Connecting Roads near Kenosha Pass

PCR58 at FSR811: 39°26’15”N, 105°46’26”W, 9,783 feet
FSR811 at FSR810: 39°25’46”N, 105°47’45”W, 10,180 feet
FSR810 at FSR809: 39°26’15”N, 105°48’19”W, 10,052 feet
Farthest point: 39°26’34”N, 105°48’13”W, 10,324 feet

Traveling distance: 5.2 miles
Turn onto Park County Road 58 from US 285, between mile
markers 204 and 205 on the Platte Canyon side of Kenosha Pass.
Go 0.9 miles and turn left onto Forest Service Road 811. Park on
the side of the road.

Mine were the only tracks in the snow on the first half of this
snowshoe. North Twin Cone Peak points to the sky on the far
side of Kenosha Pass.

On previous hikes, I noticed similar numbers in Forest Service
Roads north of Kenosha Pass and east of the Colorado Trail:FSR811 went up Hoosier Creek, and FSR810 crossed the Colorado
Trail. I’ve noticed that similarly-numbered roads are often connected, and wondered if these were. None of my maps showed
a connection, but maps don’t always tell the whole story.I started the investigation on FSR811 along Hoosier Creek.Cheryl and I had explored up the creek, and then up LiningerDitch last summer (“Walking the Roads by Hoosier Creek and
Lininger Ditch,” The Flume, June 15, 2007). As one might expect,the contrast due to the seasons was stark: Only snowmobiles had
been up FSR811 from PCR58, and I didn’t want to drive up thatroad any farther than I needed to park the car. The snow was
windswept, and a cold breeze blew. The sun was bright, with only a few clouds skittering across the blue sky, but temperatures
were in the twenties. I threw on my snowshoes and headed up the road.

811 starts a bit east of Hoosier Creek, and curves around toward the valley bottom. In June I had taken a picture of North Twin
Cone Peak from a curve in the road, and this day I took another near the same place. Down in the valley, the beaver were safe and
warm in their lodges, while the fresh tracks of a lone fox crossed the road as he looked for a cold meal. Half a mile from my trailhead, the peak of
the unnamed 12,567 foot mountain to the north showed her head over the trees, and shortly thereafter I came to the junction of roads 811
and 811A. Cheryl and I had gone up 811A; today I turned southwest, staying on 811. It crossed the upper reaches of Hoosier Creek, and went
steeply up the ridge, into the pine, spruce and aspen forest.

In a quarter mile, the road leveled out and came the edge of a meadow. Nearby the Forest Service had posted a “No Motor Vehicles Past
This Point” sign, but the snow mobilers had taken a few turns there anyway. Someone had erected a crude pyramid from fallen timber nearby. The road again climbed, steeper than before. The forest grew thicker, and the squirrel population increased as I went. There were many tracks where they’d hopped across the road, each set like tiny handprints and big clown feet. A few birds, mostly ravens, called in the distance. At the top of the ridge, I came to an intersection where another FSR811A met 811. There were also signs on either side of the road that said “Danger!” but didn’t say what was dangerous. Whatever it was, I left it under the snow and went on, down the west side of the ridge. 1.4 miles from my start I found the first view of the floor of South Park, glittering white in the sunshine. The view grew as I went on, the aspen grew more numerous, and the forest split into a small meadow. I found a glorious view of Buffalo Peaks
rising above Reinecker Ridge and the Park. I also found a fresh snowshoe tracks at right angles to my own path, and signs that showed they were traveling along FSR810. FSR811 ended here, so I turned right, or northwest, and followed the tracks. 810 followed the ridge, curving slowly toward the north. The
trees thinned and the land to the west fell away, giving wider views of South Park and the mountains along the Continental Divide from French Pass to Mount Silverheels. As I was admiring the view, a pair of snowshoers came along, traveling the same direction. They had on full backpacks, and were out to camp
overnight. How far are you going? I asked; they shrugged and smiled. “Wherever looks good” and on they went. Brrr, I thought. It’s cold now and the sun’s shining. The road continued down the ridge. I passed the backpackers on the way, as they stopped to strategize. At a clearing at the bottom of Guernsey Gulch, FSR810 ended, and FSR809 went
both up and down the gulch. I had continued to follow the snowmobile tracks, but was finally able to leave them by turning up Guernsey Gulch.

High, thin clouds began to fill the sky, and the wind came up a bit, but the sun stayed warm. The road up was fairly steep, but not as steep as FSR811 had been. Deeper snow lay on the ground there. The only way I knew I was still on the road was by the gap between the trees. At about 2.5 miles from my start, I found a pair of burnt tree stumps sticking above the snow. They made good perches for me and my backpack, and I took a rest and a
bite before heading back home. Back near the junction of 809 and 810, I found the backpack pair again. This time they had their packs off and were digging in in the snow. Feeling nosy, I went to investigate. I found Pam, a two-time veteran of winter camping, had found a good spot and was beginning to dig a snow cave. Dave, a novice, had been testing the snow above for strength, found it good, and was preparing to help with the dig. I’ve read that Inuit igloos are a balmy 32 degrees inside when it’s 40 below outside. In a well-dug snow cave, and in their winter sleeping bags, Pam and Dave would be
fine. I wished them well and headed back up FSR810. While an out-and-back trip isn’t as interesting as a loop, there is always something to see when you’re headed in the opposite direction. After the top of the ridge, I found a view of a distant mountainside, the peak and sides hidden in blowing snow. I later
determined this to be Mount Evans.

Back at the meadow, I saw a tree stump that I hadn’t noticed on my first pass. Most of the trees in the area were less than a foot in diameter. The railroaders in the late 1800s and early 1900s had cut a lot of the forest. This stump was over two feet in diameter, easily the biggest tree I’d seen. The yellow color of the wood told me the break had occurred in the last six months or so, and the trunk had broken almost four feet off the ground, which seemed an odd
place to break. I went to investigate. I found dozens of bullets in the stump at the break, some with full metal jackets that had gone deep into the wood. The tree had been used for target practice, weakened by the onslaught, and a strong wind felled it.

The rest of the trip back went quickly, being all downhill. The sky had filled with clouds, and snow was threatening, but the wind had died down. I got another photograph of the bushes along Hoosier Creek and the aspen groves near Kenosha Pass. My initial question was answered: Forest Service Roads connect
Guernsey Gulch and Hoosier Creek valley. A loop in the area could be made by following one creek up to Beaver Creek,
and then returning down the other, using FSR811 and 810 for the rest of the loop. Winter is a good time to follow the back roads,
as they’re quiet and beautiful in the snow. I’m not sure I’d want to spend the night there, though!t