Mountain Hiking

On an early morning in March, I climbed up CR 509 out of shadowy Lefthand Canyon and into the sun. Across on the north canyon wall, snow shone white among the trees. Here, there were patches in shady spots, but sunny slopes were warm and dry. I sniffed the Ponderosa Pine, heard birds twittering and squawking, warbling and courting, and climbed past mine diggings, spoil heaps, and unmapped trails that hinted at past activity hard to imagine now. 

About 0.8 mi. from the trailhead I came to a road intersection. I pulled out an old topographic map that my Dad had once carried. It had been printed in 1957 by the USGS and used by Dad in the late '70s. It was covered with penciled notations: routes taken, unmapped paths followed and traced in, and trail conditions. I saw that the right branch here lead to the east and up Nugget Hill. I turned to the west. I climbed among firs and cedars now and dry brown grasses. I passed a mine opening, 10–15 feet across, going straight down into hard rock. 

This trail took me to a saddle at 8335 ft. and about 1.5 miles in, where road 509 continues west toward Gold Lake, and Gillespie Gulch Rd. goes east and then northeast toward Jamestown. I chose an unmapped road, numbered 510 that seemed to head north toward Walker Mt. It wrapped around to the north side of a rise and into thicker trees. This slope was shady, snowy, and cool. I passed more mine diggings, and then Walker Mt. shone sunny through the trees. 

This road seemed to curve west and then south, so I turned to the north and went down. I passed the ruins of a small cabin and an old dump with rusted cans, a bucket, a shoe … I was off the trail now and bushwhacking down into a gully, across a dry creek bed, and north, up a steep slope to the Walker Mt. ridge. There were elk tracks in the snow. I watched two deer prance away among the trees and passed a grassy, flattened, lie-down area. A raven called in the distance. About noon I reached the top.

Walker is not a dramatic or imposing peak. There are ridges and heights that reach almost as high, all around, and one that is a little higher (though unnamed on my maps). The area is brushy and stony.

There is a view of towering Longs Peak off to the northwest. 

My father died of wasting and stroke, four years ago. In addition to his topographic map, with penciled notations of his explorations all over this area, I also carried a plastic jar of his ashes. It nestles in the bottom of my daypack with the rain suit that I carry just in case the weather roils up. He and I hike together now more than we did when he was alive. When I come to a remote lake or a wide view, I sprinkle just a little so he can enjoy these places once again. Today, I put him in a spot that looked to the southeast and sat down nearby for some lunch. 

It was a quiet time with a soft breeze. Patches of snow lingered in the March sun. I ate my sandwich and gazed over the gap through which he had motorcycled, years ago. I could see short segments of the old mining roads that wind all through these woods and ridges, and I could imagine his small and distant figure, putt-putting on his bike along the track, tailpipe smoking a little, leaning forward as he gooses it up a steeper section, maybe turning east onto that ridgeline, pausing on the crest to take in the view, just as I am doing now, and maybe making some additional notes his map. One trail is "steep rocky." There is "tree cutting" along here. Over there, it is "Impossible." 

It's a calming spot. No trails actually lead to this place, and although there are roads all around, roads that have been there for many decades, most of this past and present activity is hidden from up here. The waves of peaks and ridges and the quiet of the moment extend out in all directions. There is only a soft rustling and an occasional caw or squeak. 

Finally, I turned to the east and began to work my way down. I encountered a road and turned to the southeast. This one intersected with the Gillespie Gulch Road, 2109, and I strode on toward Jamestown. Some of this is Roosevelt National Forest. Some is Boulder Open Space. I skirted one gate and then another. I dropped back down into pine and open grassland, and finally descended into the eastern part of Jamestown, at its ball field and volleyball court.

Looking north toward Walker Mountain.

Longs Peak in the distance from the top of Walker Mt.

Parallel to Gillespie Gulch and a little to the northwest is James Creek canyon, which also leads down from the heights and into Jamestown. On another day, in May, I drove to Gold Lake and began to climb, just a little. Gold Lake is high on forest tableland, almost at the altitude of the top of Walker Mt. I walked among rocks, scattered Ponderosa Pines, and lush wet meadows. Again, I encountered unmapped and unmarked trails headed in all directions. One went off to the west and down to James Creek. There was a loop that circled into the forest, around, and back again. 

To the right was Gold Ridge Lake Jeep Trail, 509. It winds through open forest, past small ponds with frogs creaking and sawing their songs, over to the Gillespie Gulch trail. To the west, the Indian Peaks reached up, jagged and white. 

I continued on 102J down toward James Creek, passed some big elk prints in the mud of the road, a mine high on the left, and found James Creek running full. About three miles from Gold Lake, there is a road that heads northwest, away from James Creek, toward Overland and Bueno Mts. I wondered how far that path went, what lay up there, but I didn't explore today. Farther downstream, there were towering cliffs, spires, and crags, forming a southern spur of Bueno Mt. at a sharp S-curve in the creek. And about 4.3 miles from Gold Lake is a gate, and the road enters the western outskirts of Jamestown. I had lunch this time by the creek. There was the warm smell of pine, fir, and cedar and rushing water.

To enter this network of trails from Lefthand Canyon, drive from Boulder north on 93. Turn left on Lee Hill Dr., cross Broadway, turn sharply left at Olde Stage Rd., and drive up over Lee Hill. Measuring from the Broadway intersection, it is 5.8 mi. to Lefthand Canyon Dr. Turn left toward Ward. The road crosses Lefthand Creek twice, I think. At 7.0 miles, a bridge crosses to the north side in the community of Rowena, and CR 509 intersects on the right immediately thereafter. If you drive west on Lefthand Canyon Rd. to mile marker 9 or to Lickskillet Rd., you have gone too far. Turn around. The unmarked trailhead is about 2.6 mi. west of the Lee Hill Rd. intersection and 1.8 mi. east of the Lickskillet Rd. intersection. Park on the north side of the road. 

To start at Gold Lake, you can drive up Lefthand Canyon to the town of Ward, turn north onto the Peak to Peak highway, 72, drive 0.3 mi. north, turn right on CR 100 for 0.4 mi., turn right on CR 102, and drive 2.6 mi. to the edge of the Gold Lake Mt. Resort property just west of the lake. This is private property, so it would be considerate to ask for permission to cross. It is 0.3 mi. from the western edge of the resort property to the gate at the start of forest road 102J. 

To begin in Jamestown, you can leave James Canyon Drive, highway 94, cross over Little James Creek to Main Street, turn left on 12th St., and then turn right at a utility pole with the designation RL50 and 229. This dirt road climbs up and into Gillespie Gulch.

The Lefthand Canyon trailhead is at 7200 ft.; Gold Lake, 8617 ft.; Jamestown, 6900 ft.; Walker Mountain, 8825 ft. The Walker Mt. roundtrip distance was 9.3 mi.

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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