Excellence in Luxury Mountain Home Rental and Management
Toll Free: 866-SKI-VAIL (866-754-8245)
Local Phone: 970-479-9990

Archive for the ‘Hiking, Backpacking, and Rock Climbing’ Category

Staff Picks: Late Season Hikes

Tuesday, September 9th, 2008

Easy: Sylvan Lake Trail

 
Trail follows shoreline of Sylvan Lake. Picnic tables and benches are available. Wildflowers are abundant, as well as ample areas to enjoy this wonderfully scenic alpine lake.
  The Basics  
Location: Sylvan Lake State Park south of Eagle
Difficulty: Easy
Length: 2 mile roundtrip
Trailhead Elevation: 8,500 feet
Time to Allow: 1 to 1.5 hours
  Directions to Trailhead  
Sylvan Lake State ParkExit I-70 at Eagle and head south. Take Hwy 6 west. Turn left on Broadway (second left). Turn left on 5th Street and right on Capitol. At the next stop sign, turn left. Travel south on Brush Creek Road (CR 307) for 10 miles. Veer right at the fork in the road and travel an additional five miles on West Brush Creek Road to the park.

________________________________________________________

Intermediate: Dotsero Ute Trail

 
The Dotsero – Ute Trail climbs from the Colorado River at Dotsero to the Flat Tops through mountain brush and pinyon – juniper woodland, eventually reaching forested land. The scenery is panoramic, and wildlife watching is good. The Ute Indians originally used the trail until late 1800s for access over the Flat Tops to the Meeker area. It was also used by prospectors to access the Caronate mining area for a short lived silver rush in the early 1900s and later became a National Forest trail and wagon road until replaced by the Coffee Pot Road.You’ll access the trail from the Colorado River Road at the trailhead north of Dotsero. The Dotsero Ute connects with Coffee Pot Road, but is very rough around the private property.
  The Basics  
Location: 17 miles northeast of Glenwood Springs
Difficulty: Intermediate
Length: 4 miles/6.4 km one way
Elevation: 1,850 feet
Trailhead Elevation: 6,150 feet
Time to Allow: 3 to 3.5 hours
Season: April – October
Map: USGS 1: 24,000 quads: Dotsero
  Directions to Trailhead  
From I-70 at Dotsero drive north on the Colorado River Road. (Eagle county 301) about 0.5 miles to trail head on the West Side. Although the trail connects to other trails into the Flat Tops, presently it lacks public access over several segments and therefore dead-ends about 3 miles above the trailhead. Use limited to hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding; motorized vehicles are prohibited.