Telluride Trails

Don J. Scarmuzzi

Description

This is a handy pocket guide for the day hiker with easy-to-follow directions to the high country and peaks surrounding Telluride and beyond. Helpful maps are included at the beginning of each chapter. Many of the seventy-five hikes are illustrated with photos along with listings of elevation, distance, time, and ease of trails to help travelers through their journey.
Preface
Four distinct waterfalls are visible or nearly visible from the town of Telluride, Colorado, and many more can be found near the high basins and peaks surrounding this spectacular region of the Rocky Mountains. Dozens of the 110 hikes presented in this guide begin right from downtown Telluride, while others branch out from the mountain roads nearby, and some are located closer to Durango, Silverton, Ouray, Ridgway, Montrose, Ophir, Rico, Dolores, and Cortez.
Each hike begins with essential information such as elevation, distance, duration, and difficulty level. Elevation information includes not only the highest point (or points) of a hike but also the maximum vertical gains you will experience along the trail. Difficulty levels range from “easiest” (no elevation change) to “moderate” (short hike, easy grades), “strenuous” (typical to moderate hike, hills), “very challenging” (longer hike, steeper, with varying mountain conditions), and “expert only” (very steep, often with exposed ridge walking and loose scree, requiring climbing-type moves). Most of the hikes fall somewhere in the middle, and all hikes but those rated “very challenging” or “expert-only” will be achievable for most people. Climbing ropes, pitons, or anchor bolts are not mandatory to complete any of the hikes listed here, though that may not be the case for everyone—see difficulty levels for each hike for recommendations. You certainly won’t hear me use terms like underclings, stemming, laybacks, jams, or evangelical hammerlocks!
More than half of these trails can be hiked as a loop, and I provide alternate routes (Alt) and optional paths (Opt) wherever possible. The routes described for each hike may be well-worn trails, complete bushwhacks and scrambles, or anything in between. There is something here for practically everyone, whether you would rather simply cut to the chase, as it were, and get on with something more challenging, or prefer a more leisurely stroll through the aspens, evergreens, and basins without going to a summit or having to use any climbing-type moves. You’ll find detailed instructions to locating seventy-five peaks and other high points, including many mountain passes and vistas.
I try to keep hiking lingo simple. “Trailhead” is abbreviated as “TH.” A switchback is a spot in a trail that zigzags sharply, whether once or fifty times. A shoulder is a rise or small ridge. Exposure refers to the level of risk of falling where a fall would be fatal. A trail section described as “airy” is exposed to some degree, with drop-offs. Exercise extreme caution in such areas.
Aspen line is around 11,800 feet, and tree line is around 12,200 feet in this region. I usually find that the first 20 to 30 minutes of practically any hike can be the toughest until I get into a groove with my breathing and walking. High altitude affects everybody differently, so if you feel dehydrated, headachy, or nauseous, move to a lower altitude. (Some people might even experience altitude sickness while still in Telluride, at 8745 feet.) Mountain hazards (rapidly changing weather, rock slides) and the unexpected almost always come into play, so don’t count on apps from your phone to save you in the wilderness!
With so much wildlife around, don’t forget to watch out for the blood burglars, including ticks and to a lesser degree mosquitoes. Luckily you probably will not run across the tiny deer ticks that cause Lyme disease, but a larger species, the Rocky Mountain wood tick, is plentiful from spring through June and should be avoided. These ticks thrive in low grass and brush in the high country—a tick check, or self-examination, during and after spring hikes is a good idea. If a tick has latched on or is slightly embedded in your skin, pull it straight out with tweezers or hold a lighter flame close until it falls away. However, tick warning aside, you would be worse off if you forgot your sunscreen or enough water on a warm bluebird day.
All right, enough talk. It’s go time! You can hike the mountains in Southwest Colorado year-round if you know what you are doing and have the proper gear, but the ideal time to hike or mountain bike is late June through mid-October. All you need is a nice pair of hiking shoes, a backpack with plenty of supplies, water, phone, camera, GPS, MP3 player, pedometer, more electric junk you never used to need but now can’t get by without—and the day to unfold before your very eyes, just one foot in front of the other.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Contents
 
Preface
Overview Map
 
Chapter 1. Far Northwest Telluride
1     Alder Creek Trail 510
2     North Pole Peak
3     Hayden Peak
4     Unnamed Point 12,700
5     Box Factory Park West Ridge Loop
6     Deep Creek Upper Canyon
7     S?5
8     S?6
9     Deep Creek Upper Basin
10   S?7
11   Ruffner Mountain
12   S?8
13   S?9
14   S?10
 
Chapter 2. Northwest Telluride
15   Deep Creek Trail 418
16   Whipple Mountain Trail 419 to Whipple Mountain
17   Han Shan
18   Campbell Peak to Iron Mountain Loop
19   Iron Mountain
20   T?0
21   West Dallas Peak
22   Mill Creek Trail to Waterline Trail
23   Eider Creek Trail
24   San Juan Don’s Loop
 
Chapter 3. North Telluride
25   Sneffels Highline Trail 434
26   Greenback Mountain
27   Mount Emma
28   Cornet Creek Falls
29   Jud Wiebe Trail 432
30   Liberty Bell Trail
 
Chapter 4. Far North Telluride (Ridgway–Ouray–Montrose)
31   Blue Lakes Trail 201 to Blue Lakes Pass
32   Blue Lakes West Basin
33   S?3
34   S?4
35   Blaine Basin Trail 203
36   Blaine Peak
37   Gilpin Peak
38   Stony Mountain
39   Mount Sneffels
 
Chapter 5. Northeast Telluride
40   Sheridan Crosscut Trail
41   Owl Gulch Ridge Trail 420
42   Mendota Peak
43   T?5
44   Tomboy Road FS 869 to Imogene Pass
45   Chicago Peak to Little Chicago Peak
 
Chapter 6. East Telluride
46   Bridal Veil Falls to Power Station
47   Telluride Peak (Proper)
48   Ajax Peak
49   Telluride Peak (Observed)
50   Black Bear Pass to Trico Peak
51   T?10
 
Chapter 7. Southeast Telluride
52   Grays Basin
53   Ingram Peak Loop
54   Mud Lake
55   Blue Lake
56   Lewis Lake
57   T?11
58   Jackass Basin
59   Silver Lake
60   Bear Creek Trail
61   Deertrail Basin to Unnamed Point 12,230
62   Ballard Mountain
63   Ballard’s Horn
64   La Junta Peak
65   La Junta Basin
66   Wasatch Mountain
67   Wasatch Trail 508
68   Oscar’s Peak
 
Chapter 8. Town and South Telluride
69   Town of Telluride
70   Lena Basin
71   Gold Hill
72   Telluride Ski Area
73   Palmyra Peak
74   Bald Mountain
75   Silver Mountain
76   Silver Mountain Little or Big Ridge Loop
 
Chapter 9. Far South Telluride (Ophir–Silverton–Durango)
77   Galloping Goose Trail to Lizard Head Pass
78   Ophir Pass to Crystal Lake
79   Lookout Peak
80   Columbine Lake Trail 509
81   Swamp Canyon to Grant?Swamp Pass
82   V?2
83   V?3
84   Waterfall Canyon to Yellow Mountain
85   Hope Lake Trail 410
86   Pilot Knob
87   Golden Horn
88   Vermilion Peak
89   Fuller Peak
90   Beattie Peak
91   V?8
92   V?9
93   San Miguel Peak
94   Ice Lake Trail 505 and Island Lake
95   V?4
96   US Grant Peak
97   Twin Sisters
98   Rolling Mountain
 
Chapter 10. Far Southwest Telluride (Rico–Cortez–Durango)
99   Cross Mountain Trail to Point 12,038
100 Cross Mountain
101 Lizard Head Trail 409 to Black Face
102 Bilk Creek Trail 408
103 Wilson Peak
104 Sunshine Mountain
105 Wilson Mesa Trail 421
106 Woods Lake Trail 406
107 Elk Creek Trail 407
108 Navajo Lake Trail 635
109 Kilpacker Trail 203 to El Diente Peak
110 Mount Wilson Loop
 
Acknowledgments
Index

Sujets

• Sport
• Autres sports
• Sports fitness
• Sports de plein air
• Sports
• History of Colorado
• Hiking
• Recreation
• Telluride
• Colorado
• Men's Fitness

Informations

• Publié par: Turner Publishing Company
• Date de parution: 01 octobre 2013
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780871089977
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

Telluride Trails
Telluride Trails
Hiking Passes, Loops, and Summits of Southwest Colorado
Covering most of the trails and more than seventy-five summits near Telluride in Southwest Colorado
Don J. Scarmuzzi
P R U E T T
THE PRUETT SERIES
Text and photographs 2013 by Don Scarmuzzi
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher.
No warranty of accuracy or reliability is given related to the contents of this book. All recommendations and information provided in this book are made without guarantee on the part of the author or Graphic Arts Books. The author and Graphic Arts Book disclaim any responsibility or liability in connection with the use of this information.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Scarmuzzi, Don, author.
Telluride trails : hiking passes, loops, and summits of southwest Colorado : covering most of the trails and more than seventy-five summits near Telluride in southwest Colorado / Don Scarmuzzi.
pages cm. - (The Pruett series)
Includes index.
ISBN 978-0-87108-971-7 (pbk.)
ISBN 978-0-87108-997-7 (e-book)
ISBN 978-0-87108-304-3 (hardbound)
1. Hiking -Colorado -Telluride Region -Guidebooks. 2. Telluride Region (Colorado) -Guidebooks. I. Title.
GV199.42.C62T457 2013
796.5109788 -dc23

2013022978
Designer: Vicki Knapton
Editor: Mindy Fitch
Cover photo top right: Choking on wildflowers in Waterfall Canyon above Ophir! Cover bottom: Pilot Knob, V-4, US Grant, and Island Lake from V-2
WestWinds Press
An imprint of

P.O. Box 56118
Portland, OR 97238-6118
[phone]
www.graphicartsbooks.com
Dedicated to the memory of Andy Sawyer, who took so many to great heights in mind, body, and spirit .
Contents
Preface
Maps
Chapter 1
Far Northwest Telluride
Maps
1 Alder Creek Trail 510
2 North Pole Peak
3 Hayden Peak
4 Unnamed Point 12,700
5 Box Factory Park West Ridge Loop
6 Deep Creek Upper Canyon
7 S-5
8 S-6
9 Deep Creek Upper Basin
10 S-7
11 Ruffner Mountain
12 S-8
13 S-9
14 S-10
Chapter 2
Northwest Telluride
Maps
15 Deep Creek Trail 418
16 Whipple Mountain Trail 419 to Whipple Mountain
17 Han Shan
18 Campbell Peak to Iron Mountain Loop
19 Iron Mountain
20 T-0
21 West Dallas Peak
22 Mill Creek Trail to Waterline Trail
23 Eider Creek Trail
24 San Juan Don s Loop
Chapter 3
North Telluride
Maps
25 Sneffels Highline Trail 434
26 Greenback Mountain
27 Mount Emma
28 Cornet Creek Falls
29 Jud Wiebe Trail 432
30 Liberty Bell Trail
Chapter 4
Far North Telluride (Ridgway-Ouray-Montrose)
Maps
31 Blue Lakes Trail 201 to Blue Lakes Pass
32 Blue Lakes West Basin
33 S-3
34 S-4
35 Blaine Basin Trail 203
36 Blaine Peak
37 Gilpin Peak
38 Stony Mountain
39 Mount Sneffels
Chapter 5
Northeast Telluride
Maps
40 Sheridan Crosscut Trail
41 Owl Gulch Ridge Trail 420
42 Mendota Peak
43 T-5
44 Tomboy Road FS 869 to Imogene Pass
45 Chicago Peak to Little Chicago Peak
Chapter 6
East Telluride
Maps
46 Bridal Veil Falls to Power Station
47 Telluride Peak (Proper)
48 Ajax Peak
49 Telluride Peak (Observed)
50 Black Bear Pass to Trico Peak
51 T-10
Chapter 7
Southeast Telluride
Maps
52 Grays Basin
53 Ingram Peak Loop
54 Mud Lake
55 Blue Lake
56 Lewis Lake
57 T-11
58 Jackass Basin
59 Silver Lake
60 Bear Creek Trail
61 Deertrail Basin to Unnamed Point 12,230
62 Ballard Mountain
63 Ballard s Horn
64 La Junta Peak
65 La Junta Basin
66 Wasatch Mountain
67 Wasatch Trail 508
68 Oscar s Peak
Chapter 8
Town and South Telluride
Maps
69 Town of Telluride
70 Lena Basin
71 Gold Hill
72 Telluride Ski Area
73 Palmyra Peak
74 Bald Mountain
75 Silver Mountain
76 Silver Mountain Little or Big Ridge Loop
Chapter 9
Far South Telluride (Ophir-Silverton-Durango)
Maps
77 Galloping Goose Trail to Lizard Head Pass
78 Ophir Pass to Crystal Lake
79 Lookout Peak
80 Columbine Lake Trail 509
81 Swamp Canyon to Grant-Swamp Pass
82 V-2
83 V-3
84 Waterfall Canyon to Yellow Mountain
85 Hope Lake Trail 410
86 Pilot Knob
87 Golden Horn
88 Vermilion Peak
89 Fuller Peak
90 Beattie Peak
91 V-8
92 V-9
93 San Miguel Peak
94 Ice Lake Trail 505 and Island Lake
95 V-4
96 US Grant Peak
97 Twin Sisters
98 Rolling Mountain
Chapter 10
Far Southwest Telluride (Rico-Cortez-Durango)
Maps
99 Cross Mountain Trail to Point 12,038
100 Cross Mountain
101 Lizard Head Trail 409 to Black Face
102 Bilk Creek Trail 408
103 Wilson Peak
104 Sunshine Mountain
105 Wilson Mesa Trail 421
106 Woods Lake Trail 406
107 Elk Creek Trail 407
108 Navajo Lake Trail 635
109 Kilpacker Trail 203 to El Diente Peak
110 Mount Wilson Loop
Acknowledgments
Index
Preface
Four distinct waterfalls are visible or nearly visible from the town of Telluride, Colorado, and many more can be found near the high basins and peaks surrounding this spectacular region of the Rocky Mountains. Dozens of the 110 hikes presented in this guide begin right from downtown Telluride, while others branch out from the mountain roads nearby, and some are located closer to Durango, Silverton, Ouray, Ridgway, Montrose, Ophir, Rico, Dolores, and Cortez.
Each hike begins with essential information such as elevation, distance, duration, and difficulty level. Elevation information includes not only the highest point (or points) of a hike but also the maximum vertical gains you will experience along the trail. Difficulty levels range from easiest (no elevation change) to moderate (short hike, easy grades), strenuous (typical to moderate hike, hills), very challenging (longer hike, steeper, with varying mountain conditions), and expert-only (very steep, often with exposed ridge walking and loose scree, requiring climbing-type moves). Most of the hikes fall somewhere in the middle, and all hikes but those rated very challenging or expert-only will be achievable for most people. Climbing ropes, pitons, or anchor bolts are not mandatory to complete any of the hikes listed here, though that may not be the case for everyone-see difficulty levels for each hike for recommendations. You certainly won t hear me use terms like underclings, stemming, laybacks, jams, or evangelical hammerlocks!
More than half of these trails can be hiked as a loop, and I provide alternate routes ( Alt ) and optional paths ( Opt ) wherever possible. The routes described for each hike may be well-worn trails, complete bushwhacks and scrambles, or anything in between. There is something here for practically everyone, whether you would rather simply cut to the chase, as it were, and get on with something more challenging, or prefer a more leisurely stroll through the aspens, evergreens, and basins without going to a summit or having to use any climbing-type moves. You ll find detailed instructions to locating seventy-five peaks and other high points, including many mountain passes and vistas.
Many trails can be traveled by mountain bike, and others may require some four-wheel driving (4WD). You ll find or 4WD at the beginning of each chapter. (I have even included one route-Galloping Goose Trail to Lizard Head Pass, hike 77 -that requires a bike. It is such a beautiful and classic ride, I just couldn t help myself.)
I try to keep hiking lingo simple. Trailhead is abbreviated as TH. A switchback is a spot in a trail that zigzags sharply, whether once or fifty times. A shoulder is a rise or small ridge. Exposure refers to the level of risk of falling where a fall would be fatal. A trail section described as airy is exposed to some degree, with drop-offs. Exercise extreme caution in such areas.
Aspen line is around 11,800 feet, and tree line is around 12,200 feet in this region. I usually find that the first 20 to 30 minutes of practically any hike can be the toughest until I get into a groove with my breathing and walking. High altitude affects everybody differently, so if you feel dehydrated, headachy, or nauseous, move to a lower altitude. (Some people might even experience altitude sickness while still in Telluride, at 8745 feet.) Mountain hazards (rapidly changing weather, rock slides) and the unexpected almost always come into play, so don t count on apps from your phone to save you in the wilderness!
With so much wildlife around, don t forget to watch out for the blood burglars, including ticks and to a lesser degree mosquitoes. Luckily you probably will not run across the tiny deer ticks that cause Lyme disease, but a larger species, the Rocky Mountain wood tick, is plentiful from spring through June and should be avoided. These ticks thrive in low grass and brush in the high country-a tick check, or self-examination, during and after spring hikes is a good idea. If a tick has latched on or is slightly embedded in your skin, pull it straight out with tweezers or hold a lighter flame close until it falls away. However, tick warning aside, you would be worse off if you forgot your sunscreen or enough water on a warm bluebird day.
All right, enough talk. It s go time! You can hike the mountains in Southwest Colorado year-round if you know what you are doing and have the proper gear, but the ideal time to hike or mountain bike is late June through mid-October. All you need is a nice pair of hiking shoes, a backpack with plenty of supplies, water, phone, camera, GPS, MP3 player, pedometer, more electric junk you never used to need but now can t get by without-and the day to unfold before your very eyes, just one foot in front of the other.
Four Corners

Telluride
CHAPTER 1
FAR NORTHWEST TELLURIDE

Map
4WD
1 Alder Creek Trail 510
2 North Pole Peak
4WD
3 Hayden Peak
4WD
4 Unnamed Point 12,700
4WD
5 Box Factory Park West Ridge Loop
6 De