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| | | Mt Esther to Thomas Trail, CO | | | |
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Mt Esther to Thomas Trail, CO
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| Hiking | 7.62 Miles |
2,523 AEG |
| | Hiking | 7.62 Miles | | | |
| 2,523 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | My wife wanted to do family photos in an outdoor setting. She had seen Crystal Creek Reservoir with Pikes Peak as a back drop. There are three ways to access this. Either the Pikes Peak Toll highway, hiking up Mt. Esther, or going up the Notch by way of Crystal Falls in Green Mountain Falls. She was ready to hike it from GMF and I would carry Micah up 1400' in roughly 1.5 miles, but we had a slight problem. All of her hiking gear namely, her hydration pack has not been seen since before the move. It has been relatively warm up here I know 85  and there was no way my 80 ounce hydration bladder was going to work for all of us and the dog. She decided she wanted to drive anyway so the hiking plan was nixed.
Anyway, when Micah and my wife decided to take a nap Muesli and I decided to go scout spots. Headed up Mt. Esther and after running into 7 people on their way down it dawned on me I no longer have this trail to myself. I made pretty good time to the Crystal Creek Reservoir. After taking some pictures and scouting I hopped into the notch that leads into GMF and connects with trails. I had left a vm. for my wife and had not hear back so I connected with the Kirkpatrick trail to see the Crystal Falls which weren't as spectacular as I thought they would be. I ran into 5 people on the way down and family of five at the falls with a dog that immediately began posturing up on Muesli. I had to ask them if I needed to help them with their dog or if they would come get him since he was not on any kind of voice control or leash. They assured me he was friendly as he was in my space growling at Muesli.
I hopped on the Thomas trail which, based on the placard on a stone by the falls, was donated in 1958 as a gift to the community. This trail was a climb all the way to the falls on rough rocky terrain with no switchbacks until below the falls. I got a call from my wife who said they were awake and wanted to go to the Territory Days Celebration (Think Tempe Arts Festival) down in Old Colorado City. She said she'd meet me at the Lake in 15. The Catamount falls were much larger and more interesting than Crystal Falls. They are made up of multiple falls over several hundred feet. I took Micah up to where the trail below the falls starts and took a picture of the last of the falls before the bridge on Friday and had wanted to see the two falls I visited today. Jogged down Hondo Ave. with Muesli since my wife didn't think her car would make it up Hondo due to it's steep grade and spent a couple hours walking around Old Colorado City. 
I almost forgot to mention, according to the trail map I picked up in Green Mountain Falls, there was an alleged Bigfoot sighting on Hondo that was featured on a 1989 episode of Unsolved Mysteries.  |
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Route Editor
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