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Published: March 17th 2008
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Distance: 10 miles
Rating: difficult-strenuous
For the second hike of my “Wilderness Area Tour,” I headed to the southeastern part of the Eagles Nest Wilderness above the towns of Dillon/Silverthorne and Frisco. At 133,688 acres, Eagles Nest is one of the larger wilderness areas in Colorado. Running through the area are the impressive mountains of the Gore Range, several of which are visible to drivers heading west from the Eisenhower Tunnel. One of the most recognizable peaks is dome-shaped Buffalo Mountain above Silverthorne. The I-70 corridor and the Blue River Valley segment the area around Eagles Nest into several distinct mountain ranges. After leaving the Continental Divide, the Williams Fork Mountains rise to the north, while the Gore and Ten Mile Ranges climb to the west of the Blue River. The Eagles Nest Wilderness encompasses much of the land north of I-70 from the Blue River Valley to eastern Vale and beyond.
Eccles Pass is a challenging, but highly rewarding 10 mile hike in the southeast corner of Eagles Nest. The pass itself sits in a saddle between Buffalo Mountain and an unnamed 12,000 ft+ peak. Views from Eccles Pass are absolutely amazing. To the immediate north is the
jagged summit of Red Peak and Red Buffalo Pass. Red Buffalo Pass was once considered as a potential route for I-70. To the east are the Williams Fork Mountains and the small Ptarmigan Peak Wilderness. The view to the south reveals the Ten Mile and Mosquito Ranges. Grays and Torreys Peaks, two of the most popular 14ers in the Front Range, can be seen to the southeast along the lower stretches of the trail. While the distant vistas are impressive, the immediate land surrounding the trail is also quite beautiful. The trail follows Meadow Creek for much of the trek and passes through several alpine meadows.
From the trailhead just off of I-70, the hike follows the Meadow Creek Trail to the north and west. Along the initial several miles, the trail climbs at a moderate to strenuous pace. Before actually entering the Eagles Nest Wilderness, the trail passes through several aspen groves. As the trail climbs, look to the south for increasingly better views of the vast Dillon Reservoir. After about a half mile, the trail enters Eagles Nest and continues to climb until about 2 miles in. At this point, the trail levels off a bit as
it passes through pine forest and meadows. Hikers will have to cross Meadow Creek at one point, so it can be helpful to have waterproof boots. Eccles Pass comes into view within the last 1.5 miles of the hike. From below, it looks like a jagged saddle to the north. The Meadow Creek Trail eventually dead-ends at the intersection with the Gore Range Trail about a mile from the pass. Follow the Gore Range Trail up a short but steep series of switchbacks to Eccles Pass (11,900 ft).
There are plenty of options for people looking for an even longer hike. From Eccles Pass, the trail continues down into the bowl beneath Red Peak and Buffalo Mountain. From here, hikers can either head west over Red Buffalo Pass or east along the South Willow/Gore Range Trail. There are several unofficial “social” trails in the area that climb the ridge between the pass and Buffalo Mountain to the east. There is an official eastern face trail to the summit of Buffalo Mountain that starts in the Dillon area.
As always with high altitude hikes, bad weather is always a possibility. Considering how high and exposed the area is, I
don’t recommend attempting to reach Eccles Pass if there is even a hint of bad weather on the horizon. Also, due to run off, several of the meadow areas along the trail can be a bit marshy. Waterproof boots are nice to have in these areas and places where the trail crosses Meadow Creek.
Directions: From the Denver area, take I-70 west to just outside the town of Frisco. Take Exit 203 and turn northwest. Follow the road to the end of the pavement, then turn left onto a dirt road. Follow the dirt road for a half mile before reaching the parking area.
One additional warning: I generally go for my hikes on Sundays. During the height of the ski season or the camping season (so virtually year-round), I-70 can get very congested on Sunday afternoons as people head back home. The worst traffic is usually from Georgetown to Idaho Springs, but backups can start before the Eisenhower Tunnel heading east. If you plan to go for a hike anywhere along the I-70 corridor, you might want to consider avoiding Sundays all together unless you can get a very early start.
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