Colorado Trail Segment 2 and where the f*ck are my car keys?
- Jen Toews
- May 27, 2018
- 6 min read
Segment 2: South Platte Canyon to Little Scraggy Trailhead
Distance: 11.5 miles
Elevation gain: 2,482 feet
Elevation loss: 753 feet
Hiked: Sunday, May 20th 2018
We arrived at the trailhead for segment 2 around 8:15 on a Sunday morning after driving through steady rain and intermittent fog. Serendipitously, the rain had stopped a few minutes before, but the skies were still overcast making for perfect hiking weather. We had already parked my car at Little Scraggy Trailhead, just a 30 minute drive away, where I was surprised to see a ranger collecting the $7 parking fee. I saw a group of mountain bikers leaving, who had presumably forgotten to bring money or who did not want to pay the fee. On a side note, the drive on Hwy 126 (the Deckers Hwy) from Pine Junction to Little Scraggy TH, through the sleepy hamlets of Pine Grove and Buffalo Creek is quite scenic. After driving through ponderosa pine forests, the highway bursts into a verdant valley, in which a serpentine river wanders through. I made a mental note that it would be the ideal place to move after I retire in 30 years.
The Gudy Gaskill Bridge at the beginning of segment 2:
After donning our backpacks, we hiked through a riparian canyon, covered with chokecherry (Prunus virginiana), wild hops (Humulus lupulus var. neomexicana), wild grape (Vitis riparia) and other shade-tolerant and water-loving plants. Next, the trail switchbacked up a hillside, quickly leaving the canyon behind. This was probably the steepest section of the segment, and it wasn't that steep. Even though the trail ascends 2,482 feet during segment 2, the climb is gradual, making for a nice, relaxing 11.5-mile stroll. Wildflowers were popping. Click on individual photos for IDs.
After the switchbacks, the trail enters an exposed area where the 1996 Buffalo Creek burn left its scar. Look for the abandoned quartz mine on the left. This area can be extremely hot and dry in the summer and is best hiked in spring or fall. Of course, when doing a thru-hike, this isn't always possible as the determining factor of the CT hiker's start date is often when the snow on Georgia Pass has melted enough for the Trail to become passable. In the high country, post-holing is sometimes an issue through June and by July temperatures in the foothills can be scorchingly hot.
The geology changes drastically in this segment from the metamorphic basement rocks that were so prevalent in Waterton Canyon to the igneous, coarse-grained Pike's Peak granite, which often erodes into striking formations. This substrate also crumbles into a coarse soil, much like sharp pea gravel, which doesn't hold water well (thus the frequent forest fires that are exacerbated by fire suppression over the previous decades). The 1996 fire had consumed around 12,000 acres, many of which were forested with ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir, leaving the hillsides naked and exposing giant granite boulders from the Pike's Peak batholith.
Below is a photo of the unique and barren landscape. The backdrop is what this segment would have looked like had the fire not ravaged the area.
It was interesting to see what plants were colonizing the area 22 years after the fire; Below: delicious raspberry (Rubus deliciosus) and yucca (Yucca glauca).
Amelanchier alnifolia (service berry), Acer glabrum (Rocky Mountain maple), and Populus tremuloides (quaking aspen) in the back ground. A small Douglas-fir seedling is pictured in the lefthand corner.
Here are some of the many wildflowers that were brightening the stark landscape. Click on image for ID.
Around mile 2.5, there is an outcrop of pink granite (not photographed), which is a perfect place for a quick snack with great views, before the trail enters the forest again.
An open ponderosa pine forest
At mile 6, we arrived at the busy intersection of Raleigh Peak Road and Lion Cave Trail.
After another 1.3 miles, the CT enters the burn area again.
A giant rock garden and Ribes cereum (wax currant) blowing in the breeze in the foreground
Near the end of our hike, we had a leisurely lunch on a granite boulder and watched the storm clouds roll in. Despite the gray sky, we were not in a hurry since we were only 1-1.5 miles away from my car at Little Scraggy trailhead and could break into a run, if necessary. All of a sudden, I got a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. I had done something completely mindless: I had left the keys to my car in Beth's car, which was 10 miles back. Shit. I felt so awful and so embarrassed. I explained the situation to Beth and we quickly made plans to hike the 10 miles back, many of which would likely be in the pouring rain and in the dark. Fortunately, we had brought plenty of food, rain gear and two headlamps so we would neither hit the wall due to lack of calories, nor get hypothermia, nor lose the trail. But still, 10 miles after we had already hiked 10 did not seem enjoyable. Then it dawned on me: We should try to hitchhike. I had successfully hitchhiked into towns and back to the Trail when I was hiking the CT, but otherwise, hitchhiking isn't something I normally do. That's why it took me a few moments to realize this could be a viable option. Surely there would be some recreationalists, either hikers or mountain bikers, who would pick us up.
As we hiked the last mile to the road, I took my hat off so that my long hair was visible and I looked more feminine (I'm not above that) and smiled sheepishly, trying hard to look friendly despite my anxiety. Within 2 minutes, car #4 pulled over. A nice, cleancut man jumped out. He could give us a ride to Conifer, as he and his family were driving from their home in Colorado Springs to Evergreen. Would we mind riding in the pickup truck bed? Of course not, we said, it sure beats hiking 10 miles in the rain. We spent the next 30 minutes riding en plein air up the Decker's Highway (126) admiring the lovely scenery, before turning north on Hwy 285. We sat with our backs to the cab, and it felt a bit awkward staring at people in cars who were right behind us. It turns out that facing backwards, as the scenery also flashes by backwards at 65 mph makes me carsick. Also, traveling in truck beds in CO is very much illegal and I was worried that a cop would stop the nice driver who picked us up. Beth and I agreed we would pay for the ticket, if that happened.
We were dropped off in Conifer, thanked the driver profusely, and walked back the 0.5 miles to Foxton Road where we would attempt to hitchhike to the out-of-way, segment 2 trailhead. Still a little carsick, it felt good to be walking in the cool, fresh air again. We walked for awhile, sticking our thumbs out and trying to look friendly and non-threatening as car after car sped past. After about 10 minutes, a shiny new SUV approached and I stuck my thumb out again. The car passed us. I wasn't surprised as they were an older couple and I probably wouldn't have picked us up either. But then the SUV's brake lights illuminated a welcome red as the car slowed to a stop. The driver circled back to us and we were greeted by a well-dressed couple with friendly, smiling faces. It was about to rain and I was relieved. The couple, who had been living in Buffalo Creek for the past 23 years, said they would take us to wherever Beth's car was, even though it was about 10 miles roundtrip out of their way. As we drove along the winding roads, we got a history lesson of the area and learned about the trains that used to travel through Platte Canyon from the late 1800s to 1937. Larry, the driver, pointed out the memorial of a train wreck and also an abandoned hotel, that I had been curious about. They were delightful, kind, and generous people, which made the hitch extremely pleasant and also restored my hope in humanity.
We reached Beth's car around 5 p.m., just as it started to rain. For the duration of the hike the weather had been glorious, the scenery next to none, and the wildflowers abundant. All in all, Sunday on segment 2 of the CT was another perfect day in Colorado.
A few photos of this segment from my 2015 thru-hike (photos by Frances H. and Kristi B.)
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