Horn Lakes

Trip Report -September 19th, 1997

By Marty Vyn Boennighausen

Last night I was awaken 3 or 4 different times by the bugling of elk. Fall is here in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains! My assessment as of today is that the fall colors are at about 25%.

To reach the Horn Lakes Hike from Westcliffe, take highway 69 south for about 3 miles and turn west on Schoolfield Road. Follow this road about .9 miles and turn south on Colony Lane. After 2 miles, turn west on Horn Road for abut 4.5 miles and go to the end of the road and turn right, past Horn Creek Ranch. From the Ntl. Forest parking area, walk up the 4 wheel drive road for a little less than a mile to the Rainbow Trail. Turn right (north) for just a few hundred feet and then head west on the Horn Creek Trail # 1342. We left the parking lot at 8:10am and were at the trailhead at 8:30am. From this point, it is 5 miles to Horn Lakes.

We found this trail to be extremely enjoyable. The Horn Creek Valley is not nearly as steep as many of the other hiking trails heading west into the Sangres. The trail heads up through a dense forest of aspen trees, pine trees, wildflowers and some mushrooms. At 8:45am the forest opened up to our first view of some of the big mountains.

At 9:20am we found ourselves walking by a grassy meadow and the trail flattened. At 9:35am we were right next to Horn Creek. Our Chesapeake, Shogun, was delighted to get a good cool drink of fresh mountain water. We were enjoying seeing many miniature water falls in this creek.

At 9:50am we found ourselves looking down on Horn Creek. A moment of panic set in as the creek looked wide and was running fast. Further exploration found the trail didn't really continue down right there. A little farther on, we found an easy crossing, going over rocks and logs.

Shogun, our 1 year old dog and wonderful companion, is a born hiker. He also likes to pick up a big stick and run through the forest like a deer or elk. Occasionally, he gets his "antlers" caught between 2 trees and comes to an abrupt halt!

At 10:05am we reach the border between the San Isabel National Forest and the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness. I was amused by the sign that said among other things that hang gliding is prohibited.

At this point it was 50 degrees F. and very comfortable for hiking.

At 11:05am was another view of the peaks and at 11:30am we had a fabulous view looking back on the valley floor and the Wet Mountains. We were finally out of the forest and into the wonderful alpine zone. We were surrounded by views, views, views in all directions! We passed several small lakes and continued on, sometimes through thick bushes that scratched our legs, but the trail was always obvious within a few feet.

By 11:40am we were at the final lake. The wind was very brisk and it was pretty overcast. Time for jackets and I even put on my gloves. The 13,931 foot Mt. Adams at the back end of the lake looked rough, vertical, cold, and gray. A couloir of snow attested to the cold on Mt. Adams.

One of our guide books says that you can climb the ridge to the north of Horn Lakes with the best route being about .5 miles below the main lake. The climb is steep but not dangerous. The book goes on to say you can see 4 fourteeners: Crestone Needle, Crestone Peak, Humbolt, and Kit Carson Peak.

After some lunch we started back at noon. At 12:15pm we were back by the lower lakes and heard a distant "oww". We looked up on the mountain ridges, but saw no one. Arthur said, "I don't think that was a person, it sounds like a tone that only an animal could make." We kept walking and a few moments later, we heard an even louder and longer "ow ow ow". Shogun picked his ears and growled. It was now evident that it was a pack of coyotes. Some were to the south and others were answering from the ridges to the north. We have heard that when coyotes howl, they are sending signals to the others in the pack, that they have found something to feast on. It was a very eerie feeling. We stepped up our pace and were soon much farther down the trail and back into the sunshine, forgetting about these high mountain neighbors. By 2:30pm we were headed back down the road for the Jennings Market in Westcliffe to get a few groceries for dinner.

As I write this during the evening of this particular day, Shogun is sacked out on the coach, lightly snoring. He has a smile on his face and I'm sure is dreaming of all the day's adventures. He is a tired pup tonight, but will be ready to go again tomorrow... or maybe the next day!

This trip report is dedicated to the loving memory of my father, Arend Vyn who would have been 87 years old today. He joined me in Spirit today, as he does on so many days. I am thankful that he will always be part of me.