Beaver Brook Trail Redux

It's a hike so nice, we did it twice...

Date:  May 13, 2012, Happy Mother's Day!

Climbing Party:  Aaron Dover, Amanda Harnden, Kelsey Breen, Scarlet, Ellie
Elevation Gain: 3,423'
Distance:  9.15 miles RT (normally 8 miles)

Hike Time:  4:28
Difficulty:  Moderate
Hiking Calculator Score: 25

Once again the weather in Allenspark was not looking favorable.  All week we had planned on keeping an eye on the weather up there in hopes that we'd be able to make a run at Chasm Lake.  The night before we were set to leave, it was pouring rain and all of Colorado was getting some much needed rain.  As the rain continued to fall, and the beers continued to come, reality was setting in...this weekend was going to be a WASH!  What was nearby that would offer some duration, some gain, and some great views?  Beaver Brook Trail.

The Beaver Brook Trail is a one way hike starting at the Chief Hosa exit (exit 253) off of I-70 and finishing at the Windy Saddle pull off on the Lookout Mountain Road.  The best way to do this hike is to drop a car off at the Windy Saddle park, and drive over to the Chief Hosa exit on Lookout's backside. Start on the Chief Hosa side and head towards the Windy Saddle.

The first few miles of this trail are a descent from the parking lot.  You will encounter the Braille Trail on the first section, and immediately cross over a stream and you are on your way!  Follow the blazes (B/B) which are nice as they count down your mileage every half mile starting at (8.0, 7.5, 7.0, etc).  You lose nearly 1,000 vertical feet in the first 2 miles, but don't get too giddy because you gain all of it back (and then some) in the third mile.  The actual gain of the 3rd mile is 1200'.  Once you get to the top of mile three, the rest of the hike is gravy, man.  It's all downhill to the Windy Saddle, unless you stop for lunch and mistakenly head back in the opposite direction. Which we did...for almost 6/10 of a mile.  Ugh.  No one was happy about hiking back to where we just had lunch. Mental fail.  Anywho, from mile three to Windy Saddle, the scenery constantly changes, and is for the most part in a forest setting, away from the sun.  We even saw four elk! It's a hike that requires some planning, but definitely fun, and certainly a challenge, especially when you backtrack...

Snackstop on Beaver Brook with the restless K9 units