Seven Bridges Trail

Seven Bridges Trail is a popular hike following the South Cheyenne Canyon creek up the canyon until you ultimately get to Jones Park. There are many branches off this trail that meander all over the area North of Cheyenne Mountain. This trail gets it name because as you can imagine from the name there is Seven Bridges across this little river you see below.

From Seven Bridges Trail

The trailhead starts just off Gold Camp road just above Helen Hunt falls. The upper part of Helen hunt is pictured below.

From Seven Bridges Trail

The trail is wide and easy to follow as you get started. Notice the great Irish Adventurer & Story Teller in the striking pose checking out the scenic view before venturing off into the wilderness

From Seven Bridges Trail

As you move higher and get past the last of the Seven Bridges the trail become less traveled and more difficult. Normal tourist usually don’t get this far.

From Seven Bridges Trail

Several miles higher up the valley is a beautiful aspen grove where the trail splits. There is a little creek here that feeds Cheyenne Canyon Creek, and is a beautiful place to camp or have a picnic.

From Seven Bridges Trail

On the way back down the canyon is to steep at the bottom to walk next to the creek so the trail runs higher on the side of the canyon in loose sliding gravel.

From Seven Bridges Trail

Here and there, some scrambling is required to get over large rocks.

From Seven Bridges Trail

Steps must be taken with care or else you’ll end up sliding down the gravel slope into the creek far below.

From Seven Bridges Trail

From Seven Bridges Trail

From Seven Bridges Trail

About time we got off that slope!

From Seven Bridges Trail

A rare picture of the photographer / biographer as taken by the Irish Story teller.

From Seven Bridges Trail

Stanley Canyon

Just west of the Air force Academy in the Front Range there is a creek and a trail up Stanley Canyon that leads to the Stanley Canyon reservoir.

Its a good afternoon hike on a weekend, not to long just a few miles, but rather steep and sometime rocky. It is however a beautiful trail following the creek ever higher until you get to the dam holding back Stanley Canyon reservoir.

While not so high as some of the mountain peaks around Colorado this is a view hike in a narrow rocky canyon

From Stanley Canyon

Over the centuries the water running down this canyon has made some strange rock formations

From Stanley Canyon

 

From Stanley Canyon

There is little water falls all the way up the canyon as you move higher.

From Stanley Canyon

 

From Stanley Canyon

Looking back down the canyon towards the Air Force Academy you can see how narrow the canyon is.

From Stanley Canyon

late in April there is still a lot of snow down inside the canyon where the sun cannot shine.

From Stanley Canyon

At last the Stanley Canyon reservoir. Its  small lake held back by an old earthen dam. It still has ice on part of it.

From Stanley Canyon

The spill way over the earthen dam feed the creek that still runs down the canyon.

From Stanley Canyon

On the way back down deep inside the canyon on an ice sheet, the footing is treacherous.

From Stanley Canyon

You can see the plains in the distance through the steep canyon walls.

From Stanley Canyon

More waterfalls along the trail.

From Stanley Canyon

 

Rampart Reservoir

Rampart Reservoir is one of reservoirs that supplies Colorado Springs with drinking water. While it is open to the public and there is a recreation area where you can camp and enjoy the area, there are restrictions on what you can do. While you can boat, fish and picnic, you cannot swim or wade in the water. There are great hiking trails around the area and that is what we did when we went there in the early October one sunny Sunday afternoon.

From Rampart Res

The reservoir is large and spreads out over dozens of square miles. It’s at a very high elevation 10,000 ft in the front range mountains, with Pike Peak in the background it a spectacular sight on a beautiful day.

From Rampart Res

Even though it was a bit cool the sunshine at the high altitude has heated the rocks to a nice warm temperature and it was pleasant to sit on them and feel the heat radiated back.

From Rampart Res

Like most reservoirs the water level fluctuates widely with the seasons and that make for stark and interesting formations along the shoreline.

From Rampart Res

From Rampart Res

As we hiked along the shoreline trails, following little fingers of water that fill the once dry mountain valleys, different landscapes take shape.

From Rampart Res

Looks like someone painted here

From Rampart Res

Interesting rock formation often require climbing them for closer inspection

From Rampart Res

A picture on the top

From Rampart Res

Getting back down is not always as easy are going up.

From Rampart Res

We ultimately hiked about 1/3 of the way around the reservoir in half a day, but did not have time left in the to completely circle it, so we had to retrace our steps and return to our Jeep.

From Rampart Res

All in all a worthwhile day hike if you are in the Colorado Springs area someday.

St Mary’s Falls

St Mary’s Falls is one of the longer and more beautiful waterfalls in the Front Range area of Colorado. (Hiking directions here) Its not a terribly long hike 5-6 miles round trip to the top of falls and back, but it can be a difficult hike. Its steep in spots and requires some scrambling over loose rocks and terrain. It is worth the difficulties though.

Our hike was going to be with some friends of ours Dean and Danny. We have hiked with them frequently. (See out Pikes Peak Adventure). The trail starts in North Cheyenne Canyon and for the most part follows Cheyenne Canyon Creek that makes up the Falls up the mountainside. If you fallow it far enough you will end up in Deep Park and ultimately the top and Almagre mountain.

You can drive to the top of North Cheyenne canyon and park in the lot next to the old section of Gold Camp road or as we did you can park at the Helen Hunt falls lower down in the canyon and hike up past Helen Hunt to St Mary’s Falls. It is said that the creek contains over 33 separate falls over three feet high along its length. I didn’t count to make sure though.

Pictured here is an interesting part of Helen Hunt falls. I think they call it Dead mans falls because so many people go out on the rocks and slip and fall.

From St Marys

Part of the climb from Helen Hunt to Gold Camp road can get a bit steep and treacherous.

From St Marys

Once up to Gold Camp road ( you can see it in the distance across the valley)

From St Marys

You follow the road along to one of told cave-ins that blocked the road years ago.

From St Marys

From St Marys

From St Marys

From this point you have to climb up the side of the cave and off into the woods, following the water ever higher.

All along the way are beautiful little water falls that you can stop by and enjoy.

From St Marys

We stopped and refilled out drinking water by filtering water from the creek into our canteens. The water here is the coldest and best tasting water you are likely to find in the anywhere world.

From St Marys

Farther up you can see the falls. The water cascades down a rock sheet for a couple of hundred yards.

From St Marys

The trail up the side of the falls in steep and rugged.

From St Marys

The top of the Falls where the rock sheet flattens out, and the Falls start.

From St Marys

Lunch and pictures.

From St Marys

We decided to continue up the mountain to get to the top for a better view.

From St Marys

Seems like the extra work was worth it!

From St Marys

Wandering around the top we found and old miners camp.

From St Marys

Looking inside you can see and old stove and plastic hanging against the walls. It looks like someone might have stayed here recently.

From St Marys