Hewlett Gulch

I'd been looking forward to this trail for a while now for one reason: to let Lucy run off leash. Hewlett Gulch is located in Roosevelt National Forest, which allows dogs off leash with the exception of wilderness areas and high use trails. We got a late start due to a lazy morning of coffee and pancakes but finally made it to the trail a little after noon.

The first couple of miles were packed with a dozen or stream crossings. That, combined with the soil composition, made for a slightly muddy ride for me and a very muddy run for Lucy. Within a half mile of the trailhead, I failed to complete a crossing and was forced to submerge a foot. Fortunately, I was wearing thin socks that don't hold much water. The trail then left the gulch, entered a prairie, and climbed to the top of a (relatively) small hill. For a while it seemed as though I wasn't acclimating to the hills and elevation, but then it occurred to me that with each ride I'm going higher and farther. From the hilltop I had a 360° view of the damage from the High Park Fire of 2012. Over 87000 acres were burned, contributing to the subsequent floods of 2013 and making human environmental impact seem like a moot point. Overall, the trail was fun but unspectacular.

The ride only took a couple of hours, so I decided to spend the rest of the afternoon exploring Poudre Canyon. I drove farther than I had previously ridden and eventually turned down an inviting gravel county road that climbed into the mountains. We spent some time eating a snack on a high point, admiring the view, then continued until we came across a 4x4 road that the Tacoma lacked the gearing and traction to climb. Naturally, I parked and broke out the mountain bike. I quickly realized, however, that at 9000ft, I lacked the lung capacity to ride more than a few hundred yards. I think Lucy agreed as she trotted along, panting like crazy.

I drove a little over 100 miles total but found loads of backcountry campsites and trails - some labelled, some not. I can't even remember the last time I went camping, but I'm looking forward to it along with exploring some mountain peaks and high elevation lakes. By the way, I've started leaving notes on the fridge explaining where I'm going - that is when I actually know my destination.