On the Missouri Lakes Trail en route to Fancy Pass, Holy Cross Wilderness. Click to enlarge.
As the snow falls outside with summer pretty definitively in the rear view, I thought it would be fun to look back on a few of the better trail run adventures Anna-Lisa and I did over the latter part of the season.
Amidst trying to wrap up my last few Bicentennial 13ers this fall, we were able to get out and explore several local Gore and Holy Cross Wilderness trails. Having been up many of these trails in the past with a summit or a ski descent in mind, it was cool to return without an agenda other than getting a good run in and showing Anna-Lisa around our beautiful backyard. So without further ado here are some of the highlights…
First up, a nice evening at Beaver Lake. The six-mile round trip was easy to crack off on a July weeknight.
Anna-Lisa has always loved waterfalls and lakes. Well, it made sense then to go check out Booth Falls and continue on to the lake afterwards. a 10 mile, 3,200 ft trip with lots of runnable trail en route. We made it up to the lake (which I had never actually been to despite several trips up this drainage in the spring) just in time to beat the afternoon storms back below treeline.
Heading up the Booth Creek Trail.
Anna-Lisa at Booth Lake just before the rain rolled in.
I’m always grateful for an opportunity to break out the rain gear.
On our way down we found the first signs of fall on the horizon…
Next up was a trip to Gore Lake via the Gore Creek Trail. We got a later start on this one and underestimated the length of the outing (13 miles, 3,000 ft), so our afternoon outing turned into a Sunday evening at the lake before a quick run back down to town just before dark.
Making trailrunning plans over morning coffee is definitely one of my favorite things in life.
On our way up to Gore Lake.
Taking a break at the lake at dusk.
A few weeks later we motored on over to the Homestake Reservoir area to run the Missouri-Fancy Pass Loop, a local classic. I had been into both basins to hike Fancy Peak and ski Savage Peak, but I’d never linked up the trails before. It’s an awesome day out and a very attainable length of loop (9.6 miles, 2,800 ft). I could see doing this one every single summer to be honest.
On the Missouri Lakes trail with Savage Peak in back. Click to enlarge.
Below Fancy Pass on the Treasurevault Lake side. This high tundra plateau has to be one of the cooler places in the HCW.
Jax and I at Fancy Pass with Fancy Lake just out of sight down below.
Twenty minutes later at the lake. Jax always enjoys a good cautious wade into the shallows of any lake.
Finishing off a great loop.
The colorful ghost town of Gilman seen on the drive home. Click to enlarge.
With the aspens fully transitioned and in their prime, there’s no better place for us to go than behind our house in Eagle-Vail to leaf peep…
Heading up Paulie’s Plunge Trail, our favorite backyard jaunt right out of Eagle-Vail.
Looking down at Beaver Creek from the top of Paulie’s. Click to enlarge.
Aspens in the Beaver Creek ski area.
But the colors can only last for so long…
A clash of two seasons after the valley’s first snowfall. Winter is coming…
Evening run on the Everkrisp Trail with our friend Sarah. A brand new trail that just opened up in July, connecting Eagle-Vail to Minturn.
Yellows and oranges have transitioned to blues and grays. Click to enlarge.
Quite possibly the last dry trail run of the year up here for us.
And with that, we’re onto ski season. Multiple storms on the horizon hopefully mean we’ll be making turns sooner rather than later.
Happy Halloween!
All of those trails look nicer than the ones around Suburbia. Ricardo and I usually just run around a golf course at night. North Table is a nice loop but half of it you are graced with the smells of the Coors wastewater treatment facility. Dakota Ridge you have to dodge Mtn Bikers, same with Green Mtn, same with Falcon, same with basically anywhere else. But Indian Creek was, by far, the nicest Front Range trail I’ve found to date, and what do ya know, it wasn’t in Golden or Boulder……
I’ll have to check out the Missouri/Fancy loop in the near future when hopefully gaper-free.
Do any Brovilles defiantly still live in Gilman?
Check out White Ranch if you haven’t already. I was always able to find solitude there along with some great views. But I think they might alternate days between bikers and hikers/runners now? I’m not sure. And yes, Indian Creek/Waterton is the place to be over anywhere in Golden IMO.
The MIssouri-Fancy Loop is awesome. One of the best trail runs I’ve done to date.
Nice man! You guys really got after it this Fall. Looks incredible.
Yeah man! Was great to get Anna-Lisa out to all those places before the snow started falling. Like i was telling Miller, you’d love that Fancy Loop…