We no longer offer guided pack trips or llama leasing.
Several of our favorite trips are represented
below with a brief description and a photograph.
We encourage minimum impact camping on all of our trips, following the saying
of "take only pictures, leave only footprints". We
hope that you will remember your trips to these alpine areas
longer than they will remember you! Browse
the trip descriptions below, or use the map and the table to
jump to a trip with a destination, length, or range of difficulty
that interests you.
The
trip begins on the east side of the Eisenhower Tunnel along a
ski area access road. After climbing 1500 vertical feet to the
Continental Divide, turn east and traverse a series of cirques
above timberline, generally around 12,000 ft above sea level.
At Herman Lake, you can choose to walk down Herman Gulch to conclude
a two day trip, or continue along the Divide and finish your
trek at either Butler Gulch or Berthoud Falls campground (each
a three day trip). In every case, you will be surrounded by rugged
peaks and spectacular views.
Winfield to Lake Ann
or Harrison Flat
The
trip begins at Winfield and proceeds south along a jeep road
in the San Isabel National Forest. Following the South Fork of
Clear Creek, you soon are surrounded by towering peaks over 13,000
feet tall - Huron Peak tops out at 14,003! The trail continues
through heavy timber and passes by a series of falls before reaching
either Lake Ann or Harrison Flat five miles in. Both sites are
above timberline and are excellent base camps from which to day
hike on a layover day.
Vicksburg to Missouri
Basin / Collegiate Peaks Wilderness
From
the town of Vicksburg, nestled at the base of the Collegiate
Peaks, the trail climbs steadily through pine, aspen, and tundra
to Elkhead Pass at 13,200 feet above sea level. The view is fantastic
as you descend into Missouri Basin and traverse to the site of
base camp about a mile away. You may choose to hike back the
next day or spend a day climbing one of the three nearby fourteeners.
Please be aware of your condition and ability if you opt to scale
one of these majestic peaks.
Kenosha Pass - Lost
Creek Trails
This
trip leads you through meadows, aspen, pine, and across clear
streams - a trek especially beautiful during "aspen time"
at the end of September. The trail winds through the Pike National
Forest generally between 9000 and 11,000 feet above sea level.
Many alternative routes, and trip scenarios, are possible.
Shingle Lake - Flattops
Wilderness
From
the Sweetwater Lake trailhead, the trail climbs into the White
River National Forest, passing through aspen groves and meadows
to the first campsite. The second day, you will reach the top
of the Flattops and can walk across rolling terrain to Shingle
Lake for a second night's camp. On the third day, the loop is
completed - downhill all the way through aspen high above surrounding
valleys.
La Garita Wilderness
- Continental Divide
The
trek begins in the lush valley of Cochetopa Creek in the Gunnison
National Forest and follows the Continental Divide Trail to timberline.
On the way, you may wish to climb San Luis Peak, one of Colorado's
14,000-foot peaks. From there, the trail traverses rolling tundra
along the Continental Divide and offers panoramic views - you
may even spot a herd of elk or bighorn sheep!
San Juan Mountains
- Continental Divide
This
week-long trek through Colorado's most breathtaking mountains
begins at Spring Creek Pass and heads west along the Continental
Divide. Rolling tundra gives way to views of jagged peaks; walk
through the nineteenth century mining districts of Carson and
Beartown and over mountains and passes well over 12,000 feet
above sea level. At Cataract Lake, you may turn south to make
the trip just 4 1/2 days, or continue around the great bend of
the Divide to the Lost Trail campground. Long-distance and high-altitude
experience is recommended.
Wind River Range,
Wyoming
The
Wind Rivers are so striking that it would be fairly impossible
to spend less than a week there... So we suggest a week-long
trek through lush meadows and craggy, glaciated peaks that allows
you to sample some of the wild lands of Wyoming. Plan a layover
day as an opportunity for dayhiking, photography, and fishing.
You'll cross several large rivers en route to the Cirque of the
Towers, an amphitheater of granite with a quiet, sparkling lake
in its center. The hike out provides one last look at this magnificent
site before dropping down into the Popo Agie river drainage.
The
trip begins on the east side of the Eisenhower Tunnel along a
ski area access road. After climbing 1500 vertical feet to the
Continental Divide, turn east and traverse a series of cirques
above timberline, generally around 12,000 ft above sea level.
At Herman Lake, you can choose to walk down Herman Gulch to conclude
a two day trip, or continue along the Divide and finish your
trek at either Butler Gulch or Berthoud Falls campground (each
a three day trip). In every case, you will be surrounded by rugged
peaks and spectacular views.
The
trip begins at Winfield and proceeds south along a jeep road
in the San Isabel National Forest. Following the South Fork of
Clear Creek, you soon are surrounded by towering peaks over 13,000
feet tall - Huron Peak tops out at 14,003! The trail continues
through heavy timber and passes by a series of falls before reaching
either Lake Ann or Harrison Flat five miles in. Both sites are
above timberline and are excellent base camps from which to day
hike on a layover day.
From
the town of Vicksburg, nestled at the base of the Collegiate
Peaks, the trail climbs steadily through pine, aspen, and tundra
to Elkhead Pass at 13,200 feet above sea level. The view is fantastic
as you descend into Missouri Basin and traverse to the site of
base camp about a mile away. You may choose to hike back the
next day or spend a day climbing one of the three nearby fourteeners.
Please be aware of your condition and ability if you opt to scale
one of these majestic peaks.
This
trip leads you through meadows, aspen, pine, and across clear
streams - a trek especially beautiful during "aspen time"
at the end of September. The trail winds through the Pike National
Forest generally between 9000 and 11,000 feet above sea level.
Many alternative routes, and trip scenarios, are possible.
From
the Sweetwater Lake trailhead, the trail climbs into the White
River National Forest, passing through aspen groves and meadows
to the first campsite. The second day, you will reach the top
of the Flattops and can walk across rolling terrain to Shingle
Lake for a second night's camp. On the third day, the loop is
completed - downhill all the way through aspen high above surrounding
valleys.
The
trek begins in the lush valley of Cochetopa Creek in the Gunnison
National Forest and follows the Continental Divide Trail to timberline.
On the way, you may wish to climb San Luis Peak, one of Colorado's
14,000-foot peaks. From there, the trail traverses rolling tundra
along the Continental Divide and offers panoramic views - you
may even spot a herd of elk or bighorn sheep!
This
week-long trek through Colorado's most breathtaking mountains
begins at Spring Creek Pass and heads west along the Continental
Divide. Rolling tundra gives way to views of jagged peaks; walk
through the nineteenth century mining districts of Carson and
Beartown and over mountains and passes well over 12,000 feet
above sea level. At Cataract Lake, you may turn south to make
the trip just 4 1/2 days, or continue around the great bend of
the Divide to the Lost Trail campground. Long-distance and high-altitude
experience is recommended.
The
Wind Rivers are so striking that it would be fairly impossible
to spend less than a week there... So we suggest a week-long
trek through lush meadows and craggy, glaciated peaks that allows
you to sample some of the wild lands of Wyoming. Plan a layover
day as an opportunity for dayhiking, photography, and fishing.
You'll cross several large rivers en route to the Cirque of the
Towers, an amphitheater of granite with a quiet, sparkling lake
in its center. The hike out provides one last look at this magnificent
site before dropping down into the Popo Agie river drainage.