Hiking guidebooks for Colorado's Summit County and Vail Valley
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editorial reviews and samples of The New Summit Hiker
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High
Altitude Tip: Remember
how fragile the alpine tundra is. A plant may be 75 years old
but will die due to trampling under hikers' feet. Stay on the
trail, even when allowing others to pass by. Please respect
the vulnerability of the alpine ecosystem!
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Winter
Trail Suggestion:
Hunki
Dori Mine
Visit an
1880-discovered silver mine on skis using THE
NEW SUMMIT HIKER. You
can ski 3 miles from the old town of Montezuma to the Hunki
Dori Mine, a rich silver producer at 11,200 feet. Its 32 inch
wide silver vein and yield of 157 ounces of silver per ore ton
dazzled prospectors. Take the Sts. John Road, using trailhead
directions for ski touring and snowshoeing on page 34 of the
guidebook. Instead of continuing to the Sts. John ghost town,
go right at the fork where a road drops right to cross Sts.
John Creek. The fork area is notable for a big meadow at
right which does not occur elsewhere on the trail. Consult THE
NEW SUMMIT HIKER, page
34, for ski touring directions and use only the driving and
trailhead instructions, because the Hunki Dori tour diverts
from the Sts. John road.
You will see mine ruins
and hear the echoes of the area's silver mining past as you
climb the trail
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Recreation
User Tip:
Bring insect repellent with DEET, a necessity due to mosquito-borne West Nile virus. Always remember a wind/rain jacket,
long pants, gloves and hat for autumn storms. The temperature can plummet 30 degrees when
cloud cover and wind
move in.
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Seasonal
Suggestion: Make sure everyone in your
party, especially children, wear and reapply sunblock. Be
certain everyone, especially children, have high quality
sunglasses.
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For
additional trails information for both the Vail and Summit County
areas, visit the other hiking pages on this site.
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Updates for Hikers:
Due to closure of the Dam Road, hikers must
access the Old Dillon Reservoir trailhead from the Frisco side of the Dam Road.
Be aware of reservoir construction at the lake.
The new trail to the Willow Lakes, offered in the
2006 edition of The New Summit Hiker, shortens the trail, formerly 8.5 miles one
way, to a more do-able 5 miles one way. Please note that the new edition offers
hikers two options for this trail, No. 41. The first is to hike to the Willow
Lakes using a trailhead at Rock Creek. The second is to use a trailhead in
Silverthorne's Willowbrook neighborhood. Make sure you follow the directions for
the trailhead you chose. The first set of directions on page 96 are for Rock
Creek; the second directions are for Willowbrook. Also, be sure to check with
the Forest Service (970 468 5400) regarding trail conditions. A big wind blew
down trees on the trail. Cleanup is underway but checking conditions is
recommended.
The Wheeler Lakes Trail,
no. 19 in The New Summit Hiker, has a new trailhead, located just off I-70 at the
Scenic Area parking 1.4 miles south of Officers Gulch. (See the 2006 edition for
details and map.) This is about three
quarters of a mile north of the former trailhead. However, you may wish to
continue to park as The Summit Hiker suggests, at the recreation
parking area. This requires a highway crossing. Be aware that the former parking at the right of
the eI-70 exit ramp is now closed.
The Peaks Trail, no. 9 in The New
Summit Hiker is becoming dangerous to hikers during its busy days
due to heavy use by mountain bikers. We suggest that hikers save the
Peaks Trail for low use periods. For example, try weekdays in late
May and June, then weekdays again in September and early October.
The Quandary trailhead has moved. Check the 2006
edition of The New Summit Hiker for up to date trailhead info.
Check below for high
altitude and recreation user tips.
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THE NEW
SUMMIT HIKER
AND SKI TOURING GUIDE
Popular Colorado author, Mary Ellen Gilliland, introduces
hikers, cross-country skiers and snowshoers to alpine Summit County's great
outdoors, with fifty trails to mine camps, ghost towns, historic high passes,
lakes and waterfalls.
Trails follow 1860s pack train paths, 1870s
stagecoach tracks and 1880s narrow-gauge railway routes.
Nature hikes, peak climbs and trails selected
for spectacular mountain scenery invite all kinds of walkers, from families with
young children to advanced hikers with mountaineering skills, to explore Summit
County, Colorado's exciting high country terrain.
The author walked and skied the guide's
trails, carefully compiled driving directions researched each locale's history
and worked closely with the U.S. Forest Service to produce an accurate,
up-to-date guidebook specifically for Summit County.
Trails for every ability await a range of hikers, from families
with kids to mountaineers:
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Beginners:
Check out the "Special Trails for
Kids" on page 11 and trails listed as "Easy" in the
"Trails by Difficulty" Section on page 10.
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Intermediates:
Look for "Moderate" and
"More Difficult" trails in the "Hikes by Difficulty"
section on page 10.
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Advanced Hikers:
Consult the "More
Difficult" and "Most Difficult" listings in "Trails by
Difficulty" on page 10.
THE NEW SUMMIT HIKER serves as a
companion to Gilliland's lively SUMMIT A Gold Rush
History of Summit County, Colorado.
Mary Ellen Gilliland not only shares information on
scenic trails but helps readers to find and understand evidences of the
past all around us...Rebecca Waugh, former Museum Administrator, Summit
Historical Society.
How to Order
| High Altitude
Tips: |
| Safety Caution: If a
skier, snowshoer or hiker is lost, contact Summit County
Search and Rescue via 911. Hint: Rescue can be expensive. Buy a state
fishing license; it gives one free rescue from the back country. |
| Recreation User Tip: Temperatures
can dip rapidly when the wind comes up and sun goes behind the clouds. Be sure
to keep extra warm outerwear in your pack for winter recreation. |
| Seasonal Suggestion:
Winter days provide a great
set-up for sunburn due to the high altitude. The ultraviolet light can burn both skin and eyes. Make sure everyone in your
party, especially children, wear and reapply sunblock. Be certain
everyone, especially children, have high quality sunglasses.
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How to Order
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