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*Editor’s note: Long before ambitious engineers built I-70 as a major east-west corridor across the Rockies, explorers, hunters and sheepherders cross the Gore Range via Red-Buffalo Pass. Explore the Gore Creek Trail with local guidebook author Kim Fenske.
Red Peak, as seen from the Gore Creek Trail near Red-Buffalo Pass.
Summit County mountaineer and guidebook author Kim Fenske is sharing some of his favorite high country spots with Summit Voice this summer. Click on the photo to visit his E-books online at Amazon.
By Kim Fenske
The Gore Creek Trail ascends east to Red-Buffalo Pass, where it joins the Gore Range Trail west of Silverthorne. The lower mile or two of Gore Creek is a popular destination of dog-walkers and waterfall-lovers who can take leisurely walks alongside the tumbling cataracts as Gore Creek drops steeply into the valley. For more ambitious hikers and backpackers, Gore Creek offers dense fir and spruce forest, open wetland meadows, and views of scenic mountain peaks. A full trail description is included in Greatest Hikes in Central Colorado, available online as an E-book.
The first two miles of trail rise steeply from the trailhead, at 8,700 feet, to a bridge that crosses the stream to the south side, at 9,500 feet. The next two miles of trail pass through wildflowers in wetland meadows broken by stands of fir and spruce.
At four miles, the trail divides with a branch ascending sharply to Gore Lake, on the north side of the valley. The graves of early Swedish settlers Andrew and Daniel Recen mark the junction. Since any log crossing has been washed-out by the heavy snowmelt, there is a traverse through knee-deep water at this point.
A marker at the grave of early settlers Andrew and Daniel Recen along the Gore Creek trail.
At six and a half miles, the trail continues east across Black Gore Creek, a tributary. Again, there is no bridge, but a scattering of rocks and logs provide a crossing a few feet upstream. The trail continues on switchbacks east with views of the boulder fields from which Black Gore Creek arises. The saddle of Red-Buffalo Pass, 11,740 feet, overlooks Red Peak and Buffalo Mountain. The trail continues down to meet the Gore Range Trail, providing access to the South Willow Creek watershed east to Silverthorne.
The view south of Red-Buffalo Pass, in the Gore Range of Colorado.
Old-man-of-the-mountain wildflowers growing high in the Gore Range.
Colorado's state flower, the blue columbine.
A panoramic view of Buffalo Mountain the Gore Range of Colorado.
A bog orchid growing near the Gore Creek Trail.
Kim Fenske is a former wilderness ranger, firefighter who has hiked thousands of miles in the Colorado mountains. He has served on the board of directors of Friends of the Eagles Nest Wilderness Area.
Fenske has authored several hiking books filled with hundreds of photographs of Colorado wildlife, wildflowers, and scenery. His books are enjoyed by thousands of outdoor enthusiasts. His current electronic book titles are published on Amazon for Kindle, as well as Barnes and Noble for Nook. Search for these titles: “Greatest Hikes in Central Colorado,” “Holy Cross Wilderness Area,” and “Eagles Nest Wilderness Area.”
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Powder's falling at Monarch!! Have you reserved your spot yet?
Innovative energy underwrites coverage of energy stories.
Beautiful country. Hope the so called clean energy hunters/drillers don’t spoil it. Looking at what the Industry has done up in Alberta with the mining of the “Tar Sands”, and now they are going to export the stuff to Texas compliments of the Koch Bros, to keep the refineries active, instead of pursuing renewable energy sources, wind, solar, come to mind. I might add for the benefit of those who repeat the spin of the industry that such endeavors are not cost effective, look at the huge energy & environment costs of the a fore mentioned “Tar Sands”. Also, there are new more efficient solar & wind generating units available, much to the chagrin of the industry, who hide the real costs of what they do, even with their cutting corners. A bit of homework would bring these costs out in the open for anyone interested.
Yep, you’re on it, Norman. I sometimes listen for a minute or two to Rush Limbaugh in the car while I’m doing errands, just to see what the next new spin will be. Last week, Limbaugh made a big deal about how wind and solar are not cost-efficient forms of energy. We also got a robo call asking whether we thought the US needed jobs and then convincingly telling us that the pipeline from Canada would provide jobs. The final question was whether we supported the “job-creating” pipeline. We wind and solar folks need to get out ahead of that.
Kim Fenske’s stories and photos have been one-of-a-kind fascinating. Thanks, Summit Voice and Kim Fenske.