Black Face and Lizard Head

Uncompahgre National Forest

San Juan National Forest


(map link)

I don't know why, but yes, it is really called that. It doesn't call itself that, so I'm not holding it against it. The sign at the trailhead suggests this is a popular loop with the Cross Mountain Trail and, if you can't get together a shuttle, about 2.3 miles of highway. Ugh. But that's what I set out on, with a plan to divert over to the pass above Bilk Creek to check out that distinct view that is rather close to the trail. The weather, so far as I knew, had a slight chance of thunder storm all day. There's trees up there, so I decided to risk it. I walked over from my dispersed camp at the corral across the highway (a large area set up for the purpose) to the trailhead to start the loop. The weather, so far as I knew, had a slight chance of thunder storm all day.

00: lots of roads
Lizard Head Pass from the trailhead. The sign below marks the boundary between San Juan and Uncompahgre National Forest. The interpretive site (and bathroom) are along the road above it. This road spurs from there. The corral and a few campers are on the far side of the road.

02: grey rock over trees
The grey face of Black Face above.

The trail heads off to the east to go up the side of Black Face. It crosses meadow and plunges into forest that is only broken by rock slides off the side of the ridge above.
03: tall trees along the trail
Traveling through an aspen and pine forest.

It actually drops a little before crossing the wilderness boundary and setting to climbing. Again, I didn't start off with much water because it's easy to get along the way. The thing is, it isn't all that easy on this trail once it starts climbing. The switchbacks are short and there's no creek near them.

05: wilderness sign
The wilderness sign along the trail.

06: trout lake
My first good look at Trout Lake.

At the junction to Wilson Meadows, I pondered if I shouldn't go down there and get water. I really didn't start with much. I climbed up instead. I looked back and noticed there was a pool near the junction. It was muddy and I was going up, so I didn't go and get water from it either.

08: water through the trees
There definitely is a pool down there.

More little wiggles upward didn't seem to suggest there would be any water to be found, but just as I drank the last, I could see water wetting a rock above the trail. At the end of that switchback (and nowhere near that first sighting of a slight bit of water) was a trickle heading down the hill across a good animal trail. I actually ignored the water initially for what that animal trail was accessing: an extensive view over Wilson Meadows.

09: meadows surrounded by trees surrounded by peaks
Wilson Meadows resting in a glacier carved valley below Lizard Head (spike at the left) and Sunshine Mountain (middle) and San Bernardino Mountain (right).

It took a while to get a liter of water from that little trickle, but I got it and was on my way. I'd been passed by all sorts of hikers. It really is a popular trail.

10: rocky edge with mountains to view
Breaking free of the trees near the top.

I reached the top without seeing any more water. The trail never got near that first trickle I saw. The top is wide and flat and, in this season, covered in wildflowers.

11: like a lawn
The wide, grassy, flowered top of the ridge.

12: bright pink like an artist's brush
Very bright pink paintbrushes are part of the wildflower display.

The high point of the ridge comes quickly.

14: high bit of the ridge
Going for the top. The main trail goes most the way there on its own.

15: many peaks
The mess of mountains beyond San Bernardino Mountain.

16: pale yellow
Pale yellow paintbrushes also.

There's a short bit of trail to its top, so of course I took it. I finally had some signal and got better news about the weather for this day, but poor news about the weather for a try at bagging Sheep Mountain on the other side of the highway.

19: west along Black Face drops away
Looking west, forward, along Black Face with Lizard Head jutting upward to the right.

20: lake below mountains
East shows Trout Lake and the peaks above it.

21: pass and mountain
South is swirls of rockfall heading toward the pass with San Miguel Peak on the far side. Sheep Mountain is the green one to the right.

22: blue flowers
Sky pilots touching the sky on top of Black Face.

The trail drops gently at first, then gets quite determined to get down. Water runs along it when it rains and it is now in a deep ditch.

23: down in a ditch
Lizard Head and Cross Mountain (to the left) as the trail drops down.

Eventually, it levels off to cross a huge and soggy meadow. Black Face is left behind to start climbing toward Cross Mountain and Lizard Head, regaining much of what was lost.

26: epitome of flower
Snowdon lilies among the rocks and a bit of water flowing.

27: spiky mountain
Little creeks flow around Lizard Head.

28: easy slope to a peak
Looking back to the back side of Black Face. It is the high point of the trek, but it doesn't quite seem like it. Still pondering Sheep Mountain and even San Miguel Peak right of the ridge.

Over a ridge, the landscape changed to a badlands of sorts. The trail travels over the top of blacker rocks with a great tendency to crumble down the hill.

30: black bowls of rock
Over the top of the crumbling rocks the trail goes, sometimes getting quite close.

31: red flowers with yellow centers
Almost always seen as little red buds, at least when I look. (Western roseroot.)

32: streams take it away
A couple streams were running through this crumbling area.

As I arrived at Cross Mountain Trail, I noted that it was an old road. While technically Lizard Head Trail is the one that continues, it is on this road. I turned to spur to the saddle up ahead and it stayed obviously an old road. There seemed to be a little more climb than the map indicates.

33: short sign on a trail
Junction at the end of Cross Mountain Trail where Lizard Head Trail takes over the old road bed.

34: also badlands
The next valley also has some badlands character.

Upon getting to the saddle, I found that most the valley can't really be seen as it curves off to the right. I passed the saddle and started up the next hill slightly to get a little more view before stopping. Off to my left was a dreadful roar including a waterfall. Way down the valley, I could see long switchbacks going upward for a trail that the Forest Service doesn't think should be on the map, but National Geographic does. Rather the opposite of the trail along Kilpacker Creek. This particular one looked like it would produce a nicer backpacking loop than is otherwise available.

37: new valley, new landscape
Looking down Bilk Basin.

38: long, big water creek
The creek in the middle possitively roars.

39: big waterfall
The roar is only partly due to the large waterfall.

After a short while, I headed back the way I'd come, at least for a quarter mile or so.

40: rock jutting from loose rocks
Directly below Lizard Head.

At the junction, I kept to Cross Mountain Trail. There are spots where the road has narrowed and one where the trail has taken a new route, but mostly, it's all old road and it's really steep. It was enough to make me extra sore as I made my way down.

41: more crumbling rock
There's more badlands in this valley than at first glance.

42: tall rock
One last look at Lizard Head.

43: multiplying trails
The steep trails multiply when they get soggy and run with water.

44: wilderness sign
Out of the wilderness once more. It ends early here because space was left for the old road.

Since the road was left out of the wilderness for a length, I tried to notice what reason there was. I saw nothing. There's one spot where it actually curves way outside of its corridor and at the extreme point is a meadow full of piles of sticks. They look like they were lumber once, at least roughly, but not quite like collapsed buildings. Other than that, all I saw were trees and some views.

46: smooth green mountain
Another look at Sheep Mountain.

I passed the junction with the Groundhog Stock Driveway and things turned to meadow. I could see the parking for the trailhead below, but never quite got to it. Off to the side is another old road and on it was a sign about a buried high voltage cable. It matches a sign near the bottom of the road to the Lizard Head Trailhead. Logically, the buried cable should follow somewhat the path of the old lines, which are on my Forest Service map. Also, there's a pretty well used path along it. I figured it was a better option than the side of the well used, shoulderless highway and took it.

48: cars in a lot
The Cross Mountain Trailhead up ahead.

49: wide, unused road
The route of the buried high voltage cable is a wide road with no traffic.

It worked out well. I even bumped into three people taking their exercise on it. It was smooth with a fairly steady climb and certainly no longer than the highway. I just wondered why they wouldn't suggest it as a much safer option than the highway.

50: red mountains
The view for my return to Lizard Head Trailhead.

Of course, since I had walked over from the camping area, I had to cross the highway back, too. Still, much safer than actually walking the edge of the highway for 2+ long miles breathing fumes.

*photo album*




©2022 Valerie Norton
Written 6 Jul 2022


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Comments

Anonymous said…
If there's an Uncompahgre Plateau, shouldn't there also be a Compahgre Plateau?

Actually, I understand it's a native American word. Or old miners' fumbling attempt at Romanizing it. :-)

Just gorgeous country.
Prior was by me, didn't mean to be anonymous.
Valerie Norton said…
I've been to Unalaska, Alaska, too.

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