Flat Tops Wilderness Backpacking

(more photos in the album on the right side of the page)

Me (Brock) and the boys went backpacking last weekend in the Colorado Flat Tops Wilderness, part of the White River National Forest near Yampa, CO. This was our first backwoods trip into the Western Slope of Colorado--the mountain area west of the Continental Divide. Due to the moisture arriving from the west and not quite making it over the Continental Divide, the Western Slope is typically more lush with grasses and vegetation compared to the drier Eastern Slope and Front Range Rocky Mountains.

I've heard some say that the Flat Tops Wilderness is as close as you can get to a "Montana" feel from inside the Colorado border. I've never been to Montana, but from the photos and movies I've seen about Montana, I think I know what they mean. The mountains are different in this wilderness compared to the scaling peaks of other Colorado ranges. (Dana, if you're reading this, you can validate those "Montana" claims).

We left our home in Golden on Friday evening, somewhat leary about the forecasted storms in that area for the weekend (it's not fun to be at high altitude in the Rockies during a lightning storm). We decided to go anyway and play it by ear upon arrival. We drove through rain off and on the entire three hour drive to the trailhead. We hit the trail at approximately 5:40 pm with at least a two hour hike ahead of us...not much time to pack in, find a suitable campsite, and settle in for the night. The good news is the rain had completely stopped as we began our trek.

A couple of things to point out from the picture below. First off, you can see why this area is called the Flat Tops. Most of the mountains have steep climbs that flatten out into wide vistas at the top. Clouds were also moving in, with the prospect of rain showers looking grim (and losing valuable sunlight).

We were surprised to see so many wildflowers still in bloom this late into August. Colorado has experienced a lot of moisture this year, which has kept things greener and more colorful well into summer. The aroma blend from all of these flowers mixed in with the mountain breeze was incredible.

We had finally reached the high point of the trail (photo below), an 11,228 foot mountain pass that opened up into wide open meadows and clusters of pine trees for miles. From this point forward, there are no roads or towns within a day or two of average-paced hiking. It's all true and untamed wilderness.

With sunlight waning, we stepped up the pace to make Keener Lake, just short of four miles from our start. You have to make camp at least 100 feet off trail, so we started looking for a spot with some wind protection and not completely in the open with the approaching storms and lightning. After looking around for about 20 minutes, we stumbled across a spot that seemed as though it was prepared just for us. A nice flat area under a cluster of pine with a hearty stone campfire ring and log benches. I've never seen anything quite this "nice" off-trail in the primitive backcountry. This was awesome.

And no joke, as soon as we started setting up our tent, the rain started in. It was actually amazing that we didn't encounter a single drop of rain while hiking the trail...that would've been miserable. We had a few minutes to get a small fire going to warm up, then one stroke of lightning had us scurrying into the tent like frightened mice. We stayed in for the night, huddled together over a few good games of Uno, some Gushers and granola bars, then we hit the sack.

Our original plans were to stay for two nights and get in some fishing on the nearby backcountry lakes and ponds, but Jared came down with a bad headache and chest pains that lasted all night and into the morning. It was a tough call, and Jared even said he wanted to stay at one point, but as the trip leader I had to bag on the hopes of catching fish to ensure everyone's safety. Jared more than likely was experiencing some light altitude sickness, which is normal at these elevations and can happen to anyone, whether you're in the best of shape or not. However if the symptoms aren't relieving themselves along with food, water and some Tylenol, the only remedy is to descend from the mountain.

Jared was a trooper though, tired and with a bad headache now, he worked hard to carry his own pack and hit the trail with a smile.

The amazing thing on our trip is that we had rain all night and into the morning, and no sooner did we break down our tent to pack up, the rain completely stopped. Once again, this was a blessing as we had a beautiful hike along the trail, making for an easier return trip to the Jeep.

As soon as we made it back to the Jeep, the storms rolled in again. Jared had prayed two specific things before bed that night in the tent--a break in the rain on Saturday, and also for some good fishing. Was the break in the rain an answer to prayer or just coincidence? Well, you can decide that for yourself, but I have to wonder how the fishing would've turned out if we had chose to stick around for the second half of Jared's prayer. (smile)

We never saw a bear face to face, despite the Flat Tops being bear country, but we came close enough. Here is the rear left footprint of a Colorado black bear. Notice the claw prints in the mud:

One thing I've learned in the backcountry is to be prepared for anything, including cutting a trip short. It was no problem though. The boys did a terrific job, covering eight miles of trail with 14 & 20 lb. packs on their backs and around 1,200 feet of elevation gain over some steep trails. This was also Braden's first official overnight backpacking trip, so quite a milestone for him.

Those mountain trout are darn lucky we didn't stay for the extra day. I guarantee there would've been grilled fish on the dinner menu. For now, they survive another day and another big fish story.