Visiting Colorado in September for Mountain Activities

September in Colorado's mountains is a time of change. Since the schools are in session in Texas, the family vacationers have gone home. However, the tour buses come up from the retirement communities in Arizona to view the fall colors. The rush to see the aspen helps hold over the tourist industry until the hunting season starts in late October (you will see bow hunters out in September).

The main attraction for the backcountry user in September is the aspen. Yes, aspen don't provide the multitude of colors that hardwood forests do, but if you have never seen a stand of aspen gold before, you will be amazed. Photographs rarely do justice, especially at catching the quality of the light passing through the leaves.

There are many good places to see aspen, from the Front Range to the San Juans. It is best to avoid being around Denver or Colorado Springs on the weekend while the aspen are turning, especially the highways US 285, US 24, and I-70, as the crowds swarm out of the cities to view the aspen. A few of the good places to see aspen from the car are: Gold Camp Road between Cripple Creek and Colorado Springs (very crowded on the weekend); Mc Clure Pass and Marble on Hwy. 133 south of Carbondale; Dallas Divide from Ridgway to Telluride and on to Lizard Head Pass; The Million Dollar Highway (US 550) from Ouray to Silverton and Durango over Red Mountain, Coal Bank, and Molas Divide Passes; and US 285 from Kenosha Pass, across South Park, a side trip to Weston Pass, and on to Buena Vista via Trout Creek Pass (avoid on the weekends).

There are many good backcountry areas for aspen. The area around Silverton offers camping and day hikes or backpacking to the south in the Grenadier Range and Needles Mountains (San Juan National Forest, Trails Illustrated Topo Maps 140 "Weminuche Wilderness" and 141 "Silverton, Ouray, Telluride, Lake City"). Rocky Mountain National Park offers many backcountry opportunities to enjoy the aspen but is crowded on the weekend (Trails Illustrated Topo Map 200).

Close to Denver is the Lost Creek Wilderness offering both day hikes and backpacking at lower altitudes. Most of the access is a long way down dirt roads that keep the crowds away. The Lost Park trailhead ($3 day use fee per car) has a nice hike through aspen to Box Canyon. It is reached from US 285 by going south on the Lost Park Road (FS #56) about a mile northeast of Jefferson and staying left at a marked junction with Rock Creek Hills Road (about 19 miles from US 285 to trailhead).

Another good trailhead for aspen viewing in Lost Creek is near Goose Creek Campground with day hikes to either Hankins Pass or Refrigerator Gulch. Refrigerator Gulch is halfway to the Lost Park Campground and makes a nice car transfer backpack if you can find the un-marked trail to Box Canyon. A good circle backpack is from Goose Creek to Refrigerator Gulch, McCurdy Park, Lost Lake Park, Hankins Pass and then back down. The trailhead can be reached from Hwy 126 2.5 miles north of Deckers, turning off near Wigwam Campground, past Cheesman Lake for about 14 miles from the pavement. The trailhead has good parking about 2.5 miles past the campground. Since Hwy. 126 was washed out at Buffalo Creek this summer, it is best to go through Deckers from Sedalia or Woodland Park. The trailhead can also be reached from Park County Road 77 (runs between Jefferson on US 285 and Lake George on US 24) by turning off on the Matukat Road (FS #211) for 11.0 miles to the trailhead turn-off. This area is in Pike National Forest and covered by the Trails Illustrated Topo Map 105, "Tarryall Mountains; Lost Creek Wilderness".

The Twin Eagles trailhead offers access to aspen on the west side of Hankins Pass or take the fork to McCurdy Park. This trailhead is on Park County Road 77 and also has a $3 day use fee per car. If you are backpacking, you only need to pay for the first day. Contrary to the sign at the trailhead, I have not been able to identify any improvements to the area since the fee has been started.

There are good day hikes from US 285, but will be a zoo on the weekends. The Ben Tyler trail is on the highway and well marked about two miles west of Shawnee. This trail leads to a large grove of aspen several miles in. The Colorado Trail runs along the ridge crossed by Kenosha Pass. Either way from the highway provides aspen and great views of South Park without much change in elevation.

The best time for viewing the aspen is hard to predict. It varies from year to year and starts earliest in the north at higher altitude (Rabbit Ears Pass and RMNP), ending in the south at the lower altitudes (Durango and Cumbres Pass). It can vary from mid-September to mid-October. Weather is a major force in how long the aspen hold their leaves after they turn. With good weather they can last for weeks, but one storm can strip all the trees bare.

In general, September's weather in Colorado's backcountry is favorable. The daily afternoon thunderstorms of the summer months stop near the end of August and there are many cloudless days great for climbing peaks. However, the occasional snow storms also start coming through in August. The backcountry visitor should be prepared for snow as many have found themselves waking to beautiful snow scenery. But even though the San Juans have seen more than a foot of new snow on the ground in August, those who come prepared will enjoy this time of year.

Keith Jensen

P.S. If any of you reading this have other suggestions for our visitors, please let me know.