Big Horn Sheep of Mount Evans

Ewe in a field of wild flowers. She is not as scruffy as some of the others

Big Horn Sheep have star appeal. Between a grid iron physic and showy head gear (only on the males), they fascinate us with their dramatic mating rituals and high country antics.

Young Males Sparring

I have lived Colorado for over 10 years, however, and this is only the fourth time I have seen them, and I have never seen an adult male, only ewes and young'ens. One of these days though my luck will improve and I will be able to provide you with a more iconic shot.

These photos come from Mt. Evans. Last summer I took some folks hiking on the Pessman Trail. After the hike we drove to the summit of the 14,000 ft mountain and saw many Mountain Goats but also this herd Big Horn Sheep. The herd members were all shedding their winter coats making them look scraggy and unphotogenic. The herd contained adult Ewes and juveniles both male and female. This is the norm.

And they're off!

I did not have much time to observe the sheep, but I did get this running sequence. Was it just juveniles at play, or was the group sick of the nosy, camera laden tourists?

Mountain Goats of Mt. Evans

The star of any trip up Mt. Evans. One of the resident Mountain Goats.

In mid July I took a group of folks up Mt. Evans. We hiked the Pesman Trail, listened to a lecture on the ancient Bristlecone Pines, and then drove up to the summit. This road requires an intravenous injection of Valium before beginning.

The summit parking lot. The Boulder field was filled with tourists climbing the whopping 100 ft from the pavement to the summit. Being purists who like our mountain climbing bragging rights, we did not lower ourselves to such a feat of athletic prowess. The cars by the way stretched for a good 1/4 mile on both sides down to the left.

Mt. Evans is one of Colorado's 14,000+ ft peaks (a 14er). It is also one of two in the state you can drive up. This is totally cheating, but a fun excursion none-the-less. There is no trail register at the top so don't both looking for one. There is, however, a small shelter and hordes of tourists. There are also many Mountain Goats and Big Horned Sheep. I will blog the latter in a separate post.

Here are some photos of the "don't hate me because I'm beautiful" Mountain Goats.

This goat was in need of a Hollywood makeover. He/she/it was shedding its winter coat. Not exactly a red carpet moment. Still, it had panache and liked to pose for the 200 lens flashing all around. Actually, I exaggerate. There were only two of us taking pictures of the goats. The goats did not seem to notice the difference however.

This celeb was already done shedding and looked like it had just returned from a posh salon. Nothing like a new 'do to make you feel like a mountain diva.

Like any member of the rich and famous, this goat wanted to survey his domain. "I wonder what all the very little people are doing down there at the bottom of that 3,000 ft drop. Ho Hum."

Not to be out done, this B-actor was posing for us on the way down. Yellow-bellied Marmots are known for their hedonistic lounging upon warm rocks.

A scenic drive up Mt. Evans is a jolly, near death experience with stupendous views. Be prepared to pay the fee or buy an annual Federal Parks Pass. Bring your camera, anticipate changing weather, and stock the car with lots of food and water. There is no pub on this journey. Another nice place to stop on the way to the summit is Summit Lake. A short trail leads to great views of the Chicago Lakes Basin. For more information, check out the Forest Service Web site.

Pesman Trail (Mount Goliath Nature Area)

Distance: 3 miles round trip
Elevation: 11,503 ft to 12,152 ft
Elevation Gain: 649 ft

The Pesman trail wanders through a Bristlecone Pine forest but also has stunning views of the open tundra.

The Pesman Trail, sometimes called the Mount Goliath Trail, is a fascinating walk amongst the oldest living trees on earth, the Bristlecone Pine (Pinus aristata). The trail starts at the Dos Chappell Nature Center located 3 miles up from the Mt. Evan's fee station. A Federal lands pass ($80.00/yr) will now get you in. There is plenty of parking, a bathroom, and an interpretive forest ranger on duty to answer all your questions. At noon the Ranger on duty leads a 45 minute interpretive walk through the alpine gardens adjacent to the Nature Center.

The beginning of the trail, while packed dirt, does ascend 500 or more feet in a short series of switch backs.

One of the Bristlecones along the trail

The trail gains most of its 642 ft in the first half mile. Since it starts above 11,000 ft, this means lung-sucking distress for most of us. The trail has the advantage, however, of being relatively smooth with only occasional rocky portions. Quite a rarity in Colorado.

When the trail levels out, it leaves the forest for a rocky slope with tundra views.

Besides wandering through a square mile of Bristlecone Pines, the trail also traverses a broad ridge with distant views, tundra flowers, and towering boulders. It really is incredibly scenic. I kept expecting a herd of Mt. Evan's resident Mountain Goats to come trotting into view.

Looking west. The two peaks on the far right of the picture are Chief Mountain and Squaw Mountain.

The trail ends at a picnic area on Mt. Evan's Road. I almost did not go all the way because I had already climbed most of the way up Mt. Sniktau earlier that morning and was really feeling the altitude, but I am glad I did. From the terminus of the trail, there are incredible views of the Continental Divide to the west. There is also a short Alpine Garden Trail in the area, which later in the season is filled with low-lying but flowering tundra plants.

The upper trailhead. Near the car is a picnic table.

Near the upper trailhead is the intersection with the Alpine Garden Trail. There are also great views of the Continental Divide.

If one has two cars, then making the Pesman Trail a shuttle hike would be possible either heading up for maximum cardiovascular distress, or heading down for an easier outing. This trail is a great way to spend time above treeline without having to scale thousands of feet in elevation gain. The views are well worth the effort and seeing the Bristlecone Pines is a rare treat.

Hefferman Gulch Snowshoe

Distance: 3.5 miles round trip
Elevation: 9,452 ft to 10,550 ft
Elevation Gain: 1,098 ft

Left: Road sign on Hwy 103. Parking is just along the side of the highway itself.

Hefferman Gulch, off Hwy 103 going towards Mt. Evans, is a pleasant snowshoe that is close to Denver and yet devoid of people. I saw one couple about 0.5 miles from the trailhead on my way back and that was it. Unlike my recent trip to on a fire road off Guanella Pass, this trail was open and airy.

I confess that I stumbled across this snowshoe looking for another one, Idaho Springs Reservoir, which turned out to be about 1 mile further up Hwy 103. It was not until I got back to the car and consulted the guidebook that I realized the route I had taken was profiled. Most people travel up Hefferman Gulch Road to the South Chicago Creek trailhead. From there you can continue another 1.5 miles into the Mt. Evan’s Wilderness. I decided to stay on the road, however, until I lost the trail in the trees.

Distinctive rock formation to the right of the trail

Openness of the area

Hefferman Gulch is not pristine wilderness. The road is doted with cabins of all sizes and shapes. Just as I was returning to my car, an older couple was heading up with their snow cat and several coolers, magazines, and pooches. I am curious how much the real estate is in that area. Seemed like a nice place to own a cabin.

My pup Ginger heads up the right for at the first junction. You can just make out the "no outlet" sign in the trees to her left.

There are several easy milestones on this road. Within 0.4 miles there is a very large rock formation to the right of the road. This borders a large open meadow.

Typical cabin along the road

0.7 miles from the trailhead is a fork. There is a large sign pointing to the left that says “no outlet”. Stay to the right here.

The road past the South Chicago Creek Trailhead was more narrow and devoid of snow.

0.4 miles farther on is another fork. The left fork leads to the South Chicago Creek trailhead, while the right continues upwards. On this trip I stayed to the right. After this point, the road becomes narrower and heads up a tall ridge surrounded by Aspens.

Apsens to the right of the trail. There is more moss than snow.

Around 0.5 miles beyond the South Chicago Creek trailhead, the road seemed to dead end in a small meadow. I could see what looked like a trail heading off to the right with a steep ascent. I followed this for short distance until I could no longer follow any trail. There were aspens everywhere and while it would have taken some effort to get lost, particularly with snowshoe tracks, I decided my fun meter was pegged, and I turned around. Later I studied a topo map of the region and saw that from the trailhead junction, the trail/road continues on quite a distance in a large sweeping arch to the north.

The open meadow that might make a more obvious turn around point.

Because of the conditions at the trailhead, I had left my snowshoes in the car and had headed up with just Yak Traks. That was a mistake. While the snow was packed down, it had been driven by a vehicle, so it was rutted, soft, and slippery. Snowshoes, while not technically necessary would have made the going easier.

I followed the trail until it led into these trees.

This snowshoe is not filled with spectacular views but it is open, filled with solitude, and accessible to dogs. Sometimes braving the I-70 traffic is just not feasible. When this is the case, consider Hefferman Gulch. This year the snow on the eastern side of the Divide has been sparse. In other years, it has been impassible. A good snow year would make this trip even more enjoyable.

A frozen Echo Lake

Echo Lake is 4 miles farther up Hwy 103. I drove up there to admire the view and to each my lunch. On a nice fall day, Echo Lake is a pleasant destination for a family picnic. There are tables, bathrooms, and an easy trail around the perimeter. For views farther up, check out my post on Mt. Evan’s Summit Lake.

Summit Lake (Mt. Evans)

Distance: 300ft to 0.25 mile
Elevation: 12,830 ft
Elevation Gain: Negligible


Summit Lake on Mt. Evans
Two years ago, my hiking buddy twisted her ankle and we were moping about wishing we could get into the high country. Alas, we live in Colorado and it dawned us that we could get there the easy way, by driving. I would have much rather have hiked to Summit Lake but what’s a girl to do with her foot in a boot?


View on the drive up to the lake
The road up Mt. Evans is scenic at every turn. Be prepared, however, to pay the $10 fee that the forest service has initiated. I have a friend who is a Ranger on Mt. Evans and he has told me that people are rebelling against this fee and are refusing to pay, saying that they won’t get out of the car. Don’t bother playing this game. You are going to want to get out of the car and a $10 fee is a small price to pay for the extraordinary views that await you.


View of Chicago Basin from the far end of the lake
The lake is only a few hundred feet from the parking lot…easily doable in a boot. We even ventured to the far end of the lake (0.25 miles) to the Chicago Lakes Basin. This view is worth strolling to and if my friend the Iron Maiden can make it, then you certainly have no excuse.


Rocks and peaks from the lake
Be sure to admire the summit of Mt. Evans and Mt. Spaulding that surround the lake and imagine yourself slogging to the summit the old fashioned way.