Hiking in Colorado

11June2008

Turntable Trail

Posted by kris under: Trails.

Name of Trial: Turntable Trail
Total Distance: 3 miles
Difficulty: Hard
Hike Type: Out and back
Starting Location: Near the Cog Railway.

We parked just bellow the Cog Railway in Manitou Springs and then hiked up along the road that parallels the Cog Railway until the road turned to dirt on the left. We had to hike along the railway tracks for about 100 feet until there is a path off to the left.

The overall trail is not very well defined. It is mostly worn in by people using it and the trees and other underbrush is very close along the trail. The trail is also very steep and gravely. As we hiked up we saw a lot of great views of Manitou Springs and the surrounding mountains. As we got higher we came up a deep ravine that borders one of the sides as we continued to switch back and forth up the mountain.

Once we got to the top of the trail we were also at the top of the ravine and the trail met up with Crystal Park Road. At this point we had climbed about 1300 feet and gone 1.6 miles. Once you reach the road you have a choice, you can turnaround and head back the way you came or hike down the road a little ways and see the display of the old turntable about a half of a mile down the road. In 1910 the turntable allowed people to turn their cars around sharp bends to get up the mountain. Now it is just for show but it is a great bit of history and very cool to see.

Overall I did not like this trail. I did not like having to walk up the Cog Railway and the trail itself was a little hard to follow.

To see photos that I took while on my hike go to my Photo Gallery.

9June2008

Paul Intemann Nature Trail

Posted by kris under: Trails.

Name of Trial: Paul Intemann Nature Trail
Total Distance: 3 - 4 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Hike Type: Loop / Out and back
Starting Location: Just off Ruxton Ave and Spring St in Manitou Springs.

I headed up hwy 24 and followed the signs to the Cog Railway. Instead of going to the Cog Railway I looped back the other direction on Ruxton Ave and park near Spring St. I headed up Spring St. and followed the signs marked ‘Trail’. The trail head does start a little more west and follows the creek but it soon meets up with Spring St so you can decided where you want to start.

The start of the trail is about 3 feet wide and gravely, but once I reach the Red Mountain Trail turnoff it got smaller. There were some great views all along the way and the trail was flat in most places with just a few inclined sections. There are some great overlooks along the way with some places to sit and enjoy. There were some views of Manitou Springs along the way as well as view of Barr Trail and the mountains. There are a few places were trails brake off from the main trail but the Paul Intemann Nature Trail is very well marked.

After about 2 miles of hiking the trail leads to Pawnee Ave which you can make a few decisions. You can either turn around at this point and head back the way you came or head down Pawnee Ave and follow the sings to where the trail starts up again off of South Side Rd. The other option, which makes this a loop hike, is to continue down Pawnee Ave. until you reach Manitou Ave and take a left. This is the path that I took and it was an opportunity to see some of the great shops along Manitou Ave. as well as some of the beautiful houses around Manitou. To get back to the parking spot I just took Ruxton Ave back to my car.

This hike gave me a great verity, with the creek, views of the mountains, and walking through Manitou Springs.

To see photos that I took while on my hike go to my Photo Gallery.

1June2008

Mt. Cutler Trail

Posted by kris under: Trails.

Name of Trial: Mt. Cutler Trail
Total Distance: 2 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Hike Type: Out and back
Starting Location: On the left side of North Cheyenne Canyon Rd about 1.5 miles into North Cheyenne Canyon Park.

I headed towards North Cheyenne Canyon Park and took North Cheyenne Canyon Rd about 1.5 miles up to the trailhead for Mt. Cutler Trail on the left side of the road. On the weekends, parking can be hard to find even though there are about ten spots.

Most of the trail is dirt and about three feet wide, with it becoming more gravely as you get closer to the top. After about one quarter of a mile I started to see some great views of the mountains and Colorado Springs. It was a nice hike with a few steep parts but they were followed with some even nicer flat sections.

A little over half of a mile along the trail it crests over the ridge of the mountain to a spectacular view of the mountains. The tail got a little bit smaller at this point and I was walking a little close to the edge, but I still felt safe. Along this section I had a good view of 7 Falls (and I did not have to pay $8.75 to see it). The summit was very close at this point and I had a great view of both the mountains and the valley.

This was a very nice short hike with some great views. It is good for people of all ages and is nice for a quick hike in the mountains.

To see photos that I took while on my hike go to my Photo Gallery.

28May2008

Daniels Pass

Posted by kris under: Trails.

Name of Trial: Daniels Pass
Total Distance: 3-4 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Hike Type: Out and back
Starting Location: About 2 miles up N. Cheyenne Canon Road on the left side (south).

We took W. Cheyenne Blvd and turned right on N. Cheyenne Canon Rd and took it for about 2 miles where we found some parking on the right side. The trail was across the road and about 20 feet down from the small parking area (the lat and long values are N38 47 21 W104 53 43). There is not an obvious starting place for the trail and since there is not a bridge over the creek we had to cross it on foot so it was a good thing that the water was not very high. Once we cross the creek, we found the trail and it started going up the side of the mountain. It was a dirt trail that started out steep and had some gravely sections. There are some nice views along the way and it was a nice hike through the forest. After about a mile we reach the top of first hill and came to a four way intersection.

The left trail leads to a rocking overlook about .3 mile away. The trail is about the same condition as the first part with some steep section and gravelly areas. The overlook gave us a great view of Golden Camp Rd and the mountains around that as well as the view of the city of Colorado Springs. The right trail leads to Mt. Muscoco summit, which we did not go to and the trail straight ahead lead to the Greenwood’s Settlement which is an early town that was abandoned a while back. This trail is not very well defined but we followed the dried-up creek bed for about .2 mile and then head to the right at about a 45 degree angle until we saw some abandoned buildings that were fun to walk around (around N38 47.372 W104 53.731). I also found out that a banker named Fred Smith was the one that started Greenwood Village. It is interesting to see a little bit of the history of Colorado Springs and Greenwood Village is a big part of that history.

Instead of walking all the way back to the four way intersection we went about half way back and then went to the right to anther great rocky overlook. I was able to get some more great pictures. Once we were done with this we head back to the intersection and eventually back to N. Cheyenne Canon Rd.

The tail was not very well defined in places, but the great things that we saw and the history that we get to experience first hand, made finding the tail worth while. It is another example of a great hike in Colorado.

To see the pictures that I took while on this hike, visit my Photo Gallery.

28May2008

Coyote Gulch / Creekbottom Loop

Posted by kris under: Trails.

Name of Trial: Coyote Gulch and CreekBottom Loop
Total Distance: 2 miles
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Hike Type: Loop
Starting Location: Bear Creek Nature Center off of Bear Creek Road.

I took Hwy 24 to 26th St. which turns into Bear Creek Rd, and I parked in the Bear Creek Nature Center parking lot. The Regional Trail goes around the edge of the Bear Creek Park and leads to Section 16, but I hiked some of the loops within the park.

I headed towards the Nature Center and then took a right to where the trail begins. There was a map there that shows the trails within the park and I headed to the right from this point. The path was mostly a sandy trail about six feet wide to start. It then started to move into some wooded areas and continued to walk along Bear Creek. From here I continued on Creekbootom Loop which was a very nice walk and very peaceful with the sound of the creek going by. One nice thing about this trail is that there is a map at every intersection to indicate where you are and which direction the different loop in the park go. Creekbottom Loop started to move away from Bear Creek and into the meadow area of the park. Throughout the meadow I saw yucca trees and many animals.

Creekbottom Loop met up with Coyote Gulch Loop which took me a little more west towards the mountains and to a great view of the valley bellow. There are many houses that line the park and I saw deer in the areas were the park ends and the privet property begins. It was a great sight to see and made for some great pictures. I continued along the Coyote Gulch Loop back towards the nature center. The trail continued through the meadow and there were a few rolling hills. Coyote Gulch Loop eventually met up with Mountain Scrub Loop which took me back towards the nature center.

A little ways before I was back to the nature center the dirt trail turned into pavement and there was a wooden path on my right that went along the creek. There were a few signs along the wooden path as well as the paved section that told me about the plant and wildlife in the area among other things. This section is wheelchair accessible and gives anyone a great nature experience. It was a great ending to a nice hike through Bear Creek Park.

This is a nice trail for a quick hike that is not that fare away from the city. It also had some informative signs as well as benches along the trail so that you can relax and enjoy the view. I also saw a lot more wildlife on this trail then I have on any other trail this season.

I just found out that the city of Colorado Springs might be closing the Bear Creek Nature Center, so you better check it out before it is gone. It has great dioramas that provide information about the local ecosystem and is appropriate for all ages. If you have a chance to visit the nature center, do so before it closes down.

Go see my Photo Gallery for some pictures I took while on the trail.

20May2008

Catamount Trail

Posted by kris under: Trails.

Name of Trial: Catamount Trail
Total Distance: ~ 5 miles
Elevation Gain: 1300 feet
Difficulty: Moderate to Hard
Hike Type: Out and back
Starting Location: The intersection of Ute Pass Ave and Hondo Ave just off Hwy 24

We took Green Mountain Falls Rd off of Hwy 24 and parked our car at the intersection of Ute Pass Ave and Hondo Ave. Once we parked we hiked up Hondo Ave. for about a half of a mile until we reached the end of the road and a gate. We went trough the gate and continued along the road until we reached the base for some falls. This is where the trail begins. The first half of the trail is very rocky and requires a lot of stepping up and we mostly walked on rocks because there were so many. After over a mile of hiking this we reached the top and entered the Garden of Eden meadow which was very beautiful.  In the fall the colors of the aspens are wonderful and well worth the hike up to the Garden of Eden.

In the meadow we saw a nice creek running along the trail and some amazing rock formations along the side. This is the same creek that feeds into the waterfall at the start. The trail continued this way for a little while until we stared to move out of the meadow and into a section where there were a large number of dead trees all along the trail and some that ever crossed the trail. We had to jump over and duck under some of the logs in order to even stay on the trail. This eventually led to a road that brought us to the Catamount Reservoir. At this point we turned around and headed back.

The first part of the trail was challenging both going up and coming down because of the rocky terrain. The Garden of Eden Meadow we beautiful and you can see some of the photos that I took in my Photo Gallery. The fallen tree section was interesting because of the vast number of trees that have fallen in this area. Over all it was a good trail that I would like to go on again sometime.

20May2008

Horseshoe Mountain / Dewey Trail

Posted by kris under: Trails.

Name of Trial: Horseshoe Mountain / Dewey Trail
Total Distance: ~ 6 miles
Elevation Gain: 1600 feet
Difficulty: Moderate to Hard
Hike Type: Out and back
Starting Location: The intersection of Ute Pass Ave and Hondo Ave just off Hwy 24

We took Green Mountain Falls Rd off of Hwy 24 and parked our car at the intersection of Ute Pass Ave and Hondo Ave. From there we hiked up Belvidere Ave about a quarter of a mile until we reached a trail on the right that went between two houses. The whole first section takes you through a ravine up the side of the mountain. It is pretty sandy along the way and there are a lot of bushes that are encroaching on the trail. The terrain was very sandy and open as we climbed. After about a mile of hiking up the ravine, we come to a flat section and a T intersection with another trail. We went left at this T and started to hike in more of a forested area.

We continue to go up and moved in and out of the trees. The incline was steep at parts but the shade of the trees was nice. When the trees did open up we had a great view of the valley bellow. At the crest of the mountain there was a rock outcropping that gave us a great view of the valley and of the mountains to the west.

We continued along the trail back into the forest along the ridge until we saw the North Catamount Reservoir. This was not a very hard section and there was good traction along this section. Once we reached the reservoir we stopped and headed back the way we came.

The ravine hiking was a little hard and there were not as many nice things to see but the top portion was a better hike and we were able to see some great views. At one point we ever saw a red fox along just 20 feet off of the trail. Go see my Photo Gallery for some pictures I took while on the trail.

12May2008

Ute Valley Park

Posted by kris under: Trails.

Name of Trial: Ute Valley Park
Total Distance: 2.5 miles
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Hike Type: Loop
Starting Location: Trailhead off of Vindicator Dr.

Today I hiked around the Ute Valley Park, which is in the middle of many housing developments in Colorado Springs. I started in the parking lot off of Vindicator Dr. and took a left at the trail head. The trail starts off going across a wooden bridge that spans what is something between a pond and a marshy area. It gave me a chance too see many different kinds of bird wildlife. I continued along the ridge that is above the valley of the park. It is a relatively flat section that looks out over the entire town around it and some great rock formation across the way to the west. I then descended over some large very smooth rocks into the valley bellow. Once I reached the bottom the trail went left (south) into some of the grassy plans areas. The trail became a little more sandy, the kind of sand I am used to seeing at the beach. The valley trail was relatively flat and gave you great views of the forest and ridge lines on both sides.

As I continued along this trail it started to go into the woods and if I went straight the trail ends at one of the communities surrounding the park. Therefore I went right which took me deeper into the woods. The sandy terrain stayed the same but it was not very hard to walk in because the sand was not that deep and the trail was not that steep. At the crest of this section there is a great lookout with another trail head sign and a nice natural bench for people to enjoy the view, which includes Pikes Peek.

I then took a right to walk along the other side of the valley. The trail continued to go up and down a little bit but nothing seemed to be too hard to walk up. There were great views and the sand and rocks along the trail made for a nice hike in Colorado. The trail ends up looping back to the parking lot and ended up being about 2.5 miles long.

This trail is good for people that want to have a quick hike, run or bike ride that is still within Colorado Springs. There are also many alternative trails that I came along while hiking that might be interesting to explore. Even though the park is not very large, there are so many different trails and paths to experience, that it makes for a great hike in Colorado.

To see some photos I took while hiking this trail, go to my Photo Gallery.

9May2008

Mt. Esther Trail

Posted by kris under: Trails.

Name of Trial: Mt. Esther Trail
Total Distance: 6 miles
Difficulty: Medium to Hard
Hike Type: Out and back

To get to the trail head we took Hwy 24 W, exited on Cimarron St, turned left onto Fountain Ave, continued on Chipita Park Rd, tuned left at Picaba Rd then left on Mountain Rd. The tail is just off of Mountain Rd next to it intersection with Picabo Rd. The start of the hike is very difficult and steep for about a mile. Once you get to the top of the first hill there is a great view of highway 24 and the valley below. At this point the tail meets up with the Ring the Peak trail which you take to the right through a nice meadow with a great aspen grove and beautiful flowers in the summer. It is relatively flat for this portion and it is a great opportunity to look around and enjoy the view.

A little way farther there is a fork in the trail one that continues on the Ring the Peak trail and one that continues up the mountain, we took the one to the left which headed up the mountain. This is the start of another hill that is not as steep as the first and it is only a quarter of the distance. At this point you are back into the forest and there is a lot of old growth and the trail conditions are nice. The trail levels off once again while you hike to the final hill before you reach the top of this trail. The final hill is only about 300 feet long so it was not that hard to hike at this point. Once we reach the top we went another quarter of a mile and came to a point were there was a large rocky area to the left of the trail.

We started to clime the rocks to get to the top of them. It was not that hard to get up and it didn’t take any special equipment, we just had to look for the best way for us to get up there. Once at the top of the rocks there is the best view I have seen since I started hiking this season. You can find a set of pictures that show this 360 degree view in my Photo Gallery. We had a great view of Pikes Peak, the Colorado Springs area, and areas further into the mountains.

This was a hard hike in the beginning but it is well worth the 3 mile hike up to see the great view at the top and this is why I like hiking in Colorado.

To see pictures I took while on this hike go to my Photo Gallery.

6May2008

7 Bridges Trail

Posted by kris under: Trails.

Name of Trial: 7 Bridges Trail
Total Distance: 6.5 miles
Difficulty: Moderate to Hard
Hike Type: Out and back
Starting Location: At the end of the open portion of Gold Camp Rd.

Today we hiked 7 Bridges Trail which is also known as North Cheyenne Creek Trail. This starts at the same point as the St. Mary’s Falls Trail.  You start out by hiking along the closed portion of Gold Camp Road but instead of going all the way up the closed portion of the road you take a trail that goes off to the right where the road starts to switchback.  Like St. Mary’s Falls this trail is very gravely and starts off on a steady incline up the canyon along Cheyenne Creek. The views are great and taking the bridges (there are seven of them, go figure) across the creek gives you the chance to see the creek and some of its falls.

About half the way up, the trail starts to deviate from the creek and stars to head diagonally along a very steep hill that is all sand. This makes for a hard walk and I had a little bit of a fear of slipping down the side. The tail is about 1-2 feet wide most of the way, but sometimes it narrows even more along the hill. The one nice thing about the sandy hill is that you can stop on the way up and look back to see a great view of the city and the valley bellow. Once we got to the top of the ridge we saw an abandoned house right in the middle of nowhere, at this point we had gone 3.25 miles and climbed a little over 1,400 feet. We turned around and headed back the way we came.

The overall, the 6.5 mile hike was good and was only steep in spots. I really like this area of Colorado Springs when it comes to hiking. There are many trail options for great hikes in Colorado.

To see photos that I took while on my hike, visit my Photo Gallery.