The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from June until October. I was also the only person the entire time I was there. Couple lakes or big ponds maybe. On the way down, do yourself a favor. Climb the couloir which is about 40 degrees at the steepest and makes a great beginner snow climb. Hiking the old road to Horseshoe Mountain, Mosquito/Tenmile Range Peaks Above 13,000 Feet, Routes The entire Horseshoe Bowl surrounds you from here and offers a spectacular place to relax. Another option would be to continue 3.5 more miles east on the Weston Pass Road to the summit of Weston Pass where you can park. For some reason that isn't yet fully known the western half of North America underwent massive tension despite millions of years of compression prior, which resulted in the crust of the earth to pull apart. The USGS (U.S. Geological Survey) publishes a set of the most commonly used topographic maps of the U.S. called US Topo that are separated into rectangular quadrants that are printed at 22.75"x29" or larger. From the east, Horseshoe takes on a new character and becomes the peak by which all of its neighbors are defined. This is a hiking / climbing route map for Grays Peak in Colorado's Front Range. The road continues up to some mine tailings.There are no trails, but you can hike the area. Great hike! The namesake cirque on Horseshoe's east side is a beacon from much of the South Park area and is most likely the outstanding geographical feature of the Mosquito Range.Horseshoe is usually climbed from the east side via a series of old mining roads originating from the Leavick site located southwest of Fairplay. I actually have been here twice, but the first morning, the wind was so awful at the pass that it literally knocked me to the ground 4 different times. Horseshoe can be combined easily with Mt. Leave the road near its end at the old Peerless Mine at 13,100 feet. This was the Rio Grande Rift which is the same event responsible for forming the San Luis Valley. The hike from Calypso Cascades to Ouzel Falls is a bit more difficult than the hike to reach the other two falls, as you are ascending via a series of switchbacks. The entire area up the front of the mountain is crisscrossed with tons of old mining roads - take your pick. Horseshoe Basin is one of the few places in the Lower 48 to contain arctic tundra and is home to bears, deer and bighorn sheep, if you know where to look. Red tape is as non-existent as it gets here! Miners usually always dig where faults are located, especially major ones, because they provide great paths for water to flow through the rocks. Of course the main road, Four Mike, is incredibly bumpy but a 2WD low clearance can make it. All Rights Reserved. Horseshoe Mountain is climbed year-round, but optimal conditions generally occur from late June through September. The Coal Creek Basin trail is located within the Kannah Creek drainage area of the Grand Mesa. To continue to Horseshoe Lake follow the trail around the right side and up the trail on the left. Walk north a few steps to the summit. This is a 8.7 mile loop hike with 4400 cumulative feet of elevation gain that takes about 6-8 hours to complete. From the junction of US 285 and Colorado Highway 9 in Fairplay, continue south on US 285 to Park County Road 18 and turn right (west) onto this paved road and measure from this point. Park passenger cars here however if you have a high clearance 4WD vehicle continue on the rougher road another 0.9 mile to 11,580 feet at the intersection of another old blocked off road. Did this one back in March of 2017. Fourmile Creek TrailheadThis is the standard trailhead for Horseshoe Mountain which approaches from the east side of the range. 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