Colorado Trail: Ten Mile Range - Trip Report

Section 7

By Lee Hendrick

It's been over two years since our last outing on the Colorado Trail due to our year and a half sojourn in California. It looks like no extended back pack this summer either. July is past and the high passes still have some snow because of the extremely heavy and late snow in the spring of '95. Just to keep in practice we opted for a day hike over one of the hardest and highest climbs on the trail, Gold Hill to Copper Mountain. It's a 13.5 mile segment with a 3700 foot climb.

It's the first weekend in August and the weather is fantastic as we arrive at the Gold Hill Trailhead just north of Breckenridge. We leave the car at the trailhead at 9200 feet and begin a steady climb through the forest. The hiking is easier without full backpacks, but make no mistake, we know that we're going uphill. The wildflowers are abundant because of the late snows. Roses and mariposa lilies in the forest and Monkshood and corn lilies in the little bogs.

At one point along Miners Creek we see evidence of the power of the late snows. Pine trees with a trunk diameter of at least 1 1/2 feet, roots and all, are laying in an open meadow 1/4 of a mile from where they were uprooted by an avalanche. We go through several alpine meadows filled with paintbrush of various tints. After about 3 1/2 hours we reached timberline at slightly above 11000 feet. The only birds we spotted were a group of gray jays foraging in the leaves.

The trail heads southward on a long traverse above timberline to the top of the ridge of the Ten Mile Range. At this point a lone woman runner and her dog overtake us and disappear rapidly toward the summit. We've seen only one couple hiking near the trailhead and two mountain bikers near Miners Creek.

The weather takes a turn for the worse as clouds roll over the ridge and some rains starts to fall. We have to leave the trail to skirt patches of snow that still remain.

After 4 1/2 hours we top the ridge at 12440 feet. There are huge overhanging cornices to the south and a large snowfield to the north. The trail continues on a slightly downward traverse headed south along the ridge. The trail at this point is little used and not readily discernible in some spots.

The skies opened up and we were pounded by rain, hail and severe winds. It happened so suddenly that we didn't get prepared and we had to hustle to the nearest rocks and try to duck out of the wind while we put on all of our clothes and rain gear. Twenty minutes later it was over as quickly as it started. The sun came out and we found a nice spot in the tundra to take a lunch and drying out break. An American pipit joined us on a nearby snowfield. We had passed a group of about 8 hikers during the storm that were headed the other direction. They were the only other people we were to see on the trail. We relaxed for about 45 minutes before continuing. At this point we can look straight down into the Copper Mountain ski area. We get into some very steep down hill headed back toward the tree line.

About 3:30 we get back into the trees and out of the wind and it's warmer so we stop to get back down to shorts and t-shirts. In the trees we saw a group of mountain chickadees. Very distinctive, energetic little birds. Just before the junction with the Wheeler Trail we passed an excellent campsite with available water. Dense growths of Columbine near the creek. Varied colors, some of the deepest purple that I have ever seen. Every little canyon is full of rushing water. This has got to be very unusual for this time of year. About 5 PM we cross the large river and the highway into Copper Mountain.

The hike took about 8 hours and we experienced about every type of weather imaginable. We found the bus stop, had a drink, and caught the free Summit County shuttle back to Gold Hill. It was a very entertaining hike and I'm glad we did it as a day trip.

Hopefully, we will do more next year.

Submitted by Lee Hendrick, CMC trip leader.

Other Information

• Located in Arapahoe National Forest
• USGS Maps Breckenridge, Copper Mtn, and Vail Pass 7.5' quadrangle maps.
• Trails Illustrated Map #109 Breckenridge, Tennessee Pass
• Guide Books
  • The Colorado Trail (official guide book), Randy Jacobs
• What to Bring on a Hike
• Safety And Survival
• There's Weather Out There
• Learning Safety Through the Experience of Others