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Author: Laura M Clark
Laura has summited over 500 peaks above 13,000' solo, including being the first woman to solo summit all of the Colorado 14ers, as well as the centennials. After each hike, she writes trip reports for each one and publishes them on her blog, which is read by fans all over the world. Author of Wild Wanderer: Summiting Colorado’s 200 Highest Peaks, which is available to purchase on Amazon.
This trip started out as a summit attempt on Homestake Peak, but it ended with an unexpected trip to the 10th Mountain Hut.
Weather all over the state either had high avalanche danger or high winds, so I settled on hiking Homestake Peak today, with a frigid forecast but only 5-10mph winds and no cloud cover. Or, so I thought. I arrived at the trailhead and put on my gear, including snowshoes, inside my truck.
There were some cool signs in the area
I was on the trail when it was still dark, and noticed tracks coming towards me, presumably made earlier in the night. I’m guessing they’re coyote
I followed the well-marked trail, using the blue diamond route
And then following the route to the 10th Mountain Hut (still blue diamond/arrows).
Here I was following the Colorado Trail. It was just a for a short time, but still kind of cool to be back on the trail for a bit.
The trail was easy to follow until I came to a meadow. I was supposed to take the route outlined below, but the snow was too soft in the willows.
I ended up zig zagging back and forth, trying my best to follow deer/elk tracks. I kept falling into invisible streams covered in several feet of snow. At one point my phone froze and I was unable to unlock the screen to see where I should have been going. My stylus wasn’t working in the cold either. Several times I sank up to my chest in snow, and after the third time getting my snowshoe caught in debris that immobilized me I decided to call it and head back to the trail. I wanted to try to find another way to summit: the conditions in the marshy area were just not safe. I could see myself twisting an ankle or breaking a leg on this route. Here’s my route out of the willows.
I didn’t want my day to be over, so I decided to follow the tracks to see where they led. They continued to follow the blue diamonds.
Right about now the sun was beginning to rise, and I could see it wasn’t going to be a cloudless day. The clouds made for a beautiful sunrise though!
As the sun rose the wind picked up. I could see snow swirling all around me, which was pretty cool. I also knew I needed to be more to the southwest if I wanted to attempt Homestake Peak today, but every time I tried to cross the snow and head southwest I sank up to my chest in the snow. That snow was seriously deep, and sugary. I’d need skis to attempt a safe crossing (I don’t own skis).
I could also tell the clouds were increasing, and by looking at how fast they were moving, they weren’t going 5-10 mph (more like 40mph or so). Here the well trenched trail ended, but I could see a faint line of where it had been a few days ago and decided to re-trench the trail to see where it went.
I came to a small sign, stating no snowmobiles were allowed past this point, and continued heading northwest.
Just after the sign I came to the 10th Mountain Hut! So cool!
I wanted to take a look around, but as I got closer I could see people moving about inside and decided to leave them be. They looked like they were packing up to head back out. They must have trenched in on Friday, and I’m sure they’d be excited when they noticed I’d re-trenched their way out.
Heading back was easy, as I just followed my tracks
I made it back to my truck at 9:15am, making this a 9.06 mile hike with 1456’ of elevation gain in 4 hours
Here you can see my intended route (bottom) and the route I actually took (top)
As I drove home the winds became more intense. There were semis parked on the side of I70, waiting out the wind. Yes, it had been a good idea to switch directions today. While any day out hiking is a great day, I wasn’t happy with today’s stats, so after making it home I hopped on the treadmill.
I haven’t been to the Manitou Springs Incline since they’ve implemented the reservation system, but since there was high avalanche danger all across the state, I figured today was a good day to go. The reservations were free, and easy to obtain. There are 25 slots open every half hour for reservation, and I secured the last two. However, when we arrived we only passed/say about 8 other people all day, and no one was enforcing the permit system. Maybe they took a snow day?
We paid to park while it was still dark and headed up the trail. It was 12 degrees outside, and SkyDiverHiker had on his new gloves. We weren’t sure if we were going to hike the incline once or twice today, so we decided to take it slow. We also wanted to see the sunrise, and we knew at our normal speed we’d get there half an hour before it happened, so if we went a little slower we’d stay warm longer. Check out our view of Manitou Springs
We kept the pace slow and steady. About halfway up SkyDiverHiker’s calves started cramping up, so we decided to make this a one and done day.
It took us about 40 minutes to reach the top, so we had a bit of waiting to do.
We took a selfie at the top: notice how cold it is? My hair is frozen!
While we waited I got out my new photography sphere. I took a bunch of photos, trying to figure out how it worked. Unfortunately, it was still really cold outside, and my phone froze. The stylus didn’t work and my fingers were numb, so I didn’t get as many pictures as I’d of liked. I need some more practice.
It seemed to take forever for the sun to rise!
Jill and her husband met us at the top, and she took a few sphere photos too. Then we were off, back down the trail
Halfway down we had someone ask us if we’d seen a dog. No, we hadn’t, but a few minutes later a medium sized black mutt raced past us. We ended seeing the dog again and were able to coax it to us. We retraced our steps back up the trail to the owners, who were grateful, but I had to ask them if they had a leash? They looked confused, said “Oh yeah”, and got it out and put it on the dog. When we got back to the truck it was still 12 degrees outside! Brrrr!
We’ve had this trip for months, and in October had to re-scheduled it due to COVID concerns. I was a bit worried we were attempting some of these peaks too late in the year, and, unfortunately, ended up being right about that. Many roads we encountered were closed, even though their status showed as ‘open’. No matter though, we still had a great, whirlwind weekend where we were able to get in 5 Highpoints. Originally, we’d planned on 8 (and called them the ‘bowtie 8’ because our drive would go in a bowtie pattern). The weather had other plans.
We flew into ATL, arriving around 11am. The flight had been uneventful, the airport was crowded, and it seemed to take forever to make it to ground transportation (several trains were involved). When we arrived there was an hour wait at the Enterprise counter to get our vehicle (they wouldn’t let me use the kiosk because I was paying with a debit card instead of a credit card). On a positive note, we received an upgrade on our vehicle, and we were able to choose any vehicle in the row. We ended up picking a Nissan SUV so we could sleep in the back, which ended up being much more comfortable than our last trip, where we slept in the front seats.
We were on our way around 1pm. First stop: Brasstown Bald, Georgia’s Highpoint. It rained the entire way there, and when we arrived, the parking area was shrouded in clouds.
I wasn’t even sure we were in the right place, but after getting out my directions I realized it was a half mile walk up a closed (but paved) road. We paid the $3 per person entry fee and parked.
The weather was miserable, so I put on my hat, jacket, and heavy-duty gloves and we were on our way, walking up the road.
The walk up this road was easy, but in today’s conditions, miserable. It wasn’t quite snowing yet, so we were getting soaked from the rain. It was bitterly cold. Water was running down my gloves and I had to pull my jacket hood so tight I could only see a few feet in front of me. I much prefer snow to rain.
At the top of the hill was a plaque and a sitting area
And beyond that, the visitor’s center (closed)
It was no surprise we were the only ones here today, as the weather was brutal. The wind picked up as we took a look around, searching for the summit marker (side note, there isn’t one. The rangers keep it locked up inside so no one steals it). We found the Highpointers bench, and then climbed the stairs to the tower. Unfortunately, the tower was closed due to COVID.
The wind picked up and it started snowing, so we decided to head back down. We rushed to the car and headed towards our second highpoint of the day: Clingman’s Dome, TN. Unfortunately, the road was closed 6.5 miles from the summit, and it was still raining, so we decided to skip this Highpoint too and instead headed to Kentucky.
We got lost driving (this happens a lot when we highpoint, the intense 4WD road should have tipped us off) and arrived late at night, walking the short distance to the summit in snow. This highpoint is on private property, so we kept our waivers on us as we looked walked around the summit.
This summit had a tower as well, but we didn’t climb it (too clod)
We made a mental note next time to add GPS coordinates to highpoints for our next trip, so we wouldn’t have such difficulties finding them, headed back to the car and drove to the summit we hoped to hike in the morning: Mt Rogers, VA. Passing through Gaitlinburg we noticed they were having some sort of parade/celebration, as the city was all done up in lights and there were tons of people milling about. This looked like a fun town. Maybe next time we’ll stay here when we come back for the highpoints we weren’t able to get this trip. We stopped at a grocery store for some cheese, crackers, and meat (side note: garlic ritz are the bomb) and were on our way, listening to a Harry Potter book on tape.
We arrived at 4am to the trailhead. The snow, which was supposed to stop around midnight, showed no signs of stopping. We decided to get a few hours rest and start out at first light. The wind howled and blew snow around us as we slept, or rather, tried to sleep, as we were slightly afraid the car would tip over in the wind. We were comfortable sleeping in the back with our sleeping bags and heated blanket, but the noise from the wind kept us awake. At 6am we turned on the heater, and at 7am we called it. The wind and snow were just too much for an attempt today.
On to the next highpoint!
We crossed into North Carolina, and attempted to take the Blue Ridge Parkway to the summit of Mt Mitchell, but it waws closed. We then tried to take a back route, and got pretty close. The weather was nice and there wasn’t any snow on the ground, but we encountered a winter closure gate. Hmmmm. They should really publicize things. There are a lot of great dispersed camping spots here.
No worries though: on to the next highpoint!
We were on our way to South Carolina. Sassafras Mountain was my favorite highpoint of the trip. Not only does it have a cool name, but the road was open to the top and it was a beautiful day! There’s a short hike to the summit area just beyond the closed gate.
We walked up the gravel road to a very nicely done highpoint.
The summit marker, bench, and plaques were easy to find
We walked up the stairs to the observation area, and realized we were on the NC/SC state line! So cool! So, of course we took photos.
Check out the view from the observation area
Sassafras Mountain:
It was still early in the day, so we decided to drive over to visit the Alabama State Highpoint as well (Cheaha Mountain). We ended up starting out the wrong way and heading back into South Carolina
But we quickly noticed our mistake and turned around. After arriving at the State Park (which had people camping but no open bathrooms) we paid the entrance fee (the girl who took our money wasn’t wearing a COVID mask, and was a little rude) and drove to the observation area. This was another nice observation area.
We were the only ones there, so we went inside and climbed the stairs
The stairs looked pretty cool on the way back down.
After doing some calculations we realized we had time to drive all the way to the beach and visit Florida’s highpoint tomorrow. We stopped to get gas and noticed Alabama doesn’t have a COVID mask mandate in place. The town we drove through was sketchy, and I got some very negative looks from the locals when I wore a mask while getting gas. The people giving me the looks looked to be members of street gangs, so we didn’t stay long. We drove all the way to Chocktaw Beach and parked on the side of the road, backing the SUV in. We were right next to the water, and I was excited to wake up to the sunrise the next morning. We ate our dinner (drive thru taco-bell) and I jotted some notes down in my journal. How cool was it we were sleeping on the beach tonight? Sorry, no pictures of this, as it was dark. In the end the sunrise wasn’t that spectacular and we forgot to take pictures, but it’s a memory I’ll never forget.
It was an hour from the beach to Britton Hill, Florida’s highest point. At 345’ it’s not much of a highpoint. In fact, it’s not even a valid peak. The park was nice though (not the bathrooms, as they were quite filthy, but the park itself, Lakewood Park, was nice).
And now for the 5 hour drive back to ATL. There was considerably less traffic as we made it back to Georgia
Some notes:
There was a lot of Christmas cheer in the form of holiday light displays
We passed no less than 500 Baptist churches
We saw a lot of deer
They close Blue Ridge Parkway in winter, even though they say they don’t
The cops in Alabama only have blue lights on their patrol cars
We didn’t see any wildlife except for deer (I was kind of expecting to see armadillos in FL)
My trail name is Wild Wanderer, I’m a mountaineer, and I have Raynaud’s. So far this year I’ve summited over 160 peaks above treeline, many of them in winter conditions, and I haven’t had a single Raynaud’s attack this year. With the cold weather approaching (or already here!) I’ve been asked to put together some tips on how I successfully mountaineer in the winter and manage my Raynaud’s. I believe these tips can help all cold weather hikers and adventurers.
Disclaimer: These tips in no way all inclusive or a substitute for the education you should receive before entering the backcountry in winter. Please consider taking classes in alpinism, orienteering, avalanche awareness, and wilderness first aid before entering the backcountry, especially in winter.
Raynaud’s causes some areas of your body — such as your fingers and toes — to feel numb and cold in response to cold temperatures or stress. In Raynaud’s disease, smaller arteries that supply blood to your skin become narrow, limiting blood flow to affected areas (vasospasm). This can happen even in warm weather.
This picture was taken of my fingers while camping on a 70 degree day.These are my feet having an attack while I was at work, sitting at my desk
During an attack of Raynaud’s, affected areas of your skin usually first turn white. Then, they often turn blue and feel cold and numb. As you warm and your circulation improves, the affected areas may turn red, throb, tingle or swell. This can be a very painful experience. Many people mistake it for frostbite. This time I’d earned my blue toes, as I’d been snow-shoeing without the proper gear
Winter hiking is a wonderful experience. There’s a special reverence and tranquility to a winter mountain landscape. The trails are less crowded, the views are amazing, the wildlife easier to spot, and with this comes a unique sense of achievement to summiting a mountain covered in snow and ice. However, the cold and wind can be a barrier to this sport. I’ve been a mountaineer for 6 years now, and I’ve learned quite a few tips and tricks to keeping myself (and my digits) warm and attack free. It all comes down to prevention and preparedness.
What Wild Wanderer Wears
I usually wear the same outfit when I mountaineer, emphasizing moisture wicking layers and fleece. It’s kind of boring and predictable, but it keeps me warm.
Here’s what I wear, from head to toe (scroll down for detailed information)
Knit/Wool Hat
Balaclava
Sunglasses / Snow Goggles
Sports Bra
Moisture wicking tank
Moisture wicking jacket
Puffy Jacket
Jacket Shell
Yoga Pants
Snowboarding Pants
Wool Socks
Mountaineering Boots
Gloves
Bandana
Extra Gear (depending on weather/conditions)
Snowshoes
Microspikes
Ice Axe
Crampons
Knit/Wool Hat: I knit hats and donate them to an outdoor school for 4th graders. These kids are outside all winter long, and their heads need to stay warm. I make hundreds of these hats a year, and I always wear a different one each time I go hiking. When I get back, I wash the hat and donate it. The kids get a kick out of seeing me wearing their hat on top of a mountain. Wool is a great material, just don’t buy a cotton hat: cotton kills (more on this later).
Balaclava: If it’s windy you’re going to want one of these. Make sure it covers your whole face and nose, is made out of a breathable fabric (polyester works) and covers your neck and is long enough to be tucked underneath your inner layers.
Sunglasses / Snow Goggles: The snow can be blinding, and you’d be surprised how a good pair of goggles cuts down on the cold the wind can bring. I put my sunglasses in my jacket pocket before setting out, so they’re easily accessible.
Upper Layers: I rarely take layers off during a hike, as I’d rather be too hot than too cold. With Raynaud’s it’s easy to cool off when hot, but difficult to warm up once cold. I wear a moisture wicking sports bra, tank, and jacket all the time, no matter what. On top of that I have a puffy and a shell (the shell doubles as a rain jacket). The shell has a hood, which I have prepped to fit my head if needed to block out the wind.
Bottom Layers: To prevent chaffing, I like to wear form fitting yoga pants (polyester/spandex) under fleece lined snowboarding pants. These snowboarding pants will get torn up from crampons, microspikes and snowshoes, so I reserve a pair primarily for mountaineering. NOTE: Ski bibs are a terrible idea, as you need to take off unnecessary layers to use the restroom. Make sure your pants are just that: pants.
Wool Socks: Not cotton. Not too snug. You want your feet to be able to breathe and circulation to flow. Also, this is an instance where two is not better than one: only wear one pair of socks.
Mountaineering Boots: This is going to be a highly personal choice. I go through 4 pairs of boots a year, but to be fair I put a lot of miles in a year – around 2500 and over a million feet of elevation gain. What’s important here is to buy a pair a size larger than you’d normally wear, and, unless you have extremely narrow feet, get them in a wide size. This is because your feet will swell above treeline and you want them to have room to do so freely. A constricted foot is a cold foot. You don’t want to wear anything too constricting on your hands or feet. The footwear should also be waterproof, have a good tread, be flexible, and feel comfortable. Go to an outdoor recreation store and try on a few pair to see what works best for you before buying.
Gloves: Unfortunately, hand warmers have never worked for me (not the chemical ones, the battery-operated ones, or the ones that use fuel). Note: If you have Raynaud’s you can never take off all your gloves while winter hiking. Never. The cold will zap the heat out of your hands instantly, and regaining that heat is difficult.
I bring along 3 pairs of gloves: I wear two at a time, and have the third in reserve in case I loose one I’m wearing: The wind above treeline can be ferocious, and I’ve seen gloves blow away in the wind. If you have Raynaud’s and you lose a glove above treeline it’s quite possible you’ll be losing fingers with it. I buy all gloves one size bigger than I normally wear. This allows for my hands to swell at altitude and makes them easier to put on/take off as needed.
The first pair I wear is made of a 95% polyester, breathable, wicking, quick drying fabric with 300-weight fleece and a 100 weight fleece liner. I always have a glove with fingers as the base layer so I can move my fingers to perform tasks that require dexterity with a layer still on, protecting my hands from the elements. I never take these gloves off. Ever. (See stylus information below).
The second pair I wear is a shell. They’re waterproof, breathable, windproof, wicking, fully seam-taped with a water-resistant leather palm. These do a great job keeping out the wind, and are easy to take on and off. It’s important the outer layer are mittens and not gloves because my fingers and hands stay warmer in a mitten.
My reserve pair is also a pair of mittens. They’re fleece lined and come with the outer mitts. I keep these as a back-up in case I lose one of my other gloves.
Bandana: This is very important! I tie one to a carabineer and put it on the side of my pack so I have easy access to blow my nose. My nose drips like a faucet above treeline, and it’s nice to have something readily available to wipe my nose. (Yes, learning how to clog one nostril and blow is helpful, but not practical with large mountaineering gloves). The bandana should be made of polyester so it dries out fast. If you buy a cotton one it will freeze faster, get stiff, and be unusable until it melts. It becomes frozen snot.
Snowshoes: When it comes to snowshoes, you most likely won’t be putting these on at the trailhead, but later in your hike. Thus, ease of use is very important: you want to be able to put them on without taking off your inner glove. The three things I look for in a snowshoe are that they’re made of steel (not aluminum), have heel risers, and ratchet bindings. Ratchet bindings are the most important feature: I climbed all of Colorado’s 58 peaks over 14,000’ in a cheap pair of snowshoes, but I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish this if they hadn’t had the ratchet bindings.
Microspikes: Don’t spend a lot of money on these. A cheap, $7 pair will last you a long time. I use them year-round (they work great on scree for stability) and would never pay more than $10 for a pair. My advice here is if there’s any ice at the trailhead to put them on while you’re still in your vehicle, keeping your hands warm while doing so. I’ve worn microspikes for miles when they weren’t needed, and it didn’t damage them. It did however keep my fingers from getting needlessly cold putting them on. (Remember, when it comes to the cold, prevention is key). Microspikes can also be worn with snowshoes: There’s no need to take microspikes off to put snowshoes on.
Ice Axe: These are usually made of stainless steel/aluminum, which gets cold. I have an ice axe with a rubber grip (which is moderately warmer) and a leash. The leash goes around my wrist, under my outer glove but on top of my shell. I try to hold the ice axe by the leash when it’s not necessary to hold the shaft for safety purposes. Another way to avoid the cold here is to put a bandana around the shaft while gripping it.
Crampons: Make sure they’re made of steel and not aluminum (aluminum bends) and have front facing spikes for traction. Learn how to use these before trying them in the elements for the first time, as they can be tricky to put on correctly, especially while wearing gloves.
Keep Your Pack Packed
Unfortunately, those of us with Raynaud’s don’t have the luxury of packing light: we need to be prepared for all types of weather, and due to the possibility some of our gear might fail/get lost, we need backups. I like to keep all my gear in my backpack when not in use. When I get back from a hike, I usually wash my bandana, refill my water bottle, wash my sunscreen compact, and put them all back in my pack. I don’t forget important gear at home, as it’s always in my pack. In addition to the 10 essentials, I carry the following items (scroll down for detailed information):
Carabiners
Jetboil
16oz water bottle (in addition to my regular water bottle)
Stylus
Vaseline
Sunscreen
Camera
Collapsible trekking pole
Carabiners: Carabiners are your friend! The larger the better, so they’re easier to manipulate while wearing gloves. I use them to attach my water bottle to my pack, as well as my ice axe, bandana, and any other gear I want easily accessible.
Jetboil and 16oz Water Bottle: Jetboils are a useful tool, as they are relatively lightweight and can boil water very, very quickly. I have one in my pack during the winter, along with a 16oz Nalgene. Before the hike I warm up water, put it in the Nalgene, and keep this smaller water bottle close to my skin as I hike (sometimes in a pocket, or the waist of my pants, etc.) This helps keep me warm. I also start my hike with warm water in my drinking water bottle to help prevent it from freezing. Keeping the water bottle close to my body (and not in my pack) helps to keep the water from becoming frozen during the hike. The Jetboil comes along with me, and if needed I can warm up the water again, or, if the water is frozen, I can quickly heat up snow.
Stylus: These are so helpful to people suffering from Raynaud’s! Our fingers don’t register well on touch screen devices, including ATMs, gas station machines, phones, and tablets. A stylus is cheap (I bought 12 in a pack from Amazon for $4) and solves the problem of using our fingers on screens. A stylus while hiking has the added benefit of reducing the need to take off your gloves to use your phone or GPS device to take pictures or find direction. I keep a stylus attached to all my devices that require touch to operate.
Vaseline: I’m in love with Vaseline/Petroleum Jelly. Movie stars have sworn by its beauty effects (wear it to bed to keep skin soft and younger looking), it helps wounds heal faster, restores moisture after wind burn, and when you’re a mountaineer, it keeps your nose from freezing. Before hitting the trailhead I slather a generous layer of Vaseline on my nose to keep my nose warm. It works wonders!
Sunscreen: OK, so it’s cold above treeline, but due to the reflection of the sun on the snow sunscreen is still needed. This can be problematic because a tube of sunscreen freezes in the winter above treeline. Using an aerosol spray isn’t practical for obvious reasons (wind) and the sunscreen that comes in a deodorant-like stick doesn’t apply evenly/melt when frozen. To combat this, I went to the dollar store and bought a compact, took out the powder, cleaned the compact out, and filled it with my favorite sunscreen. Then I placed a new compact sponge over it (30 sponges for $1 at the dollar store) and let the sponge absorb the sunscreen.
I keep the compact in my pocket as I’m hiking (inside of a plastic ziplock bag) and when the sun comes up, I take out the compact and apply the sunscreen. The first time I did this I was surprised at how well it worked: The sunscreen doesn’t freeze this way, and is easy to apply. The only downside is the set-up needs to be washed/replaced every time you use it.
Camera: Of course, you’ll want to bring a camera, and the specific kind is up to you. Did you know cameras get cold too? The batteries freeze and they stop working. To combat this, I put my camera on a strap around my neck, and in between snapping photos keep the camera between my puffy and outer layer. This keeps the battery from freezing.
Collapsible Trekking Pole: These are indispensable for a variety of reasons at all times of the year. In the winter they are used for probing the snow to measure snow depth, determining the stability of ice at frozen stream/river crossings, and to whack snow off trees bent over with snow and blocking the trail. Make sure the handle is made of cork or plastic (not metal/aluminum) and easy to manipulate while wearing gloves. When not in use because you’re using your ice axe, collapse and attach to your pack with a carabiner. Also, a trekking pole is your first line of defense against 2 and 4 legged animals.
Trail Tips and Tricks:
Get dressed in your vehicle: It’s cumbersome to drive to the trailhead wearing all my winter gear, so when I arrive at a trailhead I tend to get dressed in the car. I do so with the heat on high, and put all my gear on without opening the car door (this includes snowshoes). It takes a little maneuvering, but I start the hike warm.
Tie your hair back: Here I believe a picture is worth 1000 words. I now braid my hair before a climb.
Don’t Wear Cotton: Cotton is heavy, takes a long time to dry, adds to rapid body heat loss, and absorbs too much moisture. That means you stay wet/cold for a long time. This includes jeans and that cool ‘It’s another half-mile or so’ t-shirt. Instead, pick a synthetic fiber such as polyester, nylon, fleece, or merino wool.
Add string to your zippers: Yes, wearing lobster-claw gloves is great for keeping your hands warm, but it makes manipulating your fingers and doing ordinary tasks, such as unzipping a zipper, difficult. I’ve added string to my zippers so they’re easier to grab while wearing bulky gloves. Note: don’t make the string too long, as it will flap in the wind and hurt when it hits you in the face at high speeds. 6 inches of string is best.
Pee Before Treeline: Wind intensifies at treeline, and stripping off layers in these conditions is not a good idea. If you’ll need to use the facilities (always assume you will), do so under the cover and protection of the trees.
Never Leave Gear Stashed: It’s tempting to leave your snowshoes stashed somewhere when no longer needed to pick up on your way back, but I’ve learned it’s important to carry all gear you’ll need to get down the mountain for your entire hike. I’ve had gear taken (either stolen or someone brought it down to the trailhead, thinking I’d lost it) and it’s easy to forget where you’ve placed the items. If you needed the gear to climb up the mountain, keep it with you so you’ll absolutely have it to get back down.
Keep Moving: There are times when rest is necessary, but resting can quickly lead to frigid body temperatures. Never allow your feet to stop moving, as this is when they cool down. If you’re taking a sip of water or rearranging gear, keep your feet engaged, moving them up and down (marching in place) as you do so. This will help prevent cold toes. Pump your fingers back and forth inside your gloves to keep the circulation going.
Become a Hobby Meteorologist: In winter the days are shorter, so daylight hiking time is less than in summer. Always check the forecast, but remember forecasts are often wrong and change during the day. Learn how to read weather forecasts and know how they relate to timing, topo maps, and geographic features. I’d recommend spending time learning how to navigate the NOAA weather forecasting site, particularly as it pertains to hourly weather forecasts for specific regions/peaks. You’ll gain information such as temperature, wind speeds, wind gusts, sky cover, potential precipitation, lightning, etc. in an hourly forecast. What you see may look daunting at first, but a few minutes studying and it’s mostly self-explanatory picture of the day’s conditions, letting you know the best times to climb, or if you should climb at all.
Windy Weather: When reading forecasts, know wind speeds/gusts are often much more important than how cold it is outside. Hiking in 20 degree weather is actually quite nice when prepared, wearing proper gear and the sun is shining, but add in windchill and it can quickly become hazardous. I’ve mountaineered in winds up to 80mph, and from personal experience, if the wind is predicted to be above 20mph I choose a different area to mountaineer or stay below treeline.
Learn how to read the forecasts to see which way the wind is coming from, and then you can plan your route to avoid ridges where there will be more wind, or at minimum design a route that avoids the brunt of the wind for as long as possible by staying below treeline for a longer period or in the shelter of the side of the mountain with less wind.
For example, in the picture below, if the normal route is in red, but there are winds coming from the north or west that day, you could avoid most of the wind by taking the black route instead, limiting your exposure time on the ridge.
The summit is only halfway: Know your limits, and realize when to turn back. People with Raynaud’s experience cold much more intensely than other people, with quicker and more drastic effects. Summiting is optional, making it back to the trailhead is mandatory. Preferably with all your digits intact. Know when to turn back.
Prevention is key: A Raynaud’s attack, once triggered, is very painful and can take a while to recover from, even after the affected area has been re-warmed. Doing as much as you can to prevent an attack is never wasted: Dress warmly, wear a wind barrier (outer shell), never take off your inner gloves, keep all your gear easily accessible, and bring along warm water. Start with short winter hikes and work your way up to longer, more technical climbs.
I hope this article has been helpful for those of you with Raynaud’s, as well as those of you who may not have Raynaud’s but are interested in staying warm while winter hiking. I’d love to hear from you! Do you have any advice for winter hiking? Comments? Questions? Is there a topic you’d like me to discuss? Contact Wild Wanderer here
I was surprised to find a few other vehicles at the icy Herman Gulch trailhead when I arrived. Two looked abandoned, and the other looked like someone was sleeping inside. Brave, considering it was 12 degrees outside (which seems to be the magic number this season). I parked, gathered my gear, and was on the trail at 5am. This time of year it’s very cold in the mornings, which means it’s very difficult to motivate myself to get out and hike, but I always know I’ll be glad I did later. Such was the story this morning.
The trail starts just behind the information sign at the north end of the parking area.
I followed the Herman Gulch trail for .25 miles before turning left and a junction and following Herman Gulch Trail 98 (the signs are obvious)
I followed this well packed, class 1 trail for 3.5 miles to the upper basin.
Once in the upper basin the trail ended and the fun began! I put on my snowshoes for this part. I knew there was a lake here (Herman Lake), but with the snow I wasn’t sure of it’s exact location/outline, so I skirted the lake to the right, staying on what I knew to be solid ground. I’ve fallen into a snow covered lake before, and didn’t want to repeat the experience. Here’s an over view of my hike. I took the solid line up, the dotted line down
And step by step, first skirting the lake
Then finding an access rib, and following it west
The snow here was sugary and I kept postholing/treading backwards. I’d forgotten my ice axe at home and only had my trekking pole. The trekking pole worked, but if I’d slipped it would have been nice to have had my ice axe (especially just before the summit). Here are some pictures of the way up the rib
The further up I hiked the less snow there was. Here I kept on my snowshoes because they were helpful more than not. I aimed for the saddle
Once at the saddle I had to take off my snowshoes because they started getting in the way. Here I turned right, and followed the ridge northeast to the summit.
There was snow at the summit, but it wasn’t worth putting on my snowshoes. Here is where I would have liked my ice axe as well. Instead, I held my snowshoes in one hand, trekking pole in the other, and climbed up. The snow here was very sugary and at times I sank up to my waste.
But this wasn’t the summit… Here’s the actual summit
I summited Pettingell Peak at 8:50am
Pettingell Peak:
Here’s looking back at the ridge I took in
It was a beautiful day so I sat for a bit on the summit, enjoying the view. (I was so glad I’d gotten out and hiked!)
From the summit I continued hiking northeast, making a little loop of the ascent.
Looking back, you can see a cornice is beginning to form near the summit
Here’s an overview of the route I took down from the ridge, back into the basin, and out through Herman Gulch
The initial descent didn’t have much snow, so I scree surfed down. Here’s a visual of the fun
Scree Surfing:
After the scree ended I put on my snowshoes as I descended into the basin.
Here’s a look back at how I ascended (left) and descended (right) Pettingell Peak
And now, back to the basin (following my tracks in)
I once again skirted the lake and made it back to the basin, where there were dozens of people, several dogs, and a well packed trail awaiting me.
Here’s looking back at my tracks coming down from Pettingell Peak.
I took off my snowshoes and followed the trail southeast
Here are some pictures of the well packed trail out. I passed dozens of people on this part of the hike as well
Back to the junction, where I turned right and hiked the quarter mile back to the trailhead
I made it back to the trailhead at 11am, making this a 9.89 mile hike with 3407’ of elevation gain in 6 hours. When I made it back to the trailhead all of the dozens of parking spots were taken.
Autocorrect is the bane of my existence (especially with Raynaud’s, as my fingers don’t register on touch screens very well). When I saved this trip via Strava and named it, I made sure I typed in ‘Pettingell Peak’ under ‘title your run’. I checked more than once to make sure I’d spelled the peak correctly. Unfortunately, it autocorrected once I hit send, and got titled instead ‘Petting Elk’. If you see any, don’t pet the elk.
It was an icy drive to the trailhead. I chose to do segment 3 today because all hikes I was interested in above treeline were too windy. I did realize this hike was a gamble though, as yesterday it had snowed. I wasn’t sure how much, but reports said 4-6”. Since I was here last week, I knew this would be the first accumulation in the area. If figured I could handle 4-6” of snow.
I made it to the Little Scraggy Trailhead to find the gate to the trailhead closed. I was expecting this, as when I was here last I’d noticed the gate was already closed. There are 3-4 parking spaces just outside the gate on the side of the road. There was a lot of snow on the side of the road, so I spent 10 minutes or so backing in and out of a space, packing down the snow. It was 12 degrees outside. I put on all my cold weather gear and was on the trail at 6am. The trail follows the road behind the gate. (Obviously, this picture is from last week, before the snow).
After hiking along the road for about 1 mile I came to the Little Scraggy Trailhead. Even through the snow, the road was visible.
I passed a large woodpile
This part of the trail has a lot of obvious signage.
The Little Scraggy Trailhead has an information sign and bathrooms (I didn’t check to see if the bathrooms were closed for winter, but I’m assuming they are, as the road’s closed.
From here I followed a trail instead of a road. The trail was covered in snow, but I was still able to tell where it led (most of the time).
As the sun rose, I passed a really cool rock outcropping that looked like a great place to camp
And I started seeing a lot of deer (and deer tracks)
I saw a sign that said ‘overlook’, and wanted to take a look, however, my toes were frozen. I told myself I’d take a look on the way out (which didn’t end up happening, for reasons I’ll explain later). Instead of heading straight I followed the trail to the left. Here I heard a pack of coyotes. They sounded close, yipping just over the hill. At the end of the yips I heard a bark that sounded suspiciously like a dog (but I’m sure what I’d heard initially were coyotes).
This next part of the trail was bitterly cold. I realized later in the day that due to the position of the mountains and time of year, this part of the trail never sees sunlight. The snow was sugary and soft and kept my toes frozen. I kept trying to move my toes inside of my new shoes, willing the circulation to continue flowing. Over and over again I wondered if I should turn back? How did one know when you got frostbite? At what point should I worry? What was the point of no return? Lots of these kinds of thoughts ran through my mind as I continued on. I’m not one to give up easily. The views of Little Scraggy Peak and Green Mountain were nice however.
Here are more photos from this part of the hike. Sometimes the trail was easy to follow, and other times (due to snow) almost impossible. Luckily there were good signs at junctions
I passed through a wildfire mitigation area
And some historical trash along the side of the trail. It was weird to find an old bedspring and cast iron and debris but no structure.
More good signage
Here I came to the most beautiful part of the hike. The trees and bushes were bent over, their branches weighed down with snow. As the sun rose the forest became magical, and in places the trail became difficult to navigate. After appreciating the beauty I took my trekking pole to the branches to disperse the snow, and the branches bounced back and stood upright again.
As the sun warmed up the trees, snow started falling from the branches. It was warm out, but I kept my hat on because of the falling snow.
There were several small creeks to cross on this segment, which means plenty of water. These were easy to cross and weren’t entirely frozen over, so I got to hear the water flowing underneath the ice. Most of these areas had logs to walk across. There wasn’t a log here, but the ice was solid enough for me to walk on top (I had microspikes on for this entire hike).
The snow seemed to be heaviest here. I’m guessing 8 inches or so. I contemplated putting on my snowshoes, but that sounded like too much work and brought with it the possibility of frozen fingers, so I postholed instead.
At 8.75 miles I came to the junction with Buffalo Campground
And then crossed three roads. The first went to Meadows Group Campground, but it didn’t look like anyone was headed there today
The next road was road 543. This is the low elevation point of the segment.
The final road went to a rifle range, and actually had tire tracks!
It was so nice to be hiking in warm weather. I use that term loosely (it was still below freezing), but the sun on my face was magical. Also, I could feel my toes again.
Now I was getting excited. My research had told me this was a 12.2 mile hike, and I knew I had to be getting close to 12 miles. I kept hiking, and came across signs asking me to stay on the trail because I was near a rifle range. No problem!
I hiked, and hiked, and hiked some more, excited I was getting near the halfway point for my hike today. I knew I had to be over 12 miles at this point, so I should be turning around soon. That’s when I saw it: a sign saying the trailhead was 2.5 miles away!
NO WAY! My spirits plummeted. I did some quick mental calculations, as I had a decision to make. It was now 2.5 more miles to my turnaround point. This would add 5 miles to my hike, and 2 hours to my day. If I continued on, I’d be hiking 30 miles today in the snow, trenching the entire way. Also, I’d most likely get back after dark, and I didn’t have cell service, so I had no way of telling anyone I’d be home late. In the end I decided I’d already gone this far and I didn’t want to waste the progress I’d already made: I was going to continue on to the Rolling Creek Trailhead. Also, this was going to be a long day! I resigned myself to not getting pictures of the start of this trail, since I’d be both starting and ending in the dark.
I hiked around what must be private property, given the fencing. This fence must have fallen inwards a few times: they steadied it with a large rock.
Yep, I’m still on the right trail! I was excited to see a Colorado Trail marker here. They are few and far between on this segment (although there is great signage).
The last 2.5 miles seemed to take forever!
I hit the high point of the trail, saw power lines, and then descended a short distance to the trailhead.
I made it to the Rolling Creek Trailhead at noon. I’d hiked 14.84 miles in 6 hours. Doing the math, I’d definitely be getting back after dark (dark now is 5pm, although, as I was to find later, it comes earlier on this segment). There was one vehicle parked in the small lot at the trailhead (taking up every spot available with the way they’d parked)
Even though it was noon I knew daylight was limited, so I didn’t waste much time here. I quickly turned around and headed back the way I’d come. The segment started with a little bit of elevation gain
Route finding was much easier on my way back, as I just followed my tracks in the snow
One really cool thing about this part of the day: all the snow that had been covering the trees was being warmed by the sun at a dramatic pace. Within minutes the trail became a rainforest, with snow melting and falling all around me as water as I went. It truly felt like it was raining! By the end of this part all the snow was gone from the trees, and there were water marks in the snow below them.
Some more trail pictures
With the snow, much of this trail looks the same. I did see more tire prints on the road on my way back out
(Sorry about the water droplets scarring the picture: the water was falling from the trees at a rapid pace)
Besides the deer, my tracks were the only ones on the trail on my way back
While the sun was quickly melting the snow off the branches at the more exposed spots, snow still lingered on the trees in the shadowy areas. In the morning I’d gingerly walked through this area. Now, I whacked every tree with my trekking pole to remove the wet snow so I could pass.
As I rounded the north side of Green Mountain I once again entered the shadows. It was now I realized this area doesn’t get sun in the winter time. The temperature dropped, and I quickly became cold again. Little did I know, but even though it was still afternoon, I wasn’t going to feel the sun again today.
The snow once again became sugary. I assume this is due to the lack of sun/melting. I passed the fire mitigation area
And followed the well marked “Colorado Trail” signs
The sun was rapidly setting. It wasn’t yet 4pm and it was already getting dark out. I quickened my pace, knowing I still had a few hours of hiking left in my day, and also cognizant of the fact I had people who’d be worried about me getting back after dark.
The sun seemed to abruptly set, just as I passed Road 550. I still had 2 miles left to hike in the dark. I don’t mind hiking in the dark (in fact, I do it on just about every hike), but the lack of a visual aid became troublesome here because it seemed someone had brought their family to go snowshoeing in this area sometime earlier in the day. There were several sets of tracks and prints that didn’t really lead anywhere, and my tracks from earlier were lost in the melee. I also wasn’t able to get any good pictures of the last 2 miles of the trail (which I’d also needed for the first 2 miles).
I passed the Little Scraggy Trailhead in deep darkness (despite the early hour) and easily followed tons of tracks in the snow on the 2wd dirt road back to my truck.
I made it back to 126 and, just for good measure, walked to the other side of the road and tapped the Colorado Trail sign on the other side, just to make sure I’d adequately linked segments. I turned around and took a picture of my truck on the other side of the road (and the closed gate)
I made it back to the trailhead at 6pm, making this a 29.59 mile hike with 3362’ of elevation gain in 12 hours. I’d like to note I’d expected this segment to be around 23-24 miles, even with the added mileage from parking at the winter closure. Here’s a topo of my route. (Side note: feel free to contact me if you’d like a copy of the GPX file for this route).
My shoes were covered in ice when I got back to my truck. I shook most of the ice off, but some clumps stayed on my shoes for the 2 hour drive home, and even for a while after I set them by the fireplace. I was pleasantly surprised the hiking shoes I’d worn had kept my toes from frostbite in the conditions I’d hiked (30 miles, in consistent, sugary snow, for 12 hours, in below freezing temperatures). I have Raynaud’s, so this is phenomenal!
South Platte River à Little Scraggy à South Platte River
November 21, 2020
RT Length: 22.15miles
Elevation Gain: 3069’
High Point: 7762’ Low Point: 6099’
Time: 8 hours
Partner: SkydiverHiker
I had so much fun last week hiking Segment 1 I decided to hike Segment 2 this week! Actually, the weather was nice below treeline and yes, now I’ve caught the Colorado Trail bug, so this was an easy hike to choose for today. We arrived at the South Platte River Trailhead just before sunrise, and were on the trail at 6am, bundled in our warm weather gear.
The trail starts at the east end of the parking area, and then circles under the bridge before heading southeast.
The trail is well marked and easy to follow
Shortly after crossing the bridge the trail starts switchbacking up the west side of the mountain.
We hiked past an area we assumed was the abandoned Quartz Quarry (it wasn’t). Also, here I realized SkydiverHiker had thought we were going to a crystal quartz quarry (nope, a rock quarry). We met a hunter here wearing a bright yellow vest. He told us to be on the lookout: there were hunters up further along the trail, and let us know we’d missed the junction and were headed the wrong way. We thanked him, turned around, and wondered what they were hunting this time of year?
Unbeknownst to us, we passed the quarry in the dark (orange route, quarry circled in red. More on this on the way back, as we stopped here for a while. The quartz quarry is located 1.3 miles from the trailhead.
As dawn approached we came to a large burn area. This burn lasted over half of the hike. I hear this area is quite pretty in the spring and early summer, but today it looked desolate.
We started seeing tons of deer, and wondered if it were deer hunting season? We saw three sets, totaling of about 10-12 deer, but never heard a gunshot. Neither did we ever see the hunters (and they should have been visible due to the lack of foliage). The deer were no more than 10 yards away from us, and would have been easy to shoot if we’d been prepared.
As we hiked, I noted how different the mountains look with the trees gone. There were large, exposed boulders and drainages which would otherwise have been disguised by trees. It’s amazing how little has come back since the 1996 Buffalo Creek Fire.
We continued following the well-defined trail west
After hiking for 2 miles we were back in the trees. Side note: there were far fewer trail markers on this segment of the trail than on segment 1. I realize there’s been a fire and not many trees to post markers on, but in the treed area there were far fewer markers as well. And many of them diamond shape (instead of the triangle I’ve been so used to).
Shortly after making it back to the trees we crossed 4WD road 539, which looked like a forest service road.
This would make sense, because next we came upon an area that’s experiencing logging operations. I’m assuming the area’s being mitigated due to the fire. Still, the signs were pretty cool. Since it was a Saturday, I figured the forest service had the day off and we wouldn’t be experiencing any ‘flying debris’ today.
The trail continued through the trees, and past a really neat rock outcropping/camping area
After hiking for 6.25 miles we crossed another 4WD road (this one said it led to Raleigh Peak, and was a more well-defined road)
As we topped out at the highest elevation for this hike we came to a slight junction, keeping straight (west)
Then we came upon more tree mitigation. This was intense mitigation! There were dozens of piles, each no less than 20 feet high and 50 feet across, all of dead trees. It seems what the fire hadn’t decimated the forest service was now trying to cull in order to prevent another fire.
We soon exited the trees, and were in for another 3.5 miles of hiking through the Buffalo Creek Fire area. Here we encountered crows and ravens that seemed quite interested in us. They’d sit in a tree and watch us until we got close, then they’d fly off to a tree further in the distance and watch us as we hiked, flying off again when we got too close.
The final stretch of this segment took place again under the trees. At this point we could hear the road in the distance (126). Also, if you need emergency water, the fire station is circled in red. The only water we encountered on this trail was at the South Platte River Trailhead. After that, there was no water.
There is fencing all along the left side (east) of this trail, with many signs saying ‘no trespassing’. It seems they mean that here. The trail takes you to a road
There seems to be a trailhead at this road. Indeed, you can park here. However, the segment was not yet over. We passed a few parked vehicles and continued along the Colorado Trail
We passed a private community (Spring Creek Ranch)
Before making it to what we thought was the trailhead (our gpx file ended here). It looks like there’s a few spaces to park here, and the trail picks up on the other side of the road.
There is parking here as well, and you can also see the other parking area along the road (circled in red). This is where you want to park in winter, as the ‘true’ Little Scraggy Trailhead is located beyond the locked gate, about a mile away. This is where I parked when I started Segment 3.
In any event, this is where I’ll park when I start segment 3, just so I can claim I’ve hiked the entire trail.
It was here I took off some outer layers, and tried to put my phone in my pants pocket, only to find I’d worn my pants inside-out this entire hike1 I looked both ways, sat down, and fixed the problem (much to SkydiverHiker’s embarrassment).
SkydiverHiker and I took a picture at this point of the trail. We made it here at 10am, after 10.79 miles of hiking (roughly 4 hours).
We didn’t stay long, because we were only halfway done with our hike. If parking here, this is the way we took back to South Platte River Trailhead, first starting with the entry point off road 126
This led us back past Spring Creek Ranch. Here we wet a man on horseback, riding a very fine looking paint. This might be a horse community.
Then back past the first parking area we’d encountered
I’m going to note this here just because it’s one of the many places we saw bones while on this hike. There were several bone fragments of animals we found along the trail (some of the bones were not there on the way in, but were there on our way out). They seemed to be from multiple animals, but all deer and elk.
OK, back to the trail description. We passed the parked cars and continued on the trail. Note the sign for the fire station ahead, should you need assistance/water.
Then it was back into fire territory
Here’s an overview of the hike back to the trees
There were some especially pretty mountain mahogany plants along the way, their feathered seeds backlit by the sunlight.
Once back in the trees we passed the burn piles, or piles of trees. I’m not sure what they intend to do with these large piles, but it seems a waste to leave them there/burn them.
More evidence of ‘flying debris’/ tree trimming (this area is different than the one pictured on the way in)
At the highpoint, once again stay east (right this time) to stay on the Colorado Trail 177
Crossing the well-maintained dirt road
I came to an area where the trail was littered with clumps of pine needles. Looks like the squirrels have been busy!
We continued following the trail. Suddenly, I started seeing snow. Or were those spots? I get a bit scared when this happens (when I see spots it means my blood pressure is low). It was sunny out, so I wasn’t sure how I could be seeing snow. I mentioned this to SkydiverHiker and we stopped for a bit. I had indeed seen snow, as it was lightly falling all around us (despite the lack of clouds and abundance of sun). It didn’t last long though, and the flakes were few and far between.
There are a lot of campsites all along this route.
We crossed the service road again (this road doesn’t look like it gets much use)
And followed the trail through scrub oak and mountain mahogany.
Along the way we got in a good view of the route down (or up) from section 1 at South Platte River.
And now back to the burn area. Here is where we started seeing people. We passed a few groups of people here, and a couple of really cute puppies! It was also very windy and cold these last few miles.
On the way back we had a clear view of what was actually the quartz quarry. There are rocks in this entire area.
We first went to what looked to be an old parking area (or maybe there was a structure here, but there was no foundation to suggest so). It kind of looked like it had caved in. There were old vehicles and pieces of equipment here.
To the west was the actual quarry. We hiked over to inspect, and it was a little underwhelming.
Basically, just a hole in the ground with rocks. No rails or carts or wires, cables, etc. Just rocks.
But they were cool rocks! I was surprised at how white the quartz rocks were.
Here’s how we exited the quarry and made it back to the trail. This was a quick and fun side attraction.
SkydiverHiker fixing the trail. We accidentally hiked the wrong way here for a bit because the junction isn’t obvious (especially in the dark). There isn’t a sign here, but I think going to the south takes you to Eagle Rock.
Then it was switchbacks down to the river. We took this part slow, as we may have had extra baggage at this point.
Back down at the river there were no camping signs. This is a bummer, since I’m sure a lot of hikers want to hike here after filtering water. No worries though, if you’re headed NOBO there are great camping spots just after the trail starts to section 1.
We also saw a memorial sign on the bridge (a dead fish in the water), and some graffiti.
I hiked under the bridge, circled around and took the bridge back to the parking lot. SkydiverHiker took a shortcut, but to be fair, his pack weighed about 100lbs.
Here’s a view of the South Platte River from the bridge
They’re really serious about no motorized vehicles (etc.) on the bridge. I’m not sure you could get a horse through this either. In any event, I’m glad they’re keeping motorized vehicles off the trails.
We made it back to the trailhead at 2pm, making this a 22.15 mile hike with 3069’ of elevation gain in 8 hours. (Side note: feel free to contact me if you’d like a copy of the GPX file for this route).
Final thoughts: this was a long hike to hike with someone. I usually hike alone, and have no problem filling that time with the thoughts in my head. It’s different when you have a partner. You need to work out things like pacing (I was actually slower today, but I blame that on the hike I did the day before), when to take breaks (I never do, but I realize that’s unusual. I don’t see them as necessary), and conversation becomes difficult (I learned to turn my head around and speak directly to him when I had something to say, otherwise I’d get a “what?” and need to repeat myself).
This was my third attempt at Emma Burr Mountain. The first two times I turned back due to wind, but today the forecast kept wind speeds around 15mph, so I tried again. I was in this area last week, and the approach conditions are still the same, so I’m just copying and pasting for efficiency purposes.
The drive in to St Elmo was icy but doable in a 2wd
I was on the trail at 4:00am. The trail starts out following Trail/Road 267 west
This road goes all the way to Tincup Pass, and by the looks of it, a 4WD vehicle had driven the entire way recently. High five to this individual, as they have some serious chutzpah. I was glad I’d parked below however, as I wasn’t sure how my truck would have done on the ice.
This trail parallels North Fork Chalk Creek.
I followed the road for 5.15 miles, staying right here to stay on the road. As I hiked, I saw quite a few moose tracks. It looked like a mama and baby were in the area, so I was on the lookout. I saw tire tracks, but no human footprints.
After hiking for just over 5 miles I made it to the upper basin. Just as with last week, here the tire tracks stopped. I donned my snowshoes and made my way northwest to Tincup Pass. I also noticed the snowshoe tracks I’d made last week were gone, and unfortunately, no moose sightings this time.
Once at the pass I got the picture I’d wanted but forewent last week due to the weather. My son and his Boy Scout Troop always had an annual campout here, with a corresponding picture with this sign. He’ll get a kick out of seeing the snow in this picture. The sun was starting to rise.
Here I took off my snowshoes and turned around, heading east up the side of the mountain
This was a much easier hike than I remembered from the last time I was here. I was pleasantly surprised the wind wasn’t more intense. Microspikes were overkill here, but once I put them on I rarely take them off because doing so would require me to take off my gloves, and I can’t recover from that type of cold, especially if there’s wind. There was a faint trail here that eventually disappeared.
Before gaining the ridge I kept to the left, traveling northeast.
Here’s a look back at Tincup Pass
Once on the ridge I followed it to the summit. This is also where the wind picked up. I put on my balaclava and followed the ridge. The ridge is long, and there’s a false summit here.
Once at the top of the false summit the true summit was clear.
I made it to the summit of Tincup Peak at 8:21am.
Tincup Peak:
I’d already summited Tincup Peak previously: My real goal today was Emma Burr Mountain, which can be seen to the north.
The trek over to Emma Burr looked more difficult than it was. I was especially worried when I saw this part of the ridge
As it turns out, I was worrying about nothing, as there isn’t a dropoff on the left side of the ridge. This was a class 2 hike all the way to the summit. I stayed directly on the ridge.
Here are some step by step visuals of the ridge to Emma Burr. You can stay low here or go high. Both are class 2
I summited Emma Burr Mountain at 9:22am
Emma Burr Mountain:
It was quite windy, so I didn’t stay on the summit long. Instead, I turned and headed back the way I’d come, towards Tincup Peak. Heading south now I had a great view of a cornice forming on Emma Burr
The day was still young and the forecasted snow hadn’t materialized, so I decided to make this a loop and head over to PT 13050. Here’s an overall view of my route to the ridge. I didn’t re-summit Tincup, but instead stayed just below snowline
I traversed Tincup’s east slope to the ridge. Here the wind stopped and it was getting warm, so I was able to take my balaclava off.
Once on the ridge I followed it east.
There were times I was worried I’d cliff out (I didn’t have much beta on this peak), but if you stay to the right this stays a class 2 hike. I lost 660’ of elevation as I hiked east towards the Tincup/13050 saddle. There’s a gaping hole on the ridge here (I skirted it to the right)
The trickiest part of this ridge comes just before the saddle/lowest point. This is the only area I went left instead of right.
From the saddle it was an easy ridge hike to the summit. I gained about 500’ here
I knew I was at the summit when I found this cairn (it’s difficult to tell where the exact summit is for this peak, so I went with the cairn, but walked all over the summit).
I summited PT 13050 at 11:40am
PT 13050:
Here’s a look back on the route from Tincup Peak/Emma Burr Mountain
I was making this a loop, eventually making my way back to the 4WD road I’d hiked in on. So, I continued heading east
I followed the mountainside east, went right around this rock outcropping, and then headed for the trees
Here’s looking back
At this point I put on my snowshoes and aimed southeast, heading towards the 4WD road. Once in the trees I found a drainage and followed that down. This would not be fun to do in reverse.
The snow lessened just before making it to the road. If you were to do this hike in reverse, the spot I exited was just over 2 miles from where I’d parked.
Once o the road, I followed it back to my truck, parked on the west side of St Elmo.
I made it back to my truck at 1:40pm, making this a 15.94 mile hike with 4888’ in elevation gain in 9 hours, 30 minutes. As a side note, I saw a ‘no parking’ sign on this side of the road this time (it must have been covered in snow last week), so I’d advice you to park before entering St Elmo and hike through town to start this hike.
Waterton Canyon -> South Platte River -> Waterton Canyon
November 15, 2020
RT Length: 34.18 miles
Elevation Gain: 4308’
High Point: 7517’ Low Point: 5522’
Time: 11 hours, 20 minutes
The Colorado Trail has been calling my name for some time now, so I put it on my list of goals for 2020. When I put down a goal in writing, there’s a 99% chance I’ll hit it. I try to make my goals a bit of a stretch, varying, but still doable, which keeps things fun. This was my last goal to achieve this year, and I honestly didn’t think I was going to make this one. But, a very windy forecast across the state above treeline gave me the opportunity to hike segment 1 of the Colorado Trail (or is it “The Colorado Trail”? Since I’m from California, not putting “the” in front of a trail, road, highway, etc. feels weird, but this is most likely also technically wrong. Please indulge me).
I know I’ll never get enough time off to hike the trail as a thru hike, so I’m going to need to segment hike when possible. The cool thing about this is if I park at a trailhead, hike the segment, and then hike back, I’ll essentially be hiking both SOBO and NOBO. Pretty cool! (Does that mean I get to say I’ve hiked it twice?) At this point I’m thinking I’ll still start out SOBO and try to do the segments in order.
I arrived at the Waterton Canyon trailhead to find the lot empty. This wasn’t strange, as it was 2am, but it did tell me I wasn’t likely to see anyone as I was hiking this morning. The trailhead is positioned close to many large cities, and I was a bit worried my truck would be broken into, since it was the only vehicle in a lot that doesn’t get much ‘midnight traffic’ My only solace: I have a topper and a potential thief wouldn’t know if I was sleeping inside (or not) or if I was armed or not (I always am). It was much colder than I’d anticipated: 18 degrees at the trailhead instead of the forecasted 35 degrees. I knew it was supposed to get up to 60 degrees today, so I forwent the ski pants and instead put on my heavy-duty winter gloves. I said a prayer to the wind gods, asking them to play nice.
I was on the trail at 2:21am. Because it was still dark, most of the pictures I’ll be posting from the hike in were actually taken later in the day, on my hike out. Here’s a look at the parking lot. It was big enough to hold about 100 vehicles, and was past capacity when I got back.
The trail starts at the west end of the parking area. I had to first cross the street. This was easy at this time in the morning, but the button I pushed that enacted the flashing lights on my return to stop traffic were uber useful.
I saw signs indicating I was at the right place!
There was a ‘last chance water station’ that was unfortunately closed (most likely due to COVID). Side note: I didn’t drink a single sip of water on this entire hike, yet I brought along a full water bottle and filtration system. If you’re doing this as a day hike and are an experienced hiker, extra water isn’t a necessity. However: know yourself and your water intake. And prepare adequately. There is obviously water along the first 6 miles of this hike, and also at the end, so filtration is possible, and easily accessible.
From the beginning there were signs indicating dogs weren’t allowed due to the Bighorn Sheep. I hoped this meant I’d been seeing some wildlife today. I also believe this is the only 6 mile segment of the trail dogs aren’t allowed, so if you want to bring along your canine, it might be prudent to start at the South Platte River Trailhead with your pup (well, start at the Waterton Canyon trailhead ad have a good friend bring you your pup the next day, because if you have a canine companion it’d be worth it).
I passed some bathrooms (vault toilets) and smore signage. I just continued following the road west. It was dark out, but at times I could actually smell the bighorn sheep. I knew they frequented this area, and at this point they must have been close. It’s funny how your sense of smell can guide you at times. Side note: in the 6 miles to the Stronia Dam there are 3 bathroom stops. I felt this was quite excessive until I hiked back and saw hundreds of other hikers along the trail.
The road here is wide and there isn’t much elevation gain for the first 6 miles. There are mile markers every half mile or so, which are helpful. Interestingly, the mile markers switch sides of the road halfway through, so in the dark I ended up missing a couple, only to find I’d hiked further than I’d thought. In the daylight this made sense, as they followed the contour of the mountains. On the positive side, the miles were just flying by! This was good, because it was quite cold and I was willing the sun to rise. My fingers were frozen and I kept pumping them back in forth inside my gloves. Also, seriously, my fingers were frozen. I actually gave the thought to going back, but the knowledge it was supposed to be a warm day kept me continuing on.
The road follows the South Platte River, with several bathrooms along the way (no less than 3)
After hiking for 6 miles I came to the last bathroom area, and, in the dark, saw lights illuminating the Stronia Springs Dam on the right (there will be a better picture of this dam later)
I continued following the road for another half mile or so as the road began to narrow.
It was a bit icy out, even on the way back, but nothing that required spikes or even more than common sense to navigate.
The trail is very well marked and easy to follow. I thought it was cool Colorado Trail is Trail 1776.
After hiking for 6.7 miles on a flat road, the real trail began. And so did the wind. I don’t want to make a big deal of this, mostly because the wind across the state this weekend was intense, but the wind didn’t stop for this entire hike. It was insistent, but always above treeline, which made it manageable. Yes, it had been a good idea to take this hike, as anything above treeline would have been intolerable. I’ll stop mentioning the incessant wind here.
I was surprised it was still dark outside. It had been my goal to get to this point before daylight, but daylight was still a long ways off. Woot! I didn’t check my phone to see the time (too cold for that) but the sky wasn’t even beginning to lighten. This was good news. Since I usually do intense elevation hikes I had no idea how long this hike would take me, but it seemed I was making better time than I’d anticipated.
From this point it was 10 miles to South Platte River Trailhead. The trail continues gaining elevation for 1.2 miles, switchbacking south, gaining about 725’ of elevation.
At the end of the 1.2 miles is a sign indicating the Colorado Trail, and a bench entitled ‘Lenny’s Rest’.
You should take time to read the plaque while there. My son is an Eagle Scout, and I’m an avid hiker, so I took time to appreciate this monument. I’m not providing a clear indication of the wording because I believe it’s best experienced in person. Rest here.
From Lenny’s Rest I was disappointed to find the trail started losing elevation. I lost a total of 350’ as I hiked down. Maybe I should have done more research? The hike started in chaparral and ended in pine. This seemed something of a paradox, but also fitting to the area. There are pinon pines, junipers, scrub oak, and ponderosa pines in this area.
You’ll know when you’re at the lowest part when you cross this drain. Maps show this point as crossing Bear Creek. This was more of a jump across a drainage than a creek, but it was late in the year so water was low.
Then, it was all uphill for the next 4.2 miles, as I gained 1332’, switchbacking again. There are a lot of switchbacks on this segment. Switchbacks are a blessing and a curse, depending on where you are in your hike. If I’ to do this entire hike in segments, they will most likely be a curse, as I’d prefer elevation gain, but if I were a thru hiker, I’d appreciate the ease in elevation.
Some of the signage needs work. I’m not sure what the wooden plaque says?
There are a lot of good campsites in this area. I’m guessing that’s because it’s a nice ‘last night’ for Colorado Trail thru hikers before finishing up the next day (that, and camping isn’t allowed along the road). If this is the end of your NOBO journey, this is a great last place to camp. Also, high-five and congratulations!
The highpoint of this hike came below treeline, where these metal signs are present. From here, it was (mostly) all downhill.
The sun hadn’t yet risen, and I was getting excited about my time, mentally calculating how much longer I had to reach the South Platte River Trailhead and the distance to my halfway point for today. As I hiked, I contemplated the different trail signs, which ranged from actual signs (wooden or metal) to the Colorado Trail Marker and blazes on the trees, both etched and painted. It seemed a shame the trees had been blazed, but this also makes sense, as the paint eventually goes away and people steal the markers (or the trees eat them).
Sometimes the markers are placed over the blazes. There were quite a few markers (it’s difficult to get lost on this trail). I spent a lot of time contemplating most of this. Also, if you’re hiking the Colorado trail and want a marker as a memento, you can buy one here for $5 and not have to carry it with you, and you don’t need to feel the need to take one from the trail (don’t take one from the trail. Don’t).
The trail continued to wind around the mountain
There was a considerable number of downed trees in this area, and also tree cutting boundary signs. (Another side note: a forest fire has decimated the corresponding segment, most likely spreading quickly due to dead/downed trees. This area needs to be cleared, or is most likely next to go up in flames).
I hiked around a spot that looked like it’d be a fun rappel point (for new learners)
And kept hiking, losing elevation as I went
In total, I’d lose 1375’ before making it to South Platte River trailhead. There was a small plateau with a great view of the South Platte River trailhead. I hit this point at sunrise, with the sun was rising behind me.
From here I swtichbacked what seemed like another 50 or so times before making it to the bottom. The good news: the sun was starting to rise and I had a great visual of the trail.
I made it to my half-way point, South Platte River Trailhead, at 8am. There were some other vehicles in the lot, with hikers putting on gear, getting ready for their morning hike. I was quick, took a few pictures to prove I’d made it, turned around and headed back. It had taken me 5 hours, 40 minutes to make it the 16.7 miles. I considered this a good time.
There is a vault toilet at this trailhead. It was now 8am and I’d hiked 16.91 miles so far this morning (in about 5.5 hours.
To head back, I just retraced my steps. However, now it was daylight, so I’d be able to get some appropriate pictures. Starting from South Platte River Trailhead, heading NOBO: The trail starts at the east end of the parking area
There are several great camping spots along the trail, just a few dozen yards from the parking area. I’m sure these are for CT hikers on their first (or last) nights. Lots of room here for a dozen or so campers that play nice.
This was a very easy to follow trail that switchbacked northeast along the mountainside, first through chaparral, and then pine trees. There are lots of areas with chaparral, pinons, and pines along this trail.
Here’s another look at the quick plateau
And more hiking through pine trees. I promised I wouldn’t say anything more about the wind, so I won’t.
Here’s a cool log I hopped over on the trail. I’m a fan of the markings the beetles make, if not a fan of the beetles themselves.
And now I was back up at the highpoint/ridge
From here I’d lose 1319’ of elevation as I wound my way back down the mountain
There are several good camping spots directly off the trail, just before the low point and after (if you’d want to camp closer, rather than later in your end hike).
When you see this metal drain you’re at a low point. I believe this is Bear Creek.
From here I gained the last 350’ of this hike in elevation as I hiked back up to Lenny’s Rest
Another camping option, although this one is kind of steep to get to.
I made it to Lenny’s rest, and stayed straight to stay on the Colorado Trail (going right brings you to Roxborough Park
From here I switchbacked and switchbacked and switchbacked back down to the road.
This is also where I encountered my first ‘people’ of the day. These people were riding bikes. I’ve encountered a lot of bike riders in my hiking experience, and I’d like to note everyone I encountered today was cordial. In Colorado Springs I’ve found the bikers had attitudes, but not here. I did my best to give them passing room on the trail, and they verbalized thank you’s. However, I was still frustrated. Over and over and over and over again I passed bikers headed towards me. Because I was hiking I gave them room and stepped aside. Again, and again. And again, and again. And again, and again. There were so may bikers I lost over an hour of hiking time giving them room. This was the right thing to do, but very, very frustrating. This is November, how many bikers could there be? (side note: dozens, if not hundreds). The trail eventually led to the road that navigates through Waterton Canyon
I was quite excited to see during the day what I’d missed hiking in at night. The first thing I noticed was a sign stating “This part of the Colorado Trail is maintained by the Colorado Mountain Bikers Association”. Well, that explained a lot. I just needed to prepare myself for bikers that wouldn’t end. The road led me past a maintenance yard and a ‘private residence’, which I believe belongs to a permanent/stationed worker here.
I quickly came to the Strontia Springs Dam, and got the feeling I’d be seeing a lot more people today than I’d imagined. And a lot more bikers. Sigh. Well, at least this was happening at the beginning of my journey. Also, I don’t dislike bikers, sharing trails is great, but I think we can all agree separate bike-motorcycle/ hiking trails is the optimal solution.
Most of the hike out was uneventful. I hiked for 6.2 miles along a well-maintained dirt road, doing my best to stay out of the way of the hundreds of bike riders along the way. Yes, hundreds. It was insane. There were bathrooms and picnic areas every 2 miles or so.
This road follows the South Platte River, which, according to the dozen or so fishermen I saw along the trail, is a good place to fish. Unfortunately, it must be too late in the year, as I didn’t see a single of these dozens of fishermen with a caught fish.
I saw birds nests in the trees
And wood ducks (the kind with red heads) floating in the river
There were several interpretive signs along the trail as well
I passed the Marston Diversion Dam. At night, this was hard, yet amazing to see. Here it is in daylight.
And some more buildings/houses. It looks like they store snow equipment here
This is where it got really interesting: I could see people gathered along the side of the road ahead of me, and to the left of the road there was a large herd of bighorn sheep.
That’s when I heard it: the thundering of hooves quickly approaching from behind me. I turned and saw a rather large ram chasing an ewe down the mountainside at breakneck speed. They made it to the herd and everything settled down.
Well, kind of. It seems this is mating season, at least for the males. The rams kept chasing the females, sniffing their backsides and sticking out their tongues, testing if they were ready to mate. The females were having none of it, and kept darting away. You could see the power these animals have: lots of muscles and agility.
Bighorn Sheep – Waterton Canyon
Head Butt:
I was surprised at how close the people were to all this madness. There are signs posted asking you to stay a minimum of 25 feet away from the Bighorn Sheep, but it seems many people either hadn’t read the signs or forgot this. The sheep were all riled up (due to mating) and unpredictable.
I passed so many people on the way out. Hundreds of hikers, bikers, walkers, runners, and lots and lots of children on the trails. OMG, this was an insane entry point: One I’d love to do again, but never with this may people. INSANE.
Here are some pictures of the end of the trail
And a picture to prove I made it back
I made it back to my truck at 1:45pm, making this a 34.18 mile hike with 4308’ in elevation gain in 11 hours, 20 minutes. Added bonus: My truck was as I’d left it. I’d been a little bit worried, because about 5 miles in I realized I’d forgotten to lock the topper. Whoops! I was lucky this time. Here’s a topo of the route. (Side note: feel free to contact me if you’d like a copy of the GPX file for this route).
The most difficult part of this hike ended up being the drive out. It took no less than 15 minutes for me to leave the parking lot, due to the number of people using the crosswalk and drivers coming each way. A nice person finally realized my predicament and waved me on, even though they had the right of way.
When I got home I took out my journal to write notes, but decided I’d rather start a specific journal, just for the Colorado Trail. I have some stocked up, for just this reason. Emily drew the Colorado Trail logo on the front, and I started jotting down notes. I’m kind of liking this journal…
I drove through the night and arrived at St Elmo at 4am. I love driving, especially at this time of year: once the summer campers are gone I don’t see another vehicle from the time I hit HWY 24 until I make it to my destination (besides the predictable police officers, stationed on the side of the road in their usual places – It’s gotta be tough for them this time of year, and cold. Thank you for your service). The 2WD road in was a bit slick so I took it slow.
The usual place I like to park (on the east side of town) had vehicles and trailers parked erratically in most of the spaces. It looked like they’d been parked there for quite a long time, so I drove through town, looking for a place to park closer to where I wanted to start. I figured I could always turn back if needed and squeeze-in. There were dozens of ‘no parking’ signs all through town, leading up to 267, but I was able to find a 20 foot space right near the start of the trail that didn’t have a ‘no parking’ sign (there were signs on the opposite side of the road, but not here, so I took pictures and crossed my fingers this was a ‘legal’ place to park). I decided to take my chances and park, mainly because it was cold, and I wasn’t entirely sure I was hiking for very long this morning (I would most likely be back by 8am at this point, before anyone would question my questionable parking situation). I was having a really hard time motivating myself to hike today. As I drove to the trailhead the temperature outside plummeted, and was a balmy 7 degrees outside when I arrived. The forecast said a low of 30.
I know myself pretty well, so I have a rule that says I at least attempt a hike (except for that one time when the temperature was -36 degrees at the South Mt Elbert trailhead. I turned around that time… after sitting for 30 minutes at the trailhead waiting for the temperature to increase. When it didn’t, I was more worried about re-starting my vehicle after turning it off than I was about my own personal safety and left. Otherwise, I always attempt). Usually, once I start hiking I don’t want to stop. Hiking always makes me feel better, and I never regret a hike, even if I need to turn back. Also, the further I go the less likely I am to turn back. So, I went through the act of putting on my essential cold weather gear, telling myself I’d work at it and only turn back if I was worried about frostbite (etc). Don’t we all love a balaclava?
I was on the trail (in all my winter gear) at 4:30am. The trail starts out following Trail/Road 267 west
This road goes all the way to Tincup Pass, and by the looks of it, a 4WD vehicle had driven the entire way recently. High five to this individual, as they have some serious chutzpah. I was glad I’d parked below however, as I wasn’t sure how my truck would have done on the ice.
This trail parallels North Fork Chalk Creek. As I was hiking my feet were frozen. My fingers were frozen. I couldn’t feel my nose. I kept telling myself I should turn back. But I also kept telling myself I wanted to get a good hike in today, as the alternative was to drive home and hit the treadmill: I’d just make sure I got in at least 5 miles out and back. Ok, 10 if possible? And how could I get as much elevation gain as possible while avoiding those torrential winds? If mileage/elevation isn’t possible while hiking I hit the treadmill when I get home, but I’d much rather make my miles/elevation in the mountains. It was supposed to be very windy above treeline today, but if I kept moving I could keep my toes ‘warm’. They had to warm up eventually, right? So, I kept going. I jumped a few times in the dark at the sound of running water (water running over trailside waterfalls). I know that sounds weird, but it was always unexpected, specially today as otherwise it was very quite this morning.
I followed the road for 5.15 miles, staying right here to stay on the road. As I hiked I saw quite a few moose tracks. It looked like a mama and baby were in the area, so I was on the lookout. I saw tire tracks, but no human footprints.
From here the incline started as I followed the road up the mountainside
After hiking for 5.15 miles I was in the basin. My spirits had lifted, and I was now excited to be out hiking today. The winds had put drifts onto the 4WD road, so I decided to put on my snowshoes and head towards Tincup pass on foot.
As I hiked I changed today’s hiking plans. Originally I’d planned to hike Emma Burr, but I could see by looking at the clouds the winds were intense above treeline, and the snow was coming in much earlier than predicted (4pm was when they were slated to start, but by the looks of it, it would be snowing before noon). I had several options today, and chose instead to summit Fitzpatrick Peak. I believe this is traditionally done by gaining Tincup pass and following the ridge (thus getting in a 12er as well), but my visual of the winds told me my Raynaud’s would balk at a windy and cold ridge hike today. So, instead I decided to make this a visual hike and hike up the west side of Fitzpatrick Peak, staying below the ridge and thus avoiding the brunt of the wind. Here’s my overall route. In red I’ve circled an obvious trail, but it led to a cornice I didn’t feel comfortable attempting today.
On the way in I went through the willows, and don’t recommend this. I followed moose tracks, winding in and out as they did to find the best path. On my way back I stayed higher and found more solid ground (dotted line). I’d recommend staying high.
This is a very visual, not a technical hike. Here are some close up pictures (once again, one of the summer routes is circled, and you can see why I chose to stay low, as there’s a cornice at the end of the route, and cliffs above the exit point around the cornice).
I gained the ridge at the last possible point. Here I encountered fierce winds and sastrugi. It had been a good idea to stay low for so long.
I summited Fitzpatrick Peak at 8:35am. Note: I recently bought a stylus (well, 5 for $3, gotta love Amazon) and it’s changed my life! I no longer need to take off my gloves to take a picture with my cell phone. This is a major bonus when your camera battery dies due to cold, but your phone still works. The only downside? It’s still selfies at summits (trust me, I hate these more than you do).
Fitzpatrick Peak:
Time to head back. The winds were seriously intense, and, even though I missed out on a 12er and several other 13ers, I still believed I’d made a good choice in the peak I hiked today and my approach in doing so. Here’s a look at the way back, with a look at Emma Burr, as well as the 12er, Tincup Pass, and alternate routes/4WD roads. My route is solid orange, alternates are dotted.
The winds were intense and I could see the snow coming in (early), so I didn’t stay long on the summit. Here’s the route down, one of the alternate routes I’d avoided circled in red. I stayed higher this time, mostly because I really wanted a picture of me at Tincup Pass with all this snow, but as I hiked on the weather quickly deteriorated. The clouds came in faster, and it started to snow. So I decided to just aim for the trail I’d hiked in on and get out before the storm hit.
As I was hiking out I saw two moose! They weren’t right along the trail, but I was confident I’d been following their tracts earlier.
They were both males (not a mama and baby), one that looked mature, and the other probably a 2-3 year old (his antlers were lacking, but present) and while they didn’t run away (which is usually what happens when I see moose) they did stare at me, and turn their bodies as I walked by. To avoid conflict I didn’t make eye contact, and tried to be as respectable as possible. These photos are terrible because I wasn’t aiming/zooming in, etc., but snapping as I hiked past…. and they were on my cell phone (my good camera had a frozen battery and wasn’t functional). It’s been quite a banner year for me for moose sightings. I think I’m up to 7 or 8, when it’s usually around 3 or 4.
I think it’s interesting the males seems to join together. I’ve never seen two females together (unless mother and baby). I’ve seen males and females alone, a male and female together, and up to 3 males together at a time, but never two females.
I was now back at the 4WD road. Here I took off my snowshoes, as they were no longer needed (they were a bit overkill towards the summit, but it hadn’t been worth it to take them off for such a short trek)
It was now snowing. Not a lot, but enough to tell me to book it back to the truck. The weather had certainly come in much quicker today than anticipated. I was pleased with my choice of Fitzpatrick Peak as an alternate today: the weather on Emma Burr looked menacing at this point. I followed the 4WD road back
This time, appreciating the streams whose noise had startled me in the dark, and doubly appreciating the lack of snowmobiles: Last time I was here they zoomed by every 5 minutes or so, and it was obvious they were on a tour and didn’t know how to navigate their vehicles: I did a lot of jumping out of the way. Today it was a nice, peaceful hike, and I didn’t see another person all day.
I made it back to my truck at 11:30am, making this a 14.65 mile hike with 3169’ of elevation gain in 7 hours.
It was now 36 degrees, and while my hike hadn’t turned out as I’d intended (Emma Burr was my initial goal) I was so glad I’d decided to get out of my truck in 7 degree weather and hike! Added bonus: Apparently I’d parked legally: no ticket on my dashboard and my truck was still there when I got back, so I’m assuming it was a legal place to park (with so many ‘illegal’ places, a nice ‘you CAN park here’ sign would be nice…)
Wild Wanderer 