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Thread: Colorado Adventure 2009
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08-19-2009, 06:47 AM #41
Day 6: Georgia Pass & Red Cone to Montezuma
Day 6 of the adventure brought me to Breckenridge, where I headed out of town bright and early on Tiger Road and made my way up to Georgia Pass.
Headed back down to the highway
After making it back down to US 285, I hung a left and headed over Kenosha Pass to check out another trail I had really been looking forward to on this trip: Red Cone. I really enjoyed this trail. The trail and scenery were amazing. The skies were pretty cloudy this day, so the conditions weren't ideal for photographs, but that just means I'll have to head back another time ;) I did end up taking a bunch of photos anyways...
Red Cone open, but Webster Pass still closed
Early on in the trail
Finally above tree line
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08-19-2009 06:47 AM # ADS
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08-19-2009, 06:47 AM #42
The trail heading up to Red Cone
Getting closer...riding the ridge
Finally at the summit of Red Cone: 12,801 feet
Webster Pass down below
The trail down
The steepest section from the top
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08-19-2009, 06:48 AM #43
The trail follows the ridge to Webster Pass
View down into Handcart Gulch
Red Cone in the background
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08-19-2009, 06:48 AM #44
Webster Pass
Made it down to Webster Pass
I should mention, that the trail down from Red Cone to Webster Pass is one-way only, because it is so steep.
Red Cone from Webster Pass
From Webster Pass I headed down towards Montezuma
Day 6 to be continued....
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08-19-2009, 11:29 AM #45
Day 6: Santa Fe Peak, Glacier Ridge & Deer Creek
After making it to Montezuma I took a right and started climbing the many switchbacks to Santa Fe Peak.
Just getting out of the trees
Climbing higher
Looking back
If you look closely, you can see a number of the switchbacks
Off-camber section...it's a long way down
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08-19-2009, 11:30 AM #46
Near the end of the trail
Headed back down
View of the trail from near the top
After heading back down to Montezuma again, I decided to run the Saints John, Glacier Ridge and Deer Creek loop.
What used to be a building, is now a pile of wood at Saints John
Wild Irishman Mine site
The trail on top of Glacier Ridge. The trail on the left is Deer Creek.
An old shack up on Glacier Ridge
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08-19-2009, 11:31 AM #47
I just love the look of winding trails along the ridge
Soon I made it to the T-intersection with the Deer Creek trail. I took a left and headed down to Montezuma, yet again.
Then I came across these guys.....Rocky Mountain Goats
This one stopped licking the rock for a minute to look at me as I approached...
...then went right back to licking the rock
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08-19-2009, 11:32 AM #48
This one was posing for me
Storm rolling in
Glacier Ridge from Deer Creek
Headed back down Deer Creek to Montezuma
To be continued...
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08-20-2009, 06:55 AM #49
Day 6: Peru Creek & Middle Fork of the Swan
After making it back to Montezuma yet again, I still had plenty of daylight left and needed to figure out where I wanted to go, as I had completed all of the trails I had planned for the day (and more). Looking at my maps and books, I decided to make the quick trip up Peru Creek. While the sky was cloudy most of the day, it had yet to rain on me. That would soon change...
The road along Peru Creek
I took the short side trip to the Pennsylvania Mine and looped through the area.
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08-20-2009, 06:55 AM #50
Not much left of the roof
Shortly after leaving the mine and making my way up Peru Creek again, it started to rain pretty good. When I reached the Shoe Basin Mine, I was greeted with a locked gate and a closed sign.
Low clouds
Since I was stopped by the gate, I turned around and headed back. I was originally thinking about heading back to run Radical Hill on my way back, but decided against it because of the rain. Instead I figured I would head back up Deer Creek and take the Middle Fork of the Swan River back to Tiger Road. By the time I reached the Middle Fork trail, the rain had pretty much stopped.
Clouds in the background
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08-20-2009, 06:56 AM #51
Cabin along the way near the top
One cabin left at the townsite of Swandyke
That's it for day 6. Day 7 still to come!
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08-21-2009, 06:56 AM #52
Day 7: Saxon Mountain, Guanella Pass & Glacier Peak
This day ended up not going as I had originally planned....but in the end it turned out to be a pretty good day.
I started out heading over Loveland Pass on my way to Georgetown.
My original plan for the day was to start out on Guanella Pass, however, when I got to the start of the road, they were just closing it completely for construction. It would not be opening up again until 11am, which left me three hours to find something else to do.
So I ended up heading up...
Saxon Mountain....this has to have been one of the bumpiest trails I have ever been on!
Looking down on the switchbacks of Saxon Road and I-70.
At the top of Saxon Mountain
View down on Georgetown from the top.
After backtracking from the top, I followed the sign towards Cascade Creek, and then took Ute Creek back down to the highway.
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08-21-2009, 06:57 AM #53
By the time I made it back to Georgetown, it was almost 11:00, so I grabbed a bite to eat for lunch until Guanella Pass was open again. Unfortunately, I was not the only one waiting for the road to open up, and I got stuck in a line of vehicles heading over the pass. That, plus the construction going on made this road less than enjoyable for me. My next plans were to head up to Waldorf and Argentine Pass, but because of the construction and finding out the road would again be closing from 1pm-3pm, I decided to avoid this whole mess altogether for the rest of the day and continue on to US 285.
A few photos from the top of Guanella Pass (A very popular place it seemed.....)
After making it to US 285, I took a right and made my way back to Georgia Pass. Once at the pass I took another right and headed up the Glacier Peak trail.
Great views from an overlook on the Continental Divide near Glacier Peak. There was a cool rock formation I took a few photos of...
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08-21-2009, 06:57 AM #54
Along the Glacier Peak trail. There were a few pretty off-camber sections.
I stopped at another overlook
Headed down to the Middle Fork of the Swan River.
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08-21-2009, 06:57 AM #55
Cabin ruins along the way.
Shadowy ruins.
Before I could meet back up with the Middle Fork of the Swan River trail again, I would have to descend 'Number 10 Hill' which is also known as 'SOB Hill'. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it turned out not to be that difficult. It was probably a little easier because I was heading downhill, but I don't think I would have had any issues climbing up it either. It was pretty steep and rocky, though.
A few photos of Number 10 Hill (SOB Hill).
Shortly after reaching to bottom, I met up with the Middle Fork of the Swan River trail yet again...
Day 7 to be continued....
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08-21-2009, 03:43 PM #56
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08-23-2009, 12:47 PM #57
Hey I see you found my goats.
Please buy my book - "Paiute ATV Trail Guide" at www.atvutah.com - I need gas money!!!!
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08-23-2009, 07:32 PM #58
Excellent report, had to feature it: http://www.bogley.com/colorado-adventure/
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08-23-2009, 08:42 PM #59Originally Posted by Sombeech
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08-24-2009, 06:49 AM #60
Day 7: Wise Mountain & North Fork of the Swan
After taking a right I headed back up the Middle Fork of the Swan. The skies were much clearer today so I took some more photos along this trail...
When I got up top, I found a few more Mountain Goats.
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