Mount Zirkel Wilderness Backpacking – July 2011
Steamboat Springs, Colorado – July 2011
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JULY, 2011
By the time the summer of 2011 rolled around, I had five backpacking trips notched on my pack. All of them had been relatively tame midwest trips. It was time for my first western trip to the Rocky Mountains. The opportunity for a Colorado hike landed nicely in my lap when Christian decided to spend a couple of weeks at a ‘Dude Ranch’ with a hockey friend north of Steamboat Springs. He was bringing enough stuff back that flying wasn’t an option, so I volunteered to drive out with Jaden to pick him up. As long as I would be out there, a hike along the Continental Divide Trail in the Mount Zirkel Wilderness would work perfectly.
Driving Solo to Steamboat Springs
Settling in for my first solo cross-country drive
Our family was used to long road trips all over America. We did an extended car camping trip with the kids every summer. Montana, the Canadian Rockies, Colorado, the desert Southwest, and the east coast of the US had all been driving destinations. Jaden came with us and was comfortable in the car for as long as our trip required. But I had never done a cross-country drive solo before. But I was excited about my first Rockies hike, and Jaden was excellent company, so the hours of isolation on the open highway flew by quickly. Jaden found ‘his spot’ in the back seat. He somehow managed to sleep with his body on one seat and his nose on the adjacent seat across the aisle. It didn’t look comfortable to me!
Smokin’ Hot Across the Heartland of America
One nice thing about long-distance solo driving is you can go as long as you want without stopping. Or at least as long as the fuel tank and your bladder (and Jaden’s) allow. I was driving a vehicle with a 400-mile fuel range and used nearly all of that before stopping for the first time. We were somewhere in the middle of Missouri, and it was HOT. The temperature in the vehicle was registering 102 degrees, and the humidity was maxed out. Air conditioning kept it comfortable in the car. But as soon as we exited, the camera lens fogged up instantly from the combination of chilled glass and saturated jungle-like air. Interestingly, gas was $3.29 per gallon in 2011, nearly identical to the price in 2023 as I write this.
Driving across Kansas through the night
Sunrise on I-70 and crossing into Colorado
I drove through the night across the wide-open prairie in Kansas. Loneliness gets magnified when the road is empty, the dog is sleeping, and it’s 30 miles between exits. But with each mile, I was one mile closer to Colorado and a minute closer to sunrise. On a long drive the sun coming up is like getting another tank of ‘energy.’ I stopped to sleep in a hotel parking lot in Colby, Kansas. There is little in the way of stopping points on I-70 in western Kansas, and Colby serves almost as an ‘oasis’ along the I-70 ‘desert.’ Our family has stopped in Colby many times, in both directions, on the drive to Colorado. I grabbed some breakfast for Jaden and me at a Mcdonald’s, and soon we drove past the familiar ‘Welcome to Colorful Colorado’ sign.
Colorado state border westbound on I-70
Arrival in Steamboat Springs and meeting Christian
Once you cross the Colorado border, everything starts to move faster. Rounding the ‘corner’ and heading north on I-70 at Limon, then the gentle left to head west again at Strasburg. Driving through the congestion in Denver. Up the hill on I-70 to Loveland Pass and through the Eisenhower tunnel. Then north on CO-9 and US-40 to Steamboat Springs. I was picking Christian up at the Vista Verde Ranch in Clark, northwest of Steamboat, but Jaden and I stopped for a break at the base of the Steamboat Ski Resort. It was a gorgeous Rocky Mountain day. Relieved, refreshed, and fed, we got on the road for the short drive to Clark. Christian was waiting for us when we arrived at the Vista Verde Ranch.
Christian and Jaden at Vista Verde Ranch in Clark, Colorado
Night before hiking at Steamboat Lake State Park Campground
I felt like I was being cruel, taking Christian from the luxury he had experienced the last two weeks at Vista Verde Ranch. From comfy beds, gourmet food, and flush toilets, I was subjecting him to sleeping on the ground in a tent at a car campground. But it was a perfect transition to worse ‘roughing it’ in the backcountry. I had picked Steamboat Lake State Park because reviews indicated it was a gorgeous, pine-forested campground where even the Park Rangers went to take vacation. Well… that was before the pine beetles! The review pictures were taken before the beetle infestation and did not match the scene when we arrived. All the trees had died, been removed, and the campground was a barren, completely exposed landscape.
Our camp at Steamboat Lake State Park Campground the night before hiking
“Looking for a true mountain camping experience! GO STEAMBOAT LAKE! Book early to get immersed in the Rockies. Beautiful drive through the region’s abundant ranch lands, a bounty of wildlife in a watercolor picture-perfect serene setting!” – Review
Where is Steamboat Springs, Colorado?
Original 2011 Mount Zirkel Wilderness Hike Plan
Any way you slice it, the 2011 Mount Zirkel Wilderness hike was a planning disaster. The one positive I can say about it is it was a heck of a learning experience, and it paved the way for many successful Western trips in the future. But, this one… not so much. It was a classic case of looking at the hike on paper in Indiana and not understanding the mountain realities. On paper, it looked like a reasonable summer hike. A four (or five) day, 40-mile loop hike starting at the Seedhouse Trailhead. We would hike clockwise on the Continental Divide Trail to start. Then downhill on the Luna Lake Trail, to the Swamp Park Trail, then the Roaring Fork Trail back to Seedhouse Road. When I picked Christian up at Vista Verde, I asked the experts about our route. They laughed! I took that as a bad sign.
Revised 2011 Mount Zirkel Wilderness Hike Plan – the hike we did
“Well, if you don’t mind post-holing through four feet of snow, that might work.” That’s what the trail guides at Vista Verde told us when I showed them what we had planned with the CDT loop hike. July 4th in Indiana is the heart of summer. Parades, fireworks, 90 degrees, high humidity type summertime. My ‘lesson’ at Vista Verde was clear: “July 4th is still winter on the Continental Divide Trail in Colorado.” Not only was there still a heavy snowpack on the CDT, but also, the snowmelt was causing the streams we would have to cross to be deadly. OK, no thank you! They recommended a 20-mile loop hike starting on the lower, snow-free Red Dirt Trail and returning on the Swamp Park Trail. If desired, it was possible to extend the hike using other trails in the Zirkel. We decided our hike would be on the recommended route.
Mount Zirkel Wilderness Hike Day #1
Morning at Steamboat Lake State Park Campground
Excitement got the best of me, and I woke up very early at Steamboat Lake State Park for our first morning of hiking. It was cold and clear, but there was a heavy fog on the lake caused by the temperature differential between the warm water and cold air. ‘Dreamlike’ was the best way to describe the feeling. There was a purple and pink hue to the fog as the sun started to rise above the surrounding mountain. But the mist burned off almost as soon as the sun peaked in earnest. It had the promise of a sunny, clear hiking day. I sipped my coffee at our picnic table, Jaden lounging at my feet, and studied the mountains to the east where our hike would take place. To the north of our camp, Hahns Peak dominated the landscape.
The hike begins on the Red Dirt Trail – chaos in the parking lot
The Red Dirt Trailhead is just a small parking area on the side of CO-129, halfway between Steamboat Lake and Steamboat Springs. My pre-trip logistics had been chaotic. I paid the price for that lack of organization at the trailhead. In 2011 I had yet to develop a disciplined ‘routine’ when packing for a backpacking trip. During the Zirkel hike, I had to fill backpacks for myself, Christian, and Jaden and pack for a long road trip and car camping. It proved too much. Ultimately, just before leaving Indiana I threw our packs and loose gear in the trunk and said, “I’ll worry about organizing it later.” Well, ‘later’ came at the trailhead! It wasn’t pleasant standing by the trunk on a hot day picking through gear and loading up three packs.
Our first backpacking steps on a trail in Colorado
That ‘learning experience’ was painful but would prove valuable. Never again would I be that ‘scatter-brained’ before a trip. I developed checklists and a reliable routine and refined those further with lessons from each subsequent hike. With the packs finally ready to go, we started our first Colorado hike. We were excited! But it was also hot, dry, steeply uphill, and much higher altitude than we were used to. With each step, we learned more about how different Colorado hiking is from Midwest hiking. Dry air, heat, and sun were turning us into human jerky! At two miles, we heard running water. Jaden heard it first and headed toward a spring-fed water tank. I lifted Jaden in, and he was clearly thoroughly enjoying the refreshing bath. He stood still in the water with a smile, almost as if saying, “You guys go on; I’m happy right here!”
Christian and Jaden on the Red Dirt Trail with the “Sleeping Giant” mountain in background
Summit of the Red Dirt Trail climb
Five miles after leaving the trailhead, all of them uphill, we reached the climb’s summit. It provided us with our first unencumbered view of the vast Mount Zirkel Wilderness. The mountains that make up the Continental Divide rose in the distance. We took a break and examined the area we would have been hiking with our original plan. After Jaden had his ‘swim’ in the water tank, he did well on the climb. Neither his pack nor the heat seemed to bother him. Christian found some stones to toss over the cliff to gauge the distance by how long it took to hear them hit the ground. We could see the trail running along Mad Creek eight hundred vertical feet below. Once we reached the bottom, we would look for a campsite along the creek.
Christian at summit of Red Dirt Trail climb with the Mount Zirkel Wilderness in background
YouTube Video – Start of the hike on the Red Dirt Trail
Mount Zirkel Wilderness Camp along Mad Creek
It was a steep descent down the cliff face from the summit. At the bottom, we turned right onto the Swamp Park Trail. We had been hiking about seven miles on the day and had no idea how much further we would have to hike before finding camp. Fortunately, we had seen many potential campsites along the creek from the summit. Also, not long after turning onto the Swamp Park Trail, we met a group of hikers going in the opposite direction that told us about a good campsite not far ahead. Thus far, it had been a perfect day for hiking. We were starting to like Colorado backpacking! We found our camp for the night right where the hikers said it would be. A large patch of snow warned us that it would be a cold night.
Our Mount Zirkel Wilderness camp along Mad Creek, just off the Swamp Park Trail
“For me, our wildest places are our best places. Wilderness is an unequalled stabilizing force that is always there and that connects us with our beginnings. To explore vast wildernesses, we must abandon worldly schedules and immerse ourselves in the flows and patterns of nature – rise with the sun, sleep with the darkness, huddle from the storm.” – John Fielder
Mount Zirkel Wilderness Hike Day #2
Cold Morning in the Mount Zirkel Wilderness along Mad Creek
Bluebird skies and cold, crisp air greeted us in the morning. I had my first lesson that night on the ‘refrigeration’ effect of sleeping at the bottom of a valley. Mad Creek runs at the base of 800-foot cliffs on each side. The cold air off all that snow on the Continental Divide settles to the lowest point. In that area, the lowest point happened to be our camp! No wonder all that snow was still lingering. While I waited for Christian to get up, Jaden and I wandered around the area surrounding our camp. Not far from the tent, I found a beautiful aspen grove. White bark and green leaves contrasted beautifully against the deep blue sky. I had a refreshing ‘bath’ in the waters of Mad Creek. That water felt like liquid ice! Hot coffee next to the fire offset the effect of the icy creek water.
Aspen grove near our Mad Creek camp on the morning of day #2
Downhill along Mad Creek on the Swamp Park Trail
All of those uphill miles we had ‘banked’ on the first day we got to ‘spend’ to our advantage on the second day. It was entirely downhill to the Swamp Park Trailhead. The weather was perfect again – clear, sunny, 75 degrees, and no humidity. It was our first taste of the bone-dry air you get with western hiking, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Snow melt caused the water in Mad Creek to be flowing wildly. I thought, “I’m glad we don’t have to cross that.” But then I realized we DID have to cross Mad Creek, and soon. As we continued downhill, I constantly caught glances at the creek, wondering how we would get across – especially with Jaden. Fortunately, the terrain leveled slightly before the creek crossing.
Christian and Jaden hiking downhill on the Swamp Park Trail on day #2
YouTube Video – Day #2 on the Swamp Park Trail
Fourth of July in Steamboat Springs
“Civilization Vortex.” Something I learned early on in backpacking is the black-hole-like effect of nearby civilization luxuries when you’re in the backcountry. Our short hike in the Mount Zirkel Wilderness had been great, but there was lingering disappointment that we couldn’t do anything remotely like our original CDT plan. We decided to ‘nurse our wounds’ by enjoying the Fourth of July in Steamboat. We already had a backup plan to occupy the extra days – a hike to the summit of Hahns Peak – but for one day we would enjoy some luxurious tourist time in town. Jaden appeared to agree with the decision as he snored happily on the bed. Big crowds lined both sides of the street for the parade. It was a great time and an excellent decision.
Fourth of July parade in Steamboat Springs, 2011
Fish Creek Falls
Christian recommended we check out a nearby waterfall he had visited while staying at Vista Verde Ranch. Fish Creek Falls is an easy drive two miles east of Steamboat Springs. Its convenient proximity makes it a popular spot. From the parking area, it is a downhill quarter-mile hike to the falls. Snowmelt had caused the waterfall and creek to be a raging torrent of water. It was impressive and more than a little scary, especially with Jaden. For one of the few times on the trip, we kept Jaden on a leash in case he wandered into the water for a refreshing drink. I had nasty images of my dog being swept down the river floating around in my head. We found a calm spot behind some boulders where we let him cool off in the water. But we still kept the leash on for safety.
Fish Creek Falls
YouTube Video – Fish Creek Falls
Last night of car camping at Steamboat Lake State Park
Our revised hiking plan left us with two extra days. One of them was used to wonderful effect in Steamboat to enjoy Fourth of July celebrations. Christian suggested we use our final ‘bonus’ day to climb Hahns Peak, just north of Steamboat Lake. Climbing Hahns Peak meant that our last night of camping on the trip would be back at Steamboat Lake State Park. We took full advantage of the lake and rented a canoe and fishing gear. Unfortunately, the fish weren’t interested; worse, afternoon thunderstorms rolled in while we were on the lake. The winds picked up to 30 MPH, making it tough to get back to the marina and flattening our new Walmart tent. But it cleared off, and we had a great last night and morning of camping.
Final morning of camping at Steamboat Lake State Park
Day hike climbing Hahns Peak
Our last hiking of the trip did not take place in the backcountry of the Mount Zirkel Wilderness. Instead, we tackled the popular day hike to the summit of Hahns Peak. The view of Hahn’s Peak from the last non-4-wheel-drive parking area on FR490 is intimidating. Hiking to the top seemed herculean. Making it even more challenging was the continuous snow-covered ‘trails’ we ran into once we neared the summit. Route finding was difficult and post-holing frequent, but ‘gross’ navigation was made easier by simply moving toward the summit. The final climb was snow-free but entirely on rocks. I worried about Jaden’s paws, but the rocks didn’t bother him. At the summit, we took pictures and enjoyed the view of our camp on Steamboat Lake far below. The descent was fast and fun, ignoring the trail route and sliding straight downhill on the snow.
Hahns Peak and the trail to the summit
YouTube Video – Climbing Hahns Peak
Conclusion – Mount Zirkel Wilderness Backpacking, July 2011
In many ways, the 2011 Mount Zirkel Wilderness hike could be viewed as a failure. Pre-trip planning and logistics were poor. I was ignorant of normal seasonal conditions in the Rockies. Organization and packing discipline were non-existent. But I learned from my mistakes. All my future western hikes, starting with the 2012 South San Juan Wilderness hike, would benefit from the shortcomings of the Zirkel hike. And we still had a ton of fun. Our first Rocky Mountain hike was ‘in the books.’ We didn’t feel like ‘experienced’ mountain backpackers yet, but it was a good start. The non-backpacking aspects of the trip – car camping at Steamboat Lake, the Fourth of July in Steamboat, Fish Creek Falls, and day hiking Hahns Peak – all combined to make it a great week. It wasn’t the trip we had in mind, but it gave us a ton of great memories.
Group shot at Zirkel Wilderness boundary on Red Dirt Trail
