Hermit Pass
We ran this trail last on our way back to Denver from an exciting weekend trip in the Alamosa area. We started with Hayden Pass, did Blanca Peak the next day, then started our morning with Medano Pass. Monica and Bob S. were the only ones to do Hermit Pass and we were welcomed with a gorgeous trail and an awesome finish to our trip.
We aired down for the bumpy, rocky trail and enjoyed the rocks on the way up. We talked about how much fun the trail would be for someone new to wheeling and how this kind of trail would have been scary at one point not too long ago. It has some good-sized rocks here and there that you need to go over or around. Luckily the trail is usually wide while you're still below timberline.
We saw a few ATVs and a few stock SUVs coming up and down. This trail would be quite challenging for a stock SUV.
We popped out of the trees and were surprised to find a big, open area with our trail stretching into the distance. The views of the mountains were amazing and we took lots of pictures. It would continue getting better and better.
We went around the corner and pulled off to the side to walk over to the edge. The views were breathtaking here.
It wasn't long before we saw Horseshoe Lake and we stopped to stare at the lake with the sunlight shimmering off of it. It was greenish in color and absolutely gorgeous.
We kept climbing and eventually we could see some of Eureka Lake too up in the mountain. Every turn brought something even more beautiful, and even though it looked like we were at the end when we came over the top the trail actually kept going. We could see Rio Alto Peak now in front of us.
There was a large patch of snow on the last switchback but the trail cut over just before it and we didn't need to drive in snow. We finally got to the top and a wide area for parking and got out to enjoy the views.
We spent quite awhile up there, checking out the views from each edge and taking pictures. We walked a little way down the other side that is now closed to vehicles. It would be an awesome hike and we'd like to try it someday.
This trail is definitely on our list of trails to do as often as possible. The views were outstanding and the altitude took your breath away. This is an amazing trail!
Reports from Other Days: 2
Use the arrows or dots to flip through the previews of the other reports for Hermit Pass. Click one of them to read more and see all of the photos from that day.
