Deer Creek Snowshoe

Distance: 4.6 miles round trip
Elevation: 10,632 ft - 11,461 ft
Elevation Gain: 920 ft (cumulative)
Dogs: Off leash
Bathroom at Trailhead: No
Date Snowshoed: 20 Jan 2013

The northern extent of Deer Creek Valley in winter

Snowshoeing up Deer Creek Valley (basically the end of Montezuma Road) in Summit County is an adventure into a Titan's playground where the expansiveness of the terrain will make you feel diminutive and if you choose a windy day, will turn you into a pillar of ice. There is no place to hide in this valley so even on a sunny, calm day it can be nippy. This means bring along a thermos of hot chocolate and an emergency blanket to sit on.

The parking lot

Heading up the road.  Deer Creek itself is off to the left.

You get to the trailhead by following Montezuma Road through the town and continuing on for another mile or so. The parking lot is very large, very obvious, and usually devoid of cars. On this trip it was packed and we were worried that we were in for a crowded experience. It turns out that the cars were for an avalanche class up near Webster Pass. We actually only saw one one other snowshoer on the trip.

Looking back down the valley

Note that Deer Creek Valley is a haven for snowmobiles, and you may encounter a few. Certainly the road was packed down by their treads, and the valley itself filled with their tracks. Even though this was the middle day of a holiday weekend however, the only snowmobiles we saw were the forest service patrol, so it is possible you may not encounter any.

The road as it crossed Deer Creek and heads up into the trees

A shadier segment

The route follows Montezuma Road up the valley. It is wide, well packed (we wore only Microspikes), and is filled with mountain views to the side and rear. At 0.8 miles is a gate that will close the valley in the spring. At 1.2 miles the route crosses Forest Road 290. Stay left here and cross the creek to the south. From this point on the route leaves the sun and transitions into the shade of a Lodgepole Pine covered hillside and begins to climb steeply.

Breaking out of the trees. The Valley is just ahead but the route will head to the left  for a bit

At 1.4 miles is another trail heading to the left. Stay to the right on the main trail. At 2.0 miles is a small sign with an arrow pointing left. Again stay to the right. Both of these junctions are off the main route and it is not hard to make the right choice.

In the middle of the bowl looking south

Looking up at the rocky western wall

At 2.1 miles the route breaks out of the trees and Deer Creek Valley comes into view. The route will head southwards just a little bit more and then you can run screaming into the stadium like bowl that seems to go on forever. It is 2.5 miles to the southern end of the bowl but we only went 2.3 miles out into the middle. The snow was deeper here and we found ourselves post holing despite all of the snowmobile tracks.

We ate lunch on a small wind-swept mound along the eastern side of the bowl and watched the sun creep towards the horizon. There would be a lot of explore in the valley if you have the time, but bring along snowshoes if you decide to wander.

Looking north

From our spot, we could see Glacier Mountain to the northwest. We hiked up there to the General Teller Mine from Saints John a few summers ago. In that post is a picture of Deer Creek Valley in all its glory.

Moon rise over eastern wall

It has been many years since I have snowshoed Deer Creek. My first experience was bone chilling and I could not even see the views so it faded from my memory. The 2013 January holiday weekend was stunning in Summit County though so it seemed like a great time to try it again. Now that I have seen what it really looks like, I will definitely return.

Mt. Galbraith

Distance: 4.2 mile lollypop loop
Elevation: 6,161 ft - 7,236 ft
Elevation Gain: 1,075 ft cumulative
Date Hiked: 20 October, 2012
Dogs: On leash (Jefferson County Open Space)
Bathroom at Trailhead: Yes

Views of Lookout Mountain from the Mt. Galbraith Trail

Trail map

Mt. Galbraith, up Golden Gate Canyon Road in Golden Colorado, is a foothills open space with lovely views of yet more foothills, the city of Golden, and the occasional splash of greenery/color in the Autumn.  With over 1,000 ft of elevation gain, is a great way to stay in shape in the off season.

Trailhead

Second switchback of the Cedar Gulch Trail

Looking at the Cedar Gulch Trail as it traverses a hillside heading east.  Note the trail is fairly smooth here. 

Looking down on colorful Cottonwoods of Golden Gate Canyon Road

A rockier segment

The hike is a lollypop loop with the Cedar Gulch Trail (1.3 miles) making up the stem and the Mount Galbraith Loop (1.6 miles) making up the loop. The trail mostly switchbacks across grass covered hillsides with occasional forays into Ponderosa shaded glades. The terrain alternates between soft dirt and steep rock stairs, that would make this trail unsuitable for anyone unstable on their feet. In winter, if there is any ice, the route can become treacherous so bring along spikes if you have them or better yet take a stroll on North Table Mountain just across the highway.

Cedar Gulch as it continues around a hillside

The well-marked trail junction

Heading upwards on the Mt. Galbraith Loop

Looking down on Coors Brewery and South Table Mountain, another trail with trying. 

I measured 523 ft of elevation gain at the junction between the Cedar Gulch Trail and the Mount Galbraith Trail, which is well marked and impossible to miss. Note that a spur trail leading down into one of Golden's neighborhoods, the Nightbird Trail, joins up right in this area. Don't be fooled, head upwards!

A typical rocky "stairmaster" on the backside of the Mt. Galbraith Trail

Followed by a smoother section...and so it goes.

Foothills view looking north

Coming back to the junction of the two trails

Robert's Tunnel Road Snowshoe

Distance: 3 miles round trip
Elevation: 9,129 ft - 9,100 ft
Elevation Gain: 29 ft
Dogs: On leash
Bathroom at Trailhead: No
Date snowshoed: 25 December 2012

View of Buffalo Mountain and Lake Dillon from the Robert's Tunnel Road.  The pictures in this post were taken with my iPhone camera.

Near the Dillon Nature Preserve and the Keystone Ski Resort is a snowshoe/ski route that travels along the Frisco-to-Keystone bike path before splitting off onto the Robert's Tunnel Road (see image at end of post). This route is very level, great for cross-country skiing or walking and affords lovely views of Lake Dillon, Buffalo Mountain, and Peak One of the Tenmile Range.

The parking lot for this route is located across from the Dillon Cemetery and usually has a few cars in it, so it is hard to miss.

Looking back on the snowy route and the two skiers that passed us.   In late afternoon, most of this route is in the shade.

Directly across from the parking lot is a tall ridge that becomes a locals tubing resort in the winter.  There must have been 10 kids or so sliding down the slick hillside screeching with glee. Given the expense of some of the tubing facilities at the various nordic centers in the area, I am sure the parents were screeching with glee as well.  Nothing like free winter fun.

The first quarter mile of this route is on the bike path that was unfortunately plowed. Since we had on snowshoes, we ended up walking to the sides where the plow had created a small berm. Once through the gate to Robert's Tunnel Road, the route was unplowed and had about six inches of fresh power on it.  I was able to break trail the entire time, which is always fun when there is no elevation gain to get the heart rate going.

Looking northeast along the route across Dillon Bay

At around 0.8 miles is the entrance to the Dillon Nature Preserve itself. This is an open meadow leading to more naturalistic trails. Since our time was limited, we stayed on the road but it was tempting to head up hill just for the fun of it.

Our goal was the Robert's Tunnel Complex, which is rather obvious at the end of the road. The sun was setting and the wind was picking up, however, so we turned around a little early and got back to the car just as the temperatures were approaching zero. It has been a nippy holiday season so far in Summit County. Not as cold as our eye ball freezing excursion to North Tenmile Creek two years ago, but cold enough to warrant coats for the dogs and hand warmers for the humans.

The Gore Range comes into view

Next time I do this route, I think I will just wear boots.  Plenty of folks were out walking their dogs along the road and I am sure on a normal day it will be well tracked.

Satellite View of the route showing the location of the cemetery and parking lot

Corral Creek Bushwhack Snowshoe

Distance:  5.6 miles available, we did a 2.2 mile bushwhack
Elevation: 10,662 ft-11,079 ft
Elevation Gain: 417 ft (net) 681 ft (cumulative)
Bathroom at Trailhead: Yes, in the parking area
Dogs: Off leash
Date Snowshoed: 22 December, 2012

Playing in the Corral Creek Basin

Corral Creek Basin is located north of Vail Pass behind a small ridge that separates I-70 from the southern extent of the Gore Range. Snowshoeing this area is surprisingly quiet, serene, downright worthwhile. The downside is the trail is part of the Vail Pass Winter Recreation Area and there is a $6 per person fee to use it.

The trailhead is visible from the road and contains a small sign.

The trip begins at the Vail Pass Rest Area. During the winter there is a Forest Service kiosk and a handful of rangers standing by to collect your fee. Parking is authorized only on the south side of I-70 in the large parking lot that is part of the rest area. 

The first 0.5 miles is in the trees.  There were at least two tracks in this area and folks tried to find their way.

The trail head and kiosk is across the highway and 10 yards up a snowy slope. Pray that someone has been there before you because the blue blazes that are supposed to mark the trail exist for only the first quarter of a mile or so and many of these are old, cracked, and barely visible. At one point we saw 4 blazes dangling from the same tree like Christmas ornaments. This route could use a little maintenance!

The junction between the east and west spurs.  The first people through just decided it was here.  There was no markers.

On the map, this trail is a 0.5 mile slog up the ridge that connects to a 2.3 mile long trail that traverses both east and west along the Corral Creek Basin. The trail extends roughly 1.1 miles to the west and heads uphill while the eastward extent heads 1.2 miles and down into the basin. Depending upon your energy level, you can do all or part of this route.

Heading through the pristine snow on the westward spur

On this, our first trip we decided to head westward and uphill for maximum cardio. The trail was well tracked and the views down the basin of the the Ten Mile Range were pleasant indeed. It was not long, however before the track we were following headed across the basin and up the side of the ridge to the north. We debated whether to follow this trail or to continue westward and start breaking trail.  Without blazes we really did not know which route to take. The map shows the trail eventually curving northward but exactly where was difficult to discern.

Looking back down the basin at the Ten Mile Range.  With open spaces like this, who needs a trail?

We decided to take the the well tracked path because it descended into a beautiful meadow and headed up the far hill where we knew there would be views to the south. This turn was definitely off route but was a fun bushwhack none-the-less. It was not until we were half-way up the far hill when we looked back and could see a flat shelf continuing westward from the spot we had turned off. The trail undoubtedly stays on this shelf and we eventually saw some snowshoers head that way. 

Our bushwhack as we turned off the main trail and headed across the meadow to the bald hill in the distance.  Our turn around point was half-way up that hill just below treeline.  It was quite steep.

Crossing Corral Creek

When we returned to the parking area, we also noticed a small, bare hill further west, which is undoubtedly the destination for the northern extent of the route we were on. Without blazes or a tracked trail, staying on route in winter can be tricky but that can also be part of the fun. Normally I would not blog such an experimental experience but this area was so pleasant that staying on route is not necessary that important. With open meadows beckoning I am usually tempted to frolic anyway. 

Looking back across the meadow

Corral Creek is a snowshoe worth doing and I will return to try and stay on route as well as take the eastward route.  I may not do it again this year because I hate paying fees when there are so many free trails in the Copper Mountain area. A perennial favorite in the same area is Mayflower Gulch.

Looking at the Ten Mile Range from our turn around point

Lilly Pad Lake from Ryan Gulch Road

Distance: 3.4 miles round trip
Elevation: 9,619 ft - 9,915 ft (high pt is 10,003 ft)
Elevation gain: 314 ft (net), 900 ft (cumulative)
Bathroom at Trailhead: No
Date Hiked: 25 July 2012
Dogs: Technically on leash (wilderness)

Lilly Pad Lake

For those who live on the slopes of Buffalo Mountain in Silverthorne, an evening stroll to Lilly Pad Lake is a delightful way to escape the heat. Located at the far "up mountain" extent of Ryan Gulch Road, the trailhead with its large kiosk is impossible to miss. 

Trailhead

Fireweed and blue skies greet the hiker starting out for Lilly Pad Lake

If you have never done this trail before, be forewarned, the trail starts out heading sharply upwards along a wide dirt road. The angle of ascent will make you feel like you are climbing Buffalo Mountain and you will wish you had brought along your supplemental oxygen. Don't worry though, while steep, this section is short and the trail soon levels out before crossing a large clear-cut meadow with spectacular views of the Lake Dillon and the continental divide.  While shocking to some, this clear cut area is a necessary consequence to the ongoing Pine Bark Beetle infestation and without it, we would have no views on this trail. 

Where's the Moose? 

Typical crossing of one of the swampy areas of the trail

Once past the meadow, the trail dives into the trees and gets swampy.  You won't need fishing gaiters, however because there are wooden bridges or stones to keep your feet dry. In the same area are several Moose-friendly ponds to capture your interest. Do keep your eyes peeled for these tough-guys of the forest. They have been spotted more than once in the area. If you don't see a Moose, you'll for sure find wildflowers blooming in the damp soil and birds chirping melodiously from every shrub. 

Crossing a large talus pile

Typical dry segment in Aspens

For the remainder of the trip, the trail dries out and meanders up and down gracefully through Ponderosa or Aspen forest.  At times the shallow roots of the Aspen trees are exposed creating trip hazards so look down every once in a while or your'll find yourself admiring the roots up close! 

The junction with the Salt Lick Trail, which heads straight down Buffalo Mountain. 

A Clark's Nuthatch watches over the trail.

There are actually two lakes at the culmination of this trail. Lilly Pad Lake is large and shallow and shaded by many less-than-perfect Ponderosa Pines. There is also a smaller lake or pond that is actually covered in Lilly Pads and on this route is arrived at first, so don't be fooled. Head a little further down the trail and you'll come to the main lake.  The smaller lake is the more attractive, but be sure to visit both. 

The smaller lake filled with Lilly Pads 

A close up of some Lilly Pad flowers

Recall that you can also get to Lilly Pad Lake from the Frisco side. If you are new to the area or just visiting, take that route. It is far more scenic and will introduce to several of the biomes in the area. On the other hand, denizens of Wildernest will need no encouragement to take this route since it is literally out their back door.