Missouri Gulch to Fooses Creek Trailhead with resupply stop at Monarch Spur RV
Distance 84 Miles Total Distance: 180
Highlights: Collegiate Peaks, summits of Missouri Mountain and Mount Belford, conversations with day hikers, Winfield, Collegiate Peaks Wilderness, views of North Apostle, Ice Mountain, and West Apostle, Lake Ann and the pass, meeting and camping with Jordan from Wyoming, meeting a nice guy hiking most of the Collegiate loop in the opposite direction, Timberline Trail, Mirror Lake, Tincup Pass, meeting CT yo-yo hiker Jasper, amazing trail parallel to divide from departure from Road 267 through Alpine Gulch, Alpine Tunnel history, Trail Magic along Road 295, Hancock Lakes, Monarch Spur RV
Campsites:
6. Junction before Lake Ann
7. Sanford Creek
8. Near Alpine Tunnel Trailhead
Comments:
After meeting the two hikers on Hope Pass I chose to day hike the 14ers in Missouri Basin, instead of my original plan, starting west of Huron Peak and hiking East over Missouri, Belford, and Oxford before attempting some additional 14ers and rejoining the CT on the Collegiate East. After day hiking, I hiked back to the CT/CDT for the Collegiate West
Previously I had been using Erik the Black’s CT Atlas with no problems. For these four days I used the Mountain Maps: Sawatch Range map provided on the Colorado Trail Foundation website. It’s a great map, but something more specific to the CT like the 5th edition of the CT data book would have been helpful at times.
I was somewhat tired and didn’t wake up early enough to do the 14ers for sunrise. I did Missouri first, then went down to join the trail to Elkhead Pass, then continued up to Mount Belford.
The final summit ridge to Missouri was slightly challenging with loose, small rock and nothing to hold onto, but I found it more fun than scary.
Missouri Mountain
Elkhead Pass
Mount Belford
I opted not to summit Oxford as the clouds were coming in.
I met some really nice day-hikers as well as backpackers today. I met another Dave on the way to the summit of Missouri Mountain. He shared some of his wife’s specialty trail mix with me! There were a number of people I met while descending Belford.
After finishing my day-hike I left descended back to the road, walked to Winfield, and then down another road until re-entered the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness and found the perfect campsite at the junction before Lake Ann.
Back on the trail
Campsite with Views of the Three Apostles
Clouds came in the next morning when I went to Lake Ann, and the pass had near white out conditions.
Lake Ann
Looking out from Lake Ann Pass
Jordan and I took a small shortcut off FS road 755. I’m not sure if we did it quite right but we found the trail on the other side after a few stream crossings.
Beautiful Forest
Sunset near Sanford Creek
Great views along the Timberline Trail
Lost the trail for a little after what appeared to be a misplaced CT marker(or maybe a future one?) before the descent to Mirror Lake. I followed it up and the trail split two ways but both went up. My map showed that I was supposed to go down to the lake so down I went to where I found an official CDT sign.
The area around Mirror Lake and Tincup Pass is ATV world!
Tincup Pass
On the way down from Tincup Pass I met Jasper who is doing a CT yo-yo, Denver to Durango, back to Denver. Quite the accomplishment.
Passed a trail crew hard at work on the switchbacks leading up to the divide. Some of the smoothest trail around! One guy said he’s been working on the hill for 5 years! Thank you volunteers for your hard work!
Passed a trail crew hard at work on the switchbacks leading up to the divide. Some of the smoothest trail around! One guy said he’s been working on the hill for 5 years! Thank you volunteers for your hard work!
The five mile stretch along the divide up to the Alpine Tunnel was one of the highlights of my entire trip. The weather was great!
Stream off the Continental Divide
Tunnel Lake
Jasper had told me to check out the Alpine Tunnel and it was definitely worth dropping off over the Divide to check out! It was the first tunnel constructed through the Continental Divide in Colorado, and according to the U.S. Forest Service "remains the highest railroad tunnel and the longest narrow gauge tunnel in North America.” A lot of the old buildings and equipment remain.
Alpine Tunnel
The trail descends where the train used to travel all the way to the trailhead.
Campsite near Alpine Tunnel Trailhead
I found some awesome trail magic a little before Hancock Lakes! Delicious Little Debbies and carbonated drinks! Thank you so much trail angels!
Hancock Lakes
Looking South from the pass away from Hancock Lakes
I Road walked down FS road 230 to Garfield and then Highway 50 to Monarch Spur RV.
The people at Monarch Spur were so nice! After they gave me my package, they directed me to a table where I could pack all my food up. I got a shower, did some laundry and bought the best peanut butter ice cream sandwich I have ever had!
I road walked west to meet up with the Collegiate East. I had a nice conversation on the phone with my dad under a tree near FS 225, but then it started to rain!
Throughout this section my body held up pretty well, but I started to get something similar to shin splints or anterior tibialis tendonitis especially on my left anterior lower leg. I taped it up with some Leukotape that I had for blisters but is more commonly used to take knees and shoulders. In school I was instructed to never tape it directly on skin. Oops! So much for leg hair!
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