The morning air was brisk and the sounds…unusual. Typically, we want wilderness when we set out: going to great lengths to seek settings of solitude, pursuing peace and quiet. The unusual sounds? The thunder of cars and semis barreling along I-70. Never before had we started a hike so close to a major interstate, but this wouldn’t be our only first of the day. This, our 60^th blog post, would be our inaugural hike in the Gore Range of Colorado.

Booth Creek Trail’s proximity to the highway and the crowded mountain town of Vail comes at the price of popularity. With fewer than twenty parking spots at the trailhead, Ty and I left Denver hours before sunrise in an effort to avoid having to take a shuttle to start our day. Our early wake-up deemed successful, and we felt at ease as we started up the trail, the din of the freeway fading away, replaced by the symphony of the scenery.

The trail lead us from the parking lot into the Eagle’s Nest Wilderness where, in the trees above, the hues of autumn adorned the leaves with brilliant shades of orange and gold.

Higher above, the rocky contours of the Gore mountains sculpted the valley we meandered through. Colorful groves of aspen dotted the predominately pine forest in the valley.

The trail followed Booth Creek, and we could intermittently hear the hushed sounds of water splashing the rocks along the creek-bed.  After several miles of hiking, the trickling noises began to crescendo. Our ascent steepened dramatically: we were approaching something.

As we reached flatter ground, we realized we had come to the top of the famous Booth Falls, a magnificent, clamoring cataract with water tumbling sixty feet down a sheer rock face.

We pressed onward, agreeing to admire the falls more on our return. Lighting wasn’t yet optimal for picture-taking, anyhow. As our ascent continued, we noticed a large mountain to the south that dominated the landscape.

On closer inspection, the peak’s unique topography revealed its identity: Mt. of the Holy Cross. This was a summit we visited back during our Ecoregions excursion, which is detailed here. Maintaining a quick pace, we passed through some bucolic meadows and prepared for the transition to timberline.

This transitional area is known as the alpine krummholz zone (something we learned during Ecoregions!), and as the trees thinned and our legs began to weaken, the trail curved west.

The way forward steepened once again, and we could tell we were nearing our destination as the surrounding mountains began to fence us in.

We passed by some large boulders and were suddenly greeted by an expanse of cobalt.

We had arrived at the zenith of our adventure: the rocky shores of Booth Lake, a crystalline body of water nestled at the feet of the towering Gore peaks above. We explored around, and I continued uphill in an attempt to get a good shot of the entirety of the lake.

Reaching the lake required an ascent of over 3,000 feet, so after some R & R for our legs and an unfortunate encounter with an awful-tasting protein bar, we were ready to head back down. In his usual fashion, Ty bounded ahead, and I suggested we meet back at the car so I wouldn’t slow him down.

The anticipated crowds began to appear and we passed by many other recreationists on our descent. Back at Booth Falls, a gaggle of people had already gathered by the waters. Strangely enough, the trail doesn’t actually pass by a scenic view of the cascades, instead leading to the crest of the falls. I descended the trail a bit, then veered west toward a rocky outcrop. I still couldn’t get a good shot. Looking down from the rocks, I could see a steep slope of gravel that lead to some tree roots. Beyond the roots was a drop-off. I carefully descended this slope, bearing in mind the severe consequences of a misstep. From the roots, I hugged the base of the rock to avoid the drop and was slowly able to reach a flatter area where I could capture the entirety of the waterfall.

The scramble cost me a lens cap, but the views made the sacrifice well-worth it. It took about twenty minutes of waiting before I could get a picture that didn’t include the horde of hikers at the top. My patience paid off, and after getting the shot I desired, I scrambled back to the trail to finish the descent.

Our inaugural 10-mile Gore range excursion made for a wonderful adventure, and as I returned to the car, Ty and I agreed we’d certainly be returning to this part of Colorado.

Until next time my friends, stay adventurous!