Friday, June 25, 2010

Indian Peak Wilderness, Jenny Creek Trail

It has been way too long since I have posted a hiking blog!  All of my other crafting duties have taken me away from my first love which is hiking.  I was so excited to get into the mountains and hike on Tuesday that I left my map and directions at home.  So, I ended up hiking at the Eldora Ski Resort on the Jenny Creek Trail.   There is parking and a sign for this trail just before the main entrance of the ski resort which starts at 9200 feet.  The trail winds up the mountain on the dirt road through the ski resort, eventually the trail will take you past the resort into the Indian Peaks Wilderness.  The views along the way are priceless and there are lots of wildflowers and places to stop and sit and take in the views. 

Friday, June 11, 2010

Harmonica Arch, Lost Creek Wilderness, Colorado

Harmonica Arch is a large rock arch located in Lost Creek Wilderness which is a part of Pike National Forest. If you have never been to the Lost Creek Wilderness you are definitely missing out! This is one of the most unique and stunning national forests that I have been to; with huge boulders, odd rock formations, and a lush undergrowth full of wildflowers and bright green grass.  It encompasses 120,000 acreas west of Colorado Springs with over 130 miles of hiking trails.  Lost Creek earned it's name from the river's numerous disappearances into underground caves and large rock formations, only to reappear further downstream. 

There is not much literature about Harmonica Arch and how to hike there, and it would, in fact, be very difficult to find without these directions along the way to reach the arch.