Take a hike!

Scenic treasures await in Colorado's backcountry when you feel like hoofing it

By Jan McKinney, Special to the Rocky

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Ken Papaleo / The Rocky/2007

Suzie and Mike McGuire, of Golden, go for a hike in the cool air of Loveland Pass to escape the July heat of the city.

Ken Papaleo / The Rocky/2007

A group from Dottie's Day Care goes on a hike in Matthews/Winters Park in Golden.

An ancient forest, a wilderness river, a gentle mountain lake, a desert canyon and a dark canyon all await you in the backcountry reaches of Colorado this summer. Colorado is laced with hundreds of great hikes, but here are a few to get you started.

Windy Ridge Bristlecone Pine Scenic Area

"Like no other forest on Earth"

* Elevation: 11,714 feet

* Distance: 2 miles round-trip

* Time: As long as it takes

* Directions: From Denver, take U.S. 285 south for 70 miles across the wide-open expanse of South Park to Fairplay. Drive Colorado 9 north 5.7 miles to the town of Alma. In Alma, watch for a small sign on the left for Kite Lake/Buckskin and turn west (left) onto Forest Road 416 (between the Alma Firehouse and the Buckskin Mining Museum). Follow this gravel road 5.5 miles and bear right at the fork onto Forest Road 415. This is a narrow one-lane road; uphill traffic has the right-of-way. When you reach the concrete remains of Mineral Park mining, continue, making a jog to the left and then keep right as the road crosses a small stream. The steep last mile takes you to a well-marked parking area for the Bristlecone Scenic Area. (It is approximately 6.1 miles from Alma to the top parking area.)

* The experience: There are no defined trails here; you are free to wander and explore whatever catches your eye. When you wander out onto Windy Ridge, you step back in time through a forest of 1,000-year-old giant bristlecone pines that grip the thin soil of the windblown ridge. Clinging to a sparse plateau at the foot of Mount Bross, the hardy bristlecone pines have survived fierce winds, bitter winters, drought, rocky soil and high-altitude solar radiation for hundreds of years. The old trees are twisted and bent, scoured white and sculpted like works of art by the wind.

Bristlecone pines (Pinus aristata) are the most durable living entities on earth, and Colorado is home to the most easterly found bristlecones in the United States

Scouting around in the thin air above timberline, you'll be surrounded by incredible alpine scenery in an almost eerie, silent otherworld. Tiny wildflowers and mosses carpet the ground among the gnarled giants. To the west rises Mount Bross, the 22nd- highest peak in Colorado at 14,172 feet. Long views of the Mosquito Range and South Park expand to the south and west. To the east is the massive Mount Silverheels, named for a famous dance-hall girl known for wearing silver-heeled shoes. The legend says that she nursed sick miners back to health during an epidemic that hit the mining camps in the 1860s. To show their appreciation, the locals collected a bag of gold for her, but she had mysteriously disappeared. They named the peak in her honor.

Enjoy your time here, it is a magical forest and the trees have waited a long time to see you.

Panorama Point

* Elevation: 7,000 to 7,200 feet

* Distance: 2.8 miles round-trip

* Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

* Directions: From Denver, take Interstate 70 west to the Morrison Exit. Go south past Red Rocks to the town of Morrison and turn right at the light and follow Colorado 74 toward Evergreen. This narrow, winding canyon road is also used by bicyclists, so be especially alert when rounding the sharp curves. At 7.1 miles from Morrison, turn left and cross the bridge over Bear Creek to the Corwina Park parking area. There are residences on the right of the bridge; please respect private property. Go to denvergov.org for a trail map. This short hike is close to town and a quiet getaway from the noise of the city.

* The experience: The trail begins with a cool uphill jaunt into a shaded ravine where a small creek tumbles down from above. The gurgling water is the only thing that you will hear after a few minutes of walking. Wildflowers that flourish in the shade bloom along the edge of the creek. You'll skirt large rock outcroppings where you might get escorted by pesky camp jays.

After about 1 mile of walking up the steady grade, you come to a well-marked junction. Stay left to reach Panorama Point. Here, hikers share the trail with mountain bikes and horseback riders for a few hundred yards. The trail winds through ponderosa pines and a profusion of low brush and wild flowers, always going up. After about .2 miles, a trailhead sign points uphill to the Point. The trail rises steeply until it reaches the top of the ridge, where it levels out to Panorama Point. Use care when climbing around on the huge outcroppings. The panorama includes Mount Evans and the Continental Divide in the distance, and town of Kittredge below.

FYI: The trail is patrolled regularly. I was busted by a park ranger who warned that a dog off the leash could lure a hungry mountain lion back to a hiker. Enough said.

Monarch Lake

* Elevation: 8,340 feet

* Distance: 4 miles round-trip

* Time: 2 hours

* Directions: From Granby, take U.S. 34 north for approximately 6 miles to Lake Granby. Turn right onto Forest Road 125 (Arapahoe Bay Road). Drive about 10 miles to the southeast end of the lake, passing the campgrounds. Be on the lookout for osprey nests in trees along the lake side of the road. The devastating effect of pine beetles and spruce budworm in the area is extensive. Acres and acres of dead, standing timber cover the mountainsides. Follow the road to the end and park at the trailhead near a ranger cabin. Dogs must be leashed. This is a Fee Area.

* The experience: The trail begins as a service road but narrows when it reaches the lake. After a quarter-mile you will find Monarch Lake sparkling in a wide park below two glacial valleys. Take the loop trail to the right and you will cross the dam to the south shore of the lake. Here the trail narrows even further as it enters the dark timber and leads past stands of colorful wildflowers.

As you circumnavigate Monarch Lake, you will see the peaks of Rocky Mountain National Park to the northeast and Indian Peaks Wilderness looming in the east. Along the way, you cross Arapaho and Buchanan Creeks, both of which feed Monarch Lake. On the south side of the lake, a sign directs you down to water's edge and a rather interesting bit of history. A piece of heavy equipment called a donkey engine still sits alongside the shoreline. It was used when a timber and box company operated here.

Several small creeks tumble down beside the trail, offering a cool reprieve on a hot day. Snowmelt straight off the Continental Divide spills down these waterways. If you have your water filter, take a minute and enjoy a taste of the Rockies.

As you loop around the lake, you will encounter ruins of old logger cabins near the southeast corner of the lake. There are some deep pools right off the trail for dog swimming or fishing. You might want to wade out across small spits of turf to the island just offshore to fish for trout and arctic grayling.

The Monarch Lake loop trail also connects to a trailhead that serves trails heading into the Indian Peaks Wilderness and the Arapahoe National Recreation Area. Ask for maps at the ranger station.

Rawhide Trail - White Ranch Park

* Elevation: 7,120 to 7,450 feet

* Time: 2 hours

* Distance: 4.6 miles round trip

* Directions: From Golden, drive north on Colorado 93 for 1 mile. Turn west into Golden Gate Canyon Road. After 4.1 miles, turn right onto Crawford Gulch Road (Colorado 57). Follow the signs to the White Ranch trailhead on the right. An improved gravel road leads to the parking area. Dogs must be leashed.

* The experience: From the main parking area at the west access, stay left on the Beecher Hill Trail to reach the Rawhide Trail. You start out across grasslands with long views of Centennial Cone rising in the southwest. After an easy, level stroll across the meadows for the first mile, you will come to a slight grade uphill.

Up the trail and into the trees, be on the lookout for dusky grouse (blue grouse) and tufted Abert's squirrels. The park is also common to mountain lions, bears, wild turkeys, bobcat, elk, and mule deer. The blackened area is from a forest fire in the summer of 2006. After the intersection of Wrangler's Run Trail, continue north for about 2 miles, passing camping sites and the Sourdough Springs Equestrian Camp, complete with a horse trough and a corral. If you want to cut off 0.3 mile, stay right at the intersection of the Waterhole Trail and travel 0.6 mile to rejoin the Rawhide trail. For a longer hike, stay left on the Rawhide for 0.9 mile as it will loop back around to start the downward hike. A sign marks the Princess Anne View, a panoramic spot to stop and look around. Golden Gate Canyon lies off to the northwest and Centennial Cone is off to the southwest. To the east rises the Denver skyline and sweeping views of the plains.

As you descend the eastern side of Rawhide for the next mile, you will appreciate sturdy boots for the constant downhill grade. From here, the parking area is visible below. Water here is seasonal and there is little to shield you from sun once you leave the shade of the forest. Be sure to bring plenty to drink.

No Thoroughfare Canyon

* Elevation: 5,000 to 5,100 feet

* Time: 2 hours, with lunch

* Distance: 3 miles round-trip

* Directions: From Grand Junction, follow I-70 to the east entrance of Colorado National Monument via Monument Road. Fee area.

* The experience: Just a few minutes from downtown Grand Junction, you can immerse yourself in the marvels of rimrock canyons and sandstone formations on this easy hike. The trail follows a dry creek bed with dramatic sandstone cliffs that rise above in several directions. June is the best month to see prickly pear cactus wearing their crowns of silky yellow, bright magenta and apricot-tinged flowers.

Look closely and you might recognize the endangered showy claret- cup cactus by its goblet-shaped scarlet flowers.

You will pass a seasonal pool and a 100-foot waterfall after about a mile, with another trickling waterfall further ahead. The gaping hole named Devils Kitchen is on your left. Be on the lookout for the yellow-headed collared lizard, which will be in full color due to mating season. The lizards that scurry underfoot can survive without water for days, but you cannot. Take at least 2 quarts per person for this excursion. Stop under the cottonwoods and have lunch. Return the same route, as the trail gets rocky and strenuous from here on.

Big South Trail

* Elevation: 8,438 to 9,280 feet

* Time: Your choice

* Distance: Trail is 10.7 miles; you decide how far you want to explore

* Directions: Take U.S. 287 northwest from Fort Collins for 11 miles. Turn left on Colorado 14 and continue for 49 miles. Just before the road crosses a bridge and you see the Big South Campground, turn left into the parking area for Trail 944. Dogs must be leashed. No bicycles permitted in the wilderness.

* The experience: This easy hike leads you up the Cache la Poudre River where it leaves the highway and enters Comanche Peak Wilderness. The trail follows the river more or less for about two miles before the canyon closes in and you must climb up and across a talus slope before the trail drops back down to the river. You will hike through forests of spruce, lodgepole pine and aspen most of the way. There are several high points with great views of the mighty Poudre River, designated as one of Colorado's wild and scenic rivers. If you go far enough, you will cross May Creek. The trail rejoins the river at 7 miles where the bridge is washed out and you must wade across the wild waters or turn around. The trail provides some access to fishing for a self-sustaining brown trout population. September is the prime time for spawning brown trout and quaking aspens.

Ptarmigan Lake

* Elevation: 10,700 to 12,400 feet

* Time: 3 hours

* Distance: 6 miles round-trip

* Directions: From Buena Vista, go 15 miles west of Forest Road 306 (Cottonwood Pass Road) to the trail head (Trail 144) parking on your left.

* The experience: You will begin by crossing Middle Cottonwood Creek on a small bridge. This well-maintained trail winds through forests of ponderosa pine and blue spruce, where wildflowers bloom in the sunny areas throughout the summer. Farther up, you will pass several small ponds and boggy wetlands where ducks nest in the spring and water- loving wildflowers grow in every direction. Look closely at the purple blooms of the elephant head wildflower to see how they get their name.

Start this hike early to avoid afternoon lightning storms. Ptarmigan Lake sits just below the 13,000- foot peaks of the Sawatch Range and dangerous thunderstorms can be upon you before you know it. Move quickly to lower ground at the first sight of a storm. Picnic at the lake and return the same route.

Williams Creek Trail

* Elevation: 8,500 to 9,500 feet

* Time: 3.5 hours with lunch

* Distance: 6 miles round-trip

* Directions: From Pagosa Springs, go 2.5 miles west on U.S. 160 to Forest Road 600 (which becomes Forest Road 631), then 30 miles northwest (right) to Forest Road 640, then follow the signs to the Williams Creek Trailhead, Trail 587 (about 4 miles).

* The experience: You will begin climbing the remnants of an old road and then cross a rocky creek bed into the edge of Colorado's Weminuche Wilderness. Containing 499,771 acres, it is Colorado's largest wilderness area. The trail steepens at it switchbacks up a rocky canyon, crossing numerous small creeks. Mature aspen and ponderosa pine line the trail. Large cones from the resident limber pine litter parts of the path. The trail climbs through a narrow canyon, where you will be rewarded with glimpses of huge, dramatic rocks flanking the creek below.

About 2 miles in, you will cross Indian Creek Trail, which splits off to the right. An open meadow rimmed with mature aspens sitting in the lap of pinnacled cliffs serve as a serene spot for a break. Snow-capped peaks of the Continental Divide lie ahead, but there are plenty of towering peaks to the south as well. Unusual rock formations, slim fins, fluted cliffs, and various shapes of volcanic rock make this hike interesting and appealing for all ages.

Keep an eye out for numerous antler scrapes and claw marks found on tree trunks left by resident bear and elk. Hummingbirds thrive here and just might dive toward your red or pink T-shirt.

After five creek crossings and three meadow stops, you come to the roaring Williams Creek crossing, which marks the end of this hike. Have lunch at this high meadow full of shimmering white aspens, enjoy the sounds of nature and return on the same route.

Difficult Creek

* Elevation: 8,100 to 9,500 feet

* Time: 2.5 hours with lunch

* Distance: 5 miles round-trip

* Directions: From Aspen, drive three miles east on Colorado 82, toward Independence Pass, and look for the Difficult Creek Campground sign on the right. The trailhead for Forest Trail 2196 is on the east side of the day-use area.

* The experience: You will begin strolling through willows alongside the river and cross a wooden footbridge over the Roaring Fork River. Keep right after the crossing and begin a steady climb, switching back and forth through the sagebrush. From here, the trail climbs steadily. You will walk through aspen groves, following Difficult Creek up and up, passing berry patches and entering open spots that offer long views up the valley toward the Maroon Bells- Snowmass Wilderness.

Still gaining elevation, the trail swings up and away from the creek. You get a short reprieve when the trail levels out and enters a cheery grove of ancient aspen before it once again climbs. Rounding a ridge, you will see a great spot for a photo with lush greenery in all directions.

After 2.5 miles, the trail narrows and rejoins Difficult Creek, where it parallels the waters. Keep following the path upstream to find a flat spot for lunch, then return on the same route.

Dark Canyon of the Anthracite

* Elevation: 8,000 to 10,000 feet

* Time: 4 hours

* Distance: 8 miles round-trip

* Directions: From Paonia, drive 15 miles east on Colorado 133 to Colorado 12. Turn south and go 6 miles to the Erickson Springs Campground. The trail head for Trail 830 begins just past the campground.

* The experience: Your trek begins at the northeast corner of the camping area, plowing through willows and oak brush before it reaches the hillside. Be on the lookout for dusky (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 rim- rock cliffs and caves in the outcrop.

After another mile, 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 overgrown, 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.

Dense thickets of waist-high thimbleberries and gigantic lady ferns almost overgrow the trail ahead. The thimbleberries spread wide, broad leaves in front of you, 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 you arrive at the confluence of North Anthracite and Middle Anthracite creeks.

There is an old hunting campsite spread under huge cottonwood trees. Turn around here or continue another mile up the Middle Fork to the Devil's Staircase.