'S' no Fun on Ben Tyler Trail

Mount Evans looks down at the top of Ben Tyler Gulch. We crossed the snowfields, and walked the ridge rather than follow the trail. The apparently snow-free patches between us and the ridge are mostly bushes sticking up through the snow

Ben Tyler Trail, Forest Service Number 606
South Trailhead: 39°22’28”N, 105°41’4”W, 9,708 feet
North Trailhead: 39°26’9”N, 105°35’27”W, 8,226 feet
Hiking distance: 8.5 miles

We started at the south trailhead: From US 285, turn east on the Lost Park Road (Park County Road 56) at the base of Kenosha Pass, just east of mile marker 200. Turn left at a sign pointing to Ben Tyler and Colorado Trails, 7.7 miles from US 285. Go to the end of the road, and park at the Ben Tyler Trailhead, 9.9 miles from US 285. This is a fairly rough road. You will need four-wheel–drive and high clearance to get to the end; otherwise you might have to walk a quarter mile or more.
The north trailhead is across US 285 from Long Meadow, just east of mile marker 215. 

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Pete parked within sight of the Ben Tyler Trailhead, not wanting to dare the deep ruts near the end of the road. We got out of the car to find cool temperatures, mostly clear skies, and a light breeze at our backs as we headed north to the trail.

 For the past several Memorial Day weekends, I have gone up Ben Tyler Gulch from the north end, to see if the snowpack was so high that I could not reach the top of the ridge. Last year the snowpack was light and I had no problems getting above timberline. This year Pete wanted to go, and we both wanted a change, so we started from the south end. We left a car at each end of the trail.

Rock Creek was flowing fast and deep, and we had to dodge mud and flowing water on the trail in a number of places. Just past
the trailhead are beaver ponds, with more than a few recently cut aspen trees waiting to be dragged down to shore up the dam. Thin ice crystals sat on the shallow water near the bank of the ponds.

Rock Creek follows a narrow, steep-walled gulch, a marked contrast to Ben Tyler’s wide valley. The thick spruce forest, dotted with aspen, blocks views out, but also blocked out the cool breeze and made a nice background for the flowing creek. The trail was in turns steep, then gentle, but always up. We crossed the creek to the east side on a long, solid, 12 by 8 inch timber, hauled up by several Forest Service workers.

We found a marked difference in snow levels as we climbed.

At about half a mile from the trailhead we came across the remains of two log cabins, roofs gone and trees growing through the dirt floors. Soon after we found the reason for the cabins: A  large scrap pile from a sawmill operation. The day before, Pete had asked me if we should bring our snowshoes. No, I didn’t think we’d need them; if we did find snow we couldn’t get around, we could always turn back. We took our gaiters, though, just in case there was a bit of snow we  had to tromp through. A bit above the cabins, at 10,140 feet, we  found our first patch of snow. At 1.4 miles from the trailhead and 10,600 feet, the snow was thick enough we put on our gaiters. Soon after, the trail crossed to the west side of the creek, where  there were small clearings and no snow.

Rock Creek left us to run through bushes and bog, and we headed up the steeper hillside, following muddy switchbacks through the trees. The snow patches grew, but there were paths around, or beaten trails through. At about 11,000 feet the trees ended, replaced by low bushes and clearings, and what appeared to be the top of the ridge. The trappings of civilization returned to us briefly when Pete’s cell phone rang, and he set up a ping pong game for the next day.
I’ve never liked going through bushes, as they tend to hide things I’d rather avoid. These bushes hid snow, and the snow in turn hid rocks and uneven ground, as well as the trail. Any signs of previous hikers also disappeared. Still, there were ways around most of the snow, and the bits we did go  through wre not deep . When we got above the treetops behind us, we turned ‘round to fi nd a grand view of the South Park and Mosquito Ranges, Mount Silverheels prominent in the center. Near the top of the
ridge we found some rocks to block the cold but gentle breeze, and had a bite of lunch while we contemplated the remainder of the hike. After our rest, we went to the top of the ridge, looked down on Ben Tyler Gulch, and contemplated some more.

Pete crosses the snowfi eld at the top of Ben Tyler

Behind us were the snow fields we had crossed, and the windin our face. Ahead were snow fields for a mile, then the snow-free ridge on the west side of Ben Tyler Gulch. I had considered walking the ridge in the past, Pete said he had, too, and today looked like the day. We forged ahead.
The snow was deeper here than behind us, and got deeper still as we went. It also got colder and harder, and by the time we were half way to the ridge, we could walk on top without the occasional post-hole. The last quarter mile on the snow was the easiest of the hike.
The ridge turned out to be slow going. There was snow fields in the trees to the west, lots of rock to clamber over and around on top, and steep slopeson the east, often with thick, almost bushy, hard to-pass-through aspen groves. Still, it gave us three potential paths, and slowly the snow subsided, and slowly the aspen groves thinned. When the ridge dipped down and then way back up, we decided to head down the hillside to the trail, which we caught shortly before it turned west around the end of the ridge. In another mile, we were resting in the car seats.
The snowpack check results are in: There is more snow at the head of Ben Tyler Gulch than there has been in several years. Looking across to the trail from the ridge showed snow lower than at any other time I’ve made the Memorial Day trek.

There was almost no snow on Memorial Day weekend

This was a tough hike. We went about 8 and a half miles, and were on the trail for almost eight hours, including lunch break, strategy meetings, and telephone conversations. Still, as we decided over pizza and beer later on, we’d do it again. If you want to go, wait a few weeks so you can enjoy drier trails and the tiny alpine wildfl owers that will appear when the snow recedes. Or brave the elements, and go now. Take the snowshoes.

In 2007, Shawnee Peak had a respectable fringe of snow.