Bridge of Heaven Hike

I am trying to get as much hiking in before the summer busy season starts and this weekend was no exception.  Since I had a whole day and was feeling pretty spry I decided that I wanted a good challenge.  The trail I hiked was aptly named Bridge of Heaven and I started out by following a trail called Old Horsethief that would lead me to where I wanted to go.  There are a couple different ways to get to the Bridge of Heaven and I choose one of the longer and more difficult routes.

The trail starts along highway 550 just north of the town of Ouray.  The beginning is steep and forested and has many switchbacks as it makes it's way up the mountainside.

The trail skirts a large rocky scree field called the blowout.  The blowout is a huge gash running up the side of the mountain which is incredibly steep.  The trail winds back and forth along the south side of the formation and then comes to a point near the upper end of the gash that is level enough to cross.

The trail then continues to wind it's way up the north side of the blowout.  Every so often the trees open up to reveal the ever more impressive views.

There are a few nice little waterfalls along the trail too.

The trail continues to climb higher and forest gives way to high mountain meadows and thick stands of aspen trees.

 The view to the north reveals the town of Ridgway down in the valley and far off in the distance is the Grand Mesa.  I am glad that I had a relatively clear day that allowed me to see so far.  There has been a large fire burning to the south and the smoke has often filled the mountain valley this summer.

 Mount Abrams is an imposing figure front and center from this view.  At this point I have nearly reached the tree line and I can see the very top of Red Mountain in the distance.

 To the northeast you can see the western side of the Cimmarons and Courthouse Mountain just peeking above the ridge line.

The trail continues to climb more gradually and there is one final push to the top through a flower filled alpine meadow.  At the high point on the trail you can see far into the distance in every direction and the views become incredible.

To the south Red Mountain fills the end of the valley that makes up Ironton Park.  I have hiked around that area a couple times and I was surprised that I could see that far up the valley from here.  You can even make out Clear Lake at the close end of the valley.

 To the southwest you get a great view up the two valleys on either side of Mount Abrams.  The valley centered here is Yankee Boy Basin.  The Sneffles Range runs along the north side of the basin.

To the north you can see the Grand Valley spread out below the Grand Mesa.  The distance I can see from here is astonishing.  There are so many places to explore between here and there.  From this elevation I feel like I have only scratched the surface.

 To the northeast Courthouse Mountain stands out squarely against the backdrop of the Cimmarons.  I have seen the view from the top of that mountain too and it is nearly as breathtaking as what I am seeing today.

If you look closely in this view to the west you can even see the La Salle Mountains in Utah.

As I made my way down the mountain I took the time to stop and appreciate this tiny trickle of water.

 There was still a little snow left up this little protected valley just under the peak.  I imagine that this patch of snow hangs around much longer into the summer after a snowier winter than we had this year.  I have a feeling that this particular creek will be running dry within a month when the snow disappears.

I tried to take in some details on my way back down and got some really nice shots of the local flora.  This lichen growing on a rock was growing in such an interesting pattern that it caught my eye.  I don't ever recall seeing one growing in a spiral like this before.

 The alpine meadows were filled with all kinds of different flowers.  

Overall the hike was awesome by my standards.  It had all kinds of great views and lots of varied terrain.  I started fairly early in the day so the weather was just about perfect the whole way too.  I will say that this hike isn't necessarily for the faint of heart though.  My total trail length was just under ten miles and I hiked an elevation gain of around 5000 feet, starting at around 7000 ft and getting to the high point of 12500 feet.  Needless to say it was a very long hike and I had to take many breaks to catch my breath on my journey to the Bridge of Heaven.  By the time I got back to my car I was very happy to be off my feet.

I topped off the day with a good soak in the local hot springs when I was done.  It wasn't by any means the easiest trail I had ever hiked, but the view from the top has me itching to do it again soon.  Just hanging out on a mountain top on a brilliantly beautiful day is quickly becoming my favorite hobby.