Mosquito Pass
It had been way too long since we did Mosquito Pass and we were really looking forward to it. We had a big trip planned that would take us from Fairplay all the way to Eagle with new trails along the way. We saw snow in the mountains on the way to Fairplay but the skies still had a bit of blue in them.
We were airing down near the trailhead on Mosquito Pass at 9:45AM so we were making good time. The blue skies gave way to more clouds as we got started and the weather really started getting chilly.
We didn't stop until we parked at the North London Mine. It was windy and around 40 degrees so we took our pictures and didn't hang out for very long. There were lots of thick clouds where we were going.
We soon left the mine and started up to the pass. We all noticed that the trail was rougher than it was before. Many of the rocks in the trail had the area before them dug out, making what was a bumpy trail a trail with small obstacles in it. We all enjoyed it, though.
A rock on the way up was close to the trail but we all got around it without any issues. We were seeing marmots and picas everywhere and it was really a good time.
When we got above timberline to the flat section before the pass it really looked like winter. There were patches of new snow and any standing water was frozen. We were in the clouds and everything was hazy.
We actually got out for a bit at the pass though it was really cold and windy. The sign had snow and ice on it and the grass was frozen. Bill was Mr. Man wandering around without a coat but the rest of us were bundled up. We posed for some pictures for Hoa and then we all quickly got back in our vehicles.
The trip down the other side was uneventful. It didn't seem as eroded and chewed up as the eastern side. We had heard that the mud pit on Birdseye Gulch was filled in and we studied it on the way down the mountain. It definitely looked like it was just a dirt road. We were sad about it but it was a good thing because it kept the trail open.
We stopped for lunch at a wide spot on the way down. It was chilly and it started raining a bit, so we didn't stay very long.
We headed to Leadville where we gassed up again, ready for the trek to Eagle. We went through town to Hagerman Pass. We couldn't believe that winter was already threatening to close Mosquito Pass and it was still the middle of September. Is it going to be a crazy winter?
Reports from Other Days: 5
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