As you know every year, as soon as the snow melts I begin training for my Colorado Trail ride. This spring EasyCare announced a new Back Country Glove boot. It combines the lightness of the Glove and the practicality of the Trail boots. So of course I was really excited to try this on Smoke. Smoke has had some trouble with the Glove gator giving him rubs during long assents and descents. This I determined was due to the angle of his hoof and pastern, by the end of the summer his hair gets so thin he has little hair to cushion his pastern. So day 1, Hills!
The boots really did great. No twisting , no rubbing. I did notice a mark on the front of Smokes hoof wall on one front and one back hoof. With closer inspection I realized the one of the screws holding the velcro enclosure was extended past the lock nut on the inside, and was rubbing on the hoof wall. That was an easy fix with a file. So I will add that to my check list when I get new boots. Also at the end of the ride there was some sand and small gravel sitting just above the heel bulbs. After looking at the video, I realize this probably happened when I came down the really sandy hill at the very end. I think for the next ride I will play around with the velcro closures. I'll keep you posted.
Here is another amazing segment of the Colorado Trail. I know, it is out of order. We did this segment in 2010. We drove up to do Segment 8 out of Copper Mt. but the weather had been bad and with driving from Denver we did not want to chance getting caught in a thunder storm over Searle Pass. Our thoughts turned then to Segment 9 starting at Tennessee Pass. I was pretty familiar with this trail. I had ridden this segment with my husband Larry, my son Tyler, and my nephew Zack many years before. We then hiked it with the 40 or so 14 year old girls from out church. You might hear me mention several times in the video the changes that I notice in the route. I must say it is much improved, and easier to follow. The last few miles were much steeper, and routed more to the west than before and it played on our stamina for sure.
I just finish working on the video for Segment 7 of the Colorado Trail Debbie and I rode the summer of 2010. The memory of this segment is still fresh in my mind! The climb was so dramatic, the views so spectacular and Smoke and Flame were simply amazing. We climbed to nearly 12,500 ft on a fairly narrow ridge of mountains called the Ten Mile Range. Even though it was August, snow still hung along the highest ridge lines. We mingled with the clouds looking down on Lake Dillon and Breckenridge. After reaching the top-out point at 12,494 ft. we could look just to the west and see Copper Mountain Ski Resort! Some trails will aways remain with me. This is one that had so many metaphors for difficult challenges, for over coming fears and not giving in to life's worries. I have climbed a few 14-teen-er's on foot and this was every bit as challenging and exhilarating! The fact that your horse and you are a partnership, he carries you, and you must make good decisions in his behalf, has the effect of forever melding your hearts, and minds together.
Took some time out to do some more editing of video I took on the Colorado Trail summer of 2010. Segment 6 stands out in my mind as a breakthrough. It's 32 miles and top elevation over Georgia Pass of 11,880 seemed daunting. We began our trip at Kenosha Pass Campground around 1pm in the afternoon. Our goal that day was just to knock off a few miles so we would have a easy trip the next day to the pass. After 6 miles we stopped to camp in Jefferson Lake Recreation Area, where a Ranger kindly told us where we could go just outside the boundry to camp with the horses. That year we also had a crew! Ev an old friend of Deb's agreed to help us out . Her background was vast and varied, she had even spent time as she said "on the ice" in Antartica. Ev would send us off and drive and meet us at the other end of the trail each day. Day 2 took us up and over Geogia Pass, just about timber line.
On the pass a helicopter flew just over our heads, and we discovered that they had spotted a herd of mountain goats. Before the establishment of the Colorado Territory in 1861 Georgia Pass was the boundary between the Kansas and Utah Territories. Georgia Pass is a scenic old wagon road that was used to transport supplies from the South Park area to the miners around Breckenridge. Don't be surprised to see 4 wheel drive traffic over the pass. At the top of Georgia Pass you have a nice view of Mount Guyot, which is the treeless cone shaped peak to the west. The peak of Mt. Guyot is 13,300 ft above sea level. On the other side you drop down toward Breckenridge. Ev met us around mile 19.7 on a turn , off of Tiger Rd at the North Fork of the Swan River. There was a nice open area to camp with the horses there. We had heavy rain that night, but woke to just a few sprinkles that cleared later in the day. The last 12 or so miles on the third day was an easy ride passing views of Keystone Ski Resort to the North and Breckenridge to the southwest. The trail ends as you pass through a mountain subdivision and reach Hwy 9.
I have been so busy working on other stuff and you know stuff can be very important, I have gotten way behind on my videos. But I am glad to say that today I finished Segment 5 ! This is the second day of a two day trail ride from Longs Gulch where we camped over night and then rode the next day to Kenosha Pass.
Our Colorado Trail Adventure in 2009 included an overnight pack trip to Longs Gulch where we camped out . The horses carried our tent, sleeping bags, and all the food and gear that we needed. Though my Mom did drive out and meet us with some fabulous food! Thanks Mom! We also had help from my daughter Amber who you can see caring for the horses at the start of the video. It is so nice to have a "crew"! One other interesting note: we encountered a fellow who was trail running the entire Colorado trail, he was averaging 50 miles a day. He too had a crew that set up his camp, cooked his food , and a few runners who would pace with him. I would like to find out if he made it or not.
The highlight of Segment 4 has to be the Lost Creek Wilderness. It is really is a unique location. Check out the history I found for the Wilderness posted after the video.
History of The Lost Creek Wilderness
Because of its rugged nature, the heart of Lost Creek was too wild for much commercial use other than grazing. There was, however, a failed attempt between 1891 and 1913 by the Antero and Lost Park Reservoir Company to dam Lost Creek underground at a site just below the confluence of Lost Creek and Reservoir Gulch. The company eventually sold out to Denver Water, who quickly realized that the tremendous cost of blocking the underground flow could never be justified by the relatively small amount of water that would be impounded. All that remains now near the site are a few old buildings and some rusting machinery. There are remains of logging camps and sawmills on the outskirts of the Wilderness, particularly in the vicinity of the present Lost Park road and along the north side from Grant to Wellington Lake. Payne Gulch (Payne Creek Trail) and Ben Tyler Gulch (Ben Tyler Trail) were named for area loggers. The section of the Colorado Trail from the northeast side near Wellington Lake into North Lost Park was originally named the Hooper Trail for W.W. Hooper, the logger who built the road in 1877. He and two others had a millset at the top of the divide between Craig Creek and North Lost Park. Once the area was cut out, they moved the mill down into North Lost Park, just east of the present North Fork Trailhead. The mill was set up and had just been put to use, when they were put out of business by government agents for timber trespass. They lost all but their horses. Hooper, however, went on to become the District Ranger out of Bailey (1902-1904) and later the forest supervisor on the Leadville National Forest. Grazing has and still does go on in the western end of the Wilderness. The Wigwam trail was originally a route for driving cattle from Webster Park on the east side over into East Lost Park. East Lost Park and Craig Meadows still have active grazing allotments. The last three known wild buffalo in Colorado were shot in Lost Park in 1885.
Taken from: Friends of Mt. Evans and Lost Creek Wilderness
I am slowly getting some video done! Here is my next one in the Colorado Trail saga. Debbie and I did this segment in one day , with friends Margi and Nancy starting at the other end and swapping keys. This worked really well, and fun to see where you end up meeting.
The segment starts at Scraggy Peak Trail head just south of Buffalo Creek on Jefferson Co Road 126 and ends at the Rolling Creek Trail head south of Bailey on Wellington Lake Rd also FS 560. There is usually a lot of mountain bikers on this trail, but on this day I don't remember seeing any. Hope you enjoy the video! Still photos were taken by Debbie Smith.
We started this segment rather late in the day, around 1:30 or 2pm. We had a little driving to do to drop the horses with Debbie at the Platte River, and then the trailer at the opposite end at FSR 550 or the Scraggy Peak trail head ($5 fee). Short segment but lots of views! A very steep climb out of the Platte, and then rolling along the Top of the World Ridge. This segment is known for the Burn from the 1996 Buffalo Creek fire.
Wildfires
have always been a threat to populated, mountainous communities in
Colorado, however, for the past 80 years forest managers have
aggressively undertaken wild-land fire suppression, resulting in
unnaturally high fuel loading .
These factors, combined with the unprecedented development within the
"Wild-land/Urban Interface" areas have significantly increased the threat
of serious property damage and personal injury, especially along the
densely populated "Front Range Corridor". As Urban areas continue to expand, the potential for a catastrophic event will expand
proportionally.
As
stated by USDA Forest Service, Soil Scientist, Tim Sullivan, "It isn't a
matter of if wildfires inflict catastrophic damage to people and
property along the front range of Colorado - the question is, when will
it happen?"
On Saturday, May 18, 1996 at 1:30 p.m. a campfire smoldered,
unattended, close to Wellington Lake in Pike National Forest near the
Buffalo Creek. Winds increased and flames took off, gathering momentum
as the dry forest burned. By nightfall, a path of the inferno had
consumed many acres and was continuing its course. All residents of the
Buffalo Creek community and of Spring Creek were evacuated, and
electricity was cut off. The path of the fire was spread
rapidly by the high winds heading toward County Highway 126, which was
eventually crossed, threatening homes in Spring Creek and the Long
Scraggy Camp. The Top of the World Campground was consumed, burning
several cars. The fourth day, Tuesday, it was
reported the fire had covered ten miles with a two-mile width and
burned over 10,000 acres of forest, destroying 18 homes or other
structures.
Less than two
months later on July 12, 1996, a high intensity thunder storm dumped
approximately 2.5 inches of rain on the fire ravaged terrain causing
severe flooding, which resulted in the washout of Jefferson County
Highway 126 and the destruction of the City of Buffalo Creek's potable
water and telephone facilities. The storm also resulted in the
deposition of hundreds of thousands of tons of sediment into Strontia
Springs Reservoir (15 year sediment load), the loss of miles of pristine
riparian habitat along Buffalo Creek and Spring Creek drainage's and
the deaths of 2 Buffalo Creek residents. Most residents of Buffalo Creek
had fire insurance, however, nearly no one was insured against the
impact of flooding.
I felt that as I rode through what I would describe as a "ghost forest", that it was very serene, peaceful, and in a spiritually way, beautiful.
Colorado is for Dreamers. We rode today on the trails, and among the ruins of one of Colorado's biggest dreamers. His story is that of a man that aimed high, took risk, had success, and also had the freedom to fail. Please take the time to read his story, it makes these trails all the more amazing to ride. My maiden name is Walker, don't know if we are related...but it makes it all the more fun.
Mount Falcon Park Historical Background
In 1879, the U.S. government asked John Brisben Walker to investigate agriculture in the
arid regions of the West, so he purchased 1,600 acres in north Denver. He named it Berkley
Farm, and introduced the production of alfalfa as a cash crop. John Brisben Walker was an
inventor, innovator, and visionary, and truly was a “Renaissance Man.” By the time he was 26
years old (in 1873), Walker had attended Gonzaga College, Georgetown College, and West Point
Military Academy; served as a military advisor and general in a Chinese Army; run for Congress
on the Republican ticket; married Emily Strother, "the prettiest girl in the valley of the Virginia;"
and speculated on land in West Virginia, winning and then losing his first fortune. Walker spent
the next three years as managing editor of the Cincinnati Commercial Gazette and the
Washington D.C. Daily Chronicle.
In 1880, Walker purchased 500 lots near present-day Union Station and developed
Denver's first amusement park, River Front Park, which boasted a race track, the Castle of
Culture and Commerce, ball parks, an excursion steamer, and numerous other features, such as
fireworks displays. He also staged Denver's first rodeo there.
In 1887, Walker purchased the “Swiss Cottage” in Morrison, a hotel built by Governor
Evans and used by the Jesuits as a college for four years. Two of Walker’s sons attended Sacred
Heart College. On July 22, 1887, John Brisben Walker donated 40 acres of land to the Jesuits
for the founding of Regis College (now Regis University). John Brisben Walker reopened the
hotel as the Morrison Casino and added a swimming pool and other amenities. Gradually he
purchased all of what is now Red Rocks Park and Mount Falcon.
Walker sold River Front Park to the City of Denver in 1893 and moved to Tarrytown,
New York, where he purchased the faltering Cosmopolitan Magazine. Walker was the owner
and editor of Cosmopolitan Magazine from 1889-1905, and increased Cosmopolitan’s
circulation from 16,000 to 400,000 during the five years he owned the magazine.
A new invention caught John Brisben Walker’s imagination in 1899 – the Locomobile. It
was designed by the Stanley twins, Francis E. and Freelan O., who went on to make the most
famous steam powered car of all, the Stanley Steamer. John Brisben Walker, with backing from
Amzi Lorenzo Barber, who had made a fortune in asphalt paving, offered to buy the Stanleys out
for $250,000. Having only $20,000 invested in the project, they sold, using their $230,000 profit
to finance their re-entry into the car business in 1901.
Unfortunately, the Locomobile was too light to bear the strain of the abysmal turn-of-the
century roads, and the speed and freedom it offered made people want to travel much more than
thirty miles it could manage in one day. After purchasing the rights to the new Stanley Steamer,
Walker manufactured automobiles at his Mobile Wagonette factory on his Tarrytown estate. By
1900 his auto factory boasted 24 models, ranging from a $750 economy model to $10,000 racers.
Always the innovator, Walker sponsored the first automobile race in the United States in 1895.
Walker sold Cosmopolitan Magazine to William Randolph Hearst and the Hearst Corporation for
$1 million in 1905 and prepared to return west.
Walker and his new wife Ethel Richmond Walker returned to Morrison, where he
concentrated his efforts on developing the Red Rocks area, which he named "Garden of the
Titans." There he built a road to the area, a teahouse, and hiking trails. The famed opera diva
Mary Garden, accompanied by Walker’s wife, Ethel, on the violin, sang in the Red Rocks natural
amphitheater and pronounced it "acoustically perfect." Walker proposed and enthusiastically
promoted the concept that eventually became the Denver Mountain Park system. John Brisben
Walker had a vision of artists performing on a stage nestled into the perfectly acoustic
surroundings of Red Rocks. Walker produced a number of concerts between 1906 and 1910 on a
temporary platform. In 1927, George Cranmer, Manager of Denver Parks, convinced the City of
Denver to purchase the area of Red Rocks from Walker for the price of $54,133.
Always intrigued by innovations, in 1911 Walker built a funicular, an electric cog
railway, from Red Rocks Park to the 8,000 feet summit of Mount Morrison, the longest cog
railway in the world at the time. The Mount Morrison Incline Railway had specially designed
cars, with a seating capacity of 80-100 passengers who rode backwards up the mountain to enjoy
the panoramic scenery.
In 1911, Walker sponsored an automobile rally on Mount Falcon and laid out a golf
course at its base. Walker also dreamed of a palatial Summer White House on Mount Falcon for
President Woodrow Wilson. Walker commissioned prominent Denver architect Jules Jacques
Benois Benedict to design a “Summer White House” modeled on the castle built by King
Ludwig of Bavaria. The cornerstone was laid and construction begun. Despite enlisting every
schoolchild in Colorado to contribute a dime, the Summer White House never proceeded beyond
the foundation, due to lack of funds and the coming of World War I.
Near his hoped-for Summer White House, Walker built a grand mansion on Mount
Falcon for Ethel and his many children. Ethel Richmond Walker died there in 1916 and was
buried near the foot of Mount Falcon during a snowstorm. Two years later the mansion burned
to the ground, possibly from a lightning strike. The ruins of Walker’s magnificent house are still
visible along Walker’s Dream Trail, a timeless memorial to Jefferson County's greatest tycoon.
John Brisben Walker was a man of many visions. He made fortunes on land speculation
in West Virginia and his purchase of Cosmopolitan Magazine, but other ventures were less
successful. Although he held vast fortunes at various times in his life, Walker died penniless in
1931 at the age of 83.
Mount Falcon remained in private ownership until 1974 when the Colorado Open Lands
Foundation and Jefferson County Open Space cooperated to make Mount Falcon a public park.
It has been a dream of mine to ride the Colorado Trail from Denver to Durango. So, last summer I started that quest and found a riding buddy to follow the dream with me.
The Colorado Trail is a nearly 500 mile trail that follows trails, mining roads ,old railroad paths, and winds through the majestic Rocky mountains at elevations averaging 10,000 ft. Starting at Waterton Canyon trail head in Denver, the trail is divided into 28 segments. We were able to complete the first 5 of those segment and hope to do more this summer. Below is the first of several videos I will post of each segment traveled on horseback.
This video starts at the Indian Creek Equestrian Camp Ground, which I found was a great place to start with horses, avoiding the busy bike traffic of Waterton Canyon. This also shortens your first day ride by 5 miles or so. Indian Creek is 10 miles south west of Sedalia on Highway 67 and is in the Pike National Forest.
