Mountain Hiking

by Harold Sears

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Boulder, Colorado

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One can walk a comfortable circle from the intersection of Gold Lake and Spring Gulch Roads, down Spring Gulch, counter-clockwise up Belt Gulch, and back west on Gold Lake Rd., but I chose to shorten the circuit a little and add a little more wildness. I drove about a mile farther west on Gold Lake, parked on the higher plateau there, and bushwhacked south and east.

On the north-facing slopes of Burnt Mt., the pines and aspens crowded close, and deep drifts of wet snow lingered in the shadiest spots. I wove, scooted, and squirmed among these barriers and past old mine diggings, scattered white quartz, and tracks that seemed no longer used.

Over on the south-facing slope, the land was drier, snow-free, and open. Down below, I could hear the rushing of Spring Gulch Creek. There was one house, and I veered east to avoid the obviously private property---down, down, through open pine forest.

Spring Gulch Rd. is not improved---just two tracks, no trespassing signs on both sides, and fence in disrepair. I passed an occupied house on the right and another road forking to the left, which probably leads fairly directly to Gold Lake Rd., less than a mile to the north. I continued east on Spring Gulch, past the standing walls of an old log cabin, rock dry wall, a collapsed mine opening, and into Belt Gulch.

The trail curved north, and passed another collapsed home, stone steps, stone walls, and more mining operations. This area has been and still is lived in and worked. It is rural, rather than wilderness. There were water and bird sounds, piney smells, and the far-off drone of a chainsaw.

I curved up out of the gulch, past some marshy land with courting frogs and then Gold Lake itself. Signs told me that I had been on FR 372E. I then turned west onto FR 372. There are unsigned side roads through this area, but I continued west. I came to some pole fencing, turned sharply north, and finally intersected with Gold Lake Rd. The trail marker here, 372, is inconspicuous, but visible from the road, and this spot would be another good trailhead for this loop.

On the open slopes above Spring Gulch Road.

Looking east---in the blue-gray distance, the western slopes of Boulder's "local three": Green Mt., Bear Peak, and South Boulder Peak.

Spring Gulch Road

From Boulder, drive north on Rt. 36.  At the north side of town, you can take Lee Hill Rd. up and then into Lefthand Canyon, or you can continue north on 36 to Lefthand Canyon Drive, route 95.  Take 95 up to Ward, turn north on the Peak to Peak highway, route 72, and drive 0.3 mi. north to a point just before the Mill Site Inn. Turn right on CR 100 for 0.4 mi., turn right on CR 102, Gold Lake Rd., and drive 0.3 mi. to Spring Gulch Rd. on the right. There was no road sign, but Spring Gulch is the darker red trail on the map above. It is narrow, rough, and wet in places in May. I didn't want to drive far, but you could park at the intersection of Gold Lake and Spring Gulch or, with an appropriate vehicle, at other places along either road. I continued east on Gold Lake about another mile and parked at the side of the road.

Click on the thrumbnail above for a photo of my trail map. A good trail map for all of Boulder County is available from the Boulder Area Trails Coalition (link on home page).

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Cautionary Note -- If any of the hikes described on this site sound like something you would like to do yourself, please use good judgment and prepare yourself according to your skills, your interests, and the season. What was fun for me under one set of circumstances might not be fun or even safe for another under other circumstances. Do not consider these descriptions to be unqualified recommendations.