Walk to the top of the world

Or greet nature at lower elevation with 10 great hikes

Jan McKinney, Special to the News

Friday, May 12, 2006

Colorado's mountains will roll out the green carpet for hikers this summer, and the stage is set for a grand showing of nature.

Quenched by runoff from last winter's heavy snow pack, the mountains are primed and ready to explode into color as wildflowers fill the meadows and line the mountainsides.

Now is the time to head for the high country and breathe in the intoxicating aroma of fresh pine and damp earth, to hear the echoes in the forest as a woodpecker hammers its point home on a hollow tree, to dodge the buzzing dives of tiny rufus and ruby-throated hummingbirds, and to stop beside a gurgling stream just to listen to its babble.

Hiking pilgrims come from all over the world to experience the wonderful trails that we have right in our own backyard. So strap on your boots, grab a water bottle, pack your rain gear, and toss a few goodies in your daypack.

Here are 10 hikes to suit just about any taste and stamina level.

South Platte River Trail

A woodpecker "Garden of Eatin."

• Location: Pike National Forest, Colorado Trail (Segment 2)

• Distance: 4 miles round trip

• Elevation: 6,120 feet

• Time: 2 hours, including lunch break

• Driving directions: From Denver, take Highway 285 to Conifer and turn south on Foxton Road. Go 8.5 miles to the Platte River Road and turn left. Follow the river for 6 miles, past the old Platte River Hotel, former site of the South Platte township and over the river. The parking area and the trailhead are a half mile on the right. There is a vault toilet at the trailhead.

• Details: This short jaunt is a brief introduction to Trail 1776, the Colorado Trail. The 469-mile long trail begins at Waterton Canyon southwest of Denver and ends in Durango. The highlights are mountain views, an abandoned quartz mine and a percussion recital by the locals.

From the trailhead, you hike over the South Platte River on the Gudy Gaskill Bridge, the longest footbridge on the Colorado Trail. Gaskill was the founder of the Colorado Trail idea. After making a loop under the bridge, the trail follows the river a short distance before turning south and heading up the side of a mountain. A series of long switchbacks will deliver you to the top in about 15 minutes. As you crest the hill, you'll see the enormity of the 12,000-acre Buffalo Creek Burn that scorched the area in the spring of 1996.

Once on top, the hike becomes a stroll, easy and scenic, with the Rampart Range spread out to the south and glimpses of Mount Evans to the northwest. In a few hundred yards, the trail follows an old mining road to the ruins of an abandoned quartz mine. Jewel-like chunks of crystal-white quartz lie scattered around the site, sparkling in the sunlight.

The forest fire may have stolen life from the forest in our eyes, but you won't hear any complaints from the army of woodpeckers that must think it has found paradise. In all directions, woodpeckers can be heard hammering their happy heads off on what must appear to them as an endless supply of dead trees to mine for insects.

Up and over a few rolling hills and knobs, then the trail plummets down into the trees on the shady north side of a large hill. The coolness of the shade is a welcome break from the heat on a hot summer day.

Two miles into the hike, billion-year-old rock formations of the Pikes Peak batholiths rise in the middle of the trail. A good spot to stop for lunch and dream of someday taking the trail all the way to Durango.

Spring Creek Pass

The loftiest stretch of the Colorado Trail

• Location: Rio Grande National Forest

• Distance: 5 miles round trip

• Elevation: 10,898 ft.

• Time: 2 hours, 45 minutes with lunch break

• Driving directions: From Lake City, take Highway 149 for 18 miles southeast to the summit of Spring Creek Pass and the Colorado Trail and Continental Divide trailhead signs.

• Details: The paved parking area for the trailhead and a vault toilet are located on the west side of the highway. Primitive camping is permitted in the forest near the trailhead.

The trail heads southwest on Trail No. 473, following a jeep road (FS550) as it winds and gently climbs across broad, wet meadows and through tall spruce forests. You can see the headwaters of Rito Hondo Creek and long views of Rito Hondo Reservoir in the distance on the left. The grade is gentle, almost flat, until the trail begins to ascend an easy hill.

After 2.5 miles, the trail will have slowly brought you to an elevation of 11,320 feet, where you will cross a small stream. Continue to the crest of the hill where you can see four cairns marking the continuation of the Colorado Trail off to the west. You can continue your walk along the broad grassy ridge and go down drainage before climbing up Jarosa Mesa, a lush hillside covered with green willows just ahead.

With panoramic views of the Weminuche and La Garita wildernesses, this is a nice spot to veer off the trail and pick out a picnic spot on a field of volcanic rock. The great triangular mountain to the southwest is the Rio Grande Pyramid.

Turn around here and retrace your steps or continue as far as you like, but be prepared for fast-moving but brief afternoon rain showers.

Dark Canyon of Anthracite Creek King Kong could live here

• Location: Gunnison National Forest

• Distance: 8 miles round trip

• Elevation: 8,000 to 10,000 feet

• Time: 4 hours

• Driving directions: From Paonia, drive 15 miles east on Highway 133 to Highway 12, turn right and go 6 miles to the Erickson Springs Campground. The trailhead is located past the campground.

• Details: Trail No. 830 begins at the campground's northeast corner, plowing through willows and oak brush before it reaches the hillside. Be on the lookout for blue grouse hiding in the bush. You will hike along the wild and prehistoric-looking Anthracite Creek for the first mile, with views ahead of the canyon, rimrock cliffs and caves in the outcrop.

A mile into the hike, the valley narrows and the walls of Dark Canyon close in from high above, casting a deep shadow over the trail, which already has grown dark and narrow, passing beneath a canopy of cottonwood and fir trees. In the darkest reaches of the canyon, rock cliffs with steep talus aprons rise 1,700 feet above the river.

In the lush understory beneath the canopies, dense thickets of thimbleberry bushes and gigantic lady ferns close in on the trail, overgrowing it completely in some areas. The thimbleberry bushes grow waist-high, spreading wide with broad leaves and loaded with clusters of red berries resembling raspberries, only larger and sweeter tasting.

Four miles up the creek and deep in the heart of Dark Canyon, the trail arrives at the confluence of North Anthracite and Middle Anthracite creeks. There is a long-established hunting camp in a park-like setting under a stand of huge cottonwood trees. Turn around here or continue another mile up the middle fork to the Devil's Staircase.

Lost Lake

An easy family hike through wildflowers and past a waterfall

• Location: Gunnison National Forest, Raggeds Wilderness

• Distance: 2.3 miles round trip

• Elevation: 9,600 feet

• Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

• Driving directions: From Crested Butte, take Highway 12 west for 15 miles to FR 706 and follow it 3 miles to the trailhead parking.

• Details: Hike south from the trailhead on the Three Lakes Trail No. 843, looping around Lost Lake and making a short spur trip to see Dollar Lake. The trail is well marked.

Follow the trail around Lost Lake as it climbs into the woods where columbine, fairy slippers, blue harebells, sunflowers, Indian paintbrush, daisies, bluebells, flax and many other wildflowers bloom in spring. You will feel the cool dampness of the grassy hillside and hear the sound of rushing water ahead. In a few minutes, you will pass a large, picturesque waterfall that spills into the stream above the trail.

Next, take a short side trip to view Dollar Lake, a small body hidden in the woods just above the main trail. You will continue on the loop back toward the parking area via a steep, rocky hillside with unsure footing. The hillside is mostly shaded and downhill from here to the trailhead. You will enjoy the placid beauty of ethereal Lost Lake, which is shadowed by the Raggeds Wilderness to the north and the West Elk Wilderness to the south.

The Pine River Trail (Los Piños Middle Fork)

A wilderness river destination

• Location: San Juan Mountains, Weminuche Wilderness

• Distance: 8 miles round trip

• Elevation: 8,000 feet

• Time: 4 hours, 30 minutes

• Driving directions: From Bayfield, drive north on Vallecito Road (No. 501) for 22 miles to Vallecito Reservoir. Follow FR 602 from the east shoreline to its end at Pine Campground (tents only) and the trailhead parking.

• Details: You will head east toward dramatic long views of cliffs up ahead. A long, lush meadow brimming with wildflowers and grazing horses abuts the parking area. The setting for this mountain valley is breathtaking.

The trail follows beside a wire fence paralleling the trail for the first 2.5 miles. Granite Peaks Ranch is on the other side. You may see blue grouse and a variety of birds along this stretch.

Many strings of pack horses loaded with outfitters' supplies travel this trail, which also is a popular route for backpackers heading into the Weminuche Wilderness.

The trail winds through the forest and up and over two rockslides. After a couple of miles, you will rejoin the Los Piños River, wild, clear, and fast-moving and full of colorful rocks and large boulders. If you want to bring your fishing gear, the river is a good spot to catch brown trout.

You will see views of the Middle Mountains and Runlett Peak to the north, and Granite Peak looming to the south. At four miles, you will come upon large beaver ponds teeming with brook trout. Choose a riverside picnic spot and enjoy the peace and quiet of the valley. Return on the same route or venture further to Emerald Lake, which is another four miles.

Hartenstein Lake

Heart of the Collegiate Range

• Location: San Isabel National Forest

• Distance: 8 miles round trip

• Elevation: 9,944 to 11,495 feet

• Time: 4 hours round trip, including lunch break

• Driving directions: From Buena Vista, take CR 306 west for 12 miles to the trailhead for Denny Creek on the north side of the road.

• Details: You will climb the steep and rocky Denny Creek Trail No. 1443 up a washed out four-wheel drive road for the first couple of miles. With all the loose rock, you will need to wear thick soles and keep an eye on your dog's paws for rock cuts. Denny Creek weaves in and out of the trail route so you can soak your feet when the going gets too hot. Use your water filter to enjoy an ice-cold drink of water from the stream.

The hike has plenty of direct sun and becomes strenuous at times. You will enjoy the hike more if you leave in the morning while it is still cool. (You might reserve a spot at the Cottonwood National Forest Campground, which is one mile from the trailhead).

After climbing over several rockslide areas and through thick stands of aspen, you will pass by an ancient krumholz forest (stunted evergreen trees found at timberline) on your way to the top. Feast your eyes on the hundreds of colorful wildflowers in the sunny meadows and look for dainty fairy slipper orchids in the shady, moist, and decaying forest floor. Hummingbirds may buzz you if you wear bright colors.

Stay left at the trail junction, which is well marked. Here, you will be rewarded with 360-degree views of the Sawatch Range and up-close views of Mount Yale to the east as you climb toward the large, glacial Hartenstein Lake.

When you reach the lake, follow a game trail around the north side through the willows. Since the trail peters out in marshy, boggy flat on the south side, you will retrace your steps to return. You might want to bring along some spinning gear and try the fishing. You just may land a greenback cutthroat trout, Colorado's state fish. Brook trout also cruise the shoreline.

Enjoy just being in this wild place, right below the Continental Divide. Have your lunch and then begin the downhill hike back to the trailhead.

Mount Goliath/M. Walter Pesman Alpine Garden Loop

Opulent Blooms and Ancient Trees

• Location: Mount Evans

• Distance: 3 miles round trip

• Elevation: 11,540 to 12,151 feet

• Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

• Driving directions: From Interstate 70 at Idaho Springs, take exit 240 (Highway 103) and drive south for 14 miles to Echo Lake. Turn right on Highway 5 (Mount Evans Highway) and pay the $3 fee. Travel 2.9 miles on the highest paved road in North America to the lower parking area on the left. The upper parking area is located 1.5 miles up the road. Both parking areas are well marked.

• Details: You'll scramble up and back on a loop across the southern slopes of Mount Goliath, a sunny mountainside covered with an opulent array of dazzling wildflowers. The trail leads you within hugging distance of ancient bristlecone pines, and across fragile alpine tundra. The shorter (much easier) 0.5-mile Alpine Garden Loop Trail is accessed from the upper parking lot.

The easy path leads you through nature's flower garden filled with cinquefoil, lousewort, chiming bells, western paintbrush, mountain penstemon, harebells, asters and hundreds of other varieties of wildflowers.

Professionals and volunteers from the Denver Botanic Gardens, the Garden Club of Denver, and the U.S. Forest Service maintain the M. Walter Pessman Trail. Free guided hikes are led by wildflower experts from the Denver Botanic Gardens on Tuesdays and Thursdays (June 22-Aug. 3) and some Saturdays (call for dates). Call 720-865-3533 for more information. Prime blooming begins in mid-June but a profusion of flowers will be present through mid-August.

Beecher Island

Nature Sings on the High Plains

• Location: Yuma County

• Distance: 2 miles round trip

• Elevation: 5,000 feet

• Time: 1 hour

• Driving directions: From Wray in Yuma County, go 5 miles south on Highway 385 to County Road 30. Then go east and south, following the paved road through a series of well-marked turns to Beecher Island Memorial.

• Details: This short stroll ambles through the scene of a historic battle fought on the banks of the Arikaree River in Yuma County. Chief Roman Nose died here. The battle was hard-fought but the U.S. cavalry held fast to its position at Beecher Island and eventually defeated the Cheyenne chief and his warriors.

The hiking trail winds through the cottonwood trees and the riparian habitat of the river bottom. The Arikaree River is one of the last free-flowing rivers on the plains and a popular spot for birdwatchers.

The area is considered a melting pot for plains birds, including the rare curve-billed thrasher and the Cassin's sparrow. Rio Grande wild turkeys are plentiful here and can be heard gobbling in April. Turkeys roost in the cottonwood trees. Be on the lookout for their white droppings on the ground to locate their roosting trees. At night, the river bottom swells with the voices of thousands of leopard frogs accompanied by the chorusing wails of Woodhouse toads. Overnight camping is permitted in the parking area.

Lake Agnes

Nestled in a high bowl below the Nokhu Crags

• Location: Colorado State Forest, Never Summer Range

• Distance: 2 miles round trip

• Elevation: 10,200 to 10,663

• Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

• Driving directions: From Fort Collins, drive 68 miles west on Colorado 14, up and over Cameron Pass. A few miles before reaching the Colorado State Forest Visitor Center, a sign on the left marks the route to Lake Agnes. A high-clearance vehicle is recommended for the 2-mile road that winds its way to the trailhead. Fee is $4 per car.

• Details: You will climb a steep trail with switchbacks, but it is short and easy to navigate thanks to extensive improvements including stepping-stones, handrails, and footbridges. The one-mile hike through the woods is a bit on the ordinary, the real treasure lies at the end of the trail.

Lovely Lake Agnes, with the rugged Nokhu Crags jutting to imposing heights overhead, provides a breathtaking setting of mountain scenery. The Crags are pieces of an ancient sea floor that stand 2,000 feet upright above the lake.

The trail circumnavigates the lake, with some rough going and rock scrambling on the south side. A small cove tucked away on the west side offers a better view of the Crags and a nice spot for lunch. A rocky island forested in krumholz (stunted evergreen trees found at timberline) rises in the center of the lake, adding another element to the spectacular scenery.

A public toilet is located at the trailhead. The old log cabin and other outbuildings located near the parking area are all that remain of a youth camp that closed years ago after a bear attacked one of the boys.

Lakes of the Clouds

A rough and rocky road to the Clouds

• Location: Sangre de Cristo Wilderness, San Isabel National Forest

• Distance: 6.5 miles and 9.2 miles round trip (2 routes to the top)

• Elevation: 9,100 feet to 11,640 feet

• Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes

• Driving directions: From Westcliffe, turn west on Road 160 (Hermit Lake Road) and drive 5.9 miles to intersect with CR172. Turn left (west) and drive another 1.5 miles to forest boundary. Cross a yellow cattle guard and continue 0.02 mile on a rough, rutted road to Gibson Creek trailhead parking. Wilderness trails are closed to bicycles, motorcycles and ATVs, but since the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness straddles only the upper half of the slopes, expect to share the lower parts of the trail and the parking area with them.

• Details: The two trails leading to Lakes of the Clouds are accessible from the Gibson Creek Trailhead. Trail 1349 provides a longer (9.2 miles) gentler ascent, but that does not make it easy. The Sangre de Cristo Range is the youngest and most abrupt range in Colorado, with 35 peaks over 13,000 feet. There are no easy hikes here.

Trail 1351, the Swift Creek cutoff, is the shortest (6.5 miles) route, but it is steeper, and much of the trail is cobbled with loose stones. However, since it is a faster route, it allows you more time to explore the lakes before a thunderstorm comes rolling in over the peaks and chases you to lower ground.

The trail crosses the creek several times, and there are a few springs along the way. A drink of ice-cold spring water is not advised unless it is filtered.

Lakes of the Clouds are a sequence of three deep cirque lakes at the upper end of a glacial valley cradled by a string of Thirteeners.

The lakes are a favorite destination for anglers and hikers. The lakes support a thriving population of native greenback cutthroat trout, Colorado's state fish. The trout are easy to observe in the water, which is nearly as clear as the air above it.