picnic Area. You will want to make a left turn onto a frontage road here. You will know you are in the right spot if Highway 40 curves sharply away to the right in the first hairpin turn it makes going up to Berthoud Pass. Follow the road towards the large Henderson Mine Complex. In front of the mine complex, a dirt road splits off and parallels the main road. Take the dirt road. Park anywhere on the left. A small trail marker (unnamed) is on the right. This is your starting point. If you go too far, you will run into the trailhead for Bulter Gulch.

Heartleaf Bittercress

Heartleaf Bittercress (Cardamine Cordifolia) grows abundantly along mountain streams. It occurs in huge bushy clumps with large deep-green leaves. It is a member of the Mustard family. The flowers appear in clumps at the top of long stalks.

A macro shot showing the larger plant

Another zoom image of the stalk

Saints John, Glacier Moutain, and the General Teller Mine

Distance: 7 miles round trip (including a diversion to the local high pt)
Elevation: 10,763 ft - 12,447 ft
Elevation Gain: 1,684 ft (net) 2,012 ft (cumulative including the bushwhack)

The view looking west from the unnamed 12,447 ft point. Buffalo Mountain is the large rounded mountain in the middle. My condo is on its slope.

I recently started out to hike Argentine Pass only to find out that Peru Creek Road was closed due to a rock slide. Since I was with a friend with a 4x4, we decided to drive up to the town of Saints John (see my winter outing) to see what it looked like in the summer. This turned out to be a superlative excursion above treeline on a lovely day without the threat of a single thunderstorm.

The northern extent of Glacier Mountain seen from Saints John

The trail we started out on

Crossing a small talus field. Cairns led the way.

We parked near the cabins in the town itself and then started walking. Since the creek was flooding the jeep road, we ended up walking up a trail on the left side of the valley, thinking perhaps this might be an official summer route. This trail soon fizzled out, however, but we kept playing in the woods in order to experiment with our GPS. Finally tired of bushwhacking, we cut straight across the creek, which was narrower here, and regained Saints John Road. From this point on, we followed the 4x4 road up to the ridge.

Rejoining the Jeep road

Looking down the valley. We normally snowshoe up the middle. That is Grays and Torreys in the distance.

It is amazing how different the place looked in the summer. In winter, we snowshoe straight up the valley but in summer, willows dominate the drainage and you have to stick to the road. I should warn purists, that this outing was not a pure wilderness experience. We did encounter numerous 4x4s, but since we were hiking faster than they could drive, it was quite easy to get us and the dogs out of the way.

The Wild Irishman Mine

Another view of the mine's iconic outhouse with the mountains in the background

This is the slope I have laboriously snowshoed up in the winter. Those boulders were covered with 20 feet of snow.

In winter, there is a small ridge to the right of the Wild Irishman Mine. This is the furthest up this trail I have ever gone. I had no idea that there was a road under all that snow that switch backed up the ridge. As we slowly ascended, we came to a vista point looking down upon the town of Saints John with Grays and Torreys in the distance. The perfectly symmetrical valley was a joy to photograph and I was feeling positively angelic for having gotten there with only quad power, particularly after several jeeps passed us with less than fit individuals at the wheel.

Beyond the Wild Irishman Mine, staring up at the switchbacks that will take us to the ridge

The valley vista. The symmetry was put there by a rational mind (geologic forces) just to please me.

Looking down on the aforementioned vista point from higher up the switchbacks

Beyond the vista point is a long series of steep, rutted switchbacks up to the top of the ridge. It was easy to stop and admire the expanding vistas to the west and marvel at the many Frosty Ball Thistles undoubted seeded there by some wayward alien species.

We've gained the ridge, the General Teller Mine is just ahead

The General Teller Mine

The road along the ridge, which is actually called Glacier Mountain, goes on seemingly forever, but we decided to make the General Teller Mine our terminus. This mine is a series of mostly collapsed buildings on the side of the ridge. Be sure to walk all the way to the bottom-most ruin for an expansive view of the Deer Creek Valley. I don't know what entranced me more, the secluded meadows below or the pastoral hills rolling off into the distance. Don't be fooled farms girls, this is not your mothers backyard. This bucolic scene contains Mountain Goats, which several 4x4ers reported seeing further up the road. Alas, we only saw tufts of fur on the road markers and in the duff.

At our lunch spot. Note the warren of 4x4 trails. This would be 4x4 paradise.

Looking down into Deer Creek Valley

On the way back down, we decided to take a 0.56 mile detour to a small promontory to an unnamed point at 12,447 ft that is the highest point between Saints John and mine. From here there are unobstructed views of Grays and Torreys, and Buffalo Mountain was clearly visible above the ridge to the west. Do take the time for this high-country diversion. You might just yodel!

Near the mine were two large cairns like gates on either side of the road. Note the plethora of Alpine Sunflowers.

Another view of the 4x4 trail with the mountains in the distance

It was on the road to this point that we ran into a nice retired couple from Maine who, with laptop shock mounted to their Jeep, 4x4 all over the country. They had remarked how Ginger, the hyper one, was speeding over the Tundra with seemingly in-canine ability. They were even more impressed to learn she had been doing this for the past 4 hours with the greatest of ease. They drove on even more impressed with native denizens of our fair state.

On the way to the unnamed high point. This road shoots off from the main one.

The view along the way to the high point. More misplaced symmetry :)

So, the next time you can't hike Argentine Pass, consider a journey to the General Teller Mine. The scenery is grand, and after encountering a few Jeeps carrying more than their fair share of human flesh, you'll be glad you risked cardiac arrest in order to live longer, pay more taxes, and provide such specimens with government funded diabetes medications.

Piney Lake

Tags: #mountainlake, #coloradooutdoors, #hiking, #canoeing, #gearguide
Hikes: Upper Piney River, Lost Lake
Critters: Marmot

Scenic Piney Lake

Piney Lake, near Vail, Colorado is one of the highest lakes in the state that you can drive to. There are several trails that leave from the area including Lost Lake which is on the way, and Upper Piney River, which leaves from the parking lot of the Piney River Ranch, a commercial outfitter at the lake. The outfitter has a limited restaurant (no ice cream!!), lodging, and canoe rentals for around $20/hour.

Is this not a classic Colorado tableau?

Piney Lake is accessed 12 miles BEYOND THE END of Red Mountain Road on the north side of I-70 in Vail. The route is over a rough dirt road that is passable in a passenger car if you go slow. It will take at least a 40 minutes if not more to get there depending on road conditions.

Directions: From I-70, take Exit 176 for Vail. Take the North Frontage Road west to Red Sandstone Road. Turn north here and follow the paved road about 0.7 miles to a fork with a dirt road on the left. There should be a Forest Service sign indicating this is Red Sandstone Road #700 (Reset your odometer here). Continue up this road about 2.7 miles to an intersection with the Lost Lake Road (#786) and continue left. At mile 6.5 you will pass Red and White Mtn Road-FSR 734. At mile 6.7 you will pass the Lost Lake Trail parking lot on the right and then reach an intersection where the Muddy Pass/Moniger Road goes left. Stay right here. (Some maps show the Red Sandstone Road changing number from FSR 700 to FSR 701 at this point, and some don’t, but regardless, you stay right to get to Piney Lake and the Upper Piney River Trail). At mile 9.1, you will cross the Piney River and see a trailhead for Lower Piney River Trail - FDT 1885 on the left. Stay right and reach a Forest Service parking lot on the right at mile 10.65 before the entrance to Piney River Ranch.

The outfitter