Eldorado Mountain
We had just finished West Magnolia, really enjoying the weather and exploring the mines there. We were looking forward to Eldorado Mountain but not looking forward to trying to find the trailhead.
Like usual, we wandered through the tiny town of Eldora without much luck. We passed some people on ATVs and barely got three words out before they all pointed to the road to the trailhead. We thanked them and took that road up to the trailhead, and finally we were going.
The trail starts out very narrow and doesn't get much wider for a long time. We climbed the bumpy section through dirt portions and portions covered in scree. The views of the gravel pit below us and Barker Reservoir out by Nederland were spectacular.
We were soon out on the exposed area, but it wasn't bad at all. We took the tight switchback and kept climbing, and soon we were surrounded by pine trees. It was a good place to take a break, so we got out to stretch our legs.
It was very peaceful in the trees, and the weather was still gorgeous. No one wanted to leave, but soon we climbed back into our Jeeps and headed out.
We wound our way through the the trees, passing only one other vehicle there. We soon came out into the clearing, climbing over the ridge. When we were at the bottom, a truck started coming down fast. We stopped, noting a place directly in front of us where he could pull to the side. Instead, he bounced off-trail and went by us at a pretty good speed, passing us before we had a chance to flag him down. It was very odd and disappointing.
We went over the ridge and down the rocky hill, really enjoying the views. The mountains nearby had snow on them, though the temperatures were very nice.
The rest of the trail isn't particularly scenic, and it was very bumpy. We were pretty quiet as we bounced our way out and to the trailhead for Caribou Creek, which we would do next.
Even with the bouncing, this trail was really pretty. We were really glad we didn't run into anyone in the narrow section.
Reports from Other Days: 3
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