Woodenshoe Buttes
Our plan was to run to the intersection with Burch Canyon, do that trail out and back, and then finish to the overlook of Woodenshoe Buttes. It turned out that Burch Canyon went all the way to the highway and it messed up the plan a bit, but in the end it all worked out.
Maverick Point was an easy trail so we were making good time. The middle of Woodenshoe Buttes was also pretty easy and flat, and it was very scenic while we drove next to the valley. The fall colors were amazing, with lots of yellows, reds and oranges.
When we got to the Burch Canyon trailhead we did that trail all of the way to the pavement and then we had a big discussion of what to do next. We decided to do Maverick Point again, the section of Woodenshoe Buttes we had already done (again) and then the Woodenshoe Buttes overlook. We didn't take pictures and we didn't stop, and the round trip took us only an hour (we were very surprised!).
Getting to the overlook was the most fun, because it wasn't maintained anymore. The trail was rocky in spots, and overgrown in others. We passed through a rough gate and it wasn't difficult to find the main overlook.
Our light was fading but it was still an amazing sight. We stood at the end of the bluff and we could see the valley around us on three sides. We could even see big trucks on the highway in front of us, though they were pretty far away. We took lots of pictures and hung out for a little while. No one seemed to want to leave. It was absolutely gorgeous.
But we had to leave. The light was fading and we had a lot of miles yet to cover. We hurried to the trailhead for Woodenshoe Buttes, and we didn't see much of the other half because we were in darkness. We could see that we were surrounded by trees, and it could have been Colorado from the way it looked.
Woodenshoe Buttes is definitely a long trail, but it's very well maintained until the very end. That means it doesn't take as long as you'd think. We really enjoyed it.
