Rosalie Trail

Changing Leaves on Rosalie Trail

In my last post about Rosalie peak and the surrounding area, I mentioned that, to get to the top of Rosalie, when you reach about 3/4 of a mile point in the hike, you should stick to Tanglewood Creek Trail; however, the alternative sign there points to "Rosalie Trail," which might justifiably be the cause of some confusion. Rosalie Trial really just skirts the base of Rosalie Peak, and takes hikers through the Mount Evans Wilderness Area, all the way up to the Mt. Bierstadt parking lot at the top of Guanella Pass. It's a gorgeous hike, and well worth your time.

This past weekend, we took the kids up for a longer hike to investigate the area. With the leaves changing quickly up here, we were in for quite an explosion of color, and the weather was perfect. After diverging from the Tanglewood Creek trail, there's a sold climb for a half mile or so, but then the trail flattens out in a lovely and dense Aspen forest. There are a bunch of great hike-in camp sights all along this section of the trail. After the forest section, it opens up a bit, with some great views of the 12 and 13 thousand foot peaks that surround the rest of the hike. This portion of the hike actually presents hikers with a bit of a descent, and you'll begin to hear the faint trickle of Deer Creek, which follows the lower portion of the trail for some time. We made it about three miles in on this particular trip, and then stopped for a play-filled break and a picnic at an shockingly green camp sight (the kind that inspires fairy stories) that butted up to the creek.

Although the six miles round trip was a bit tough on both our five and nine year olds, the views and amazing discoveries that we made along the way made it all worth while.

To get there: Heading South on 285 before Bailey, you take a right at the "Loaf'n'Jug" on Co RD 43 (Deer Creek Road). You take 43 all the way to the end (be careful where it intersects with 47--you want to stay to the left), where you'll see a "Fee Area" national forest campground. Pass the campground to the left, and stay on that road until it ends at the parking lot, which is the "Deer Creek Trail Head."

Rosalie Peak!

Marker for the Summit Ascent

Every morning my wife and I wake up to an amazing view out of our sliding glass doors--pine covered hills, with a beautiful bald peak, illuminated pink by the rising sun. The Peak's name is "Rosalie," and she stands at 13,575 feet. Ever since we moved into the house this past summer, I've had my sites set on summiting this peak so I could enjoy the view from the other side; this past week, I was able to do just that.

The ascent begins just past the Deer Creek Campground at the Tanglewood Creek trailhead on Co RD 43, here in Bailey, and follows Tanglewood Trail for the first several miles. Soon after the trail and the creek part ways, you head out of the dense forest cover, and into the alpine tundra above treeline. The initial climb above the forest is steep, but if you stick to the trail, recent improvements seem to have increased the accessibility of the switch-backs. You'll continue on past the first rock outcropping, and onto the initial saddleback, where the trail then splits to allow access to either the summit or Roosevelt Lakes. The summit trail is virtually nonexistent, so you have to keep an eye out for the post (really just a big stick, propped up by rocks), where you'll simply take a left and start heading "up," quite literally. The ascent now becomes even more steep, unless you chose to take you own switch route.

Summit view of Mt. Bierstadt (left) and Mt. Evans (right)

The tundra here does not contain as many flowers as some of the other high-country hikes I've done recently, but the variety of nice grasses and ground cover is beautiful. And, you'll meet some great prehistoric looking friends, as the hill is home to tons of huge, loud crickets. The final ascent continues for some time, and you will encounter one big false summit, but the last part of the hike is quite worth the effort, as you get a gorgeous view of Mt. Evans and Mt. Bierstadt, connected by the "Sawtooth" from the top. The view is so clear, in fact, that you can see cars heading up the Mt. Evans road! On the other side there's a perfect view of the Bailey area, and you can't miss the South Platte meandering through its very green valley.

After completing the summit hike, my hiking partner and I decided to also head down and check out Roosevelt Lakes, which are straight down the path from the above mentioned trail marker. They're beautiful little high mountain lakes, and it was hard to count the number of native brookies and rainbows that rose during the half hour or so we sat there. Beautiful!

All in all it was a nice hike, if a bit steep at times. Including the side journey, the entire trip took us just over six hours, and I think we covered close to ten miles in the day.

To get there: Heading South on 285 before Bailey, you take a right at the "Loaf'n'Jug" on Co RD 43 (Deer Creek Road). You take 43 all the way to the end (be careful where it intersects with 47--you want to stay to the left), where you'll see a "Fee Area" national forest campground. Pass the campground to the left, and stay on that road until it ends at the parking lot, which is the "Deer Creek Trail Head."

Pine Valley Ranch

This past week, we were searching for a hike that was relatively quick, but interesting and had activities for non-hikers. It was my wife's father's birthday, and he loves hiking; however, others in the family don't much care for it, so we wanted to find the perfect solution for everyone. Enter Pine Vally Ranch Open Space, in Pine, CO. This park provides a beautiful picnic spot right on a great section of the North Fork of the South Platte, and also houses a great little lake full of stockers for a fun afternoon of fishing. There are plenty of covered areas in the main picnic section, and a great light stroll along the river. It's an excellent place to take kids, dogs, etc. for a bit outdoor time. And, to boot, although the main park is quite busy on summer weekends, the trail that circles the park (and connects with the Lost Creek Wilderness area) always seems to be mostly empty.

View from the Top

The hiking trail itself begins at either the East or West ends of Pine lake, and provides a nice three mile loop. If you begin at West end, there's an initial stair climb that can prove to be a bit of a thigh burner, but the views from the upper portions, where railings have been affixed to the huge rocks, are pretty amazing. After you crest the hill, veer to the left, and continue on past the stationary maps; then, when you connect with "Strawberry Jack Trail," head right. You will then head down a solid grade and finally meet up with "Buck Gulch Trail," which leads back to the East end of the lake. We prefer, though, beginning at that East end, and doing the hike in reverse, as the climb is a bit more gradual, and access to the great views is better on the way down. Make sure to pack sunscreen, as a good portion of the hike is in burn areas, and coverage is limited. The hike takes about an hour and a half at a moderate speed.

On your way out of the park, stop in at Zoka's (you head in to Pine, and through town), where you can get a good sandwich or nice elk medallion, along with a dog friendly porch and kid friendly bento boxes. Or, if you're in the mood for something a bit more "old school Colorado," try the Bucksnort for a beer and their famous burgers.

To get there: Heading South on 285, past Conifer, take a left on Pine Valley Road / Co RD 126. At 5.9 miles, you'll take a right on Crystal Lake Road, and follow that all the way in to the park, which is clearly marked.

Mt. Bailey--Great 30 Minute Mini-hike!

Summit of Mt. Bailey

So, the most local hike here at the top of Crow Hill is the little rocky peak full of cell towers that looms over the community. Mt. Bailey. It's not a huge hike, but steep and a good workout (both on the heart and lungs on the up and on the thighs on the down) if you hike the hill quickly. 

The views from the top of the North Platte winding its way through lush valleys are world class, and the playground adjacent to the parking lot makes it easy to persuade the kids into joining the fun (I make them do the hike first, and then they get to play as a treat)!

Directions: From 285, in Bailey, you exit on Co RD 72 (just South of the Loaf-n-Jug), and take a left under the highway. Follow 72 to Burland Dr., and take a right. You'll see the park (Weakland Fawkes) on your right after about a mile.