Saturday, January 21, 2017

Pioneer Union Ditch Snowshoe

Distance: 5 miles round trip
Elevation: 9,971 ft to 10,597 ft
Elevation Gain: 626 ft
Dogs: Off leash
Bathroom at Trailhead: No
Tags: #snowshoe, #coloradooutdoors
Nearby Snowshoes: Hefferman Gulch Road

Rare "peak-a-boo" along Pioneer Union Ditch
Pioneer Union Ditch near Idaho Springs is a great place to snowshoe if you hate the hordes, love the seclusion of the trees, and don’t mind finding your way. It spends only 0.7 miles on a well-defined path before diving off into a deep valley filled with interlocking mining roads.

Map showing the route up Pioneer Union Ditch

Leaving Leavenworth Road and heading into the Pioneer Union Ditch

The trail begins on north side of Guanella Pass and starts up Leavenworth Creek Road, which heads towards the Waldorf Mine. There was no street sign for this road, but it occurs at the first major switchback coming up from Georgetown. Within 0.7 miles, the route leaves the road, which continues sharply upwards towards the right, and instead dives into Pioneer Union Ditch, following old mining roads that hug the valley floor.

Hard packed snow, dogs and trees.
Typical segment along a road and in the trees
Since this is a valley, it is actually hard to get lost. Persistent power lines head west and Leavenworth Creek Road is 200 yards and several hundred feet above on the right.

Crossing a more open area
Creek Crossing
There is little or no mountain scenery on this trail, but there are Aspens, meadows, and the sound of a crackling brook. On this trip, there was little to no snow for the first 1.5 miles but after that, it picked up. Most of the elevation gain is in the first mile.

Heading back down on Leavenworth Creek Road
While we decided to turn around at 2.5 miles Pioneer Union Ditch continues to parallel Leavenworth Creek Road for miles and miles. As an alternative it is about 6 miles (one way) to the Waldorf Mine.

Friday, December 30, 2016

Grizzly Lake

Distance: 8 miles round trip
Elevation: 10,653 ft - 12,531 ft
Elevation Gain: 1,878 ft
Bathroom at Trailhead: No
Dogs: On leash (Wilderness)
Tags: #coloradooutdoors, #hiking, #aspen

A hike to Grizzly Lake near Aspen is a must do
Grizzly Lake near Aspen CO has just become one of my all time favorites. Not only is the trail soft on the paws, but it ascends a breathtaking valley with high walls on either side. When I did the hike in early fall it appeared as if some celestial artist had dribbled the valley walls in green and rufus paint that oozed downwards in an abstract display of color.

Trailhead
The start of the route heads upwards into the trees
West side of the valley
The first 0.6 miles steeply ascends a dense Lodepole forest before breaking out into a stunning glacial valley filled with grasses and spotty willows. Until the final ascent at the end of the valley, the trail weaves in and out of the trees and even crosses a persistent snowbank. It is impossible not to stop and gawk and the peaks on either side of the route. At 2.1 miles is the ruins of an old cabin. There is one stream crossing towards the end of the valley that was easy to navigate, but which would be more problematic in early spring.

East side of the valley
Heading up the valley
A little further up the route
Looking up at the initial shelf
Like most mountain tarns, Grizzly Lake is tucked at the top of a glacial shelf that is not visible from below. There are two shelves that must be ascended before the final "long switchback" that leads to the upper shelf comes into view. The first shelf is reached at 3.1 miles and the lake itself at 4. All this ascending is arduous with 800 ft being gained in the last mile of the hike. We did this in threatening weather and had to practically bolt upwards in a frantic attempt to reach the lake before Armageddon unfurled. The lake itself is somewhat anticlimactic but the views looking back down the "long switchback" are worth the final ascent.

The first shelf
Heading up the second shelf
Small lake on second shelf
The major downside of this hike is the long 6.3 mile kidney jostling dirt road one has to slog through to get to the trailhead. We argued the entire time about whether a high-clearance AWD could make the trip. For most of it, they could, but there were one or two very iffy spots that would give me pause in such a vehicle.

On the long switchback
Looking down on the second shelf
The rock wall to the south of the long switchback
You get to the trailhead by driving eleven miles east of Aspen on highway 82 towards Independence Pass to Lincoln Creek Road. Turn right and drive 6.3 miles on the dirt road to Grizzly Reservoir. The trailhead is on the left of the red buildings of the back country work camp. If you have never driven highway 82 out of Aspen, be prepared to dodge the ubiquitous Porsches that seems to barrel down the road driven by the crazed "locals" who pop in for the weekend on their private jets. In several places the road narrows precipitously and only one car can pass at a time. Recently, there has been quite an issue with commercial trucks who are prohibited from taking the road, but who do so anyway. Big truck + narrow road + expensive car = really bad day.

At the lake
Heading back down as the weather cleared

Thursday, December 1, 2016

Harpers Corner

Distance: 2.2 miles round trip
Elevation: 7,574 ft
Elevation Gain: 300 ft
Dogs: No allowed, National Monument
Bathroom at trailhead: No
Tags: #coloradooutdoors, #hiking, #geology, #scenicviews, #findyourpark

Steamboat Rock and the convergence of the Yampa and Green Rivers
Harpers Corner in the Colorado side of the Dinosaur National Monument is a short nature trail across a narrow isthmus to one of the most stunning desert views in the state. From this lofty promontory, the convergence of the Yampa and Green Rivers appear far below along with the white canyons they have carved across the millennia.

You have to really want to visit Harper's Corner however. The Dinosaur National Monument exists in the far northwestern corner of the state. It is "out there". The nearest town to stay in is Rangley, which is 20 miles from the entrance station and then it is a long 31 miles from the entrance to the trailhead. We were in the area to attend the Meeker Dog Trials and so it made sense to add Dinosaur to the menu.

Faulting is evident in these vertical rock layers
The trail to the view point descends from the get go and winds through Pinon Pines with growing views of the canyon floor. There are a couple of places where the trail is perilously close to the abyss, but there are plenty of trees to grasp if vertigo strikes.

The destination is a broad flat area with comforting fences along the edges. Echo Park, which can be reached by a long dirt road, marks the actual convergence itself hidden from view behind round Steamboat Rock.

The other side of the viewpoint gazes down onto "the whirlpool", a section of the Green River that river pioneer John Powell (of Colorado River and Lake Powell fame) disliked in the extreme.

Western side of the Harper's corner overlook showing the Green River and Whirlpool Canyon
The true star of the show, however is the sedimentary world brought into dramatic relief by the rivers themselves. Up the Green River Canyon (to the left) are five separate layers of sedimentary rock. Closer to the viewpoint, a large and obvious geologic fault has tilted the rock layers vertical creating a topsey-turvy world that is stunning to see.

Anyone who loves the geological parks in Utah will want to make a pilgrimage to Dinosaur National Monument. In comparison, the views are both unique and informative. The power of water, time, and geological force is so evident, it can't help but make you want to run out and get a geology degree.

One should note that at one point the powers that be were going to dam the rivers in this area, which would have buried all of this scenery under a wall of water. Instead, the dam was built upstream at Flaming Gorge. This was a near miss in the continual battle between the need of man for water storage in a dry world and the natural world such storage inevitably changes.

Yampa River "bench"
Be advised that this area is a high desert and lows temperatures can compete with Barrow Alaska. As such the road itself is closed in winter and may not open until June.

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Chihuahua Lake

Distance: 8.5 miles round trip
Elevation: 10,460 ft - 12,282 ft
Elevation Gain: 1,822 ft
Dogs: Off leash
Bathroom at Trailhead: No
Tags: #coloradooutdoors, #hiking, #mountainlake
Nearby hikes: Lenawee, Argentine Pass

The deep blue waters of Chihuahua Lake
Chihuahua Lake near Keystone, CO in Summit County is a large glacial tarn nestled at the base of Grizzly Peak. The trail to the lake is not for soft paws however, being very rocky and filled with deep water crossings even in late summer. Additionally, the last pitch to the lake is a steep rock scramble requiring both agility and perseverance. The reward for those strong enough is a stunning view of the back side of Grays and Torreys and a pristine lake filled with deep indigo waters.

Heading up the lower portion of the jeep road
Passing a large boulder field
The first 2.7 miles of the trail follows Forest Service Road 263 and you will not be alone on this segment. I was quite surprised at the number of vehicles that passed us both coming and going because this is a road only for the hardiest of drivers. Because of this traffic, the road is very rocky and rutted which makes for a jarring experience.

First stream crossing. This plank leads to a round log half way across. 
This road crosses Chihuahua Creek twice (at 1.2 and 2.0 miles) and in both cases, the water is deep, even in late summer. After seeing the extent of the beaver activity throughout the valley, I doubt the creek ever dries out. Water shoes and a pole are a must unless you don't mind wet feet. At the lower crossing, someone had tried to put a plank across to a large fallen log in an improvised bridge, but this structure will not survive next spring's run off. At the upper crossing, there were a few rocks that the more nimble were able to navigate. I found myself slipping off them into the water anyway.

Rutted section of the jeep road
In addition to these stream crossings, there are several places where the road itself is habitually flooded. Short social trails into the willows avoid the deepest areas but others require more slogging through bogs.

Gray and Torreys comes into view
At 2.7 miles the jeep road ends at a small parking area with a wooden fence and small sign pointing upwards. Technically, this is the start of the trail, but only true 4x4s can make it to this point. For the next half mile, the trail struggles relentlessly upwards on a steep and highly eroded path reminiscent of an approach to a 14er. This segment ends at a narrow tundra shelf surrounded on both sides by barren peaks.

Soggy section
Saddle between Grizzly  and Torres Peaks
The trail continues eastward along this shelf before turning sharply upwards on the last scramble to the lake. As you approach this area, it is difficult to tell where to leave the flat and head upwards. Several narrow, eroded drainages pour down the hillside and look like a trails. Fortunately, two people were ahead of us and we followed them to the far eastern side of the valley where the grade is less vertical. Careful scouting will reveal the route that is mostly over scree but occasionally dirt. The last 100 yards is very steep, often requiring the use of hands to pull oneself upwards. Anyone with moderate fitness can navigate this section without difficulty if they take care to keep from sliding down in the loose dirt.

Trail sign and wooden fence
Heading up rocky segment to final shelf
After the scramble, the trail continues upwards for another quarter mile before cresting on a high cliff overlooking the lake. A journey down to the water requires additional scrambling down a passable gully.

Looking back down the valley and beaver ponds below
Torreys and Grays are even closer now
Chihuahua Lake has been on my do list for a long time. I never seemed to be around at the end of the season when I had assumed the water crossings would be more manageable. Now I know that they will most likely always be there, so you just have to plan accordingly. The obstacles, while annoying, are not particularly difficult to surmount and the views of Grays and Torreys are something to behold. The saddle between Grizzly Peak and Torreys is so small and easily scaled that it makes you want to run up to the summit and down again in a fit of joy.

On the final pitch before the lake
Chihuahua Lake
To get to the trailhead, take exit 205 off of I-70 (Silverthorne/Dillon) and travel east on highway 6 toward Keystone. Just past Keystone, turn right onto Montezuma Road (County Road 5). Follow Montezuma Road for approximately 4.6 miles and turn left onto Peru Creek Road (FSR 260). Follow Peru Creek Road for approximately 2.1 miles and park along the side. The only marker that you have reached the parking area is a small brown sign on the road to the left with the number 261 on it. Other cars will be your biggest clue. Peru Creek road is passable with a passenger car to this point but can be rutted and full of washboards.

Sunday, October 23, 2016

Loveland Pass West

Distance: 3 miles round trip
Elevation: 11,990 ft - 12,457 ft
Elevation Gain: 467 ft (net) 1062 ft (cum)
Bathroom at Trailhead: No
Dogs: Off leash
Tags: #coloradooutdoors, #hiking, #tundra
Nearby hikes: Upper Straight Creek, Mt. Sniktau, Herman Lake

The high tundra world along Loveland Pass West
Loveland Pass West is breathtaking high tundra hike that almost anyone with a moderate level of fitness can do since it starts way above tree line on Loveland Pass itself.

Looking across the road to the trailhead. Trail goes around to the right of the hill. 
Going around the initial knoll. Trail goes sharply up the hill in the distance. 
While short, this trail is not flat! The first 0.7 miles are the hardest, gaining 414 ft in a heart pounding climb to a small hill. You will immediately loose this well earned gain by dropping down the other side only to climb again to the broad U-shaped ridge that will form the rest of the hike.

Heading up the initial steep pitch
On the ridge looking that the route
You won't be alone on the first 0.7 miles of the journey. Instead you will be surrounded by hordes of tourists in flip flops, walking their small dogs up for a glimpse of the high country. Few make it past the first ascent, however and those that do are serious hikers.

Further along
Heading up a "false summit"
Once on the ridge, the trail weaves up and down several small hills until it dead ends at a small rock shelter on an unnamed 12K ft peak. On the one way trip you will gain 824 ft but will have climbed a total of 1,062 ft by the time you return.

At the final destination. Rock shelter in sight. 
All along the journey, views abound. There is nothing like a summer time jaunt along the Continental Divide. Tundra flowers bloom in rainbow colors and fluffy white clouds dot the horizon. Keep and eye out for more ominous grey clouds, however,  since there is no place to hide on this trail.

View to the west from the destination. 
To get to the trailhead, take the Loveland Pass road out of Keystone CO or off of I-70 just before the Eisenhower Tunnel. Parking is very limited at the pass so arrive early or in the late afternoon for a better chance of parking. The trail starts next to the Loveland Pass sign and initially wanders around the small knoll next to it. Across the road is the trailhead for Mt. Sniktau, a much harder climb. Still you will see the tourists struggling up the initial 1000 ft climb that is not for the feint of lung.

North Rock Creek Snowshoe

Distance: 4 miles round trip Elevation: 9,180 ft to 9,780 ft Elevation Gain: 600 ft Dogs: Off leash until the wilderness boundary North...