Colorado Adventure 2009

[IntrepidXJ]

The trail follows the ridge to Webster Pass

View down into Handcart Gulch

Red Cone in the background

 

[IntrepidXJ]

Webster Pass

Made it down to Webster Pass

I should mention, that the trail down from Red Cone to Webster Pass is one-way only, because it is so steep.

Red Cone from Webster Pass

From Webster Pass I headed down towards Montezuma

Day 6 to be continued....

 

[IntrepidXJ]

Day 6: Santa Fe Peak, Glacier Ridge & Deer Creek


After making it to Montezuma I took a right and started climbing the many switchbacks to Santa Fe Peak.

Just getting out of the trees

Climbing higher

Looking back

If you look closely, you can see a number of the switchbacks

Off-camber section...it's a long way down

 

[IntrepidXJ]

Near the end of the trail

Headed back down

View of the trail from near the top

After heading back down to Montezuma again, I decided to run the Saints John, Glacier Ridge and Deer Creek loop.

What used to be a building, is now a pile of wood at Saints John

Wild Irishman Mine site

The trail on top of Glacier Ridge. The trail on the left is Deer Creek.

An old shack up on Glacier Ridge

 

[IntrepidXJ]

I just love the look of winding trails along the ridge

Soon I made it to the T-intersection with the Deer Creek trail. I took a left and headed down to Montezuma, yet again.

Then I came across these guys.....Rocky Mountain Goats

This one stopped licking the rock for a minute to look at me as I approached...

...then went right back to licking the rock

 

[IntrepidXJ]

This one was posing for me

Storm rolling in

Glacier Ridge from Deer Creek

Headed back down Deer Creek to Montezuma

To be continued...

 

[IntrepidXJ]

Day 6: Peru Creek & Middle Fork of the Swan


After making it back to Montezuma yet again, I still had plenty of daylight left and needed to figure out where I wanted to go, as I had completed all of the trails I had planned for the day (and more). Looking at my maps and books, I decided to make the quick trip up Peru Creek. While the sky was cloudy most of the day, it had yet to rain on me. That would soon change...

The road along Peru Creek

I took the short side trip to the Pennsylvania Mine and looped through the area.

 

[IntrepidXJ]

Not much left of the roof

Shortly after leaving the mine and making my way up Peru Creek again, it started to rain pretty good. When I reached the Shoe Basin Mine, I was greeted with a locked gate and a closed sign.

Low clouds

Since I was stopped by the gate, I turned around and headed back. I was originally thinking about heading back to run Radical Hill on my way back, but decided against it because of the rain. Instead I figured I would head back up Deer Creek and take the Middle Fork of the Swan River back to Tiger Road. By the time I reached the Middle Fork trail, the rain had pretty much stopped.

Clouds in the background

 

[IntrepidXJ]

Cabin along the way near the top

One cabin left at the townsite of Swandyke

That's it for day 6. Day 7 still to come!

 

[Mr.Shrek]

Sweet trip, thanks for sharing with us.

 

[IntrepidXJ]

Day 7: Saxon Mountain, Guanella Pass & Glacier Peak


This day ended up not going as I had originally planned....but in the end it turned out to be a pretty good day.

I started out heading over Loveland Pass on my way to Georgetown.

My original plan for the day was to start out on Guanella Pass, however, when I got to the start of the road, they were just closing it completely for construction. It would not be opening up again until 11am, which left me three hours to find something else to do.

So I ended up heading up...

Saxon Mountain....this has to have been one of the bumpiest trails I have ever been on!

Looking down on the switchbacks of Saxon Road and I-70.

At the top of Saxon Mountain

View down on Georgetown from the top.

After backtracking from the top, I followed the sign towards Cascade Creek, and then took Ute Creek back down to the highway.

 

[IntrepidXJ]

By the time I made it back to Georgetown, it was almost 11:00, so I grabbed a bite to eat for lunch until Guanella Pass was open again. Unfortunately, I was not the only one waiting for the road to open up, and I got stuck in a line of vehicles heading over the pass. That, plus the construction going on made this road less than enjoyable for me. My next plans were to head up to Waldorf and Argentine Pass, but because of the construction and finding out the road would again be closing from 1pm-3pm, I decided to avoid this whole mess altogether for the rest of the day and continue on to US 285.

A few photos from the top of Guanella Pass (A very popular place it seemed.....)

After making it to US 285, I took a right and made my way back to Georgia Pass. Once at the pass I took another right and headed up the Glacier Peak trail.

Great views from an overlook on the Continental Divide near Glacier Peak. There was a cool rock formation I took a few photos of...

 

[IntrepidXJ]

Along the Glacier Peak trail. There were a few pretty off-camber sections.

I stopped at another overlook

Headed down to the Middle Fork of the Swan River.

 

[IntrepidXJ]

Cabin ruins along the way.

Shadowy ruins.

Before I could meet back up with the Middle Fork of the Swan River trail again, I would have to descend 'Number 10 Hill' which is also known as 'SOB Hill'. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it turned out not to be that difficult. It was probably a little easier because I was heading downhill, but I don't think I would have had any issues climbing up it either. It was pretty steep and rocky, though.

A few photos of Number 10 Hill (SOB Hill).

Shortly after reaching to bottom, I met up with the Middle Fork of the Swan River trail yet again...

Day 7 to be continued....

 

[OverlandZJ]

Digging the report and pics as usual Sir, thanks a bunch for sharing.

 

[IntrepidXJ]

Day 7: Wise Mountain & North Fork of the Swan


After taking a right I headed back up the Middle Fork of the Swan. The skies were much clearer today so I took some more photos along this trail...

When I got up top, I found a few more Mountain Goats.

 

[IntrepidXJ]

I took the short side trip to the Hall Valley Overlook

Watch where you step....or drive...

Hikers coming up through the snow

Good view of Red Cone

 

[IntrepidXJ]

Next stop was Wise Mountain

Cabin on Wise Mountain

Mine shaft near the cabin.

 

[IntrepidXJ]

Another mine on the way down

Soon I reached the North Fork of the Swan River.

There were a lot of old cabin ruins along this route.

This one had a nice big tree growing in the middle.

Some more mining ruins along the way, too.

 

[IntrepidXJ]

End of the trail.

Next I turned around and headed back to Tiger Road. I stopped a few miles before reaching Breckenridge to check out one of the old dredge boats in a small pond near the road.

I ended up heading back to Frisco early to meet Amanda, as she would be joining me for the last weekend on the trip.

That's all for Day 7. Day 8 still to come...