Wednesday, August 30, 2023

Mount Zirkel Wilderness Area, Colorado

Hahns Peak

Sand Mtn


Meadow on the way to Mt Zirkel

Pristine Lake

Big Agnes on the left




 

  2. ELK RIVER AREA - County 64 branches off from highway 129 at Clark and goes up Elk River and pavement ends in 6 miles and dispersed camping starts right there. The road goes another 6 miles to the end at Slavonia, cars can make it. FR440 and 443 are good roads with camping. Clark has a popular store. Posted 2023.
  3. FLOYD PEAK el 9447 has a logging road almost to the top. A car can make FR440 to 441 then almost to a gate el 8400. A sign on it says no motor vehicles. Does that include ebikes? I could have rode one the whole way. But I walked the road around to the east saddle then up. 3 hours, 1000 gain, easy. The best water was a stream running under the road el 9080 south of the summit. Posted 2023.
  4. MOUNT ZIRKEL el 12180 is an 18 mile hike, 21 miles if including Flattop Mountain el 12118. Long but easy. The trail from Slavonia goes to Red Dirt Pass then it's a tundra walk to the summit with a little talus near the top. Then back at the pass it's steep up to the table of Flattop with the most perfect tundra. You could play golf up there. Take some clubs. The BM on that summit is dated 1949. Then the south ridge is easy to Ute Pass where the trail leads back. 11 hours, 35 minutes, 4500 gain. Only the 400 up Flattop from the pass is steep and it has a spotty game trail switching up it. I started out with little water because there are springs below the junction with trail #1161, the best at N40 47361, W106 39813 el 10100. The scenic meadow past Gold Creek Lake at el 9800 would make a good base camp. Posted 2023. 
  5. BIG AGNES MOUNTAIN el 12059 is a reasonable day trip at 11 miles round trip using the standard southern route. I walked from Slavonia to Mica Lake but just a few feet before the lake I went up an easy ridge on the right. It leads to a wide drainage that goes up to the south saddle. I filled up at one of the many springs along there at N40 49550, W106 42000 el 10800. It's easy tundra up the drainage then at 11250 the route goes left up a steep tundra slope reading 49562, 41614. At 49709, 41530 el 11800 there is a trail going left to a ridge then up that a little is the summit block. Go left around it then up to a notch then right of center to get to the last bit. It's all obvious. On the return I shortcutted to the trail on tundra I could see from the summit. I retraced to 11200 then leveled off near the base of peak 11777 then walked down a tundra shelf to a ridge at 49012, 42079 el 10600. It goes down easy and bends left to hit the trail at el 10000. 7 hours, 3800 gain, the last 800 is steep. Posted 2023.
  6. LOST RANGER PEAK el 11932 has a trail the whole way. The main attraction is Pristine Lake on the return loop. The closest west side TH is North Lake. It's a good road until the last mile and a half where it turns high clearance but level enough to be easy on a bike. I walked it to North Lake then just past it is a trail forking right to an outfitter camp. That's the return trail. I stayed on the main trail to a 1937 BM on the summit at N40 41428, W106 40368. I then walked south staying left of center to dodge scrub and bottomed out at the main saddle el 11500. I went down an easy drainage and got on the left bank at 41074, 40957 and stayed left to 41184, 41060 then down to the lake. I walked left around the lake shore but right looked slightly easier. I went on to a ridge at 41701, 41135 then down at 41819, 41093 then weaved easy deadfall to 42365, 40933 el 10400. I went up on a grassy elk route then left to an elk trail going steep at 42523, 40787. That soon leveled off at a better trail with an old cairn. Then I had easy tundra to 42877, 40735 and on to the left bank of a drainage at 43321, 41010. I walked along that and it steepened then a path thru the trees appeared on the left leading to the outfitter camp and the trail back. 9 hours, 17 minutes, nearly 4000 gain, 17 miles. No brush issues but bogs would be early in the season. I hit a few but didn't sink in. Deadfall is easy but a lot of trees have yet to fall in the burn area below Pristine Lake. Posted August, 2023.
  7. ZIRKEL CIRCLE is a popular 10 mile loop by way of Gilpin Lake. Peak 11164 is an easy side trip. I started on trail #1150 at Slavonia and walked past Gold Creek Lake to trail #1161. A gushing spring is just below the trail there but a better one is up the trail at N40 47525, W106 39958 el 10450. At about el 10600 I veered left on easy tundra reading 47708, 40241. I took an easy angle up under crags to get to the summit. Then I descended staying higher along the base of the crags then down to 47744, 40297 el 10800 where I leveled off and met the trail at the saddle where it drops to Gilpin Lake then back. 6 hours, 15 minutes, just over 11 miles, 2800 gain. Posted 2023.  
  8. THREE ISLAND LAKE LOOP - up trail #1164 then down #1163 by way of the lake is what I did. I took the option to go over peak 11072. I parked at the upper TH el 8500 for the lake, cars make it that far, then rode my bike on another mile and a half to trail #1164 on high clearance and nearly level road. I walked to el 11000 then left the trail on tundra and strolled to the peak. There is a rocky bump before the peak. I went left OK but saw that elk go right to get past it and so that should be better. I went over the summit then down the north ridge looking down on Beaver Lake. Deadfall was not hard to negotiate. I bottomed out at N40 45378, W106 41423 el 10500 then on to 45400, 41252 and then I had it easy to the trail at 45501, 41060 el 10300. I went down to the lake where I saw hikers for the first time that day then out. 6 hours, 15 minutes, nearly 3000 gain, 12 miles. Staying on the trail the whole way would be faster but lacks the views. I posted a track on peakbagger under peak 10889. I could see that peak has an easy route up from the east saddle but no view. Posted 2023..
  9. STEAMBOAT LAKE AREA - highway 129 goes north from Steamboat Springs to Hahns Peak town. It has gas, a Verizon signal and a store. 129 goes on to Columbine where pavement ends at a fork of two graded roads. Dispersed camping starts soon along those roads. Posted 2023.
  10. HAHNS PEAK el 10839 has a trail to the top making it the biggest tourist hike in the area. Across from the general store in Columbine is where FR490 goes in. 2wd parking is at a fork el 9000 then 4wd parking is at el 9400. The road does go on to a tiny parking area where the trail departs at el 9700 but only about 3 jeeps could fit. There is a tiny camp spot in the saddle SE of peak 9677. The trail is easy to follow to the lookout on top. It's a 3 hour hike and 1400 gain from the 9400 parking area where most start. Ebikes should make it there. Posted 2023.
  11. SAND MOUNTAIN el 10879 has a trail making for a good loop hike but the road in is crappy. FR42 goes west from county 62 at Steamboat Lake to FR480. Ebikes could make it that far and I saw bike tracks more than a mile beyond there. It's 4 miles up FR480 to the TH but softball size rocks are scattered on the road. Jeeps have no trouble but it's slow going. A better option for most is to stay on FR42 to the second junction with FR480 at el 9600. Any 4wd makes it that far and I saw bike tracks there but that is far as I went on that route. I rode my 125 up the lower leg of FR480 to the TH then followed the trail to the south summit then walked the crest to the north summit. Then I retraced back to the south saddle then down the drainage. It's easy to walk along the edge of talus then at the bottom of it there is a game trail going right to good springs at N40 45649, W107 03074 el 10150. It's only a few feet to the main trail then out. 3 hours, 1500 gain, easy terrain. Backpacking in and setting up at the springs would be a good weekend outing. There is room for one or two vehicles to camp at the TH and I was getting one bar of Verizon. Many bars on the summit. Posted 2023.
  12. DIAMOND PEAK el 10428 has a pleasant route up the south ridge over peak 10149. I rode in from Steamboat Lake on rocky FR42 but it's bound to be better to come in from the west. I parked on FR42 near a campsite el 9400 and walked to a ridge at N40 47103, W107 05027. I went up it to 47100, 04733 and weaved on to 47099, 04522 then on to the south ridge. I walked that over peak 10149 then down to a game trail at 47880, 04188 and stayed on it to 47920, 04158. I kept going down to the last saddle then up to the summit. 4 hours, 1800 gain, 300 of it on the return. Most of the deadfall here I could weave or step over. I saw bike tracks the whole way on FR42, some came by when I was hiking. Posted 2023.
  13. NIPPLE PEAK el 10324 has a secret logging road up the SE ridge to el 9650. FR488 is a good road for the first 4 miles or so then easy 4wd to a fork el 9050. I wouldn't drive beyond there unless with an OHV or ebike. I made it to deadfall at el 9250 on my cycle then walked the main road to the end el 9650 then up the ridge to N40 52103, W107 01784 and then to the SE saddle el 10000. That has deadfall off the charts so stay below it then up to the base of the summit block and left to a steep slope on the SW side. I retraced to the road then took a shortcut south but that's a crap shoot in deadfall. I got lucky but it's better to stay on the road to el 9500 then shortcut down. 3 hours, 1100 gain. That was a 2 hour hike 15 years earlier when I could ride to the end of the road. It would be a good ebike ride in from pavement. Posted 2023.
  14. DOME PEAK el 10524 has ATV trails all around it. The best one is up from the Hare TH. A car can get there. I rode my 125 up and parked on the CDT and walked to a game trail at N40 53405, W106 48220 to get around a bump. Then on to a trail at 53123, 48492 then to the summit at 52320, 49251. I then rode the CDT to the saddle south of peak 10359 where the trail turns nasty. It's an easy stroll up the south ridge to a BM at 55940, 49509. I kept riding the rough CDT west to FR500 then down. Next time I'll just go up and down from the Hare TH. A loop on foot would be to walk north from Hare TH to Manzanares trail then back down the Hare trail. Posted 2023.
  15. CDT - FR500 is a smooth 4wd road that goes up to the CDT. But then the road goes to hell in both directions. A jeep has no trouble going north to peak 9731 and that's where the trouble starts. Trail #1101 is a rocky mess and it goes down to the good FR83 el 9250. I would walk it before taking anything down it. But I ignored that advice and walked my 125 down it. At FR83 there is an ATV trail going left that connects to FR412. Posted 2023.
  16. STEAMBOAT SPRINGS
  17. BUFFALO PASS el 10300 is at the south end of the Zirkel Wilderness. The road out of Steamboat Springs is good for cars to Dry Lake. Then it's another 8 or 9 miles on bumpy 4wd due to embedded rocks. Two wheelers can thread a lot of that. I saw bikes going up it. I was riding my 350. Posted 2023.
  18. RIVERSIDE BIKE TRAIL -  this is smoother than average concrete and easy to see on the sat image. I rode from Walmart downstream for 5 and a half miles to the end near an ATV dealer. Then came back and went upstream but that's shorter and not as good. I don't know who runs the town because everybody is on the trail. And they're in a hurry. The 15 MPH speed limit is a joke. Ebikes are going full throttle. Wear a helmet and a full set of dirt bike armor. Posted 2023.
  20. EAST SIDE
  21. PITCHPINE TH - I could have drove a car to a camp spot a fifth mile before the TH, but that trail isn't good for much. Roads to the north that access peak 11161 are blocked by a strip of private land. Posted 2024.
  22. PEAK 11543 is a good loop hike with scenic lakes. County road 12W leaves the south end of Walden and goes paved to county 18 then that leads to a T at county 5. Left on 5 goes to county 22 and that goes to the Rainbow Lakes TH el 8700. Cars make it but no camping allowed there. I walked the trail to the pass el 11050 then up the ridge and got to a clearing at N40 39522, W106 39692. I weaved on to the summit then down to the ridge next to Rainbow Lake at 39152, 38700 el 11000. I weaved down and left to a view of the lake at 39097, 38609. I came back to the right to cairns at 39065, 38650 then down an open drainage then moved left at 38983, 38589 el 10440. I had an open ridge down to a cliff at el 10300 and went left around that then on to the trail at 38856, 38534. 8 hours, 14 miles and about 3000 gain. Nothing harder than class 2. Posted 2024.
  23. PEAK 11800 is above Bear Lakes. It's an easy tundra walk up the crest from the trail in Lone Pine Creek. But it's tedious descending by way of the lakes. I would try descending the north ridge of peak 11749. County road 12W leaves the south end of Walden and goes paved to a T. County 16 goes left there and is graded thru a ranch on to the Lone Pine North TH. A car could make it. I parked  my cycle there then rode my bike a mile up the road to the Katherine TH and walked the trail to the crest. At N40 45828, W106 39570 el 10300 I filled up at a tiny spring at a meadow, but there was a better spring along the trail at el 10650. I walked on up and over the peak then to the west saddle of peak 11643. I dropped to the lakes but couldn't find the trail out to the main trail along Bear Creek so I took an angle down to the main trail and it was decent. I walked it back to my cycle. I put a track on peakbagger but next time I skip the lakes and try the ridge down from peak 11749.  It took me 8 hours, 16 minutes, 13 miles and 3000 gain. Posted 2024.
  24. BEAR MOUNTAIN el 11601 is a good loop hike. I went up the trail along Bear Creek then came back on the rim over the peak. County road 12W leaves the south end of Walden and goes paved to a T. County 16 goes left there and is graded thru a ranch on to the Lone Pine North TH. A car could make it. I walked the trail almost to the crest then shortcutted to the rim but that didn't save me anything. It's better to stay on the trail to the crest then come down the rim and over the peak and on down to the last saddle which is south of peak 10545. Then I took a backward angle down to N40 45736, W106 35728 el 9700 but a direct route down to that might work. I went on down to a cliff base at 45767, 35672 then leveled off to a rock field then down the edge of that. I could see this area on the way in. 7 hours, 10 minutes, and 14 miles with nearly 3000 gain. Easy terrain until the last tenth mile back down to the trail where deadfall has to be weaved but no big deal. The first mile of the trail is open to ebikes.  Posted 2024.
  25. DAVIS PEAK el 11422 can be done one way from 7 Lakes TH to Beaver Creek TH. I parked at the latter and rode my bike 6 miles to the 7 Lakes TH and then followed the topo. I think I could have shortcutted a meadow to get on trail #1151 but I chickened out. It's a minor detour off trail to the summit then down the north slope to the trail again then I wandered off on a decoy trail approaching point 10189. Paying attention to the topo will avoid that. It's a 7 hour hike, 13 miles with nearly 3000 gain. The bike ride took an hour but I walked nearly a mile of it. Deadfall is piling up and the worst of it was on the way down trail #1151. Posted 2024.
  26. BUFFALO RIDGE el 10936 has a trail most of the way. Cars can make all but the last mile or two to the TH at the end of FR682 but can bike the rest. The trail runs like the topo shows up to the east ridge then it's easy tundra to the summit. 3 hours, 1200 gain. Posted 2024.
  27. SHEEP MOUNTAIN el 9422 is an easy one on BLM land. County road 12W leaves the south end of Walden and goes paved to a T at the south end of the mountain. Go right there for 4 miles on a county road running along the west base and a 4wd road going up to the crest will come into view. It's closed at the 8700 level then it's a steep walk to the crest then it levels off to the summit. 2 hours, 800 gain. Posted 2024.
  28. SHIPMAN MOUNTAIN el 10827 - an easy 4wd road goes to the crest from highway 127. FR204 starts at Camp Nelson and goes a bit over 3 miles to the first main fork at FR881. Cars make it that far. Go right on FR881 to a fork at N40 53125, W106 09065. Left is a shortcut but tougher, right goes to a fork at 52216, 09405 and left there goes up to the crest. The road turns into an OHV trail just past Coon BM and that goes down on 965.1 to FR143. Good camping on the crest but I didn't hike any. These roads are ebikeable. Posted 2024
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