GORE
It
was 46 degrees when we got up early Thursday morning. We had breakfast at the campground before
packing up. We made the one hour drive to Edwards, which is a bit west of Vail. We went to the Steadman Clinic for Christy’s
knee procedure. There she had stem cells
removed from her hip and injected into her knees. The hope is that the stem cells will enable
the cartilage in her knees to regrow.
The procedure was quick.
Afterwards, we went to the Gore Range Brewery for lunch and beer. This was a really nice place, and Christy was
thrilled that it was gluten-free friendly.
Then we drove back east to Silverthorne and checked in at the Hampton
Inn. We would spend the next couple of
days there while Christy recovered.
While
Christy napped, I did an afternoon hike in the Gore Range on the Rock Creek
Trail. Ironically, the Rock Creek Trail
is nowhere near Rock Creek, or any other creek, for that matter. It actually follows a ridge to the ruins of
the old Boss Mine. There wasn’t much
left of the mine. There were some nice
views, though they were compromised by clouds and smoke from a nearby forest
fire.
I
returned to the car, but made one more stop on the way back to town. I bushwhacked over to lower Pebble Creek,
which looked like it had potential for a waterfall. Unfortunately, the stream is pretty small,
and all I found was minor cascades mostly hidden by thick vegetation. The highlight of the evening was a spectacular
sunset that was enhanced by the smoke from the nearby fire. Then I picked up take out Indian food for
dinner and returned to the hotel. Christy
had enjoyed her nap, and was feeling pretty good except for some soreness.
THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT
I
got up at 6am, while Christy slept in.
She was going to take it easy at the hotel on Friday while I hiked. My goal was to check out the Devil’s Causeway
in the Flat Tops Wilderness in northwestern Colorado. The Devil’s Causeway is a narrow spine of
rock with a sheer drop off of several hundred feet on each side. An unofficial trail crosses it and leads to a
plateau on top of the Chinese Wall. The
Chinese Wall is a line of vertical cliffs that extends for a couple of miles.
I
had the free breakfast in the hotel lobby and drove north. This part of Colorado is very different from
the other places we’ve been. It is way
off the beaten path – desolate even. I
passed through a couple of tiny towns that generally featured a single store /
gas station. Along the way I passed an
impressive rock formation called Finger Rock.
Beyond, I drove up into the hills to the Stillwater Reservoir. There are lots of nice roadside campsites
along this road, and some of them were vacant.
I parked at the end of the road, where I found a busy parking lot. From there I followed a trail alongside
Stillwater Reservoir, with Flat Top Mountain beyond. The wildflowers along here were outrageous! Then I picked up the trail leading to the
pass below the Devil’s Causeway. Along
the way I kept bumping into a couple with a dog and a family. The final climb was steep and a little tricky
due to lingering snow fields.
From
the pass, a steep climb led to the beginning of the Devil’s Causeway. The Causeway isn’t as narrow or as high as
advertised, but it is still quite dramatic.
There were several groups of hikers at the entrance to the
Causeway. A few made the traverse and
returned, but most declined.
I
had lunch before crossing. The exposure
is certainly intense, but there isn’t anything tricky or difficult about
it. You just have to take it slow and
watch your step.
Once
across, I decided to extend the hike to the top of the Chinese Wall. From there, I could return to my starting
point using other trails, making a 10.5 mile loop. I was a little bit leery about expanding my
hike, as there were lots of clouds around.
Some of them looked a little threatening, too. Still, I wasn’t ready to turn back, and the
opportunity to make a loop was too good to pass up.
Over
the next couple of hours I enjoyed an easy stroll
through vast meadows sprinkled with wildflowers. The views were continuous in every direction. The scenery isn’t as dramatic as other parts
of western-Colorado, but the area has a unique, subtle beauty. It reminded me of hiking in Dolly Sods in
West Virginia. A series of thunderstorms
did roll by, but luckily they missed me to the
south. It was a good thing, because
there wasn’t a bit of shelter for miles around.
I
descended to Mosquito Lake and then hiked back to Stillwater Reservoir. From there, a short, easy walk back through
an incredible garden of wildflowers returned me to my car. I really enjoyed my day in the Flat Tops
Wilderness. I will definitely return
someday, as there are many options for loop hikes there. Trappers Lake may be a good destination for my
next visit.
I
drove back to the hotel and picked up Christy.
She was a little bored but doing fine.
We got take out from Whole Foods and took it back to the hotel. I spent some time that evening packing, as I
had a big day planned for Saturday. For
my last hike of the trip, my friend Dave would join me for an attempt on Mount
of the Holy Cross. At 14,005’, it is one
of the smallest of the 14ers, but it is one that had been on my to-do list for
years.
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Please remember to Leave No Trace!