A Snowshoe Trek West of Alma

Snowshoe with Steve and Tanya on December 17, 2007
Traveling distance: 3.4 miles
Trailhead: 39º16’46”N, 106º4’1”W, 10,542 feet
Turn off FSR 4171A: 39º16’40”N, 106º4’13”W, 10,515 feet
Farthest point: 39º17’12”N, 106º5’48”W, 11,065 feet

In Alma, turn west from Main Street (Colorado 9) onto Park Hill Avenue (Park County Road 10). Go about three-tenths of a mile and stop at the top of the hill. Park off the road at the intersection
with Forest Service Roads 4171A and 4171B. Alma is surrounded by private property. The nearest piece of Pike National Forest can be accessed by these Forest Service Roads, and by a trail that runs the length of the narrow strip of National Forest. Tanya calls this the Ridge View Trail; the Forest Service has named a Ridge View trail near Weston Pass Campground.

Steve and I met up with Tanya at the Alma Coffee House where we sucked down a cup of joe and caught up with the latest in town, including the cute little sidewalk plow that was buzzing up and down Main Street, clearing the walks. “All the town officials take turns running it,” said Tanya. “At first they’d fight over it, but now it’s just a job.” In the car on our way to the trail, Steve said he thought he recognized Hizzoner the Mayor at the wheel of the little plow.

It was a short ride to the trail head, but the hill is steep and the road is snow packed. You’ll need good tires if you’ve got two-wheel-drive. From the start of FSR 4171A, we had a nice view of Sheep Mountain peeking over the ridge across Mosquito Creek valley

.This is a popular area for locals, as made evident by many cross country ski tracks on both Forest Service roads. We were breaking with tradition, though, by traveling on snowshoe. Tanya was test driving a new, state-of-the art pair, and I had a last-generation pair. Both of these models have metal frames with heavy fabric stretched across, and built-in crampons, metal teeth that bite the snow to give traction on packed snow, ice, and steeper hills. Steve was outfitted with an old style pair, with bent-wood frames and sinewy strips of rawhide stretched across for support on the snow. They’re much bigger than the newer models.

The sky was clear to the south, but we could see clouds and blowing snow on the peak tops to the north and west. The wind was blowing, but we were sheltered by the trees. We headed out, taking advantage of the trail that was well-marked and well packed by the skiers. After about a quarter-mile, a power line crossed our path. Many winter travelers had gone one way or the other along the poles and the swath cut in the trees. We stayed on the road, shortly thereafter came to our trail, and turned left into the woods.

The forest was a mix of spruce, aspen, and pines, mostly limber and bristle cone, but there were a few others. It’s been pretty cold there, and few animal tracks did we see, beyond those of occasional squirrels and a lone rabbit. The trail paralleled Mosquito Creek, and, in the infrequent openings in the trees, we overlooked the valley and the ridge beyond. We saw where PCR 10 meets 12, which continues up the creek past London Mountain on its way to Mosquito Pass, and into the blowing snow.

Gaps in the trees to the northeast revealed Mount Silverheels’ windward side. Snow has fallen there, then been blown away, or into gaps in the rocks and dormant plant life on her hillsides. She was left with a mottled blanket of yellow and gray and white. Ahead we got glimpses of a pointed peak, sometimes covered with the fog of approaching snow, sometimes with a clear blue backdrop. Later investigation of the map showed this to be Mount Bross, one of Park County’s 14ers.

The trail rose gently as we went along, and the snow stayed a consistent six-to-eight inches deep, and was well-packed by the cross-country skiers. This made for a fine snowshoe trail, as we had few hills and no snowdrifts to deal with. The few up slopes gave us no problems: The teeth on the newer snowshoes bit the snow, and the strips of rawhide on the older models gripped well, too.

At the far end of the trail, we found a No Trespassing sign nailed to a tree on the north side of the trail, and then a road, well-traveled by skiers and snowmobiles. To the north, Mount Bross was still in front of us, and between was the valley along Buckskin Creek. It was about time to head back, and just as well, as this road is on private property.

A return trip is always the same yet different from the trek out. The views are from fresh angles, and there’s always a few you just didn’t see, like one we found that looks across South Park. There are other bits closer to the trail to discover, too. We found someone had poached a spruce tree. It was cut before the last snowfall, apparently using a reciprocating power saw. The lower six feet of trunk were left behind, and the upper half of the tree taken away.

The blowing snow never made it down to us, excepting a few flakes that came our way when we looked over Buckskin Gulch. I can see why the trail is so well-traveled, being close to Alma, yet in the National Forest; it has gentle slopes, yet is long enough for a good workout. Throw in a few views, and you’ve got a great winter trail.