West Elk: West Elk Creek and North Baldy Mountain

Gunnison National Forest

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(purple line, map link)

It was dry and warm (for morning) under the trees, so easy to get up and pack up. I pondered my benefactor stream. Above, there is a bowl of sunken land and beyond that, no stream bed at all. It is a spring and it sinks away again as fast as it bubbles up. I headed down the steep trail into the steep valley. There was no water at the junction, but there was a little fire ring just inside the trees on the far side of the dry bed. I headed down and as the stream became less accessible in a narrow canyon, I started to hear the sounds of water.

Where the water is flowing, the streams are often lined with these stalks. (Fitweed.)

The steep grassy slopes as this tributary, Buck Hollow, heads toward West Elk Creek.

The trail was at first direct in getting down the hill and turning into a gully from the water that runs down it. However, it turned away to become more reasonable and pleasant and I got to marveling how it hasn't vanished in the meadows. Maybe because it is so free of turns? Then I came to a trail crossing mine and not much after, started losing it because I had missed the turn. So had others coming up, making the cross trail.

Plenty of water coming down the stream bed as the trail crosses.

Monkey flowers grow nearly in the water.

The trail is even pretty easy to follow through the corn lilies, if a bit wet in the morning.

I had really only gotten enough water at the spring to camp because it was dark and late. I didn't grab any more water at the crossing since a lazy map reading suggested I would be somewhat near to it for a while. It's true if you neglect all those contour lines between trail and water.

Long pink bells on one bush. (Snowberry.)

It's quite the mixed extravaganza of flowers in the meadows.

Including more Gunnison mariposa lilies.

I was on a big lazy turn through the meadows to West Elk Creek. When I got to it, it was like a steep canyon with an even steeper canyon inside.

Arriving above West Elk Creek, the upper steep canyon is visible looking downstream.

Taking it in from feet to ridge, there is a bit of a chasm in between.

There were times when I felt like the sloped trail near the gap was trying to drop me right in. Gradually the terrain softens and the trail drops down to the creek. There were a few tributaries along the way, if I really needed water.

Bright blue Penstemons are common at the meadow edges.

Sunflowers in the meadow as the trail drops to West Elk Creek.

Coal Mesa Trail runs into the Rainbow Lake Trail and ends at an unmarked junction. I still wasn't sure where Coal Mesa was after walking the whole trail. Maybe I was on the east edge of it while looking out over the pillars and fins above West Elk Creek? I crossed it in my neoprene socks before settling down to collect some water. Besides a tributary the trail flirts with on the climb up the other side of the canyon, there was no water that wasn't marked as seasonal until Mill Creek, which might well be camp. Otherwise it could be South Castle Creek. I decided to get three liters.

A pair of riders on a horse and a mule came down from Rainbow Lake while the water filtered. These were the first trail users spotted on the trip.

A horse and mule (and riders) came down the trail, the first people seen on the trip. After all the logs the day before and a couple more this day, it was a welcome sign that the trail might be clear of the things. I headed up under increasingly cloudy skies that finally started to rumble and drip as I reached the top. The trail flirted with and crossed water far above where it would be reasonable to assume it might based on how dry things had been so far.

Lovely lush meadows and some interesting rocks near the top.

Looking out over what was left behind.

Just some little rock sculptures along here.

Getting rained on while that far mountain is still sunny.

There was a small pond right at the top of the ridge. There were more cows milling about it. I turned at the signed junction for the "South Baldy" direction and hit the trees as hail started pelting down. Taking shelter under one, I pulled on my raincoat and snacked as I waited. It passed quickly and I headed up some more.

South Baldy comes into view.

There was a very obvious use trail heading up South Baldy Mountain from the high point of the trail. I wanted to take it. The mountain even has a benchmark. Various rumblings from the sky suggested it might not be a good idea. I headed down instead where the seasonal stream presented six shallow feet of rock hopping challenge. Oh, it was running alright.

Trying to get a view to the east.

Many paintbrushes in among the lupin and flower grasses up here.

It looked like a lot more hail had come down north of South Baldy Mountain. It wasn't melting very fast so added a thin layer of white for quite some time. I kept splashing into puddles hidden by the floating white ice balls, which was slowly but surely wetting my socks.

The trees along here don't give much cover, but it's a lot more than up on the peaks.

Water running where it isn't even marked on the map, but it has just rained.

I came to the signed junction with Sun Park. I had a slight worry about my route that would soon resolve itself one way or another. The trail around the side of North Baldy Mountain was the only one the Forest Service showed but was not on OpenStreetMap, so there was at least some question as to if it was there. On the other hand, it would probably be easier just to wander across the top of Middle Baldy, Middle Baldy Mountain, and North Baldy Mountain. This last was the tallest and the trail, if it was there, nearly comes to the top of it anyway. As I pondered the easy slope up Middle Baldy Mountain, a distant rumble came along. The sign actually said "North Baldy" on it for the direction, so I decided to take that as reassurance that it was there. Why wouldn't it be there? And how was I to know that would be the last rumble of the day?

The first junction with Sun Park and Middle Baldy Mountain beyond.

The second junction with Sun Park. This would be the time to just head up over the tops of things or get chased away by a distant rumble.

It was pretty from the trail, but I expect it would have been from the ridge too. From time to time I was threading my way between willows and small pines which both happily shed their load of water onto my pants, which would not have happened on the ridge. It was cold water. The wind was blowing. I could really have done without that. Okay, I should have at least put on the rain skirt and had a little less wet and a little more wind protection.

A particularly flower laden deathcama.

Lots of lakes above West Beaver Creek. The perfect place to look for Colorado's one salamander?

Getting a little more distant view, but not much.

Another set of lakes above West Beaver Creek.

Over one last hump, I passed from the West and Middle Beaver Creeks to Beaver Creek itself. Somewhere on that hump should be my trail. There was no junction. There was no trail split. There was a cairn, and a stick in a pile of rocks too. I went over and started down and checked the map and found I'd gone too far. I went back and tried to be on it and I just couldn't find anything. I continued around the basin, the map telling me I was too high whenever I looked and me looking down to see nothing of help below. I worked my way around, and I do mean worked. I did find some nice game trails to help a few times as I got near the end, but mostly I was on my own.

I like the part of this waterfall into Beaver Creek where it comes out of a snow cave. There does look to be a trail left of the hump by the top.

Truthfully, it did keep looking like there was trail over there on the far side of the bowl, but it never worked out. Going for them is how I found the game trails.

Looking down Beaver Creek.

I was just about to supposedly be on trail again as North Baldy Mountain was presenting me with another nice ridge to walk up. Considering I would basically be climbing the thing anyway, it would be more work to continue around the edge than to just start up. I gave up on the trail and started up.

The delightful faces of alpine sunflower turning this way.

At the top of North Baldy Mountain with West Elk Basin and West Elk Mountain beyond.

Looking back over the Middle Baldies. There is a trail on them.

Along with taking in the view, I also got myself a shinny new weather report so I would know just how much more rain was coming. It wouldn't be bad until the last two days.

Confusion of mountains to the west.

West Elk Basin is especially pretty with the hail and the old snow. West Elk Peak, the wilderness high point, is on the right.

Looking down on Mill Creek with a first look at The Castles (left) and more rocky protrusions (right).

I headed down toward the trail, which actually does exist over the high pass next to North Baldy Mountain. I could see it along the side of five big cairns headed to the south, but then quickly lost it after the cairns stopped. Getting to it is short but was hindered by a mass of residual snow. I wetted my feet some more going around that.

Scared another grouse. It looks like a new sort for me. (It's actually a ptarmigan.)

At the saddle, the trail was unmissable. I followed it down the steep north side to Mill Creek. Cairns were placed along the straights as it switchbacked downward. People had later placed smaller cairns at the turns to help with noticing them. I mostly made it down on trail. At the bottom, there were still cairns, but the trail vanished. I followed it down past a rocky flat spot that could do for a tent and down to where two branches of the creek were meeting. From the last cairn before they meet, I couldn't see anything of trail continuing on through willows. I saw no further cairns.

Coming down to Mill Creek. When The Castles are gone, these will be them.

The fresh weather report said 10% chance of thunder overnight. I decided to climb back up to the exposed flat spot anyway. I would have my Faraday cage, after all. (Disclaimer: tents with ungrounded aluminum poles may not act as good Faraday cages.) It would not be a place to put your closed cell mat, but I've got 3+ inches of inflatable. It took every bit of that to deal with the jutting nature of the rock. It was another long day, but this time I had just enough time to eat and clean before darkness enveloped me. Oh, what magnificent stars to watch while scrubbing my teeth.

Continue on to the next day ⇒

*photo album*




©2022 Valerie Norton
Written 31 Jul 2022