 Teller Trekkers Hiking Group Is On The Go
Would you like to join with others who love hiking in beautiful southern Colorado? Teller Trekkers is for you! Teller Trekkers hike weekly throughout the hiking seasons but are on break now. If you would like more information on past treks see their trip diary by clicking "Read more", below.
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TELLER TREKKERS NEXT 2013 HIKE
Date: Wednesday, May 8 , 2013
Location: Blue Mountain area (county road 403) Leader is Kent Drummond.
Description: This is a new hike, easy and close. A good starter for the season. Easy hills up and down. Trails are a combination of two track and single track. Hike duration is approximately 3 1/2 hours.
Elevation: 8,860 - 9,243 feet
Miles: 6
Meet at: Williams Parking lot in Woodland Park or Divide Sheriff's office parking lot. Please let us know if you will be meeting the carpool in Divide. Otherwise, we will not stop. Email
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Time: 8:00 am in Woodland Park, 8:15 am in Divide
Weather Forecast: According to the Woodland Park Weatherbug website:
Mostly cloudy with a 50% chance of thunderstorms with a high of 54 degrees.
Teller Trekkers Schedule 2012 21 Apr 12 Date
Hike Leader Trailhead Comments
9 May Mt. Heizer / Waldo Rip Cascade 10 Mi.
16 May Stanley - W. Monument Loop Rip USAFA 10 mi.
23 May Above the Crags (Cairn) Rip Crags TH 9 Mi.
30 May North Twin Cone Peak Rip Kenosha Pass 10 Mi.
6 Jun Black Mountain Kent S. of Guffy 7 Mi.
13 Jun 12 Mile Lake Kent S of Fairplay 8 Mi.
20 Jun Sentinel Peak (Cairn Trail) Rip Hwy 67 8 Mi.
27 Jun Hankins Pass (Ridge) Rip Spruce 10 mi.
4 Jul No hike on 4 July.
11 Jul Guanella Pass (Flowers) Kent Grant 8 Mi.
Note: Rip will be gone 12 Jul - 28
Jul 18 Jul TBD
25 Jul TBD
1 Aug TBD
8 Aug Frenchman Pass (Mt Guyot) Kent W. of Jefferson 9 mi. Loop
15 Aug Brown’s Canyon Rip S. Of Buena Vista TBD
29 Aug No Trek - Recover from Pikes Peak
5 Sep Mt Evans Rip Guanella Pass 12mi.+?
12 Sep Rolling Creek Trail Rip NE Tarryalls 8 Mi.
19 Sep TBD
26 Sep W. Buffalo Peak (Aspens) Kent Buena Vista Splorin / Leaves
3 Oct Rampart Reservoir Rip Rampart Rd 12 Mi.Loop
10 Oct TBD
19 Oct TBD
26 Oct TBD
Notes:
1. Trips are every Wednesday and usually depart from the parking lot behind Joanie's Bakery & Deli in Woodland Park or the Sheriff’s parking lot in Divide at 0830 (earlier for all-day trips and when thunderstorms are predicted).
2. Note that all these are 3 booters; but most have easy options to return to the trailhead early for those who do not want to do the entire hike. Also, some of these treks have not been scouted; routes may be longer or more difficult than estimated. No whiners, or you get to lead the next hike.
3. This is not a totally firm schedule; we can alter it if the group consensus decides to change it.
4. Always take at least 1 liter of water for every 3 hours of hiking. Wear sunscreen, wear lug-soledboots, maybe wear a hat and think about taking a jacket or rain gear.
5. Since we are carpooling farther and fuel costs are up, it is only fair that those who drive more often should be paid for their costs. Generally, on trips to the Continental Divide, the round trip is ~200 miles. At 20 miles per gallon = 10 gallons at $4/ gallon = $40; divided by 3 passengers = $13 @. So for trips to Fairplay or Guanella or Beuna Vista, fair share for 3 passengers is ~ $13. Adjust accordingly for shorter trips or fewer passengers.
7 Nov 2012-Horsethief Park Wednesday November 7th we will hike from the end of the Crags road to Horsethief Park and back. This trail traverses Putney Gulch. The walk is approximately 5.5 miles with a total elevation gain of about 1,700 ft. There exists the possibility of some exploring on this hike. At present the long term forecast for next Wednesday calls for sunny and high fifties. We should meet at the Divide Sheriff's Office at 8 am.
29 Oct 2012: Deerhaven/Wilson Creek- Meet at the Sheriff's Office at 8. Anyone coming from the west can meet the group at Teller One and Lower Twin Rocks Road.Just let us know if you are coming so we don't leave without you. I'm going to propose a very nice hike for this coming Wednesday. It will be an In & Out hike in the Deerhaven BLM area, also known as Thompson Mountain STL. It wanders through ponderosa forest and ends at a rock outcropping with great views south to the Sangre De Chirsto and Wet Mountains. The terrain distance is 7.3 miles total, but as I said, it's a gentle walk, so it goes very quickly. When Guy and I did it back in December, 2010, it took us four hours, including lunch at the rock outcropping. There may be a little snow on the trail where it winds through the trees, but it'll be residual from this last storm, so I would imagine it won't be a problem. Drive time from the Divide SO is about 45 - 50 minutes, so we should probably meet at 8:00 a.m. Weather is forecast for sunny and dry, with 59F temps, so it should be a good day for a stroll :-) Kent
19 Oct 2012 - Boreas Mountain- Since the weather looks like it will be great on Friday 10/19 so we are going to hike Boreas Mountain. (Thank you Kent!!) The forecast is for 55F and winds 10+ mph, so it should be a nice day. Good idea to dress warmly, though, since we'll be exposed.Meet at the Sheriff's Office at 8:00 a.m. Here is some information off the 13ers.com website regarding the hike. Kent will probably take a different route than described on the web page and it may be longer than 3 miles but you know it will be a fantastic trek!! Summit Elevation:13,082 feet-Trailhead Elevation:11,480 feet-Elevation Gain:1,700 feet-Round-trip Length:3.00 miles-Trailhead: Boreas Pass
17 Oct 2012-12 Mile Lake - The sky was wonderful Colorado blue and the dusting of snow on the Mosquito Range made for spectacular scenery. It was a little breezy in the exposed areas, but we were in the trees for 90% of the hike, so it was very nice. Elapsed time was 4 hours, 52 minutes. We started off at the base of Breakneck Pass, over the top, and dropped into Sheep Creek. The first four miles of the hike was a pleasant walk on a Jeep road. When that ended and we began the trail up to the lake, we were greeted with a great view of several beaver ponds, with Antero Reservoir off in the distance.After cresting a hill we came into view of 12 Mile Lake. The highest point is where we had lunch on our Trekkers hike last June. We had lunch looking out over the lake with views of Weston Peak and Ptarmigan Peak and Horseshoe Mountain . As we approached Breakneck Pass on our way out, two bull elk popped out of the woods across the road and disappeared just as quickly. Great hike today, folks.
10 Oct 2012- Mennonite Mountain - 4.8 miles with 1,400 elevation gain. Either a good foot trail or old logging trails all the way. A pretty easy hike, actually, with a nice rock outcropping for a lunch spot, looking west toward Mueller and the State Wildlife Area.Meet at Divide SO at 8:00. Guesstimated time for the hike would be four hours, with 15 minutes travel each way. Should be back to the SO by 1:30 or 2:00. Partly cloudy with a 20% chance of rain, so no threat there.
3 Oct, 2012 South Park VIew - A counterclockwise hike from the westy side of Wilkerson Pass up through turning aspen, until we top out on a rock outcropping with a great view. About 4 miles in length with a 1700' terrain elevation gain. Leave Divide Sheriff's Office at 8. We should be back by 1:30 or 2:00pm.
Sep 26 Hike Cancelled - Trekkers – The weather looks lousy for tomorrow….50% chance of rain and scattered thunderstorms so we are going to CANCEL the hike. Next week we will try and go to Boreas Mountain but that will all depend on the weather. Looks like the higher elevations are getting snow. YIKES!
SEPT. 19 , 2012- Ptarmigan Lake - What a GREAT hike we did today to Ptarmigan Lake. The weather was beautiful and the aspen color was spectacular. Six of us made the drive to cottonwood pass and started our trek at 8:45 am. We enjoyed lunch by the lake and then ventured up to the pass above the lake and got more views of the mountains. The hike was about 7 miles with 1500 elevation gain and were back to the trailhead by 1:00 . Several trekkers went up to Cottonwood Pass to see the view and the others left for home. We made a stop at Kae’s, in Buena Vista, for milkshakes for the ride home.This was a hike well worth the driving time and the trail was very well maintained. Would recommend it for those of you who have never been out there and right now the aspens are just bursting with color!Sept. 14, 2012 - Quandary - Since the weather is looking excellent for Friday we have decided to climb QUANDARY instead of going to the Ptarmigan Lake trail and are meeting in Divide at the Sheriff’s Office at 6:15 a.m. ( I am crazy enough to want to move it back even earlier BUT I think the weather is going to be great and I would like to see the color on the drive out J) Mapquest says that it takes about an hour and a half to get to the trailhead so that puts us starting to hike by 8. We should allow 4-5 hours to go up and back and then it would put us back around 3:30.
Sept. 5, 2012 - Bald Mountain: The Teller County Trekkers had a great hike up Bald Mountain today. The weather was beautiful and the haze was gone. The hike started at the top of Boreas Pass, the site of the old narrow gauge railroad from Denver to Leadville . We followed a good trail up to Black Powder Pass, and then headed up the ridgeline. Bald Mountain has several summits, the first of which is 13,679'. From the south summit, we could look east across French Pass to Mt. Guyot which was our objective a few weeks ago where we saw the mountain goats. Turning north, we could see the second summit, 13,634' and the north and highest summit, 13,684'. The north summit was 3/4 mile away with some pretty fair ups and downs along the way. Had we known it was only five feet higher than the south summit, we may have reconsidered, but it was a nice day, and as long as we were there.........From the north summit we looked back toward the south summit, which we would have to recross on our way back. After lunch, we posed for a group picture, took a last look down on Breckenridge town and ski area and started the return journey. From the south summit, we had a better view down on the railroad buildings and the car, but it was still a way to go.The hike was about 6-1/2 miles and took 5 hours, 19 minutes, including lunch on the north summit. Terrain elevation gained, with all the ups and downs over the summits was 2,839 feet. Kent Drummond,Hike Leader
Aug 29, 2012 - Ranger Station Creek: Today's Trekker's hike was a new one for all the participants. We called it Ranger Station Creek, since the trailhead is just over the creek (or creekbed since it's dry at the moment). The hike switchbacked up an open hillside with spectacular views of Eleven Mile Reservoir, Spinney Reservoir, South Park, and even the Collegiates when the haze cleared briefly. Two and a half miles to the turnaround point on a trail which sees very little use, so that helped make the hike unique.The drive time from Divide to the trailhead was about 40 minutes, and the hike (including lunch at the top) was 3 hours 37 minutes. Terrain elevation gain was 993'. The sky cooperated and gave us bright sunshine for the whole hike, yet the temperature was pleasant. I think this one is definitely a keeper. Kent Drummond, Hike Leader
Aug 15th-Above the Crags - Larry Dauelsberg is going to take us “Above the Crags”. We have done this hike a couple of times but last time the wind was VERY strong and chilly and we decided not to venture too much above tree line. We will go to the Crags overlook and if the weather cooperates go to the higher rocks (“Cairins”) above tree line. We will meet at 7:00 am (I know, it’s early J but we want to beat the weather) at the Sheriff’s Office in Divide and carpool to the Crags parking lot. The trek is about 6 miles RT with an elevation gain of about 2000 feet. (We will be at elevations over 11,000 feet) Plan on being gone about 6 hours. So estimated return will be around 1. (remember these are all best guesses) 8 August 2012 – Mt Guyot - This week's Trekkers hike turned out to be pretty ambitious. Our objective was Mt. Guyot (13,300') . We started from Gorgia Pass, just where the Continental Divide Trail makes a sharp bend. Our plan was to summit the peak and then proceed along a ridgeline over to French Pass and back down to a lower trail head. Because of drive time, and getting shuttle vehicles placed, we didn't start up the mountain until later in the morning, but reached the summit right at noon. There wasn't any real identifiable trail up the mountain, so it was pretty much a matter of scambling up through a massive boulder field. We were greeted on the way up by a large family of mountain goats, which was a real treat. After assessing the proposed ridge walk, it was agreed upon by all that descending the way we'd come up would be the best plan. After enjoying the view from the summit (looking down on Breckenridge and over toward the back bowls of Keystone) we headed down. The descent was slow, due to the difficulty of the bouldering, but everyone made it and most everyone agreed it was a great hike. Fortunately, the weather was beautiful for the entire outing. This would definitely be a 3+ booter hike. Maybe a 4.Terrain distance = 2.5 miles..Terrain elevation = 1,727. Feet. Elapsed time = 6 hours
13 June 2012 - 12 Mile Lake - Eight trekkers explored our way up the mountain south of 12 Mile Lake and were treated to some spectacular views of South Park. Kent calls the ridge we GPS-bushwacked up the "Yellowbrick Road". It was a beautiful aspen forest that took us to treeline and a windy lunch on top of the mountain overlooking the lake. Saw our first columbine blooming. Then, we dropped down to examine the wierd limestone sinkholes along the saddle; followed by a long bushwack though an aspen ridge back to Cave Creek. Total 9 miles, 7 hours, 1900 feet elevation gain. On 20 June Peter will lead a hike up Sentinel Peak via Horsethief. This is a perenial hike that we have done many time; beautiful views of the divide and Ute Pass, lots of vertical and options at the top. Estimate total 8-10 miles, 2000+ vertical, 6-7 hours hiking depending on options. Depart Divide Sheriff's office lot at 0730. Should be back to Divide by 1530.6 June, 2012 - Black Mountain - Eight Trekkers were led by Kent to explore Black Mountain, SW of Duffey. Actually, after this trip, we're going to change our name to the "Truckers". We had a lot of fun 4-wheeling our way to and from the trail head. Once we got there, it was a short hike to the edge of the cliffs on the north east side of the mountain. From there, we bush whacked our way to the top, then around the to the south side and back to the trail head. The cliffs were about 1000 feet above the surrounding terrain and the views of Pikes Peak, the Sangre De Cristos and even the Divide were spectacular! There is a lot of black basalt that flowed into interesting crystal shapes around the mountain. Total distance 3.4 miles, 1008 vertical feet, 3.5 hours. This is a keeper if we can find a trail head a little closer to the main road.
On 13 June, we'll return to 12 Mile Lake, which we explored last year, but this time we plan to stay on the main trail. There are great views of the Mosquito Range to the west and South Park to the east. Hike distance will be around 9 miles with a cumulative elevation gain of around 2,000'. Etimated hike time - 5-1/2 hours. Depart Divide Sheriff's Parking lot at 0730. Trailhead is South of Fairplay, so figure 3 hours of driving, should be back to Divide by 1600.
Note: Barr Trail on 22 Aug.; so far, I only know of two people who have made reservations. If you have made reservations, please let me know. If we do not have any more reservatiopns for that date, we may change it to 29 Aug.30 May 2012 - Twin Cone Peaks- Eight trekkers explored the Twin Cone Peaks east of Kenosha Pass. The trail began on Forest Road 126; not 126A - which cost us about 1/2 hour as we wandered around looking for the correct trail. When we did find the right road, we followed it across some private land and to the beginning of some switchbacks where it got too rough for our four wheel drive vehicles. We hiked up through the switchbacks which were in some beautiful doghair aspens that had just leaved. The road had been badly torn up by off-roaders. As we got closer to the top, and above treeline, we bushwacked to the top of the north cone and reached the top at 12,323 '. On the way back to the trail head, we found an alpine meadow that connected to a logging road that allowed us to avoid the ugly part of the road. This area has promise for future hikes. We can traverse to the south cone from the north cone, or approach it from another trail head from the south. Totals: 6.7 miles, 2,065 ', 4:42 hours.
On Wednesday, 6 June 2012 , Kent will lead us on a hike up Black Mountain, southwest of Guffy. The carpool to the trail head is rough and will require good four wheel drive vehicles.Drive time to the trailhead from Divide is about 2 hours. The hike is about 3.4 miles with the possibility of some exploring if we have time. This is a beautiful, pristine area that few hikers have explored. It has outstanding views of the Divide and lots of rock outcrops to scramble on. Meet at Divide Sheriff's office parking lot at 0830.
23 May, 2012 - The Crags- Guy Basey led seven hikers up to the rock outcrop that overlooks the Crags. A chilly wind was blowing so they elected to descend down to the valley below for lunch then crossed the valley and post holed (walked in deep snow) their way to just above treeline. The weather was turning grey, so they traversed over to Devil's playground trail, then returned to the Crag's parking lot. Stats for the hike: 4.5 hrs. duration, about 6.2 miles, with 1,835 ft. of elevation gain, maximum elevation was 11,620 ft. Another great day in Colorado. On 30 May, we'll try a hike I've been looking at for years. The trail is an old mining road (FR 126) leading east from Kenosha Pass. It follows Kenosha Creek for about a mile, then goes vertical up the north wall and leads to a choice between following the road up to North Twin Cone Peak or bushwacking to South Twin Cone Peak. Total vertical looks like about 2300' (North Cone Peak is 13,323) and total round trip is about 10 miles if we decide to go all the way to the top of either peak. Even if we don't go all the way to the top, we should get some great views of South Park and the Continental Divide. Depart Divide Sheriff's Parking lot at 0830, should be back to the lot by 1630.
16 May 2012- STANLEY CANYON- Three trekkers enjoyed finding the trail between Stanley Reservoir and West Monument Creek on 9 May. Stanley Canyon was steep and gnarley as usual, but pretty with a nice cool breeze. The trail down to W. Monument Creek was nice with lots of aspens and elk meadows.And, the road / trail back to the Academy was the same, except Lisa forgot to remind us about the trail up the side of the canyon (it wasn't her fault, but we're blaming her anyway). Instead of using good judgement and backtracking to the trail, we decided to scramble up the hill. Not a good plan, but we made it. There were lots of blooming yucca, and some paint brush and LYFs.
Total 8 miles, 6 hours, ~1800 feet vertical.
Next week, 16 May, Guy Basey will lead the group "Above the Craigs." We explored this route last year and decided that we wanted to go farther up the face above treeline toward the Cairns (snow permitting). Probably about 7 miles, maybe 6 hours, lots of vertical and some scree. Depart from the Divide Sheriff's office parking lot at 0830 and carpool to the Craigs trail head
9 MAY 2012- HEIZER/BARNEY'S DOME Eleven Teller Trekkers started out the season with a new variation on an old favorite. We climbed up Heizer (it hasn't gotten any easier!). Then, instead of dropping down into West French Creek, we bushwacked our way south and ended up at the base of Barney's Dome. Barney's Dome is that prominent rock outcrop about a mile south of Cascade on the west side of the highway. We scrambled up to the top of the dome for lunch and the views were fantastic! To the east, we could see Ute Pass and the plains and to the west, we had a gorgeous view of Pikes Peak. After lunch, we bushwacked our way back to a trail that winds down into French Creek drainage and crosses the Ute Indian Trail to end up back on Highway 24 at the Waldo parking lot. Total hike was 6.6 miles, 2,767 feet vertical, 6 hours.
Next week, 16 May 2012, we'll hike Stanley Canyon to West Monument Creeek from the Air Force Academy. This is one we need to do early in the season, before it gets too hot down on the plains. We've done both of these hikes in the past, but have never connected them. Meet at 0830 at the parking lot behind Joanie's or behind Williams Furniture or west of Ute Pass Cultural Center; seems everybody knows where it is, but uses different names for it. We'll car pool to the Academy. All you need to get on the Academy is a drivers license. Estimate about 7 miles, 1600 feet vertical, some moderate scrambling up the canyon. With one hour of shuttling each way and 5 hours of hiking we should be back to WP about 1530.
Keep on trekkin.
Trekmeister
Rip Blaisdell
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(719)686-1408
Teller Trekkers Three Boot Group 2011 Schedule
Point of Contact for this schedule is Rip Blaisdell, (719)686-1408 or
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Also, if you plan to do the whole hike, please send me an e-mail so I can get an idea of how many shuttle vehicles we are going to need. Keep on trekkin! Rip Blaisdell (719)686-1408
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12 Oct 2011- - Rampart Reservoir - Six trekkers enjoyed a beautiful, crisp fall day hiking around Rampart Reservoir. There was still a little snow in patches and the golden aspen leaves on the white snow made a carpet for us. We went around the lake counter clockwise, so we had warm sun in the morning and the snow on the (north facing) south side was soft by the time we got there. As we wound in and out of the long coves on the north side, we had gorgeous views of Pikes Peak framed by the reservoir and aspen trees. The hike was a little longer than the 12 miles advertised; it's hard to estimate the length of a hike when you do not scout it. As we develop a better data base, we'll be able to access that information better. Total hike was 13.8 miles, EXACTLY 6.0 hours, about 1800 feet elevation gain (cumulative).
Next week, I'm afraid we're going to have to call it quits for the season. I had hoped that maybe we could hike Stanley Canyon to West Monument, but I checked it out and Stanley looks like it has snow in the shadows, so it would be dangerous.
I plan to summarize our hikes in a spreadsheet and get it on the Teller County website soon. I'll also send it out to everyone when I get it developed.
Keep on Trekkin!
Rip Blaisdell
5 Oct 2011- Sheep Rock - Ten trekkers enjoyed a hike on broad trails across Mueller on Tr#44 and into the Wildlife area, then up a ridge to finally scrambled up to the top of Sheep Rock. From there we could see the panorama of aspen color on the west side of Pikes Peak and west to Wilkerson Pass and beyond. Total of about 9 miles, with a couple of side trips and 2,300 feet elevation gain on the rolling terrain, 5 hours.
28 Sep 2011- Twin Eagles to Ute Trail head. We don't know whether it was the 15 miles or the 0700 start, but only 6 trekkers showed up for the hike. Those of you who decided to skip this one missed a beautiful walk in gorgeous aspen color. The weather was perfect and the aspen were in their prime. The trek up the south-east side was very easy with lots of switchbacks and the 2 + miles above timberline gave us spectacular views of the Tarryall valley and the continental divide. As with many other parts of The Lost Creek Wilderness, it's difficult to access the really good parts of the area without a long hike or an overnight trip. Total trip was 14.5 miles, 3,313 ' elevation gain and took 7 hours and 50 minutes. This one is a keeper; in spite of the long distance, this is a must do every year, the last week of Sep.
21 Sep 2011- Seven Trekkers enjoyed a variation of last year's Buffalo Peaks hike in beautiful weather and the beginning hint of fall color. Last
year, we hiked up the western hill (12,105') in the middle of the Buffalo Peaks basin and descended south to the Rough and Tumbling Creek
trail. This year we did the same climb, but traversed to the east hill (12,132') and descended along a ridge to the northeast to intersect the
Rough and Tumbling trail about 1/2 mile from the trailhead. Total trip was 7.2 miles, 2,319 feet elevation gain and 5 hours. Saw Grouse and
heard elk bugling.
Trekkers,
Hike for 9/14/2011: Gotta cancel again.
70% chance of T'storms Wednesday afternoon! Rain by 8 am. Would be miserable on the trail - probably snow at the top. Likewise, Heizer would be wet and slippery. So we had better not try that either.
Unfortunately, we are in a 7 day rain cycle and may have rain again next Wednasday. Anyway, we'll try the same next week. Barr Trail if the weather looks good on 21 Sep; 0400, Joni's parking lot. Otherwise maybe Heizer.
NEXT HIKE SEPT 7th has been re-scheduled for 9/14/2011
Trekkers,
I'm putting this out early so folks can plan ahead.
We're going to do Barr Trail to the top of Pikes Peak on Wednesday, 7 Sep. It will be a one way trip, starting at 0430 from the trail head in Manitou Springs. Parking there is limited, so we will carpool from the parking lot behind Joni's in Woodland Park at 0400. You might want to take a headlamp for the first couple of hours. I know this is awfully early, but from past experience, we do not want to be above timberline after about 1400. The trek is 13 miles and about 7,000 feet elevation gain. Figure 1 1/2 miles per hour, that's about 9 hours.
My wife, Jean, will pick us up at about 1400 at the top of the peak. We should be at Barr Camp by 1100. Take plenty of water. There is water at Barr Camp and more at the A-Frame (timberline), but you need to treat the water at both sources. I will have my steri-pen if anyone wants to borrow it. Take a good lunch and lots of snacks. The trail is very well maintained, but does have a lot of rubble, so wear good boots. Also, take rain gear. We won't go if the forecast is 40% or worse. I'll cancel by e-mail on Tuesday if the forecast is bad (we may do another, shorter trek). This is a beautiful and challenging hike. If you have never done it, you owe it to yourself to do it at least once. Once you have done it, you will never look at the peak in the same way again.
I need to know how many plan to go, so we can arrange shuttles from the top. Please e-mail me by Friday if you plan to go. If anyone can volunteer to shuttle, please let me know.
Thanks,
Ripper
Rip Blaisdell
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(719)686-1408
31 Aug - We'll hike Mt. Bierstdt. This is one of the easiest 14ers, so if you haven't ever hiked a 14er, this is a good one to start with. The trail head is Guanella Pass and the elevation gain is about 2,200'. Total round trip is about 12 miles and the tread is excellent. This is a very popular trail with a lot of traffic. It is very well maintained.Take plenty of water. Depart the parking lot behind Joni's Deli at 0700. Plan on 3 hours total driving and about 6 hours hiking, so we should be back to WP by
about 4 pm.
24 Aug., 2011 - Ten trekkers hiked the 12 Mile Lake "trail". It was a very interesting hike with a beautiful overlook of the lake.
We did not hike all the way to the lake because of a threatening thunderstorm. This area has a lot of potential for future hikes and more exploring. The route we took had a lot of bushwacking, some of it through difficult downed aspen trunks. We think there is probably a better route on trails, and look forward to exploring the area next year. The trail head is at the
north end of FR 455 off of Weston Pass Rd. Total 7.5 miles, approx 1,400' vertical, 4.5 hours.
17 Aug. 2011 -Larry has volunteered to lead a hike up Raspberry Mountain from Catamount. The hike will combine a couple of trails that we have done in the past; starting at the Catamount trail head, west on Feighn trail to a connecting trail to the top of Raspberry Mountain and back south to the Ring the Peak and Limber Pine trails. Should be about 8 miles, maybe 1000 feet elevation gain, estimate 4 - 5 hours. Depart from the Catamount trail head at the end of Edlow Road at 0800
10 August 2011- Nine trekkers hiked the "Above the Crags " trail on 10 Aug. It was a beautiful day under a deep blue sky and the trail was great, leading us up the draw SE of the Crags.
When we got to the top, Ute Pass was still shrouded with ground fog. We decided to 'splore some on the way back to avoid a short stretch of scree that we encountered on the way up.
We bushwacked a little up to a rock outcrop to the south, then southwest above tree line to connect back to the Devil's Playground trail back to the trail head. Totals - 6.2 miles, 2,000 feet vertical, 5 hours.
3 August 2011 - Those of you who took a look at the 60% chance of rain and decided to stay home missed a great hike. Six trekkers hiked Silverheels Mountain,
just west of Boreas Pass. There were not as many flowers as we saw on the French Pass hike, but the views of South Park and Divide were spectacular.
We did get sprinkled on at the end of the hike, but just for a few minutes. Total trip (which included an alternate return route) was 9.5 miles, 3,760 feet elevation gain,
7 1/2 hours.
27 July 2011
Nine Trekkers hiked the French Pass area on 27 July. We climbed up the Boreas Ditch trail from Boreas Pass and it was beautiful!
There were more flowers than I have ever seen. We felt like we were walking through a flower shop. We had to alter our plans slightly because of some large snow fields. There was probably 3 times as much snow as last year. We spent a lot of time going up and down the really steep slope on the west side of French Pass and way too much time scrogging (trekker term for struggling through alpine willow) across the willow in the wetlands in the bottom of French Creek. Total : 5.5 miles, 5 hours, 1900+ feet
(a couple of times)!
Next week, 3 Aug, Kent will lead us up Mt. Silverheels, northeast of Fairplay, just west of French Pass. Probably about 5.5 miles and a lot of vertical (looks like about 3000'). Don't know for sure, but based on the flowers in Boreas Pass, I'd guess the flowers will be
good on this hike as well. Depart Divide at 0700, we'll pickup others in Florrisant. Plan on 5 hours of hiking and 4 hours of driving, so should be off the trail by 1400 and back to Divide by about 1600. We will need 4 wheel drive vehicles to get to the trail head, so if you have a 4 wheeler, please volunteer to drive.
20 July 2011
The 20 July Hike up Bison Peak was great - just like last year; steep and hot for the first couple of miles, then beautiful above timberline. Lots of penstemon and paint brush and of course beautiful views of the continental divide. The only bummer was the mosquitoes; they swarmed on us anytime we stopped below timberline. Trek was 11.4 miles with 4,083 elevation gain.
The 27 July Hike will be French Pass which we did last year, but this year we are going to do it from Boreas Pass (SH 33 west of Como). Its a pretty long carpool, so we'll leave the Divide Sheriff's office at 0700 and pickup others in Florrisant. This was a beautiful hike last year and the new approach will cut off some of the long climb into the cirque, so we can spend more time above timberline (and away from the mosquitoes). I figure about 8 - 10 miles total, depending on how much splorin we do, and about 1500 feet vertical. But, there could be lots of up and down. Figure 5 hours of hiking and 3 hours of driving, so we should be back to Divide by 1500 .
Message: 7/16/2011
Trekkers,
I hear the 13 July hike was nice. I'll include specifics next week.
The 20 July hike will be an out and back from the Ute trail head to Bison peak with an option to go a couple of miles east on the Brookside-McCurdy trail (607) if anyone wants to explore that direction. I hiked this section last week and the first couple of miles are beautiful with lots of flowers. We'll depart from the Sheriff's Office in Divide at 0700 to avoid afternoon thunderstorms. The round trip to Bison and back will be about 10 miles total. The hike should take about 5 hours plus at least an hour shuttle each way so we should be back to Divide by about 2 or 3 pm.
Keep on trekkin.
Ripper
Rip Blaisdell
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6 July 2011
Yesterday's hike up Sheep Mountain, southwest of Fairplay was a great hike! 16 intrepid souls turned out and the weather behaved. Statistics from the hike are 7.8 miles round trip with a terrain elevation gain of 2'620 feet. Total time, up and back, was five hours, with an average pace of 1.7 mph.
The summit of Sheep Mountain is listed as 12,800 and we had great views of the Mosquito Range to the west; Horseshoe Mountain, Mt. Sheridan, Mt. Sherman and on north to many of the other 14ers in that area.
The hike for Wednesday, July 13th will be the other Sheep Mountain in the Seven Lakes area off Gold Camp road. This hike will be in the 7 mile range round trip with about a 2,000 ft. elevation gain. Sheep Mountain is 12,247 ft., about half of this hike is above timberline so be prepared for changing conditions. The hike is rated moderate due to the elevation gain and exposure. If you did the Sheep Mt. hike near Fairplay last week, this hike rates about the same with a lot less rocky footing.
Let's start earlier, 7 AM from the Divide Sheriff's parking lot. From there we will go south on 67 to Gillett, continue south on 81 to Gold Camp Road. We then take forest service road 376 (Seven Lakes Rd.) at Clyde to the trail head.
29 June 2011
On 29 June twenty-one trekkers hiked the Catamount Ridgewalk . It was a great hike, starting at the Catamount trail head, following Limber Pine trail
and the Ring the Peak trail to the ridge south of Catamount. Not much vertical, mostly in the shade; the group made good time, 7 miles in 4 hours.
On 6 July, Kent will lead a hike on Sheep Mountain S.W. of Fairplay. It's a 7.2 mi. round trip leaving from Brown's Pass. It will take about 1 1/2 hours to carpool to the trail head, so departure is at 0800 from the Sheriff's parking lot in Divide.
I'll be hiking in the Lost Creek Wilderness (still too much snow on the Colorado Trail) until about the 1st week in August. Kent and/or Guy will be sending out weekly reminders to Teler Trekers on our email list.
22 June 2011
Sixteen trekkers hiked up Sentinel Peak on 22 June. We had perfect weather, cool, sunny, no wind. Saw lots of alpine flowers; 8.0 miles round trip, with an elevation gain of 3,163'. 6
hrs, 26 minutes total time.
Next week, 29 June, Kent is leading us on a hike from the Catamount trailhead off Edlow Road, North Catamount Ridgewalk, 7 miles, probably about 4 hours. Meet at the parking lot behind Joni's (Williams Furniture) in Woodland Park at 8:30 or at the trailhead at 0845 if you live west of WP.
Six hardy trekkers made it to the top of Pikes Peak and back by way of the Crags Trail on 15 June. We were lucky with a beautiful day, comparitively light winds. Unfortunately, we could see the Westcliffe fire all day long, but other than that, the views were breathtaking. About 13.2 miles total, 8 1/2 hours, 4,000+ feet elevation gain.
On 22 June, we will hike Sentinel Peak from Horsethief. The approach follows Cairned Trail to the top. This is a steep climb through boulders, but there is a trail and there is no real climbing unless you want to scramble up the last 1/4 mile to the very top of Sentinel. About 10 miles, 6 hours, 3,000' elevation gain. Beautiful views, should be some flowers. Depart the Divide Sheriff's office at 0830.
8 June 2011
Seventeen trekkers hiked into Mueller from the Wildlife Area on Teller 1, about 5.3 miles in 2 hrs, 55 minutes. Good rock outcropping with views of Sentinal Point, Pikes Peak, Tachyite Mt., and Mt. Pisgah.
Next week we're going to try Pikes Peak from the Crags. This route is not nearly as difficult as the 13 mile Barr trail way. It's about 6 miles one way. We are going to go up and back on this trip. We did it one way last year in about 3 hours and the only problem was the weather. It is a beautiful hike and we can cut it short if we hit snow.
Meet at Sheriff's Office at 0730, 15 June at the Sheriff's office. Trail head is the Crags TH. We should be back by 1500. Bring lots of water, snacks and a couple of layers for wind / showers.
1 June 2011
Twelve trekkers hiked the N. Catamount Creek Loop from a trailhead on Crags Road, over a ridge and on a short side hike to a spectacular rock outcrop with a great view of the peak and Sentinal (we like outcrops). Then, we hiked down N. Catamount , which was still choked with snow, to a large meadow just south of the Catamount Reservation, then back south on the Ring the Peak trail along the south side of Raspberry Mountain with another side hike to an overlook with another beautiful view of the Peak. We don't know how far we went or how much elevation we gained because we experienced a cyber attack during the hike and all the GPSs disagreed. However, one of the few really old guys on the trip who can still read a map says we hiked 6.7 miles in 4 hours and had an elevation gain of 800 feet.
Next Wednesday,8 June, Kent will lead us from the SWA (State Wildlife Area) N.of Mueller from a trail head off of Teller 1 into Mueller and up Hay Creek and back to the trail head. Total 5 miles(without outcrops, probably 3-4 hours. Meet at the Sheriff's Office at 0830.
25 May 2011
Guy Basey led us on a new hike in the Tarryalls on 25 May. Platte Springs is a trek into the Platte valley east of Lake George. The trailhead is at the end FR 210, which is south of SH 77, west of Happy Meadow campground. The trail descended down into the valley, through some of the Hayman burn, passing some huge rock outcrops with beautiful views of the valley and ramparts to the east. Total out and back was 6.7 miles, 3 hours, 1800+' gain (twice!), some flowers beginning to bloom, lots of elk sign.
1 June we will hike N. Catamount Loop, a 6 mile loop from Crags Road which intersects with the Ring the Peak trail. Meet at the Sheriff's Office in Divide at 0830.
Attached is a revision to the schedule. We have moved some of the higher hikes to later in the schedule because there is still snow above 9,000'. We are still seeking trekkers to lead hikes in July - Aug; I will be gone during that time.
18 May 2011
Kent Drummond led eleven Trekkers up a trail (and a lot of vertical bushwacking) on the west side of "Mennonite" mountain to a nice (but windy) lunch on the north end of the ridge and then south on the ridge and down the east side to a trailhead on the Crags road. Four miles total, 1,860' vertical, 3.2 hours.
Next week, Guy Basey will lead us on a hike in the Tarryalls near Platte Springs. This is an out and back that will probably be about 6-8 miles, 3-4 hours. Guy says there are not many trees, so take plenty of water and sunscreen. And, there are plenty of places to turnaround, or stop and wait if hikers don't want to go the whole distance. Unfortunately, the trek descends into the river valley and then back out, so the second half will be uphill. Lot's of beautiful views and big rocks.
Meet at the Divide Sheriff's Office at 0830 and carpool to Lake George and to the trailhead.
11 May 2011
Trekkers,
Discretion is the better part of hiking in May in Colorado. The ground is covered with ice and snow (and / or mud) and the forecast high is 34 degrees. The wind chill is 20.
Let's sit by the fire and plan more hikes today.
The Hike is cancelled today!
Next week, we'll stay on schedule with a hike up Mennonite Mountain. Meet at Divide Sheriff's Office at 0830.
4 May 2011 N. Catamount Creek Loop Kent Crags 6 mi. - Ring the Peak
Nine Trekkers had a great opening day in Mueller today. Instead of doing N. Catamount, we did the War Party Overlook because we thought there might still be snow on the ground along N. Catamount Creek. From the Dome Rock trailhead, Kent led us up Willow Creek, then bushwacked west to War Party Overlook trail. Took about a mile side hike to the top of the overlook for lunch. Then bushwacked north to Fourmile Creek and back to the the trailhead. Windy, 7.2 miles, 5 hours, 1800 feet vertical, beautiful views, lot's of BIG rocks.
Next Wednesday, 11 May, we're back on schedule with a hike from the State Wildlife Area (SWA) south of Mueller into Mueller: 5 miles, maybe some s'ploring. Meet at the Sheriff's Lot at 0830.
DATE LEADER TRAILHEAD COMMENTS
11 May SWA into Mueller Kent Teller 1 5 mi. - Hay Creek
18 May Menonite Mountain Kent Crags 4 mi. / 1600 ft gain
25 May SWA Kent Teller1 5 Mi.+
1 Jun N. Catamount Loop Kent Crags 6 Mi. - Ring tthe Peak
8 Jun SWA into Mueller Kent Teller 1 5 Mi. - Hay Creek
15 Jun Pikes Peak from Crags Rip Crags 12 mi. - Up & Back
22 Jun Sentinel Peak(Cairn Trail) Rip Hwy 67 8 Mi. (To Oil Creek?)
29 Jun North Catamount Ridgewalk Kent Edlow Rd. 7 mi. RT
6 Jul Sheep Mtn (SW of FairplaY Kent Brown's Pass 7.2mi RT
13 Jul North Monument Creek Kent Rampart Range Rd 5 mi/shuttle
20 Jul Hankins Pass/Bison Peak Umeno Tarryall 10 mi/shuttle
27 Jul Mount Silverheels Kent NE of Fairplay TBD/abt. 7 mi
3 Aug French Pass Kent W. of Jefferson 9 mile lop
10 Aug The Crags/new trail Guy Crags 5.0 mi
17 Aug Catamount/Raspberry Mtn. Larry Catamount Tr'head 4-5 hrs
24 Aug 12 Mile Lake Kent SW of Fairplay 8 mi RT
31 Aug. Mt Bierstadt/Sawtooth Rip Quanella Pass 12 mi +?
7 Sep Pikes Peak/Barr Trail Rip Manitou 13 mi/pick up at top
or poss. 3 day camp
at Barr Camp
14 Sep Mt. Shavano (14K+) Rip Hwy 50 TBD
21 Sep Rampart Reservoir Rip Rampart Rd. 12 mi loop
28 Sep W. Buffalo Peak Kent Buena Vista 9.5 mi RT
(28 Sep - West Buffalo Peak, north of Buena Vista. Trails Illustrated map
129. 9.5 miles round trip, 6 hours, 11 minutes. I was alone so it was
at my pace. I would expect a group to be considerably slower. If we
didn't make it to the top, it's still a great hike. 78 miles, 2 hours
one way. 4WD mandatory to get to the trailhead.
I'd still like to add in the proposed loop from the Rich Creek Trailhead
to the summit we looked at last year when we were up there. 6.8 miles
round trip (loop). 62 miles, 1 hr, 30 minutes, one way. Possibly a Fall
hike. Rip)
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