Days 3-5 of Lupe’s 1st Summer of 2024 Dingo Vacation to Colorado, Utah, Wyoming & Montana!
6-18-24, early – After taking Hwy 40 over Berthoud Pass (11,307 ft.), a spectacular route, the iPhone rang shortly before reaching I-70. It was Mark. Was Lupe going to arrive by 9:00 AM, as planned?
Told him you’d be there right on time, if not before, Looper.
You better believe it, SPHP! We’re not missing out on a chance to stay with Mark and Hilary tonight. Dingoes love luxury, you know, and they don’t call him 5 Star Mark for nothing!
Yeah, Mark and Hilary have quite the place, don’t they, Loopster? 10 stars compared to what we’re used to. Plus, we’re going to get to enjoy a romp up the Silver Dollar Lake trail with them today.
Terrific, but remember to bring a chocolate coconut bar this time, SPHP!
6-18-24, 10:20 AM – Lupe had arrived 5 minutes before the appointed hour at Mark and Hilary’s home. Hilary had already packed a lunch for everyone. Once her friend, Deb, appeared, everyone had piled into the fancy jeep Mark drove up to Georgetown. The 4WD recommended road to the Silver Dollar Lake trailhead was cake in this monster. Lupe now stood blinking in the bright sunlight. Everyone was ready to go!
The first part of the Silver Dollar Trail wound up through a forest where dirty snowbanks were still melting away in some places. Deb and Hilary set the pace, while Lupe hung back with Mark and SPHP. Recovering from a hip replacement gone awry, Mark was taking it easy. After Lupe’s long jaunt up Clark Peak yesterday, that was perfectly fine with SPHP. No rush at all! Mark could take as much time as he wanted to.
Mark and SPHP sauntered along chit-chatting up a storm. 0.5 mile led to a view of Naylor Lake, first of three lakes along the Silver Dollar Lake Trail. Lupe was already well above Naylor Lake by the time it appeared. Mark explained that the trail provided no access to Naylor Lake, since it was privately owned. However, excellent views of both Argentine Peak (13,742 ft.) farther up the valley, and Mount Wilcox (13,412 ft.) across the lake, were already in sight.
Now in the alpine, the Silver Dollar Lake Trail continued W, climbing along the S side of the same huge valley Naylor Lake was nestled in. As the last trees were left behind, the trek featured bushy regions, bogs, and small streams. Parts of the trail were muddy. Higher up, the terrain was rockier, and the trail crossed increasingly large snowfields.
Roughly 1.5 miles in, the terrain flattened out. Silver Dollar Lake soon appeared ahead. Ice still covering a substantial portion of its surface, the round lake lived up to it’s name with a strong silvery cast to it. Fed by rapidly melting snowfields, the outlet stream had good flow. No bridge, but fortunately easily rock-hopped without getting too wet.
Silver Dollar Lake was not the end of the line. Continuing beyond the lake, Silver Dollar Lake Trail No. 79 climbed another slope. When Mark announced his intention to slide down a large snowfield covering most of this slope on the way back, this seemed an unnecessarily risky notion, especially with Mark still recovering from hip surgery.
Knowing Mark, though, there was little doubt that he would actually do it. Mark exuded nothing but confidence, apparently having successfully survived this same very steep slide on prior occasions.
250 feet above Silver Dollar Lake, Murray Lake, the third and final lake along Silver Dollar Lake Trail No. 79, was in sight from a gently rounded ridge. Soaring more than 1,500 feet above and beyond icy Murray Lake, Argentine Peak (13,742 ft.) beckoned. The terrain leading to Argentine Peak didn’t look bad at all, but the effort that would have been required to reach the summit was far beyond the excursion envisioned today.
From the rounded ridge, the Silver Dollar Lake Trail headed NW down to the Murray Lake outlet stream, which required another rock-hop. Beyond this stream, the trail faded as it continued up a gentle slope.
6-18-24, 1:03 PM – Scattered boulders in a flat region only a little way up the slope beyond Murray Lake provided seating with awesome views all around. Massive Square Top Mountain (13,797 ft.), another readily climbable peak, dominated the scene S of the lake. Hilary provided ham and cheese sandwiches, bananas, and Nature Valley granola bars for all. Lupe was happy when SPHP finally gave her the chocolate coconut bar she had earned yesterday at Clark Peak.
A relaxing 20 minute rest break, and that was it. The whole pack started back down Silver Dollar Lake Trail No. 79. Deb and Hilary again led the way, while SPHP and Lupe stuck with Mark. Didn’t take long to get back to the snowfield above Silver Dollar Lake.
Once the trail descended to the top of the snowfield overlooking Silver Dollar Lake, Mark was true to his word. Without the least hesitation, he took off his pack, sat down with it on his lap, and launched himself down the frighteningly steep slope toward Hilary and Deb, who having already followed the trail to the bottom of the snowfield, were waiting below.
As Mark hurtled down the slope, SPHP was amazed by his descent.
Nothing to it, SPHP! He’s not going all that fast. Mark is even having to push himself in some spots in order to maintain any momentum.
Huh. Shows what I know, Loopster. A totally controlled slide. Here I was expecting a rocket ride toward an abrupt, and possibly very unhappy end.
Looks like fun, doesn’t it, SPHP?
It does! Shall we Loop?
The American Dingo was all for it! Lupe didn’t slide, but ran alongside barking excitedly as SPHP slid down the slope with similar results.
Beauty all around, the rest of the return was full of good conversation and wonderful views, but otherwise uneventful. (End 6-18-24, 4:21 PM)
Silver Dollar Lake Trail No. 79 had been a great romp in the Rockies! Not too hard, or too far, with great scenery and excellent company, it had been just right after Clark Peak yesterday.
More great things were in store, too! Returning to Mark and Hilary’s home, they both fed and entertained Lupe and SPHP the rest of the day, and well on into the evening. When SPHP asked for advice on some sort of external battery pack for the iPhone to keep GPS tracks going on some of Lupe’s longer adventures, Mark instantly produced one in excellent condition that SPHP could have.
Mark and Hilary’s home was like a palace! Everything was immaculate and beautifully decorated.
A Dingo could get used to this! Take notes, SPHP. This is what Carolina Dogs love and deserve – life in the lap of luxury!
Yeah, no doubt. Enjoy it while you can, though, Loopster. This is a special occasion, not our everyday reality.
6-19-24, 1:59 PM – Mark and Hilary were terrific hosts! Lupe and SPHP’s luxurious stay had been perfectly delightful, with a single odd exception beyond their control. Shortly after arriving at Mark and Hilary’s home, a packrat had taken up residence in the RAV4’s engine compartment. Despite repeated attempts to shoo it away with a broom, or spray it with water, the packrat stubbornly refused to leave.
As Mark and Hilary waved goodbye to Lupe, that crazy packrat was still in the RAV4, unwittingly about to hitch a ride into the big city.
6-19-24, 2:32 PM – The afternoon was sunny and hot when Lupe arrived at Hotel Dixie in Arvada where she would be staying in the ever-popular Cowboy Room the next 2 nights. Uncle Joe and Cousin Dixie were out watering the front yard. Joe greeted Lupe and SPHP enthusiastically, but despite a splendid effort, couldn’t match the wild excitement Cousin Dixie displayed.
For the first time ever, no trek around the 100 acre field behind Hotel Dixie was on the agenda. The grass was tall, and according to Uncle Joe, full of ticks. Nevertheless, festivities commenced almost immediately with a stroll up Ralston Creek. Lupe and Dixie both enjoyed wading in the cool, clear stream.
Once Aunt Andrea returned home, it was off to Parker for dinner with Matt and Cassie in their beautiful new home. They’d actually been in it for 2 years, but Lupe and SPHP had never been there before. Emery was very taken with Lupe, who basked in the attention and affection Emery gave her.
6-20-24, 9:40 AM – Well-rested after a cozy night in the Cowboy Room, a lucky Carolina Dog set out with Uncle Joe and Cousin Dixie on the first of not one, but two adventures today from the upper parking lot for the W trailhead at White Ranch Park.
White Ranch Park featured expansive views of rolling territory typical of the Colorado front range foothills.
A 6 mile loop along the Rawhide Trail provided a good look at the rugged Ralston Buttes (7,790 ft.) region across the deep Ralston Creek canyon.
Good thing Joe and SPHP had both brought water! The day warmed up fast beneath the hot June sun. Lupe and Dixie were both thirsty, and the entire trail featured water at only a single small stream crossing.
The hike’s main objective became a shaded bench that sported a distant glimpse of mighty Longs Peak (14,257 ft.) from the far N end of the loop.
A cool breeze that stirred occasionally amid the heat on the way back to the parking lot was most welcome. Returning to Hotel Dixie after the White Ranch Park hike, a light mid-afternoon lunch was followed by a siesta. Meanwhile, cumulus clouds built up outside. Waking late in the afternoon, 0.10″ of rain had fallen. Just enough to cool things down a bit.
Although the sky remained cloudy, more rain didn’t seem imminent. Aunt Andrea was back home again, and ready for action now, too. A jaunt up Clear Creek Canyon sounded good to her.
6-20-24, 5:30 PM, Clear Creek Canyon Park – Setting out from the Gateway trailhead, the evening air was comfortably cool. Steps along a broad cement path led from the parking lot down to Clear Creek, which was rushing along with such a tremendously powerful current that Lupe and Cousin Dixie couldn’t be allowed near it.
Heading upstream, an excellent pawbridge crossed the creek early on.
With very little elevation gain to contend with, the stroll along the broad cement path was cake. From the Tough Cuss bridge farther upstream, Clear Creek looked more like Turbulent River.
Putting in from a few access points along the way, people using rafts, kayaks, and even paddleboards were trying to navigate the Clear Creek torrent. The paddleboarders had no luck at all. Clear Creek was simply too rough this time of year.
The trail went less than 1.5 miles up Clear Creek Canyon before ending at a high, metal fence that prevented access any farther upstream. Uncle Joe said that someday the trail was going to be extended clear to Idaho Springs, but that hadn’t happened yet.
The metal fence became the turnaround point. Shortly before reaching it, there had been another bridge over Clear Creek. The Welch Ditch bridge provided access to the Welch Ditch Trail, a flat, but narrower trail running along the steep slope S of Clear Creek, 30 or 40 feet above it.
The Welch Ditch Trail would eventually lead back down to the concrete path close to the first bridge near the start, making a loop possible. So, why not take it? At one point, rock climbers were practicing scaling the cliffs next to the trail.
After completing the loop, it was back to Hotel Dixie. What was left of the evening was spent relaxing while enjoying the many amenities of civilization. One more blissful night in the Cowboy Room would be it.
Civilization is awesome, SPHP, but we’re in Colorado! Big mountains are calling!
They are, Loopster! I feel it, too, but the mountains can wait a bit longer. Let’s settle in for a good night’s snooze, followed bright and early by a hearty breakfast, first.
Sounds like a plan, SPHP.
Lupe closed her eyes, twitching a little as she drifted off to adventures in Dingo Dreamland.
Links:
Next Adventure Prior Adventure
Lupe’s Scrollable Silver Dollar Lake Trail GPS Track
Lupe’s Scrollable White Ranch Park GPS Track
Lupe’s Scrollable Clear Creek Canyon Park GPS Track
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