Mohawk Lakes

Distance: 6.4 miles round trip (lower lake), 7 miles round trip (upper lake)
Elevation: 10,400 ft - 11,825 ft (lower lake)/12,100 ft (upper lake)
Elevation Gain: 1,700 ft (upper lake)
Bathroom at Trailhead: No
Dogs: Off leash
Date Hiked: 10 August 2013

Serene Lower Mohawk Lake near Breckenridge Colorado

Mohawk Lakes near Breckenridge Colorado is the most crowded trail I have ever been on. The hordes at a Justin Beiber concert were nothing compared to the bridal parties, backpackers, and children in Keds that covered every nook and cranny of the route. At times you had to turn side ways just to pass.

The parking lot looking up the road towards the 4x4 parking lot, another 2 miles further on

Start of the Spruce Creek Trail

This makes no sense to me, because while the lakes themselves are just lovely, the first two miles of the route are either up a very rocky 4x4 road or through a dank, mosquito infested forest. The only thing I can figure is that every hotel in Breckenridge must advertise Mohawk Lakes as THE must do hike in the area. If it were me, I would send them to Black Powder Pass or Crystal Lake off of Hoosier Pass. They are much easier on the paws for hiking novitiates and stunning to boot.

Typical segment in the trees. On this trip it was muddy, humid, and filled with mosquitoes.

While I have the means of skipping those first two miles, I foolishly chose to do the entire hike (up through the trees, down via the road) because I needed the extra exercise. Never again. I would rather run a marathon first and then do that segment.

Where the Spruce Creek Trail intersects the end of the road

Follow the road around the bend

The trail then heads back into the trees at this small sign.

You get to Mohawk Lakes via the Spruce Creek Trailhead located 2.6 miles south of Breckenridge via Spruce Creek Road. While the parking lot is large, all those tourists have to park someplace and the cars were extended far down the road. If you don't have a 4x4, take the route through the trees. It starts at the trail sign on the left. If you do have a 4x4, you can continue onwards. There are many places to park along the way but few at the very top. Get there early if you want a coveted spot.

The most intact cabin you will pass

Looking back down the valley to the east

1.6 miles up the Spruce Creek Trail is the turn off for the Wheeler Trail, which will take you to Frances cabin, one of the local backcountry huts. After two miles, the route through the trees dumps you at the upper parking area near a water control building. Hop onto the road and follow it for 30 yards until it bends to the left. There the trail reenters the trees.

The start of the wall

This part of the route winds in and out of the trees, traversing a few small meadows before passing as the turn off to Mayflower Lake at 2.4 miles and the ruins of an ancient cabin a little further on.

One of the many switchbacks on the final climb to the lower lake. There were about 11 people sitting along the trail on the left.

After a few more switchbacks, the route starts to climb up a wall with a dramatic waterfall on the right. There are numerous places to side track to the falls or admire the views back down the valley. This wall is steep, 500 feet in 0.5 miles, and you find yourself huffing and puffing not to mention cursing as you ascend. On more than one occasion I felt tempted to take my boot and just kick folks off the mountain side. Tourist dollars be damned! Some of these folks had no business extricating themselves from the hotel pool.

Looking down on the waterfall, which is actually quite long and continues for quite a distance down-slope.

Someone created this attractive cairn overlooking the valley.

Once on top, the trail levels out at a dramatic mining ruining (3.0 miles 1,257 ft gain) with cables and a large wheel. The route then follows the outlet from Lower Mohawk Lake, traversing flat rocks until the lake itself comes into view (at 3.2 miles and 11,825 ft).

The mining ruin viewed from a hundred yards closer to the lake

Outlet from the lake

Shallow Lower Mohawk Lake

Lower Mohawk Lake reminds me a lot of Mills Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. It is broad, flat, filled with rocks, and bordered by twisted trees. To the west a large shelf rises sharply. The left side of this shelf contains the upper lake, which is deeper in both color and topography.  I really like Lower Mohawk Lake, however.  It is different from many of the other alpine tarns I have visited. The shallow waters, elongated shape, and broad rocks along the shore are conducive to heavy navel gazing.

Heading up to the upper lake

Upper Mohawk Lake comes into view at eye height.

Looking down on Upper Mohawk Lake

Upper Mohawk Lake is a short half mile and 300 ft further up the trail to the left. While the lake itself is not as lovely as Lower Mohawk Lake, I get into serious arguments with friends about this, the approach is really fun. The views downward make the shelf really stand out and the final two steps to the lake occur at eye height...you literally come up under the lake. The walls around the upper lake are tall with lots of places to sit and admire the view.

Looking down on Lower Mohawk Lake

So the key to enjoying Mohawk Lakes is to avoid the crowds by going in the early spring when the trail is partially obscured by snow or in the fall after the children have returned to school. For varieties sake, we took the road back down, but that is just as long and is very rocky. Neither route, the road nor the trees offers much in the way of redeeming value. Sometimes life is just that way, you have to endure the mundane for the sake of the sublime.

Mt. Lincoln

Distance: 6 miles round trip
Elevation: 12,000 ft - 14,286 ft
Elevation Gain: 2,286 ft (net) 2,547 ft (cum)
Bathroom at Trailhead: Yes
Fees: $3 to park near bathroom, you can park down the road if you prefer
Dogs: Off leash
Date Hiked: 1 Aug 2013

Looking back towards Mt. Cameron from the summit of Mt. Lincoln

Mt. Lincoln near Alma CO is one of the 54 14,000 ft peaks in the state. Climbing these mountains is huge past time in Colorado and you see every type of person along the way. There are tourists that come here every year just to climb a few and locals who want to bag them all - tattooing the number 54 on their foreheads as a badge of honor everyone will recognize.

The trailhead at 7am on a Thursday

The flat, cushy start of the route. Our destination is beyond the ridge in the distance.

I like climbing 14ers because the physical challenge keeps me in shape all winter. I confess the discrete list allows anal people like myself to start cataloging ascents, reviewing them periodically like stamps in a passport. They are tickets to some of the wildest places on earth, and each one is a milestone to be proud of. There are of course true mountaineers out there that scale the grand peaks of the Himalayas or in Patagonia. I like just being able to wake up one morning and stand on the summit of a mountain without having to trek to the end of the world to do it. This is back yard play for those of us who live here.

And the slog begins

Tallus and skree will be our companions from now on.

The trail to Mt. Lincoln starts at Kite Lake near Alma Colorado. Mt. Democrat, Mt. Lincoln, and Mt. Bross are three 14ers so close together that many try to do them all in one day. You need good weather to do this and a tendency towards juvenile delinquency since the summit of Mt. Bross is still officially closed as of the date of this post. All of these mountains are riddled with mining tunnels, some only inches from the surface. It has taken a long time and lots of legal wrangling to open them up to public use. The city of Alma actually kicked in liability insurance.

You can see how Kite Lake got its name

Continuing upwards but don't be fooled, the saddle is still far away.

I climbed Mt. Democrat two years ago but did not have decent enough weather to continue and ran into the same problem this time. It seems like the perennial "get an early start" is not a sufficient safety margin anymore. Our once predictable monsoon period has evolved into an erratic you-never-know kind of world where storms can pop up on days foretasted to be half-way dry. It seems like nowadays you either just have to hope you haven't pissed of the gods lately or wait until September when things really dry out. I climbed Square Top Mountain last September and could have stayed on the peak for days.

The saddle comes into view. There are many hikers in the distance. They are dots compared to the scale of the slopes of Mt. Democrat to the left.

On the saddle looking up at the ridge that begins the route to Mt. Lincoln

The initial part of the route to the summit is a 1.5 mile slog up to the saddle between Mt. Democrat and Mt. Lincoln. It is really an unpleasant segment that I have done twice now. The deceiving thing about Mt. Lincoln is that the peak you see from the saddle or from the summit of Mt. Democrat is not even close to the summit, it is just the beginning of the long ridge you have to traverse before you even get to Mt. Cameron, an uncountable 14er.

Finally we start for Lincoln.  This half of the route is much more interesting.

You could not blink without seeing a Pika. They were all over, chirping, feeding and scurrying between the rocks. This one would fit into the palm of my hand.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Colorado's 14ers, there is a nifty rule, probably established by a group of bored bureaucrats, that says no peak can be an "officially" ranked unless it stands alone. It must be 300 feet above the saddle to any other peak and poor Mt. Cameron just doesn't rate. It is only hundred feet or so between Mt. Cameron and the saddle below. While I totally get this rule, they should not have named the peak because everyone is woefully confused by the whole thing. There are plenty of unnamed 13ers out there, they could have just left the bump that is Mt. Cameron alone. 

Looking back on the route. That is the trail up Mt. Democrat in the distance. You can see tiny ants gathered on the summit to the right.

This Marmot was guarding the upper reaches of Mt. Lincoln.

The surprising length of the ridge to Mt. Cameron is one long, continuous, "don't stumble" view of Wheeler Lake to the north with one 30 yard ridge walk with drop offs on either side. While exposed, this is not Devil's Causeway scary because the ridge is wide enough. I did find my vision going in and out of focus, however, as it shifted from the rocks below to the yawning abyss on either side.

We finally crested the ridge that you can see from the saddle only to see this long ridge walk ahead.

Add the ridge still goes on. We thought perhaps it was Mt. Cameron above us, but no.

Don't assume that any of the broad bumps you pass along the way are Mt. Cameron. We kept assuming we had passed it and were on our way to Mt. Lincoln. The summit of Mt. Cameron is broad and flat and you can see the nipple-shaped false summit near Mt. Lincoln clearly in the distance.

The exposure eases but the route continues. That is Mt. Cameron, far in the distance.

Finally on the summit of Mt. Cameron.  The broad summit and small, collapsed cairn is your clue. The summit of Mt. Lincoln is in the distance.

It was on the broad, exposed summit of Mt. Cameron that our hike became an adventure. It was 10am and we had been hiking for several hours when behind us we heard a huge clap of thunder. The multitudes started spinning in circles, acting like a bunch of disturbed fire ants. The reality was at this point we were all totally screwed. Many chose to head back to the trailhead but that was a several hour journey on an exposed ridge walking into the storm. We chose to descend to the other side of Mt. Cameron and hunkered down in a small depression at its base. While the storm blew over us, we watched some hardier folks continue on to the summit and stand there amidst the swirling black clouds. To each their own. Fortunately for us, the storm moved on and we were able to complete the route.

My favorite part of the route, the broad plateau between Mt. Cameron and Mt. Lincoln. What planet are we on?

Standing at the base of the plateau, looking up at the nipple that exists between Mt. Cameron and Mt. Lincoln. 

The saddle between Mt. Cameron and nipple on the way to Mt. Lincoln seemed like something out of a Sci Fi movie.  Desolate and otherworldly, I could have been visiting Planet X, my space ship behind in the distance. The temperature had dropped quite a bit and all the hikers could have been spacemen, bundled up in all their gear. These reflections made me realize that the tops of Colorado's mountains are really worlds apart. Despite the hordes, they are not meant for human visitation.

Crossing the nipple, the summit is in view

The final approach to the summit

Our journey down took longer than expected. Some people can fly down skree in one continuous controlled fall. I am far too Ma Ma for that and take my time, which gets ponderous after a while. Still, the views coming down are very cool and you will want to stop and admire your physical prowess as you see how steep the ascent really was.

The Class II scramble to the summit is not difficult at all and takes seconds to complete.

Wheeler Lake to the northwest viewed from the summit.

So since the weather prevented us from getting anyway near Mt Bross, I will someday have to get back up there. There were plenty of people who made the trek despite the weather and the rules. I sort of envy them. If I do go, however, I will take a different route just for varieties sake.

Obligatory summit shot with my friend Lynn...go girls!!

If you have to choose between Mt. Democrat and Mt. Lincoln, particularly on a day when the weather is threatening, go for Mt. Democrat. You'll be able to descend much faster if you need to. If you are physically up to it, and the Force is with you, do all three in one day. You'll only have to climb to the saddle once. 

Lenawee Trail

Distance: 5.5 miles round trip to our lunch spot, 6.7 miles round trip to the ridge.
Elevation: 10,406 ft - 12,272 ft (lunch spot), 12,530 ft (ridge)
Elevation Gain: 1,900 ft (lunch spot), 2,130 ft (ridge)
Bathroom at Trailhead: No
Dogs: Off leash
Date Hiked: 11 July 2013

The Lenawee Trail above treeline has spectacular views

The Lenawee Trail near Keystone Colorado takes the hiker to rarely visited Thurman Gulch on the back side of the Arapahoe Ski Area where you just might get harassed by domestically inclined Mountain Goats.

Peru Creek Road and the limited parking

The small trailhead sign

The Lenawee trailhead is on Peru Creek Road, which in turn is located on the way to Montezuma from Keystone. You will recognize the large parking lot on the left that is the winter trailhead for Peru Creek. Drive approximately 4.5 miles up the road until you see the trail sign on the left and then park along the road in one of the few spots that are far enough removed from the continual traffic. While Peru Creek is a dirt road that is slightly rough it is passable by your typical 2WD vehicle. Just be cautious if you decide to continue up the road towards Argentine Pass as Peru Creek gets progressively rougher the further you go.

The first mile of the trail is in the trees with limited views.

After the first switchback, interesting piles of rock break up the monotony.

The major downside of the Lenawee Trail is the first mile, which gains a healthy 840 ft in a long slog through the trees. On this trip, it was hotter than hell's half acre and I was leaking electrolytes at a prodigious rate. Fortunately, at treeline some clouds moved in and a cooling breeze saved me from transforming into a dessicated shrub.

The first views of Thurman Gulch appear

Almost above treeline

At 1.2 miles, the trail finally starts to switchback and open up with interesting rock formations. Views of Thurman Gulch appear as the Sub-alpine Firs start to shrink. Once above treeline options abound.  You can continue to the end of the trail, which crosses Thurman Gulch and climbs up to Arapaho Basin; wander east across the tundra to gaze down on Chihuahua Lake and Grays Peak; or park it on a rocky outcropping to lounge, feed, and admire the views. On this trip I chose the latter. This might have been a fortuitous choice. A family of four told me that on the ridge there were some overly protective Mountain Goats protecting their young'ens. They actually charged the family and drove them back down the trail.

This is my favorite view on the trail. They rock formations are huge. Note the trees to the left. They remind me of the aircraft carrier formation on the Shrine Mountain Trail.

Thurman Gulch dominates the views once the trees fade.

The Lenawee Trail is one of those places where the fun begins near the end of the route, so save it for a nice day. On a glorious Summit County day, when the weather is sublime, you could spend half a day wandering around above treeline.

The trail heads straight along the ridge to Thurman Gulch

The view from our lunch spot. It is another 1.2 miles round trip to the ridge and back.