Hike Leaders April 2024: Sandy and Bob Dorr

sandydorr@gmail.com

719-252-3757

falconcliff@gmail.com

303-817-5602

 

ALL HIKES BEGIN AT 9 AM AT THE CANON CITY VILLAGE INN

 

April 3rd Clear Spring Ranch El Paso County Open Space

April 10th West Camino Pablo Avenue State Park/SWA Access

April 17th Pueblo Reservoir SWA Northwest

April 24th Arkansas Valley Conduit. “Ten Trail” Lake Pueblo SWA

 

April 3rd Clear Spring Ranch El Paso County Open Space

Directions: 1 hr 7 min and 54 miles from Canon City. Clear Spring Ranch Open Space can be reached from Interstate 25, Exit 123; proceed to east side of Interstate, cross the railroad tracks, and enter the property heading East. The parking lot is on the north side of the entrance road.

HWY 50 E. to Purcell. Purcell N/E to I-25, exit 108 (tunnel). I-25 N. to Exit 123. At the exit proceed East to parking lot.

Search Clear Spring Ranch for more detailed information.

https://communityservices.elpasoco.com/parks-and-recreation/clear-spring-ranch/

Nearest City: Fountain

Difficulty: Easy

Starting Elevation:

Elevation Gain:

Distance: 4 Miles

Description: Owned by Colorado Springs Utilities and managed by El Paso County Parks, Clear Spring Ranch Open Space is a 930-acre linear park situated along Fountain Creek south and the city of Fountain. This open space features active farming, grasslands and foothills ecosystems and riparian habitat as well as the southernmost extent of the Fountain Creek Regional Trail and Colorado Front Range Trail in El Paso County. Besides four miles of trails, the recreation facilities include a pavilion, picnic tables, restroom, and parking.

TRAIL USERS, PLEASE NOTE: Clear Spring Ranch Open Space contains active farming. Please stay out of farm fields and farm homestead and remain on all marked trails and roads. The Fountain Creek Regional Trail / Front Range Trail is located nearest the creek.

Search Clear Spring Ranch for more detailed information.

https://communityservices.elpasoco.com/parks-and-recreation/clear-spring-ranch/

 

April 10th West Camino Pablo Avenue State Park/SWA Access

Nearest City: Pueblo

Directions: HWY 50 East to S. McCulloch Blvd. W. Turn right onto McCulloch; follow to S. Avenida del Oro West. (storage facility). Turn right onto S. Avenida del Oro West; follow to W. Camino Pablo Ave. Turn right and follow to parking lot at the end.

Difficulty: Easy/Moderate

Starting Elevation:

Elevation Gain: 400 ft

Distance: 5+/- miles

Description: Hike begins in the State Park Access parking lot at the West end of W. Camino Pablo Avenue in Pueblo West. Trails are on Lake Pueblo State Park and SWA properties on the North side of the Lake in Pueblo West. Hike will follow social trails from the parking lot in a northwest direction crossing Turkey Creek and back using multiple trails. There will be some bushwacking. Rolling Hills; easy creek crossing; short climbs; views.

 

April 17th Pueblo Reservoir SWA Northwest

Nearest City: Pueblo

Directions: HWY 115 to HWY 67 in Florence, Co. Turn South on HWY 67 to Wetmore. At Wetmore turn East onto HWY 96. Follow HWY 96 to the Pueblo State Wildlife Area (SWA) Rd. Turn North and follow paved road to the entrance to the SWA. (on left). Gravel Road; Signs; Gate. Turn Left or West and follow gravel approx. 8 miles to the very end, to a parking lot (Trail Head).

Difficulty: Easy

Starting Elevation:

Elevation Gain: flat

Distance: 6 miles

Description: Hike begins at the farthest West parking lot in the State Wildlife area off HWY 96. Approx. 8 miles in from HWY 96.

This is a flat in and out trail along the old railroad bed of the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad. This was once narrow gauge track which hauled coal from Florence to Pueblo Steel mill.

Easy hiking along the Arkansas river. Good views of the river and bottom lands.

 

April 24th Arkansas Valley Conduit. “Ten Trail” Lake Pueblo SWA

Nearest City: Pueblo

Directions: From Canon City: HWY 115 to HWY 67 in Florence, Co. Turn South onto 67 and proceed to Wetmore, Co. at Wetmore, turn East or left onto HWY 96. Continue East until you arrive at the Entrance to Lake Pueblo (SWA) Rd. Turn North/left and follow paved road to the entrance to the SWA. (on left). Gravel road; signs; gate. Turn Left or West and follow gravel road approximately 5 miles to parking in area of the Vault Toilet.

Difficulty: Moderate

Starting Elevation:

Elevation Gain: Flat with rolling hills and some steep areas

Distance: 4 miles

Description: Built by Colorado Fuel and Iron in the early 1900’s to provide a water supply for the Pueblo Steel Mill. The construction of the conduit seemed to be an engineering marvel. The conduit was built for $850,000 and it was 37 miles long and it carried 70 to 80 cfs, or over 52 million gallons of water per day. The headgate was located just below Florence, Co. In all, 27 siphons were constructed to carry the water down and then up, at times through very deep arroyos. 43,000 ft of pipe was built through rough terrain. In addition, five tunnels had to be bored for the ditch to reach its target reservoir #3 at Stem Beach. Use of the Arkansas Valley Conduit ended in 1944 with the collapse of a major syphon. Other maintenance, such as ice buildup was an issue. Water was then diverted into the newly constructed Minnequa Canal.

THE HIKE will be 4 miles in length. It will be a combination of two tracks, then rolling hills with Cedar/Pinion. After two miles we will connect to the Ten Trail and follow this old trail through and around part of the old conduit. This section is near 2 miles. There are some steep grades. The views are awesome and the history is very interesting. We will be doing some minor bushwacking through weeds.

 

 

 

Hike Leaders for March 2024

Jane Chess Ph: 719-371-4034, janechess5@gmail.com

Kris Gunsten Ph: 540-797-4123, askcg@aol.com

 

 

ALL HIKES MEET AT 9 AM AT THE CANON CITY VILLAGE INN

 

March 6th   Overlook Trail, Seep Springs Area

March 13th   The Anthill (Cope’s Nipple), Marsh Quarry Area

March 20th Island in the Sky, Oil Well Flats Area

March 27th Booger Red, High Park Area

 

 

March 6th   Overlook Trail, Seep Springs Area

Nearest City: Canon City

Directions to Trailhead: From Canon City Village Inn drive west on Hwy 50 for 5.1 miles to CR 69 (3 Mile Rd). Go north 7.1 miles past Wilson Creek and Stone House. Turn right and continue to 5830E and park here.

 

Beginning Elevation:  6650’

Elevation Gain:

Difficulty:  Moderate .  Some rocky parts, short hills and a short bushwhack across a ravine

Hike Length:  about 3 mile

 

Description: We will hike on 5830E to T5830C to T5830B. There are beautiful views, and a large cairn with an old hand-made cross on it, with some evidence of solar lights. We will continue hiking to the intersection with 5830F and turn L and walk a few yards to a narrow ledge which looks over Garden Park. From here we will hike on 5830F to T5830B, turn Right. We will bushwhack across a small canyon, back up to 5830E and back to the cars.

 

March 13th  The Anthill (Cope’s Nipple), Marsh Quarry Area

Nearest City: Canon City

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Directions to Trailhead: From Village Inn, travel 3.6 miles to Red Canyon Rd, where Field ends. At 4.6 miles, across the cattle guard, the road becomes Garden Park Rd. At 5.1 miles, look to the Left, you will see a plaque describing the first Oil Well in the West, the second place in the US to produce petroleum from wells, discovered in 1862. At 6.4 miles there are some Native American writings on a rock, which unfortunately have been defaced with graffiti. At 7.3 miles there is parking on the Left, by a “Marsh Quarry” sign, we park here.

 

Difficulty:  1st and 3rd mile are difficult up a steep rocky hill and then back down the same hill

Starting Elevation:  5500’

Elevation Gain: 660’

Distance:  3.3 miles 

 

Description: The first and last parts of this hike are the same as Mary took us last year in May. From the parking area we will hike to the right a short distance on fairly level ground, then we will hike up a steep rocky trail past an area where dinosaur fossils were discovered in 1877. At about .8 miles we will turn right and bushwhack towards the Anthill. We will break there, then continue a short distance to view a small dinosaur quarry. We will continue out to trail #5935E and #5935, then down a draw which leads downhill to the trail we came up on, through Marsh Quarry, and back to the cars.

 

 

March 20thth   Island in the Sky and Bentonite Mine, Oil Flats Area

Nearest City:  Canon City

 

Directions to trailhead: From Village Inn, go 3.6 miles to Red Canyon Rd, then at 4.6, across the cattle guard, the road turns into Garden Park Rd. At 7.1 miles, turn R into Oil Well Flats, stay to the L on the dirt road, past the parking lots. We will park at 8.4 miles.​

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Difficulty: Moderate

Starting Elevation:  

Elevation Gain:  848’

Distance: 6.3 Miles 

 

Description: Walk through the Red Gate, through the Bentonite Mine area, then on towards Island in the Sky. We will do it counter clockwise. Beautiful views.

 

 

March 27  Booger Red​

Nearest City: Canon City, Colorado

 

Directions to Trailhead: Take Hwy 50 west from Canon City to State Highway 9, 10.3 miles from Village Inn. Drive north on SH 9 to County Road 11 for 8.3 miles. Drive west for 14.75 miles on CR 11 to Road 5808 on south side of CR 11. (There is a large cross on the right on top of a small hill just as we reach CR 5808. Turn R at the 30 MPH and Left Curve signs. It’s a dirt road. It’s hard to notice.) We will pass through an open (BLM) green gate after .1 miles. Continue past the gate for 0.9 miles where you will encounter another gate. Continue for .26 miles to a grassy parking area. The unmarked trail begins at the gate west of the BLM information sign. Open this gate and close it after you pass through. The driving distance is about 34 miles one way.

 

Difficulty:  Moderate

Starting Elevation:  7784 ft.

Elevation Gain:  300 ft.

Distance:  4.7 miles 

 

Description:  Follow an old two track uphill for a short distance through an open forest of scrub oak and scattered pinion. The trail enters a large mountain meadow with panoramic views of the surrounding mountains. Continuing south, you will see a trail marker where the trail splits, with one trail going along the plateau to the east and the other continues along the plateau to the south. Follow the eastern trail. As it leaves the meadow, it enters a thin strip of open forest then enters into another long meadow. The trail follows the eastern edge of this meadow close to the border of a pinion and ponderosa pine forest. At the southern end of the meadow, the trail enters the forest and continues southeast along the edge of a deep ravine. There are open locations along this section of the trail with magnificent views of the canyon and mountains beyond. At .6 there is an old mine shaft on the Left. At .95 there is a very nice view on the Left. We will do a loop and return to parking area and cars, then an additional out and back to an old cabin.

 

 

February

 

Hike Leaders for February 2024

Howard Rees: howardrees18@gmail.com

620-338-5098

Mike Johnson: esausdad@yahoo.com

719-429-9670

 

ALL HIKES MEET AT 9 AM AT THE CANON CITY VILLAGE INN

 

 

February 7th  South Canon Trails

February 14th Aiken Canyon

February 21st Red Canyon Park, The Narrows

February 28th Section 13, Lamba Chops and Hot Shot

 

 

NOTE:  February is sometimes a snowy month so be prepared.  If you have microspikes for your boots be sure to bring them.

 

February 7th South Canon Trails

Direction: From 1st Street drive south to Temple Canyon Rd.  Turn west and proceed to the parking lot at the Redemption trailhead.  Total driving distance about 3 miles

 

Nearest City:  Canon City

 

Difficulty:  Easy

Starting Elevation:  5800’

Elevation Gain:  400’

Distance:  5 miles

 

Description: The hike is about a 5 mile loop along the Redemption, Hard Time and Shiv trails.

 

 

February 14th   Aiken Canyon

 

Nearest City:  Penrose

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Directions:  Highway 50 east to Penrose.  North on 115 about 18 miles to Turkey Creek Rd and the trailhead

 

Difficulty:  Easy 

Starting Elevation:  6500’

Elevation Gain:  400’

Distance:  3.25 mile loop

 

Description: The hike is a fairly easy loop of about 3.25 miles with an option of adding about 2 additional miles hiking up canyon to an old homestead.   

 

 

February 21st    Red Canyon Park – The Narrows 

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Nearest City:  Canon City

​

Directions:  Take Field Ave north of Canon City until it reaches Red Canyon Rd.  Continue north for 7 miles to Red Canyon Park.

 

Difficulty:  Easy   

Starting Elevation: 6200’

Elevation Gain:  370’

Distance:  3.25 miles

 

Description:  The hike follows a wash thru a narrow redrock canyonbefore topping out at the road.   Follow the road back or if conditions allow, scramble up to the small arch and then make way back down to the road.  

 

 

 

Febuary 28th Section 13, Lamba Chops and Hot Shots

 

Nearest City:  Canon City 

 

Directions:  Same driving directions as February 7th.   First street to Temple Canyon Rd.  Then west to the Redemption parking lot.   Trail starts across the road.

Difficulty: Moderate to easy  

Starting Elevation: 5900’

Elevation Gain: 500’

Distance: 3.25 and 2.25 mile loops – 5.5 miles if you do both

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Description: Lamba Chops is the lower loop and is about 3.25 miles.  Hikers can then turn back or continue up Hot Shorts for an additional 2.25 mile loop and top out at about 6400 feet before continuing down to rejoin Lamba Chops.