Golden Gate Canyon State Park: Raccoon Trail

Distance: 2.7 miles round trip
Elevation: 9,313 ft - 8,889 ft (starts high)
Elevation Gain: 475 ft (cumulative)
Bathroom at Trailhead: Yes
Dogs: On Leash (State Park)
Date Hiked: 17 August 2014
Tags: #coloradostatepark, #goldengatecanyon

View from Panorama Point, the start of the Raccoon Trail in Golden Gate Canyon State Park

I took my parents on a road trip to Golden Gate Canyon State Park near Golden CO on sunny summer day in the hopes of taking them on a short walk before picnicking. While the Raccoon Trail is one of the "easiest" trails in the park, it turned out to be too rocky and steep for the parental units.

Heading down from the deck

The trail begins to smooth out

For the able bodied however, the Raccoon Trail is a pleasant, if rough, jaunt through varied terrain that is mostly trafficked by families or campers in one of the nearby campgrounds. If you hustle, you can complete it in an hour and still have time to break open the chips and dip.

Junction with the Mule Deer Trail

Emerging from the trees

The Raccoon Trail starts near the wooden deck at Panorama Point, a popular place for weddings, picnics, or fall color leaf-peeping. From this deck visitors can gaze at the Continental Divide all the way from Longs Peak in the north to Pikes Peak in the south.

Grasses and open skies take over

Taking a right turn to head back up the hill

From the deck, the trail descends sharply through a tall coniferous forest and over a series of eroded rocks. At 0.68 miles is the junction with the Mule Deer Trail, which is one of the longest trails in the park. The junctions in the park are well marked with clear names, animal track icons, and laminated maps indicating your location. By this point the trail had smoothed out significantly and I could  have driven a golf cart up the path.

The uphill climb is very eroded in parts

Junction at the top with the Mule Deer Trail. Route goes to the right.

A short distance beyond this point the trail changes microclimates as it begins to parallel a drainage. The trees disappear and thick grasses intrude while the humidity soared. At 1.4 miles is a spur heading off the Reverend's Ridge Campground. The area was so overgrown I almost missed it. The Raccoon Trail continues straight before making a sharp right turn and and heading steeply uphill on another rocky, eroded segment. This area was particularly bad and looked like it might have been damaged in the September 2013 floods.

The best part of the trail, is the last segment along a shelf with stellar views.

This Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel (learn more about these colorful denizens of the forest) wanted to join the party but we said no to feeding the animals.  Besides, I don't share that well!

The hectic ascent moderates slightly until another junction with the Mule Deer Trail (at 2.2 miles). From this point on the route follows a shelf with large rocks and occasional views of the Continental Divide. It comes out in the parking lot near the bathrooms, but technically crosses the pavement back to the deck.

While my parents could not do the trail, I managed to scurry along without them. By the time I returned to the parking area, they had already set up lunch on one of the many picnic tables scattered in the trees. The pine needles were sun-kissed, giving off that vanilla aroma that so reminds me of my childhood in the Sierra Nevadas. While short, the Raccoon Trail is a pleasant diversion. Bring along a lunch, linger, and lounge. There are few worse ways to spend a sunny, summer afternoon.

Mallory Cave

Distance: 3.2 miles round trip
Elevation: 6,109 ft - 6,817 ft
Elevation Gain: 934 ft (cumulative)
Bathroom at Trailhead: Inside NCAR
Dogs: On leash until after the water tank then off leash with Boulder green tag
Date Hiked: 2 August 2014
Tags: #Boulder, #hiking, #NCAR

Looking down on Boulder from the Mallory Cave Trail

The short but steep trail to Mallory Cave behind NCAR in Boulder is a great way to burn a few calories and still get home in time to binge watch Games of Thrones with a bucket of chicken wings.

NCAR's parking lot. These cars are for Saturday hikers. 

Walking up the NCAR mesa

The trail starts at NCAR, the big pink castle on the hill up Table Mesa Drive in south Boulder. Park anywhere in the large lot and head around the back side of the building from the north side.

The first 0.6 miles takes you across the mesa upon which NCAR resides, down a steep embankment and up a hogback to a large water tank. The hogback segment includes 239 ft of elevation gain in less than 100 yards. I used to torture new arrivals by having them tell me their life story on this pitch while I rushed us uphill like we were being chased by IRS auditors.

The steep trail down off the mesa

How green the hills! 2014 has been so rainy that the foothills have stayed green well into September!

After the water tank, the route then walks out onto another ridge with stunning views of the Flatirons. At 0.7 miles is a trail junction. Take a left here and travel down to the Mesa Trail and the junction with the Mallory Cave Trail (at 0.8 miles). A large kiosk marks the spot. To get to the trail, you might have to dodge all the trail runners whizzing past on the Mesa trail, which parallels the Flatirons for 3 miles in either direction.

Past the water tower and heading towards the Mesa Trail

Either route at the junction ahead will take you to the Mesa Trail. I usually go left when going to Mallory Cave.

From this point on, the trail gets progressively rockier as it climbs an additional 280 ft to the base of a 2-story wall of angled rock (at 1.3 miles). Poison Ivy grows in profusion along this segment, so refrain from the urge to "roll in the hay" or you may come home with a itch you can't scratch.

Looking back at the junction of the Mesa Trail and the Mallory Cave Trail. A large sign marks the spot. 

Heading up the Mallory Cave Trail. We will get up close and personal to the flatiron in the distance. 

The trail turns sharply here and heads straight up in a long series of steps that weave in and out of Boulders. Several climbing areas are marked by signs and corresponding splinter social trails, which can easily lead the breathless hiker astray. This is particularly true coming down.

The Mallory Cave trail is one of the wettist ones in Boulder as indicated by these ferns along the route. 

There are trail signs for Mallory Cave AND local climbing spots. Be sure to read them or you'll get off route. 

Just before the top is a large boulder field with stunning views of the surrounding area. A little further on, the trail deadends at a rock wall (at 1.6 miles and 769 ft of elevation gain). A small interpretive sign describes the bats that live in the cave, which is 200 ft rock climb. The cave is now totally closed to protect the bats, so you might as well turn around and either linger at the boulder field or and race back down to the DVR.

Open area near the top of the trail

Up this wall is the entrance to the cave. It is closed off now. I have never had the nerve to climb up there. 

If you hike to Mallory Cave midweek like I used to do, you will probably be alone on the trail. On weekends, there will be hordes of climbers gleefully hanging off of the porous rock until their fingers bleed. On this trip, which was after Colorado legalized marijuana, there was at least one climber who obviously believed that nirvana could be chemically induced. I guess for rock climbers, "stoned" has many definitions.

Arapaho Glacier Trail (Rainbow Lakes side)

Distance: 9 miles round trip
Elevation: 9,958 ft - 12,346 ft
Elevation Gain: 2,170 ft (cumulative)
Bathroom at Trailhead: Yes
Dogs: On leash (Indian Peaks Wilderness)
Date Hiked: 10 August 2014

Looking into the City of Boulder Watershed from the Arapaho Glacier Trail

The Arapaho Glacier Trail in the Indian Peak Wilderness is a tundra superhighway that stretches from the 4th of July Trailhead in the south to the Rainbow Lakes Trailhead in the north.  Since the one way distance is 7.8 miles just from the 4th of July mine (two miles up), most people hike from one end or the other and double back.

Parking area and bathroom

Trails are well marked. I measured the trail split at 0.3 miles.

On this trip, we started from the Rainbow Lakes side, which is less crowded and affords eye-popping views of the City of Boulder Watershed, a private area of peaks and lakes that are postcard perfect. Don't be tempted to head that way, however. Set one foot across the well-marked boundary and a screaming horde of guard Marmots will gnaw your feet off at the ankles and turn you over to winter's inevitable embrace.

The first two miles are in the trees on a pleasant trail. Some parts are rockier than others.

Indian Paintbrush

The road to Rainbow Lakes starts from Highway 72 just north of Nederland. Seven miles northward is a sign for the University of Colorado Mountain Research Station on the right. Turn left here onto Forest Service Road 298. It is 5 miles down a road dirt road to the large parking area. I would recommend a high-clearance 2WD at a minimum and a 4x4 if you have one. The road is pitted, eroded, and very rocky in places. It takes much longer to reach the trailhead than you would think.

Treeline at 2.5 miles. Mt. Albion is just visible.

Harebell

The first two and a half miles of the route are in the trees.  Ironically, I was pleased with the dryness of the area and the subtle scent of pine needles baking in the sun after slogging through wet and humid Heart Lake a few days prior. I say ironic because we got caught in one of the wettest storms I have been in in years. Hail, torrential rains, and enough water on the trail to totally saturate my "water proof" boots.  Normally, this segment is quite pleasant.

Tundra and watershed view

After two miles, the trail leaves the trees and heads steadily upwards across a bare tundra hillside. At the first switchback at 2.8 miles, the trail overlooks the City of Boulder Watershed. This area is clearly marked on the National Geographic Map as a no-go zone so it has always been terra incognita. At least looking down into it has removed some of the mystery.

The clouds should have been our first clue

Harebell was covering the tundra in great swaths

From this vantage, the trail winds around the hillside to the east before turning sharply west again. At 4.4 miles is a saddle. Our turn around point was a spot just off the trail where views of the southern Indian Peaks dominate. Unfortunately, on this trip we only stayed 10 minutes before a distant rumble had us packing up and heading down.

On the saddle

Ptarmigan showing off its superb camouflage. This mother had several chicks with it. I could hardly see any of them and just pointed my camera in the general direction of where I thought they were.

Half way to treeline, the sky began to spit hail from a storm that had built early in the day over the Watershed. Thunder began to vibrate the air and we quickened our step to get down as quickly as possible. Despite all the gear, we were quite wet by the time we reached the trees and then had the pleasure of walking two miles on a trail slick with pea-sized hail and streaming water. Ankle-deep puddles were forming on any flat segment and the dirt was eroding around rocks as the torrent rushed downwards. The temperature dropped to below 40 degrees and a heavy mist descended. Even though I had both a stocking cap and gloves with me, they did little to keep out the cold after becoming saturated from the rain and mist. Had anyone one of us had an accident that prevented us from generating heat through movement, we would have had a serious case of hypothermia on our hands. This is just one more example of how the wilderness can torment those who are unprepared. For the most part, we are fat and dumb primates oblivious to nature's killing power as we hide behind our heated walls and espresso machines.

Off the trail now at our lunch spot. We are looking south, deeper into the Indian Peaks Wilderness.

I really would like to return to this trail on a nicer day. While the clouds and mist added to the photographic appeal of the area, it was a warning to stay in bed. 2014 has been such a short season that many of us have pushed the limits to enjoy the high country before winter grips it again.

Arctic Gentian

Arctic gentians (Gentianodes algida) is a tundra flower that blooms in late summer. To some it heralds the coming of winter. Since it was first identified in Siberia, perhaps that is true! We saw these flowers all over the tundra in 2014. They were particularly abundant on the Arapaho Pass and Lake Dorothy Trails.

Heart Lake

Distance: 10 miles round trip

Elevation: 9,224 ft - 11,340 ft (at Heart lake), 11,418 ft (up the trail a bit)
Elevation Gain: 2,116 ft (net), 2,370 ft (cumulative)
Bathroom at the Trailhead: Yes
Dogs: On leash, James Peak Wilderness
Date Hiked: 6 August, 2014

Heart Lake in the James Peak Wilderness

The trail to Heart Lake in the James Peak Wilderness near Rollinsville is a long slog through bogs and rocks to a surprisingly alluring series of lakes nestled up against the Continental Divide. This area gets above average rainfall, which means the wildflowers will stun you like a taser and drive all the air from your lungs.

The main parking area was full, even mid-week

Starting out in Aspen and some minimal sunshine

The trail starts out at the Moffat Tunnel. Even though we hiked mid week, the ample parking lot was nearly full, so this area gets a lot of use.  The first mile of the route follows the stream, crossing several inlets on wooden planks or logs. Willows and sunshine dominate this short segment.

The trail gets rockier and dark the further up you go.

The trail junctions are well marked.

At 1.2 miles is the junction with the Forest Lakes Trail. After this point, the trail begins to climb steadily while the forest becomes a damp enveloping blanket. Immune to the increasing humidity, the rocks along the trail multiply until they form an obstacle course that drove one hiking group ahead of us screaming back to their cars. Tree roots, slick with moisture, creep mischievously across the trail in an effort to capture an ankle or two.

Where the Heart Lake Trail splits off from the Crater Lakes Trail

The waterfall at 4 miles. 

At 1.54 miles the trail switchbacks sharply upward and at 2 miles is the turn off to Crater Lakes. While the trail to Heart Lake continues up the basin, you have to look twice to see it. The vegetation was so over grown that I missed it altogether while looking for head-hunters in the shrubbery.

Finally breaking out of the trees

Rogers Pass Lake

From this point on, the trail just continues steadily through the trees until it comes to a small waterfall  (at 4 miles) near treeline. I was so excited to see the sun again that I hurriedly stepped off a rock onto what I thought was solid ground only to have my foot sink above my boot in an oozing mass of pine needles and mud.

Heart Lake is on the shelf ahead

Looking down on Rogers Pass Lake

The trees thin gradually as you approach Rogers Pass Lake (at 4.65 miles), the largest lake below Heart Lake. This is a lovely spot that had drawn several anglers who were fly fishing on the far side. In the midst of a meadow, this lake does not have many places to sit except for a few rocks scattered along the shore.

The last climb to Heart Lake

Heart Lake itself is another steep climb up a glacial moraine to a broad shelf well above treeline. The lake was too large to capture well in one frame, and was surrounded by the usual tundra plants. The trail to Rogers Pass, visible from below, traveled right by the lake and we were able to get a better perspective an additional hundred feet or so further up near a small sign posting the wilderness regulations. The are is popular with backpackers and their tents could be seen nestled in the trees down by Rogers Pass Lake.

Heart Lake is so large I couldn't get it all in one frame. 

We got a slightly more expansive view walking up the trail towards Rogers Pass. The only way to see the entire lake would be to climb up even further. 

The wildflowers were located halfway between Rogers Pass Lake and Heart Lake in a large swath of Willows near the moraine. I lost count of the number of species present and just pranced joyfully from one area to the next taking pictures in a fevered staccato.

Just one swath of the many wildflower near the lake

I am glad I went to Heart Lake simply because I had never been there before but I am not sure it is a place I will revisit often. There are other trails that are more open and less humid. One thing you should know, is that the Moffat Tunnel uses spaceship-sized fans to suck the carbon monoxide out of the six-mile tunnel after a train has passed. If the noise does not annoy you, the brown cloud will. Fortunately, this is only an issue near the trailhead, but it can be startling if you happen to be near when it starts up.