Gregory Canyon

Distance: 2.6 miles round trip
Elevation: 5,856ft - 6,655ft
Elevation Gain: 800 ft
Dogs: Off leash with Boulder Voice and Sight tag (seasonal leash restrictions apply)
Bathroom at the trailhead: Yes
Fees: Boulder parking
Tags: #Boulder, #OSMP

View of Boulder from the Gregory Canyon Trail

Gregory Canyon in Boulder off Baseline Road is a great trail to work the quads for summer hiking. Short enough to be done after work, it also varies from soft dirt to erratic rock slabs, which trains the eye and ankles.

Looking up at the area from the meadow leading to the trailhead

The start of the trail is a lush riparian environment. Beware the Poison-ivy!

The main trailhead for Gregory Canyon is at the parking lot at the base of Flagstaff Mountain. There is a fee for non-Boulder County residents unless you have a Mountain Parks pass. Be advised, that the parking lot is small and fills up early. An alternative is to park at Chautauqua and walk an extra mile across a pleasant meadow.

For several years the road to the trailhead was closed because of the 2013 floods. It has since been repaired but parking along the road is even tighter than before. Get an early start if you can.

Many sections are on rough rock slabs

Other sections are rock and dirt.

Some sections are flat dirt.

Gregory Canyon starts out low along Gregory Creek where the lush vegetation and Poison-ivy create a humid micro-climate. It is not long, however, before the trail begins to steadily climb up the canyon wall. The trail alternates between steep step-ups, rock scrambles, and level dirt. As the trail switchbacks upwards the views of Boulder and the surrounding plains become more expansive. It is easy to see how high one has risen by looking down into the canyon itself or marking how high one is in relation to the neighboring flatirons.

Looking down into the canyon

Rock formation across the canyon

Ponderosa Pine dominate

At the top of the canyon, the trail levels out and even descends ever so slightly. Here the trail is packed earth. You can continue past this point to where the Ranger Trail meets the E.M. Greenman Trail (an additional 0.45 miles one way and 295 ft elevation gain) and then turn around. You can also make a loop with the Saddle Rock Trail or use Gregory Canyon as a stepping stone to climbing Green  Mountain. 

Lichen growing on a nearby tree

View from the top of the canyon

Cucumber Gulch

Distance: 3.4 mile exploration
Elevation: 9,800 ft
Elevation Gain: Minimal
Date Hiked: 26 July 2015
Bathroom at Trailhead: No
Dogs: On leash only (critical wildlife habitat). No dogs allowed in the center of the gulch.
Restrictions: Not open until after July 1st of each year to protect calving Moose and migratory birds.
Tags: #Breckenridge, #ColoradoHiking, #Wetland

Boardwalk and waterfall in the scenic Cucumber Gulch, Breckenridge.

Cucumber Gulch is a protected wetland located underneath the gondola in Breckenridge. There are numerous summer trails that circumnavigate the area and a couple of places that extend inwards for views of the many Beaver ponds that make the Cucumber Gulch so unique.

Winter Trail Map of the Cucumber Gulch Area. Not every trail listed exists in summer. In particular, the Beaver Meadows Trail, which crisscrosses the area in winter is wet and impassible in summer. 

The trails around Cucumber Gulch are marked by the Breckenridge Nordic Center, which is closed in summer except for special events such as weddings. You get to the Nordic Center a few miles up Ski Hill Road on the Highway 9 bypass.  The trails are marked with signs and maps at each numbered location (see map). The names of the trails are not always evident, so it might be useful to print out a map before you go.

The upper forested section near the nordic center carpeted in wildflowers. 

While there are lots of ways to follow the trails down to the wetlands, I did a major exploration of the area. From the parking lot I headed to the right until I reached signpost #4, and then took the Gold Digger Trail through the Pines blanketed in Lupine. The Gold Digger Trail loops around and eventually heads southwest (uphill).

Example of a trail sign

At signpost #23 the Willow Trail and the Gold Digger Trail converge at a interpretive site that is often manned by local graduate students studying the area. They can discuss the feeding habits of the Beaver, Moose, and Muskrat that call the wetlands home.

Walking on the Gold Digger Trail

From this spot, the Willow Trail enters the woods and becomes dark and root bound. It is easy walking however around the north side of the wetlands to signpost #29, where there is another overlook. At this point the summer route heads north on the Engleman Trail and passes under the Gondola at signpost #33. I turned around at signpost #35 and retraced my steps to signpost #18 where the Willow Trail branches off of Gold Digger Trail.

At a wetland viewpoint

From signpost #18, I traveled down to Josie's Cabin and signpost #17 for scenic view looking up the wetland itself.  From there I returned to the nordic center.

The wetlands are directly under the gondola. 

Beaver lodge

So why all the fuss? Cucumber Gulch is a fen wetland. Fen wetlands are peat forming wetlands that can take up to a 1000 years to develop. This type of rare wetland occurs when water bubbles up to the surface. The water saturated grounds support a plethora of plant life. Cucumber Gulch is also located in the center of one of the busiest ski resorts in Colorado. Home to a zoological treasure trove of wildlife, it is simply a unique yet fragile place. While other trails in Breck can be dry and warm, Cucumber Gulch is moist and shaded. If you go, say hi to the Beavers for me.

Josies' Cabin

New Mexico: Kitchen Mesa

Distance: 4.23 ft round trip with side trips
Elevation: 6,498 ft - 7,100 ft
Elevation Gain: 602 ft (net), 1,054 ft (cumulative)
Date Hiked: 25 October 2014
Bathroom at Trailhead: Yes in the registration area
Fees: $5.00/person
Tags: #newmexico #hiking #georgiaokeeffe #entradasandstone

Pedernal Mountain from the top of Kitchen Mesa. Pedernal was painted by Georgia O'Keeffe so many times she became its spiritual owner. 

The Kitchen Mesa hike out of the Ghost Ranch in northern New Mexico is a superlative journey to the top of an Entrada sandstone monolith reminiscent of the national parks in Utah. The route passes by a dinosaur quarry, through a desert valley, up a class 2 rock chimney, and along a high ridge with views as far as the eye can see.

Split of the Box Canyon trail and the Kitchen Mesa trail

Heading into the valley

Crossing the quarry

Ghost Ranch was the home of the painter Georgia O'keeffe. It is now a retreat center used for weddings and conferences. There are several museums on site. The physical address is 1708 Highway 84, Abiquiu, NM. It is located 40 miles west of Espanola on U.S. 84 between mile markers 224 and 225. You'll need to drive to the main building and pay the daily entrance fee before heading out to the trailhead.

Typical lower section trail segment...Sagebrush and grasses

The trail consists of two parts. The lower section travels through Sagebrush and grasses with views of the towering Entrada sandstone cliffs. A short but steep section goes over the red hill where the famous Coelophysis fossil was discovered. This quarry is now a National Historic Landmark. Interpretive signs provide a little more information about this dinosaur.

Looking back down the valley

Heading up to the rock chimney

Climbing the rock chimney

The upper section begins at 1.2 miles (573 ft gain) via a 15 ft rock chimney that is doable for anyone with modest fitness and the ability to use both hands and feet. From the top of the chimney, cairns guide the way to the actual end of the mesa, which looks down on the ranch.

Following the rock cairns 

On top of the mesa heading towards the end

Skeleton of a tree on the top of the mesa

The route to the end of the mesa travels through sparse Juniper and Pine with many social trails to the edges. The soil underfoot changes as you cross several different sedimentary layers. The layer near the end is a sharp, white composite that looks like snow but feels like a bed of nails.

Looking down into the haze

Looking down onto the ranch

Hiking Kitchen Mesa is a great way to explore the jagged and colorful O'Keeffe country.  O'Keeffe captures the emotional impact of the area in a way that no camera can. Colors blend into smooth lines. Definition is reduced but the beautiful New Mexico scenery remains.

Gerald's Tree by Georgia O'Keeffe captures the essence of a Juniper skeleton

Wheeler Lake

Distance: 6.8 miles round trip
Elevation: 10,980 ft - 12,162 ft
Elevation Gain: 1,182 ft
Bathroom at Trailhead: No
No Dogs: Off Leash
Date Hiked: 14 August 2010
Updated: 28 September 2015
Tags: #coloradooutdoors #hiking #breckenridge #mountainlake

A hiker lounges at Wheeler Lake near Breckenridge

Wheeler Lake near Breckenridge is a high alpine lake surrounded by the lofty peaks of Mt. Lincoln (14,286 ft), Mt. Democrat (14,148 ft), and North Star Mountain (13,614 ft). The "trail" follows a jeep road with heavy 4x4 traffic. As such the route is very rough, with large loose rocks that are hard to walk on. There are also large road ponds that never seem to dry out. As a consequence, hikers have periodically made social trails through the willows on the side of the road.

Montgomery Reservoir

Parking area near the pumping station. The trailhead is around the bend to the left.

Looking up the creek while standing on a metal bridge over the water diversion.  That is North Star Mountain in the distance. 

The trailhead for Wheeler Lake is located on the western side of Montgomery Reservoir on the southern side of Hoosier Pass. If coming from Breckenridge, you will see a dirt road on the right coming towards you. The very sharp entrance to this road is approximately 0.5 miles from the pass itself. Follow the road down to the reservoir and then take the road the travels around it. You can park where a water diversion tunnel enters the lake or continue on the rough, single-lane road around to the back of lake. Near the pumping station is an area for about 15 vehicles. The hike begins up the road toward the large aluminum-sided mining ruin.

Heading up the trail. First stop a large mining ruin.

Another antique

Starting up the rocky road

After the mining ruin, the route rises steadily through trees and occasional vistas until you reach the broad open valley. From this point on the views only get better. Mt. Lincoln dominates the south, Mt. Democrat is located at the end of the valley, and North Star Mountain guards the northern side. All three of these peaks are bare, talus covered massifs. The valley itself is filled with willows that will look stunning in the fall.

Looking up at Mt. Lincoln

Looking down the valley

Typical road pond with social trail off to the right. 

Wheeler Lake is an obvious glacial remnant. It sits atop a broad shelf on the north side of the valley and is obvious from a distance. The road splits on the western side of this shelf with a small two-tire road heading off towards Mt. Democrat and a steep, very rocky road heading up the shelf. This portion of the route is like walking on a stream bed. The rocks are large, round, and filled in with dirt, pebbles, and small streams. Be advised there are several false shelves before the main shelf, which is quite large. The lake itself is nestled at the very back.

View of Mt. Democrat

Stream pouring down from the lake

Road heading up to the lake

The area around the lake is very scenic. On this trip, wildflowers carpeted the meadows surrounding the lake, and a small picturesque stream drifted slowly through a rock garden to the right. Hikers lounged in the sun on several of the broad flat rocks that dotted the shoreline while a large group of 4x4ers chatted by their vehicles. Climbers on the summit of Mt. Lincoln were visible against a startlingly blue sky.

Looking back down the valley

Another view of Mt. Democrat

At the lake. It is a bit if walk after ascending the last shelf. 

Note that while the trip back down the trail is not too difficult, the loose rock can pose a slip hazard. Waterproof boots, poles, and ankle-high boots are recommended. Long pants will also protect from willows.

Rock garden to the right of the lake

Finally, Wheeler Lake (singular) is not to be confused with Wheeler Lakes (plural) near Copper Mountain.