| November | December 2005 Volume 79 Issue 6 |
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MiniTour Finding the Powder By Claire Walter
The 1820s fur trappers who named the Cache la Poudre River were prescient, but in a very different way than they imagined. They named it “hide the powder” to commemorate the gunpowder they had stored along the river. Those trappers could not have imagined that one day the upper reaches of the river would be treasured for a different kind of powder—the snow drifting reliably from the skies. The area now called Cameron Pass ranks as one of Colorado 's best winter playgrounds. Droves of snowshoers and cross-country skiers head north from Fort Collins on U.S. 287 to Ted's Place, a landmark intersection, and then turn west onto Route 14. This is Colorado 's northernmost year-round route into the heart of the mountains. This route through the Poudre Canyon is a dramatic drive in all seasons. Approaching from the east, you travel quickly from near-desert to montane and sub-alpine zones. As you ascend from about 5,700 feet at the canyon mouth to 10,275 feet atop Cameron Pass , scrubby dryland plants give way to the luxuriant conifers and aspens of the mountains. Especially in its lower stretches, the canyon is sprinkled with small riverside resorts and campgrounds, some clustered in tourist-oriented hamlets such as Bellevue , Rustic and Glendevey. Although many local businesses are closed or scaled-down in winter, the lack of summer crowds means easy traffic and unimpeded views of the spectacular scenery. When the water's edge is rimed with ice and shaded banks are dusted with snow, the contrast with the canyon's stark rock walls makes roadside snapshots unbearably beautiful. Along the highway are abundant picnic areas and trailheads, some leading into the Cache la Poudre along the lower canyon and the Neota, Never Summer, Comanche Peak , and Rawah wildernesses higher up. The Colorado State Forest flanks Highway 14 near Cameron Pass , and the northwest corner of Rocky Mountain National Park is not far away. That's a lot of land to explore, and abundant trails enable you to do so. Many are wide, unplowed summer roads that are often shared with snowmobiles, while others are narrower and open only for non-motorized recreation. Some trailheads have toilet facilities: a major attraction, as any cross-country skier or snowshoer can attest. The first significant winter trails start around Chambers Lake . Unplowed Green Ridge Road ( County Road 103/Forest Road 190) on the right side of the highway follows the northeast shore of Chambers Lake , rising gently toward smaller Lost Lake , Laramie Lake and eventually Twin Lakes . The frozen lakes in their gentle depressions have the appearance of clearings in the forest. Just up the highway from Chambers Lake is the beginning of the popular route to Blue Lake . Officially known as the Sawmill Creek Trail, it offers glimpses of Chambers Lake as it leads through a long, gentle stretch through a thick lodgepole forest. After crossing frozen, drifted-over Sawmill Creek, the route crosses Fall Creek, enters the Rawah Wilderness and steepens considerably. Blue Lake is trapped in a small, deep valley with trees on one side and the slopes of Clark Peak on the other. Two options present themselves for enjoying the Long Draw area on the left side of the highway. The main trailhead, shared by motorized and non-motorized users, directly accesses the 10-mile Long Draw Road; many snowshoers prefer the non-motorized Long Draw/Meadows trailhead. The area is notable for hilly terrain, beautiful stands of ponderosa pine, subalpine fir, Engelmann spruce and thick willows captured in a frozen wetland that is inaccessible in summer. The reservoir road slices between the Comanche Peak and Neota Wilderness areas, while the Meadows Ski Trail climbs toward Zimmerman Lake and a splendid mountain panorama. That reward comes more easily if you continue driving past the roadside Joe Wright Reservoir to the Zimmerman Lake Trail, which is a quarter the distance and less than half the elevation gain of the Meadows Ski Trail. Across the highway from the Zimmerman Lake Trailhead is access to the Montgomery Pass Trail. This short and steep route is not for the casual snowshoer, but perfect for those seeking a workout. It starts along Montgomery Creek before entering the spruce/fir forest. After a lung-busting ascent, you reach Montgomery Pass , considerably higher than nearby Cameron Pass. From there, you can gaze across the forest at North Park 's expanse—the flat white surfaces of frozen lakes and reservoirs and a chain of snow-capped summits. A large parking area at the crest of Cameron Pass accesses the Michigan Ditch Trail, which is short, wide and flat—ideal for new snowshoers, families with children and the altitude-challenged. It offers a great deal of scenic bang for the buck (since it is in the Colorado State Forest , you will have to pay a modest use fee) with its stunning views of Mt. Richthofen and the Nokhu Crags, the rock spires that are a signature of this part of the Never Summer Range . Continuing your drive down the west side of Cameron Pass , you enter the heart of the Colorado State Forest . The Gould Lake Ski Trail, named before snowshoeing soared, is a fabulous loop trail bracketing the Michigan River . The trail is known for accessibility, scenery, good snow, relatively low usage and the possibility of seeing a moose. There are two access points, one at the Ranger Lakes Campground and the other at the Gould Community Center , both on the left side of the highway. This loop can be skied or snowshoed in several ways by stringing together forest roads and trails, crossing or circling the broad Michigan River Valley with its backside view of the Nokhu Crags and leading through an aspen-conifer forest. This was a historic logging area, and you'll see remnants from the timber days. Interpretive signs identify one snow-covered lump as sawdust from movable mills that worked this area. There's a ruined cabin and a pile of trim remnants where round logs were sawn into boards. When you finish snowshoeing, you can return to Ted's Place via Colorado 14. Another possibility is to plunge into North Park , where roadside moose sightings are possible. Turn left in Rand and follow Colorado 125 through the lonely, rolling expanses of this enormous valley until you hit U.S. 40 just west of Granby . This town, along with Fraser and Winter Park , offers an abundance of places to stop for a bite before climbing over Berthoud Pass and a return to the Front Range . It's a long drive, but it completes the circle and turns a snowshoe excursion into a modest road trip. n Claire Walter is a freelance writer based in Boulder and author of Snowshoeing Colorado.
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