Castlewood Canyon Hike

Distance: 6.4 mile loop
Elevation: 6,631 ft
Elevation Gain: 1,191 ft (cumulative)
Dogs: On leash only (State Park)
Critters: Rattlesnakes (warm weather obviously)

Standing on the east rim of Castlewood Canyon. Which monolith will fall next?

Many locals never realize that eastern Colorado is filled with mysterious canyons cut into the soft rock by long forgotten rivers. Filled with interesting rock formations, petroglyphs, or dinosaur tracks, these canyons make for interesting hiking, particularly in the shoulder seasons. Castlewood Canyon State Park, southeast of Denver, is one such canyon that is relatively close to the metro area.

Thanks to my friend and hike leader Andy who gave me this image of route that he captured on his Garmin GPS. I need to learn to do this!

Starting out on the Lake Gulch Trail

The particular features of Castlewood Canyon include cool rock formations, remnants from a devastating 1933 flood that flooded downtown Denver, and several distinct ecosystems.

Looking down into the valley that was once Lake Louise. Note the Cottonwoods below. They signify the presence of water.

There are really two canyons in the park that form a slightly stretched bow tie. On this trip we walked a little over 6 miles in a figure eight around the bow tie. The route also went up and down with half our trip being on the rim and half along the creek.

Crossing Cherry Creek on some boulders. There is a bridge farther up for the feint of heart.

Looking back across the creek for a more natural view.

Our route began on the Lake Gulch trail just past the Canyon Point Parking Area. We walked along the top of the rim to a view of the valley that was once Lake Louise. Ranch land today, the valley looked lovely with a light dusting of snow glistening in the sun.

Standing on the eastern side of the dam ruins. You can see the Creek Bottom (G) Trail far below.

The route descended to the valley floor and then crossed Cherry Creek on a series of boulders. Now on the Rimrock trail, we passed the remains (at 1.18 miles) of the dam built in 1890. The dam broke in 1930 and flooded downtown Denver. The destruction of the water made as it gouged it way forward is still visible today.

The only steep section of the route was heading up the Rimrock trail to the eastern rim.

Just past the ruins, the Rimrock Trail quickly ascends (at 1.35 miles) to the top of canyon. This area is a flat plateau filled with smooth rocks and coniferous trees. There are several places where the hiker can get a glimpse of the rocks as they are splitting away from the canyon sides. In the summer, this area bakes in the sun and Rattlesnakes rule.

Looking west just after reaching the top of the rim

Our decent near the end of the canyon (at 2.72 miles) was precipitous because ice from the recent snowfall had melted into the nooks and carnies, making the entire route slippery. From this point we traveled across a bridge (at 3.23 miles) and along the Creek Bottom (G) Trail to a small waterfall (at 4.26 miles) and then back to the dam (at 5.11 miles).

A typical section of the eastern rim. Ponderosa Pines and Junipers dominate. Can't you just picture a rattlesnake curled up on the round rock?

Looking northwest towards the city of Parker

We stayed low as we switched to the other side of the bow tie and the Inner Canyon (K) Trail. This route followed the sunny side of canyon, which is filled with sun-loving Gambel Oaks (Quercus gambelii). The Gambel Oak loves thin, rocky, and alkaline soils. You find them all over Mesa Verde National Park and the four corners region of Colorado.

A nice view showing a hillside of tumbled rocks. Geology is not stagnant. We will be walking along the creek below on the return route.

In stark ecological contrast, the other side of the Inner Canyon was covered in shade and moisture-loving Douglas Firs (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and snow, snow, snow. While we basked in the "heat", we marveled at winter on the other side

The waterfall part way up the Creek Bottom Trail is packed with bathers in the summer. The landscape, including the sandstone bluffs on the left was carved by flood of '33.

Near the end of the Inner Canyon is a bridge where we finally crossed over to the snowy side. We crossed a bridge and stepped through the looking glass into a different world. Was this Narnia or Never Never Land? Every branch was coated with huge clumps of snow that looked more like a movie set than reality. From the bridge, it is a quick jaunt up the side of the canyon to our starting point (at 6.4 miles).

Looking back down the Inner Canyon at all the rocks.

Castlwood Canyon State Park is a local gem that you need to try. It can be dry and stark in the winter, brutally hot in the summer, and stunning in the spring and fall. On this trip, Denver had received it first light snowfall, and the contrasts made the area very appealing.

Crossing into winter. The leafless Gamble Oaks and rock cliffs are stark but dry. The northern side of the canyon is covered in snow.

Mayflower Gulch Hike: Fall

Fall has arrived to the high country!

Looking down Mayflower Gulch on a beautiful fall day

On 19 September I went with a friend to spread the ashes of her dog in Mayflower Gulch near Copper Mountain, his favorite place to get lost in the Willows. Mayflower is one of my favorite places to hike too. I have snowshoed it many times and ogled at its summer wildflowers, but I have never been in the fall. True to form, it turns out to be gorgeous then too. Below are a series of photos from the trip.

Thunder Lake Hike

Distance: 13.6 miles round trip via Ouzel Falls or 12.2 miles round trip via the fire trail
Elevation: 8,500 ft -10,574 ft
Elevation Gain: 2,074 ft net, 2,318 ft cumulative

Thunder Lake

I confess that I was trepidatious about hiking to Thunder Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. Ten miles with a heavy pack and stiff boots is a haul. 14 miles seemed overwhelming. On top of that, I was mobilized with the National Guard for the two weeks prior in support of the Democratic National Convention. I worked nights and did not get a chance to exercise. Not what I prefer to do before a death march.

Getting the Llamas ready to go

My friends saved me, however, by bringing Llamas along to carry a huge potluck lunch and all our gear. All I had to do was carry one liter of water and my camera. I even wore lighter boots since I was carrying no weight. The trail itself is a gradual climb with only a few short stints of quad busting effort. By the end, the distance did not seem so bad, which tells you how much pack weight affects the body.

View of the trail

Thunder Lake is a pretty destination that everyone should do at least once. It is surrounded on two sides by crenelated ridges and on the other two sides by large grassy meadows. The downside of the lake, however is that there is no place to sit and lounge near the lake itself. You can walk down to the shoreline and bushwhack through the shrubbery to view the lake but there is no place to sit. We ended up having our party on the porch of the backcountry cabin that looks out onto one of the meadows.

Stream along the trail

Llamas crossing a stream

There are two routes you can take to Thunder Lake, both start in the Wild Basin side of Rocky Mountain National Park. The most common route takes you by the Calypso Cascades and Ouzel Falls. While adding some variety, it is also 0.7 miles longer. On this trip we chose to take the fire trail by pass instead. This trail is steeper and rockier but also shorter. We did this not only to save mileage on the long hike, but also to minimize pedestrian traffic for the Llamas. Be advised that this route is in the trees the entire time with only occasional brief glimpses to the south of Meadow Mountain (11,634 ft) and St. Vrain Mountain (11,391 ft). The views do get better for the last two miles with occasional stream crossings to lighten the mood.

Farther along the trail

The ranger cabin with the lake in the background

If you have not been to Wild Basin in a while, you will notice that the National Park Service has improved the parking situation. In addition to more parking slots, there was a small army of volunteers telling you precisely where to park. The lot, while large, does fill up by 9:30 on the weekends so get there early if you want a spot.

Thunder Lake

Meadow as seen from the cabin

Despite a forecast with a low probability of rain, it rained the entire way back to the car. My Marmot raincoat leaked like a sieve and I was soaked through. This is my second rain jacket. The other one, an REI brand also leaked badly. My friends did believe when I say this happens. Am I cursed or have others run into leaky jackets? For several hundred dollars, I expect more.

The right side of the lake

Traveling with Llamas was a hoot. Each one has a unique personality and facial expressions. I enjoyed watching their feet as they walked. They have soft pads on the bottom of their feet, which makes them ideal wilderness packers. Their impact is less than a hiking boot and their hooves are so small that they are comical in appearance. They would hum when not together as if whining for their buddies. As members of the camel family, they don’t drink much water and did not eat the grain that was brought along for them. They can carry a third of their body weight, roughly 50-75 pounds, and will literally crawl into your minivan. The gal who owned these Llamas does not own a commercial business but loans them out to the Forest Service. If you find a commercial outfitter, they run about $50/day per Llama.