Scenic Drive: Co 129 to Seedhouse Rd

The Mount Zirkel Wilderness Area lies at the end of Seedhouse Rd north of Steamboat Springs

 There are a lot of scenic drives in Colorado, but I particularly like taking Co 129 north out of Steamboat Springs to Seedhouse Rd. On this route you will pass bucolic ranch land, lazy rivers bordered by colorful cottonwoods, some seriously attractive homes and then end up in the Mount Zirkle Wilderness Area. The day we took this drive, we were hoping to hike but Autumn had arrived and it was cold and rainy. We settled for exploring the nooks and crannies of route itself which worked out well. These are things you miss when racing to a trailhead.

The Elk River parallels Co 129 and in several places bridges cross it for pleasant views.

Another view of the Elk River

Once you turn on Seedhouse Rd, you are still following the Elk River, but the further one progresses up the road the less domesticated it feels.

Some fall color viewed from the side of the road

I love twisty roads bordered by color

The Elk River is much wilder at this point

This part of the river interested me because of the gouges carved in the rocks by the flow.

Angus cattle graze in one of the many meadows along CO 129.  The Elk River is further from the road now but you can tell where it is by the line of Cottonwood trees.

Hope Pass

Distance: 11 miles round trip (starting from Perry Peak Campground)
Elevation: 9,300 ft - 12,600 ft
Elevation Gain: 3,181 ft
Date Hiked: 19 August 2011
Dogs: Off leash

The majestic view from Hope Pass (12,600 ft)

A hike to Hope Pass near Twin Lakes is a long and arduous journey to one of the most majestic views in Colorado.  I cheated on this hike, truth be told, because I stayed over several nights below the pass, assisting the Hopeless Aid Station and working the Leadville 100 Ultra Marathon.  As you hike this trail just remember there are folks who run up, over, down the other side and back up as part of a much longer and harder journey.  Makes you feel a little substandard doesn't it?

Starting out at the Perry Peak Campground

Passing a nice Beaver pond with lodge

Looking down into Lake Creek

For the past several years, the normal trailhead for Hope Pass has been closed because the bridge over Lake Creek was washed away.  The new bridge is sitting in the sands near Twin Lakes so perhaps someday soon they'll get it in place.

Junction between Upper Twin Lake (left) and the Willis drainages (right)

Initial segment in Lodgepoles and rocks

Heading into the Aspens

 We had a train of fully loaded llamas, carrying tents, food, oxygen etc up to the aid station, so we had to start our journey at the Perry Peak campground.  This route cuts through a short 0.5 mile swampy section of trail before joining the real route and makes my description longer than published.   The first real milestone is the trail junction between the Willis drainages and a trail back to Upper Twin Lake at 0.68 miles.

Looking down into the Aspens

Crossing the bridge at 1.7 miles

Willis Creek

From this point,  the route travels across a broad slope filled with young Aspens.  The trail is narrow, steep and rocky and over the 20 years that folks have been using llamas to gear up the aid station, more than one has tumbled off the side.  For people though, the trail is perfectly fine unless of course you are as wide a fully loaded llama, in which case you should consider a different form of exercise.

Heading up the steep segment to the left of the creek.  The candy cane tape on the shrub marks the route for the runners.

Junction between the Little and Big Willis routes

Past the switchbacks, the trail begins to level out

After a continuous uphill slog, the route intersects, at 1.36 miles, a small drainage ditch, probably used in mining.  This short flat segment is a nice break, for both llamas and humans.  At this point we had climbed 528 ft.

Passing a relatively intact cabin

The grave in llama rest meadow

Before breaking out of treeline, the route gets wetter, weaving back and forth across the creek and through willows.

At 1.7 miles, we reached the bridge over Little Willis Creek and transitioned into a damp, primeval-feeling mixed Spruce/Fir biome.  Another trail, Interlaken comes in from the left to join the route just past the bridge.  This is where the runners come in as well.

Finally breaking out of the trees

Mt. Hope

The cook and medical tents.  More will go up the next day.

After watering the llamas, we turned right and headed straight up the hill in another unrelentless climb.  At 2.2 miles is the split between the Little and Big Willis drainages.  Hope Pass is to the left up the Little Willis drainage.  At 2.6 miles begins a series of 4 lengthly switchbacks.  At the top of this segment, the trail flattens out appreciably.  I could practically hear the llamas give a sigh of relief.

Sunrise on Mt. Hope the next day.  Llamas graze in the meadow.

Starting up the final pitch to Hope Pass

From this point on the trail angles slightly upwards through a series of open meadows.  We stopped at one at 3.4 miles to let the llamas rest some more.  I don't think their wranglers were too upset about this either.  There is a large avalanche chute on the left of the is meadow and an interesting grave on the right.  Finally, at 4.8 miles we reached the tents of the aid station at roughly 12,000 ft.  Fade to black...

A series of switchbacks head up the slope

Mt. Hope

The next morning, we continued our route to the Pass.  The aid station is located right at treeline on the broad slope overlooking Little Willis Lake.  Mt. Hope, one of the highest 13ers in the state dominates the view.  It was a quick 0.75 miles and 600 feet elevation gain to the pass itself.  While steep, the views down the valley are stunning, so there are plenty of excuses to stop, breath, and admire the scenery.

Looking back down on Little Willis Lake and Leadville in the distance

Further up on the pass

From the pass at 12,600 ft,  the hiker gazes deep into the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness.  The number of towering 14ers makes this view majestic indeed.  From left to right is Mt. Oxford (14,153 ft), Mt. Belford (14,197 ft), Missouri Mountain (14,067 ft), and Huron Peak (14,003 ft).  Mt. Hope is to the right and Mt. Quail to the left on the pass itself. 

The pass itself

Heading up the slope of Mt. Quail

I decided to try and climb Mt. Quail, the 13er to the left of the pass.  There was no trail, so I left my pack below and just took my camera and started bushwhacking up the slope.  It was slow going with my camera dangling below my chest as I used both hands and feet to pull myself upwards.  I did intersect with a trail and followed that for a bit until it ran into a area of loose gravel and tallus.  At this point, I knew getting down was going to be a butt slide, so I decided not to go any further.  If I do this again next year, I'll have a better idea of the route.

Looking down on the pass from a couple of hundred feet up Mt. Quail

Looking into the Collegiates from the slope of Mt. Quail

My turn around point on Quail.  The summit is up that ridge and to the right.

A journey to Hope Pass is a treat to a little visited area of the state.  While a leg buster, you can at least feel grateful that you are not running 100 miles and are only hiking 11.  The view of Mt. Hope along makes this journey worth it in my book.  Being there really made me feel like I was in the mountains.

Moose

A young bull Moose (Alces alces) lounges in the shade on a hot day in Summit County

This creature, the Moose,  is one of the meanest, most unpredictable, foul-tempered beasts you are ever likely to encounter in Colorado and I descided to stalk it over several soggy days, hoping to finally bag a shot of its malevolent personality. Don't try this at home children, I had a telephoto lens!

This tale, reminiscent of Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, began when several people in my condo complex gloated that they had not only seen the Moose in our neighborhood but actually had a close encounter of the scary kind in the large expanse of forest between us and I-70.  The most ignomious part of this is that it actually crossed the road right in front of our car but we couldn't see it because of the back up in traffic.  Our neighbors never let us live that one down.

So what's so scary about a Moose?  Well besides their already mentioned pleasing personality, they are big, as in really big.  Our friends were walking their two dogs in the forest when they passed a small Aspen Grove.  At once this large, ominous shape began to rise vertically out of the grasses and kept on rising.  The dogs freaked, the woman screamed, and general bladder control was threatened.  Fortunately, these startled humans and canines took appropriate action... they ran for their lives.   Another friend of a friend recently did the opposite.  She cowered in a ditch and a Moose nearly pummeled her to death.  So children, while you fight off a Bear, Mountain Lion, and that person who just took the last parking spot at Copper Mountain,  remember....run from a Moose.  They don't have a prey instinct, unlike the skier at Copper.  

So, hearing these tales I was bound and determined to find this Moose.  I set out at 7 pm one evening and started trudging off trail through Willows, clear cuts, and generally swampy areas.  I was having no luck at all until I noticed a large Aspen with monster-sized chunks of bark scrapped away.  I immediately froze in my tracks and started creeping about very carefully.  It did not take me long to find the large areas of grass that had been flattened like crop circles in the UK.  The hairs on the back of my neck rose.  Was I alone in the thick grass?  It seemed I was, so feeling rather like a voyeur, I tiptoed around the Moose's haunt, poking at scat, following trails, and generally being intrusive.  At least now I had my target zone.  Every evening I went back with no luck.  It was on my last day, and the middle of the day when at last I saw him.  I was walking the dogs of course and was totally unprepared.  I ran them quickly back home, grabbed my camera and the rest is history. 

This young Moose was easily as tall as I.  A typical Moose is 6-7 ft at the shoulder.  Note the large flap of skin called a "bell" hanging from its neck.  Along with the distinctive antlers, this is another great identifying feature.

While other parts of North America, Alaska in particular, have more Moose than they know what to do with,  they are less common in Colorado.  Introuced three decades ago, their population has been growing.  Walden is known for a large Moose population as well as the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park.  Their range is expanding, however so more and more people are finally getting a good look at this impressive animal.

The largest member of the deer family and the largest antlered animal in the world, the Moose habitually lives in cold, boreal forests eating terrestrial and aquatic vegetation, particularly Willows.  They are most often spotted in small ponds head down in the water.  The largest sub-species exist in Alaska, while the smallest in Colorado and neighboring states. 

A male's antlers are strickly a breeding enhancer.  They can grow to up to 4.5 feet across, and without their velvet, are impressive indeed.  Once the rut is over, however, off they go.  Maybe I'll find this male's set somewhere out in the Willows. 

Antlers are covered in velvet, which is rich in blood.  This helps protect and feed the antlers as they grow.  I wonder how large this set will get by the time of the rut in late September and October?

My personal odyssey at an end, I look forward to more Moose encounters...from a safe distance of course. 


Note: In 2012 a beautiful Bull Moose walked right up to (I was hiding).  Check it out!

Lilly Pad Lake via Meadow Creek

Distance: 3 miles round trip
Elevation: 9,155 ft - 9,915 ft
Elevation Gain: 760 ft
Date Hiked: 4 August, 2011
Dogs: Off leash until the Eagles Nest Wilderness

Lilly Pad Lake with Buffalo Mountain in the background

This short hike near Frisco, CO is popular with the locals and their kids and also with visitors.  Both groups enjoy the varied microclimates, views of Lake Dillon, and two small lakes, one of which is fact still covered with Lilly Pads.

The trailhead

Starting out on the Meadow Creek Trail, which is very rocky.

The junction at 0.6 miles

There are two ways to get to Lilly Pad Lake.  The first is via Ryan Gulch Road.  This route is longer and flatter.  The second is via the Meadow Creek Trailhead, which is found down a dirt road paralleling I-70 from the first Frisco exit (heading west).  

Heading into the Lodgepole forest

A pile of downed Lodgepoles

 I did this hike mid-day as a general work out and it suited perfectly.  The trail is steep enough that you can really get your heart rate pumping but short enough to fit into an hour if you hustle.

Heading into the Fir forest

Meadow Creek from the bridge

 The trail starts out on the Meadow Creek Trail, which goes toward Eccles Pass, and begins to climb sharply over rough rocks.  At 0.6 miles the trail splits with the route going to Lilly Pad heading off to the right.  From this point on the path is much easier on the paws.

Crossing an open Sagebrush meadow

View of Mt. Guyot from a long meadow

What I found particularly interesting about this trail is that it passes through an Aspen Forest, a mostly dying Lodgepole Forest, open Sagebrush meadows, and a mixed Fir forest.  On one trail you can experience the 4 major biomes of Colorado, all within the span of 1.5 miles.  Toss in a few lovely views of Lake Dillon and you have a very nice outing indeed.

View of Lake Dillon

Lilly Pad Lake itself is not a pleasant as it used to be.  12 years ago it was covered in Lilly Pads, which of course gave it its name.  Those are gone now, but there is a small pond just north of the lake that has them, so be sure to go far enough or you'll miss out.   Most of the Lodepoles around the lake are dead, which looks less funeral in winter.  The bottom line is that this trail is really for the journey and not the destination.

Clouds reflected in Lilly Pad Lake

Lilly Pads on the small pond next to Lilly Pad Lake

 I constantly overhear waitress recommend this trail to visitors who want a short but scenic hike.  I can not disagree.  To get your feet wet in Colorado or take an afternoon stroll, Lilly Pad Lake is a great choice.