Clear Creek Falls

Clear Creek Falls is located off of Highway 149 (Silverthread Scenic Byway) between Lake City and Creede. A short trail leads to an observation point but other social trails follow along the gulch to other overlooks. This is a must do if you take this route.

Clear Creek falls 

Close up

Bachelor Loop Scenic Drive

The Bachelor Loop near Creede Colorado is a 17-mile scenic drive through mining ruins and forested plateaus.  The most interesting part of the loop is at the north end of Creede and is filled with mining ruins clinging precipitously to the hillside.  Other than some great views of the Rio Grande Valley as you descend on the downward side there is not much happening in between.  The ruins are neat however but if you don't want to do the entire drive,  you could turn around after the steep drive up past them.

Commodore Mine

Trestle used to take ore cars out of the mine

Creede was established in the late 1800s because of the Amethyst Vein (running along West Willow Creek canyon), a 4-10 ft wide vein of silver ore that occasionally reached 100 feet in width. As with all such places in Colorado, such riches resulted in mines, towns, tent cities, and colorful characters such as the card shark Poker Alice and Calamity Jane.

Amethyst Mine

These ruins of the Last Chance Mine look like they could fall down the hillside at any time.

Lots of cars were stopped here at this open meadow, which is all that remains of Bachelor City

The Commodore mine doesn't look like might now, but it has 5 different levels spread out over 200 underground miles. Located at the southernmost extent of the Amethyst Vein, it was in production from 1891 all the way to 1976!

Looking east down into the Rio Grand Valley, with Creed far below 

Looking southwest 

Further down now.  Creed is more visible. 

Fall Color on the Ptarmigan Trail

I knew when I hiked the Ptarmigan Trail in Silverthorne last spring that it would be spectacular in the fall. It did not disappoint! There is nothing like cooler temperatures, deep blue skies, and yellow Aspen leaves blowing in the wind like confetti.

Sun glints through tall Aspens

Curved Aspens frame Buffalo Mountain

Rolling hillsides covered with Aspens with Lake Dillon in the distance

A parting shot

Ptarmigan Lake

Distance: 6.8 miles round trip
Elevation: 10,678 ft -12,154 ft
Elevation Gain: 1,820 ft (cumulative)
Date Hiked: 2 September, 2012
Dogs: Off leash
Bathroom at Trailhead: Yes
Tags: #hiking, #coloradooutdoors, #mountainlake, #buenavista, #gearguide
Nearby Hikes: Lake Ann

Ptarmigan Lake near Buena Vista. That is Jones Mountain (12,995 ft) behind the lake.

Ptarmigan Lake near Buena Vista is an incredible journey to a high mountain lake surrounded by towering peaks. I expected to have this trail to myself but found the parking lot overflowing and the trail packed with people. I know they support the economy and all but I have to ask: who let these people in!?

The amazingly nice bathroom at the trailhead. Note the trail starts off to the left not behind or near this structure. 

Crossing the first talus (e.g. rocks larger than a human head) slope

Walking through the mossy, dank Spruce/Fir Forest...yeah!

At least the hordes have taste. Ptarmigan Lake Trail gorgeous from start to finish.  It first travels through a moist Spruce/Fir forest, an absolute blessing after the blazing heat of Colorado's 2012 summer, then wanders past ponds, and willows, and finally climbs to a broad shelf with incredible views and fishing options. We did this during the first blush of fall and the willows and tundra were a rusty brown and the air had a hint of crispness. I was almost giddy with the realization that the earth was in fact still traveling around the sun and our summer from hell would eventually end.

Crossing the Forest Service Road.  This nice arrow points the way across.

Coming out of the trees and into the meadow

Looking down on the lower lake

The trailhead to Ptarmigan Lake is located 14.5 miles up CR 306 (Cottonwood Pass) out of Buena Vista. There is a short 0.1 mile drive to the parking lot from the main road. This lot can hold around 13 cars with overflow occurring on the wide shoulder of CR 306 itself.  A 4-star Forest Service Pit Toilet is available at the trailhead so feel free gals to down those Starbucks on the way up...you won't have to bare you nether parts to the cold morning breeze on this trail!

Heading up past the lower lake

Further up now...looking down on the lower lake with Mt. Yale  (14,196 ft) in the distance

Approaching the shelf

Spoiler Alert:  The actual trail starts on the left side of the parking lot (while gazing at the 4-star accommodations)...BEHIND the cars.  You won't see it unless you wander in that direction.  There is no kiosk, just a dirt track that heads down towards the creek.  Miss this and you will be wander around the parking lot until the end of days.  Once on the trail though you are golden!

Looking back down on the small pond at the base of the shelf

Ptarmigan Lake

I found this elongated shelf lake prettier than the main lake.

Here are some milestones on the route:

• 0.23 miles to the first talus slope
• 0.7 miles to the second talus slope
• 1.45 miles to the Forest Service Road crossing
• 2.7 miles to the meadow
• 2.8 miles to the lower lake (the big one)
• 3.1 miles to the pond below the shelf
• 3.4 miles to Ptarmigan Lake

So now you are at the lake and are in a total quandary about what to do next right?  Here are some of the options we saw others do (note we did 6 and 7):

1. Lounge on the shore like a bunch of drunken Marmots (the most popular option)
2. Stroll around the lake
3. Fish on the far side of the lake
4. Hike up to high saddle on the far side of the lake
5. Continue from the pass to Jones Mountain (12,995 ft) (the second most popular option)
6. Wander off to the left to discover another shelf lake scenically placed with views of Mt. Yale far below. 
7. Sit on the broad tundra shelf looking down on Mt. Yale while eating gourmet cheese smothered in fig compote, crusty french bread, salami, and peaches from the Western Slope so juicy they exploded when you looked at them.

View from our lunch spot...how awful

Heading down now, some spindly Sub-alpine Firs against the blue sky

A storm was building as we reached the small pond near the lower lake.  It did rain on us most of the way down. I dug out my rain coat while my hiking companions enjoyed the cooling drench. 

So would a hike to Ptarmigan Lake be worth a drive from Denver to Buena Vista?  Totally!  Go on an off day and you can lounge in Mt. Princeton Hot Springs after the fact.  Note this hike is very similar to Lake Ann north of Buena Vista but much easier to get to. 

Iowa Hill Mining District

Distance: 1.2 mile loop, not counting spurs to visit buildings
Elevation: 9,600 ft - 9,910 ft
Elevation Gain: 310 ft
Bathroom at Trailhead: No
Dogs: On leash
Date Hiked: 17 June 2012

The restored boarding house is the highlight of the Iowa Hill Trail

Iowa Hill is a historical mining exhibit just north of the ski resort of Breckenridge.  Its short trail winds up and around a Ponderosa covered hill filled with interpretive signs, old buildings, and mining relics.  While Colorado has no castles it certainly has mining ruins!

The fancy sign at the entrance to Iowa Hill. The verbiage says trailhead, but that is actually 100 yards further up a dirt frontage road that starts near this sign. 

The official trailhead

Early trail segment through young Aspens

Obvious signs lead the way through the exhibits

Sluice box for capturing gold

Gentle trail segment

Blacksmith shop with interesting tools wired to the wall

It took me a bit to find Iowa Hill because it is much further north of town than than I realized. It is actually past the Highway 9 bypass and roundabout. To get there from downtown Breckenridge, take either Main Street or the Highway 9 bypass and head towards Frisco. If you are on the bypass, turn left at Airport Road and continue north. If on Main, go into the roundabout and take the bypass for a quarter mile or so and then turn right on Airport Road. The entrance is on the left of Airport Road near the public works facility. Take the short frontage road near the fancy copper and wood sign to a small parking lot with a typical trailhead sign. A small arrow on the fancy sign points the way.

Old mine shaft now filled in

Crane with Bald Mountain in the distance

Hydraulic pipes use gravity to enhance the  water pressure 

Example of the cannon head

You can actually see where the water cut into the hillside in large swaths.

Mining car outside a closed tunnel

Iowa Hill is all about hydraulic mining.  This technique involved shooting water canons at the hillsides to erode and dissolve the dirt and run it through a series of sluice boxes where heavy metals like gold fall out.  It is engineering intensive and does not exactly leave a pretty picture behind.

Canon perched on a hillside in the distance

Bench overlooking the lower part of the trail

Backside of the boarding house

Weeds along the house highlighting the mud insulation between the logs

Close-up of the log construction

Iowa Hill educational and pleasant, although I did it on a day when it was way to hot, so plan accordingly if you are in Breck during another Colorado heat wave. If you like this sort of thing you can also check out the smaller Lomax Mine on the way to Peak 8 in Breckenridge.

Bull Moose...Oh MY!

As fall approaches, so does the Fireweed and the occasional Bull Moose.  This hunk of burning love (tis that time of year) was over 6 feet tall, and drew a crowd of onlookers.  In the fading light I captured a few grainy shots.  I should have run back for my tripod but like most of the other female groupies I was enraptured by his 4-foot "wing span", towering manliness, and and two-foot "bell" (the flap of skin that hangs down below the chin). While there was a younger male Moose nearby, this mature specimen was all we had eyes for.

Don't let this pastoral scene fool you.  This Bull Moose was very large indeed. While he was primarily interested in chomping down on the Fireweed covering this open meadow, it would not take much to provoke him into a charge. I was hunkered down behind some shrubs, trying to blend in with the scenery as I watched him. 

You can tell the rut is approaching, because this Moose has been scrapping the velvet off his antlers. Only used to impress the ladies, they will fall off as soon the "season" is over.  

After last summer's oddessy of stalking my first Moose, having this immensely huge animal walk right up to me (I kept having to back away) was almost too easy. Seems like the number of Moose sightings have increased this year and if this boy has anything to say about it, the population will continue to increase.