Mountain Hiking

by Harold Sears

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Why Hike?

In and Around
Boulder, Colorado

Front Range and East

Central Foothills

Back Range and
Indian Peaks

Rocky Mt. Natl. Park
South

Rocky Mt. Natl. Park
North

Farther Afield

Back East
In the Carolinas

Happy Highways

There are no designated trails here, but there are many faint trail segments, tracks, and even roads. I began climbing north from the Sugarloaf Rd. in Upham Gulch, up a social trail to the NNW, onto a ridge, and into a wide clearing, perhaps old ranch land. I climbed to the east to a height above the Oregon and Quaker Mines and enjoyed the view of Peewink Mt. to the SE. I turned west, crossed a double track that ran E-W across the open grassland and continued west toward an unnamed height at 8447 ft. I wandered through open woodland, past boulders and rock piles, and among carpets of kinnikinnick and low, sharp-needled spruce. There were numerous heaps of deer droppings and maybe a small bear pat. I passed a log pen, about 6' x 8', with no entry opening.

I picked up an old road that skirted around the north side of this mountain and continued past old pit diggings, into open ground again, down, and then back up again toward the next height at 8600 ft. A small group of deer bounded past in the gathering dusk. This is a perfect place to wander randomly through high forest and grassland. Sugarloaf Mt. reached up in the east. To the north, there were the rolling heights above Gordon Gulch.

From the top, I turned SE, encountered a dirt road going down, and took this more direct path back to Sugarloaf Rd. A crescent moon shone in the SW sky and a cool evening breeze began to rise. At the base of the dirt road there is a green iron-pipe gate and what looks to be a small fire station. I was about one mile west of my starting point.

A look back to Sugarloaf Mt. to the northeast.

Twilight on top.

Drive W up Boulder Canyon and turn right on Sugarloaf Rd. Drive 4.8 mi. to Sugarloaf Mt. Rd., continue on Sugarloaf Rd. a total of 6.8 mi. to Primos Rd and the end of the pavement, and continue a total of 7.7 mi. from Boulder Canyon Rd. to a relatively gentle swale on the north side of Sugarloaf Rd. ("TH" on trail map and elevation 7921 in Upham Gulch on the topo map above). It is marked by an old digging and an old blue spruce with a double trunk above. On the S side of the road is an abandoned drive and a small plank bridge. Park just east of this drive on the side of the road. Click on the thumbnails above for parts of my trail map and topo map. A trail map for all of Boulder County is available from the Boulder Area Trails Coalition (find link on home page).

• Search for other books on hiking in and around Boulder's, Indian Peaks:

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.