It’s springtime in the Rockies, so that means… must be time for a mud hike!  Gorgeous day out yesterday, so I donned hiking boots and did the Rim Rock Trail in Castlewood Canyon.  Don’t let the name fool you:  In addition to plenty of rock, there’s also plenty of mud this time of year.

It’s been a while since I did a Roxhikes post.  Typical that the DP’s Boulder-Golden-centric trail writer would ignore ALL of my favorite south and west Denver hiking spots in this piece:

“10 winter hikes near Denver where you can try to avoid the snow”

Really, Mindy?  Your idea of a great Douglas County hike is… Greenland Ranch?  What about Waterton Canyon?  Roxborough Park?   Castlewood Canyon?   These places all have GREAT winter hikes – not to mention great spring, summer, and fall hikes too.  I mean, C’MON!  <Ah well – at least she included Garden of the Gods.>

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Not to worry, though.  This just gives me a few new ones to try out.   You can try them out too – IF you’re local.  And if not?  Well, then we can only hope you’re on a secluded white-sand beach somewhere very, very warm…

I’ve posted about Castlewood Canyon before and you can read all about it here.  Every time I go back there I find something new. This time I found the Lucas Homestead, perhaps one of the greatest Real Estate deals of the early 20th century.  Read on for details.

*** The Hike ***

You can park in the Homestead parking lot after entering Castlewood Canyon State Park from  the North Entrance near Franktown (not the Main Entrance off Highway 83).  The short Homestead Trail connects to the Creek Bottom Trail which will take you all the way upstream to The Dam, about 3 miles.  There you can cross over the trickle of Cherry Creek and return 3 miles along the other side on the Rim Rock Trail.  It’s about a 2 hour hike overall.  Even on a winter’s day like yesterday (Dec 18th) it can be warm and sunny with highs in the upper 50’s.  Still, in the shady spots the trail stays icy, so Yak Trax or Micro Spikes or any appropriate footwear is highly recommended.

Micro Spikes

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With the help of Shaun Boyd at the Douglas County Library I have researched a few of the old Land Grants in the area.  I was curious because I pass these tumble down ruins regularly on the walks I take around our Roxborough place.

There is an abandoned log house (and outbuilding that looks like it housed livestock) nearby where I live.  It’s at the junction of the Elk Valley Trail with Iron Bark Drive in Roxborough State Park.  My search for a name or historical info on this site so far remains fruitless. Can you assist? Photos attached.

Thanks!

*** Reply ***

I think, according to the census records at http://glorecords.blm.gov that is the homestead of Melvin (Mel) Head. The certificate was issued August 12, 1915.

 

https://glorecords.blm.gov/details/patent/default.aspx?accession=486567&docClass=SER&sid=zmlb3fbr.th2

 

I don’t have much on Mr. Head, but if you want to come down to the library in Castle Rock, we can look.

 — Shaun

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Of course what remains of the Lucas Homestead in Castlewood Canyon is much more complete than what remains of the old Head place in Roxborough.  That is most likely because the Lucas family chose poured concrete (very unusual for the time – somewhere between 1894 and 1901) over wood for their primary construction material.

When it comes to Real Estate you really do get

what you pay for.

At the head of Waterton Canyon stands Strontia Springs Reservoir which provides drinking water for many Denver residents.

Downstream, the South Platte River flows toward Chatfield Reservoir. This provides additional opportunities for fishing, boating, and swimming. Beyond, 20+ miles distant as the crow flies, lies downtown Denver.

Waterton Canyon is home to many residents, including dozens of bighorn sheep, scores of mallards and other birds, and both rainbow and brown trout.

There are even a few humans living here. These fortunate folk are employed by Denver Water to manage natural resources. They live year round on site. But such humans tend to be much more camera shy than bighorn rams.  These guys seem to treat the roadway as their own and have no problem posing for pictures.

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Visitors (like me) ride mountain bikes or hike the 6.5 miles of dirt road from trail head to Strontia Springs Reservoir.  Beyond, for the more adventurous (or for those with better lungs and legs – and more time!) lies the 567-mile Colorado Trail which terminates near Durango.  See here for a great Denver Post piece on the woman whose efforts brought this trail to life.  And see below for me at the trail head:  Though I’ve done the first 6.5 miles many times, I never hiked the whole thing.  But it’s definitely on the bucket list.

A Colorado State Parks Pass costs $7 for the day.  Or, you can – as I do – go in with 100+ of your closest friends and neighbors to get the group discount rate of $45 for the year.  Aside from all the agonizing details of affixing it properly to the inside of your car’s windshield, this pass is a great deal.

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One of my favorite hiking spots is Castlewood Canyon State Park.  Located off Highway 83 between Colorado Springs and Denver, Castlewood Canyon sits in the headwaters of Cherry Creek just south of Franktown.  It is home to some amazing sights – and critters. Photos are from June 2017.   I revisited recently.

Although Cherry Creek is not much more than a trickle at this point, it once supplied a large reservoir behind an earth and stone dam built here in the 1890’s. Originally unnamed, the lake became known informally as “Lake Louisa” to the men who built the dam.  Louisa was the enterprising wife of a local homesteader.  For a fee she supplied dam workers with 2 hot meals a day during construction.  In those pre-OSHA days, she also tended to inevitable injuries incurred on the job.  Anesthesia came via a flask of whiskey stowed in Louisa’s apron.  Legend has it this was a real hit with the workers, injured and uninjured alike.

All was well on Lake Louisa right up until the day the dam broke after unusually heavy rains in 1933.  Here is all that’s left of it today.

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If you ever get the chance to visit Castlewood Canyon State Park, I highly recommend it.   With a little lead time, I might even serve as your guide.

Trails are marked with piles of rocks…

… but it never hurts to have a guide®.

<Words to live by.>    😉

I pass this sign on my way up to hike on Mt. Falcon.

Great stuff if you like puns.

Man Comes Up With the Most Punderful Road Signs to Make Passersby Smile

Thanks, Vince Rozmiarek!

Bonus Mt. Falcon photos:

All that’s left of the “Summer White House.”

Walker Homestead ruins.

View of downtown Denver from Mt. Falcon.