Trail Updates for Hiking Grand County, Colorado

ATTENTION Fraser Experimental Forest Users! Beginning Spring 2005, gates have been placed on several roads within the forest boundary to restrict motorized traffic. The trails are open to hiking, however you can no longer drive and park at the trailheads. Please hike or bike from the gates. The following trails are affected – #20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, and 27.

LOGGING - For trail closure information due to logging, please contact http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/arnf/conditions/srdbarkbeetle/index.shtml

1st Edition Updates

Update #1 (July 15, 2002) - Hike #74 Wheatley Homestead and Cow Camp Loop. The trail has been rerouted around the Homestead. Please update 1st Edition books with the following information.

#74. Wheatley Creek and Cow Camp Loop

Level of Difficulty – Difficulty

Round-trip Mileage – 16.25 miles

Round-trip Hiking Time – 2 days

Altitude, GPS Reading at Trailhead – 9242’, 40deg,10’,03”N, 106deg,10’,33”W

Altitude, GPS Reading at Troublesome Creek at (11) - 8279’,40deg,13’24”N, 106deg,12’35”W

Altitude , GPS Reading at Highest Point – 9984’, 40deg12’00”N, 106deg,10’11”W

Trail Fee Required – No

Dogs Yes, Fishing Yes, Camping Yes, WD None

Trailhead Location – On US Hwy 40, just west of Parshall between mile markers 194 and 195, head north on CR 21 (FDR 112). Follow FDR 112 for 6.9 miles and then turn left on FDR 12 toward Corral Peaks. Follow this road for 2.8 miles and then turn left on FDR 121 toward the Wheatley Creek Trail. Take FDR 121 for 2.5 miles to the end of the road (1). Do not park in front of the gate. These are all good dirt roads.

Trail Description – Pass around the gate and follow the fence, which is on the right. This fence runs a very short distance and then makes a sharp right turn at the corner post (2). Follow this fence down to Corral Creek. Just before the creek is a gate on the right. Pass through the gate and a post (3) and cross Corral Creek. Head north and gently climb through the meadow. Follow a small creek bed, which is on the left side of the trail. Continue through a mature aspen stand and pass a second post (4). The trail fades in places, but most of the trees are blazed with an “I” marking. Continue through the woods and cross several small creeks and meadows. At a marshy meadow with tall willows, the worn trail completely disappears. Hike north across the marsh and pass a third post (5), and another section of marsh. Clear this wet area and head northwest, where the trail reappears. Descend and pass two small frog ponds, which are on the right. At the “T” (6) the Wheatley Creek Trail continues on the left and the return trail from Ethel Creek is on the right. Head left and not far from this “T” is a trail marker identifying the Wheatley Creek Trail.

Descend into a great meadow and remain on the right side of the meadow. Pass an outfitters camp, which is on the right and head down through the meadow. The meadow narrows and the trail moves to the left side into the woods (7). Pass through the woods onto a sage covered plateau. Turn around and view Corral Peaks. At the end of the plateau, make a sharp right turn (8) back into the woods and begin to descend. A faint trail is on the right marked with white flags hanging from the trees (9). Turn right and follow the trail and flags through the aspen and lodgepole forests. Cross a creek bed (10) and immediately turn left out of the forest into the sage covered hillside with the forest and valley on the left. Follow the cairns across the hillside back into the forest. The trail makes a “U-turn” around a stone reinforcing wall and at the next sage meadow is another great view behind of Corral Peaks. Follow the trail through several more sections of sage and woods and begin downhill through several switchbacks. Follow the trail out of the woods along the sage covered ridge heading west toward the East Fork of the Troublesome Creek.

At the creek, head north (upstream) and find a shallow spot where it is safe to cross. Next, head right (north) up the steep hillside and parallel the creek. After the gully the trail ends at a road (11) where there is a view of Haystack Mountain ahead. Follow this road and parallel the creek until the road meets the creek at the Cow Camp property. The Cow Camp was used by cowboys during their stay while ranching cattle in the area. The Cow Camp is on “Private Property”, but the trail skirts around it. Pass through the gate and cross the creek, where there is a path on the right of the road through the trees. Follow the path up the hill and away from the road to a second gate. Due north is Haystack Mountain. Pass through the gate (12) and follow the trail through the sage meadow. The mountain to the left is Sheep Mountain. The trail is lost among the cattle trails in the area, but cross the meadow and head east to the fence and the next gate (13). Pass through the gate and continue to head east. Follow the small creek bed and meadow up the valley. The meadow forks to the left and right. Follow the trail on the right side of the left fork back into the woods to Ethel Creek. Keep Ethel Creek on the left and continue along the edge of the woods. At the next clearing, Searight Mountain is visible straight ahead. Next is an area where a microburst has littered lodgepole pine trees on the forest floor like broken toothpicks. Hike around the debris and head toward the creek. Pass the aspen covered hillside, which is on the left and continue back through the woods to another outfitter’s camp and another post (14). Cross the meadow and continue south into the woods. Ascend steadily to a small meadow on the right (15). This is the unidentified cutoff back to the “T” (6). At the front edge of the meadow, turn right and leave the worn trail. Skirt the edge of the woods where there is a tree blazed with a “J” marking. Follow the trail to the “T” (6). Turn left and follow the inbound trail back to the trailhead (1).

Historical Note – George and Forrest Wheatley explored Middle Park where they both homesteaded beside the East Fork of the Troublesome Creek. Wheatley Creek is named after George.

Update #2 (January 1, 2003) - The CORSAR card (Colorado Outdoor Research and Rescue Card) is now $3 per year. Please update 1st Edition books with this information.

Update #3 (August 31, 2003) - Hikes #57, 58, 59. At the fork (3), take the right fork, but the old cabin has been removed. The fork is before the Bowen Gulch Creek.