Boulder - Fowler & Rattlesnake Trails

Hiking in Boulder County can be very enjoyable or frustrating and not much in-between.  Boulder County has some of the best trails and scenic views close to home, but at the same time trails can be closed for a variety of reasons; from muddy conditions (even when not too muddy) to wildlife protection.  One must be flexible when hiking in Boulder County.  Flexibility was the key word in my recent hike to Eldorado Canyon State Park.

The weather had not been too cooperative for high country hiking, mainly because I am tired of snowshoeing for a while.  So, I decided to try Eldorado Canyon State Park and vicinity.  The weather was nice, sunny and not too warm or too cold.  Eldorado Canyon State Park was severely damaged during the 2013 flood, but is coming back nicely.  It is also a destination for rock climbers of many skill levels.  During the day, I saw a number of climbers on the opposite mountain side.  It can be difficult to get a decent picture of them from a long distance.

Canyon Climbers (1)

Canyon Climbers (2)

I parked just inside the entrance to the park; there weren't too many cars there yet, but it would fill up by the time I was done.  I decided to hike the main road for about a mile before hitting the Fowler Trail.  My plan was to hike the Fowler Trail east out of the park and on to some Boulder County area sto try and get some mileage in.  On driving in, I learned that an earlier trailhead was closed, so I was sort of expecting some possible closures, but off I went anyway.  My first view was out of Eldorado Canyon (pretty awesome!).

Eldorado Canyon and beyond

Once I left the state park, I quickly discovered that Boulder County had closed all the trails east of the canyon due to mud.  But since I was flexible, I turned around and headed for the Rattlesnake Loop.  Rattlesnake loop was more of a climb than I had wanted but, hey, I'm flexible.  Rattlesnake Loop takes you up the side of the Eldorado Canyon to the ruins of an old Hotel and then on to a view of the Continental Divide.  

Fireplace Ruins

Continental Divide

Wildflowers, Canyons, and Plains

I saw a few wildflowers along the way.  Oh by the way, the actual Loop part of Rattlesnake Loop was closed for Raptor Nesting.  Peregrine Falcons in this case.  All in all it was an enjoyable, if short day.  I was back in plenty of time to do more things at home.  Unfortunately, with various weather issues, home chores, and an upcoming RV trip to Idaho, this would be my last hike for a few weeks.

Overall Track Statistics for track Boulder - Fowler - Rattlesnake Loop

 Length 5.955 miles

 Start Elevation - 5857.19 feet

 Maximum Elevation - 6834.09 feet

 Minimum Elevation - 5809.45 feet

 Date of Hike - Apr 24, 2015

 Start Time - 09:16 AM

 End Time - 12:21 PM

 Total Duration -     3:04 hours:min

 Total Ascent - 1571.85 feet

 Total Descent - 1619.59 feet

 Net Ascent - -47.74 feet

 Maximum Grade - 55.68%

 Average Speed -  2.84 mph

 Maximum Ascent over Mile - 1571.85 feet

 Maximum Speed over Mile -  3.77 mph

 Maximum Gain over Mile (%) - 14.86%

You will note in the elevation graph a steep section.  There was a small section of the trail, not too long that was a series of pretty steep switchbacks.  My GPS may have lost lock in that stretch, so I am not sure that section of the graph is completely accurate.