CONTINENTAL DIVIDE
We
did a short hike on Friday simply because the campsite at the beaver pond was
too good to pass up. We paid the price
for that on Saturday though, as we had to make up the distance we had failed to
cover the previous day. We got a
relatively early start and enjoyed about a mile of easy walking, mostly through
a vast meadow. The meadow features a
great campsite at the east end, rivaling the one we had stayed at.
The
meadow provided a nice warm up, but beyond it we had some work to do. A
long, steep climb ensued, but at least it featured more fine scenery, including
views of the Grenadier Range. We stopped
for lunch near tree line. We stopped by
a stream with the intention of getting water.
Mysteriously, all of the rocks in the creek were stained white. This made me hesitate. I knew there were a lot of old mines in the
area. Had the mines polluted the stream? Luckily I found a tributary a short distance
upstream that looked clear. I got our
water there, and we feasted on pitas stuffed with chunks of salami and cheese.
The
relentless climb continued after lunch.
We continued to follow the dwindling stream, which was now mossy and
colorful. A bit later we arrived at on
old wood frame mining cabin. We took a
long break there to explore. We found
all kinds of relics, including part of a stove and some pottery. I explored on the far side of the creek and
stumbled upon an old mineshaft. I was
tempted to go in, but I restrained myself.
I then explored the hillside above the cabin in search of more
views. I found plenty, along with an
expanse of wet meadows that must be mosquito hell in July.
From
the cabin we continued up the valley past more mine shafts. We reached the headwaters of the creek and
continued up towards the Continental Divide on switchbacks. I reached the pass a bit ahead of the Bobs
and took in the scenery. The view back
down the Elk Creek valley was lovely, with numerous alpine tarns dotting the grassy
benches in every direction. The cabin
was had stopped at earlier was even visible from here. In the opposite direction, I could see
another cabin down near Kite Lake. This
was all great, but it looked like better views of the Grenadiers would be
available from a hillside a short distance to the south. I dropped my pack to explore.
I
followed the divide south along a grassy double-wide track. After a mild climb, a stouter ascent
followed. At the top I found myself in a
barren wasteland of rock. A lovely lake
appeared below, and larger peaks reared up to the southwest. I took in the view in the afternoon sunshine
before returning. As I was on my way
back, I actually heard the annoying whine of a motorcycle or ATV in the
distance. It turns out that the
wilderness boundary follows the Continental Divide here, and the east side
isn’t protected. In fact, there is an
actual trailhead near Beartown, a ghost town near
Kite Lake. However, that trailhead isn’t
easy to get to. There are a couple of
possible approaches, but both of them require 15-20 miles of driving on rough,
high-clearance 4WD roads. The route also
involves fording the Rio Grande River.
Despite those challenges, I suspect that the Beartown
Trailhead was the route the motorcyclist took to reach the area.
I
rejoined the Bobs, who were relaxing in the grass at the pass. We hiked north from there, still following
the Colorado Trail along the grassy ridge.
The views to the north were fantastic, extending across the tundra to
more peaks in the distance. All too
soon we reached a junction with the Continental Divide Trail and began to
descend towards Kite Lake.
A
long descent brought us to Bear Creek downstream from Kite Lake. It was late afternoon and we could’ve camped
there, but I wasn’t enthralled with the spot, which was rather exposed. On the other hand, the Beartown
Trailhead was just ahead, and after that the Continental Divide Trail climbs to
Hunchback Pass. We needed to find a
campsite soon. I offered to scout ahead. If I didn’t find a better spot in 5 or 10
minutes we would camp by the creek.
I
crossed the creek and continued ahead on a meandering course. After a few minutes I reached the jeep road
connecting the Beartown Trailhead with the cabin at Kite Lake. I crossed the road and spotted a lovely
campsite in a stand of spruce trees just below the trail. My only hesitation was a water source. I continued ahead, and a couple of minutes
later reached a stream crossing the trail.
I doubled-back to the Bobs and gave them the good news. We hiked back to the campsite and set up.
We
were all pretty worn out from a long, tough hike. We made dinner and went to bed shortly
afterwards, cozy in our sheltered spot under the evergreens.
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