Lost Creek Wilderness, Pike National Forest
The Lost Creek Wilderness is part of Jefferson County, Colorado, where we live. We go hiking and camping here every chance we get. Home-to-trailhead a 40 min drive through the town of Bailey.
There are 119,000 acres in the park and 130 miles of trails. The 500 mile-long Colorado Trail passes through this wilderness (segments #4 and #5 to Kenosha Pass). The North-West section of the Wilderness is not as popular as the South-Eastern trails, which suits us fine because we enjoy the solitude and remoteness. (pics on this page are clickable for HI-RES)
Pics below: miles and miles of solitude! The top is "U" shaped, blocking the light from nearby towns. I wish I had a better camera to capture the view of the stars and Milky Way at night.
Craig Park Creek is a high-altitude valley. The altitude at the trailhead is 7,750 ft. The "hills" at the Lost Creek Wilderness rise to 11,750 ft before descending to Craig Park Creek at 11,500 ft. It's a climb of about 4,000 ft. Carrying gear and food can make it an ardous climb. Especially past 10,000 ft of elevation; breathing becomes a little heavier. It's worth the effort: we can hike and camp for days and not see a single soul.
Water from the spring-fed creeks is very clean. We use an MSR water filter as an extra precaution.
Pics from a fall-hike. The trails can get a bit rough in some spots...
"The farther one gets into the wilderness, the greater is the attraction of its lonely freedom.” – Theodore Roosevelt
I enjoy going camping "solo" and getting lost deep in the woods. Since I'm not talking to anyone, wildlife goes about its way. It's pretty cool to be awaken by the sound of elk bugling. Selfies below are from a recent solo camping:
Making this webpage brought back memories of our first camping trip together in the tropical rain forest of El Yunque, Puerto Rico "many moons ago" with friends and my wife (then girlfriend).
