Trail Running Around Golden/Red Rocks

Colorado peak questions, condition requests and other info.
Forum rules
  • This is a mountaineering forum, so please keep your posts on-topic. Posts do not all have to be related to the 14ers but should at least be mountaineering-related.
  • Personal attacks and confrontational behavior will result in removal from the forum at the discretion of the administrators.
  • Do not use this forum to advertise, sell photos or other products or promote a commercial website.
  • Posts will be removed at the discretion of the site administrator or moderator(s), including: Troll posts, posts pushing political views or religious beliefs, and posts with the purpose of instigating conflict within the forum.
    For more details, please see the Terms of Use you agreed to when joining the forum.
Post Reply
User avatar
FireOnTheMountain
Posts: 1181
Joined: 2/28/2011
14ers: 53  1  23 
13ers: 269 29
Trip Reports (23)
 

Trail Running Around Golden/Red Rocks

Post by FireOnTheMountain »

I'm looking for a particularly difficult trail run around Golden or Red Rocks. Anyone have any insight on the subject?

I've done Apex, enchanted forest and others which are great but am looking for something incline-esque I guess (lots of vert, small distance).

Thanks a lot.
Everyday is a G r A t E f U L Day here in the ID...?
User avatar
SurfNTurf
Posts: 1890
Joined: 8/20/2009
14ers: 58  28 
13ers: 127 7
Trip Reports (48)
 
Contact:

Re: Trail Running Around Golden/Red Rocks

Post by SurfNTurf »

Abe --

Have you tried Mt. Morrison from Red Rocks Entrance 4? It's not an "official" trail, I don't think, but there's an obvious path from top to bottom. It gains nearly 2,000' in a very short distance (1 or 2 miles, can't remember). Turn into Entrance 4 and park almost immediately on the right side of the road. The trail starts up to left, across the road. A word of warning though -- a forum member had his window smashed and car looted last summer at this parking area.

Mt. Falcon from the East entrance also can offer almost 2,000' of gain, but it's not nearly as abrupt.
“There are two kinds of climbers: those who climb because their heart sings when they’re in the mountains, and all the rest.” - Alex Lowe

"There have been joys too great to describe in words, and there have been griefs upon which I cannot dare to dwell; and with those in mind I say, 'Climb if you will, but remember that courage and strength are nought without prudence, and that a momentary negligence may destroy the happiness of a lifetime. Do nothing in haste, look well to each step, and from the beginning think what may be the end.'" - Edward Whymper
User avatar
Brian Thomas
Posts: 910
Joined: 4/1/2010
14ers: 58  9 
13ers: 130
Trip Reports (5)
 

punk ba$tards stole my Creedence tapes

Post by Brian Thomas »

SurfNTurf wrote:Have you tried Mt. Morrison from Red Rocks Entrance 4? It's not an "official" trail, I don't think, but there's an obvious path from top to bottom. It gains nearly 2,000' in a very short distance (1 or 2 miles, can't remember). Turn into Entrance 4 and park almost immediately on the right side of the road. The trail starts up to left, across the road. A word of warning though -- a forum member had his window smashed and car looted last summer at this parking area.
Don't park there, I was a smash and grab victim on a Tuesday afternoon between 5:00 and 6:30 last April. Park on the north side of CO 74 just before entrance 4 so your vehicle is in a visible area with traffic.
"I try my best to be just like I am, but everybody wants you to be just like them" - Bob Dylan
YonderMountain
Posts: 137
Joined: 3/30/2007
14ers: 22 
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: Trail Running Around Golden/Red Rocks

Post by YonderMountain »

FoTM (Great name by the way - recent 35th anniversary of 5/8/77!)

Where is Enchanted Forest? Which route in Apex do you recommend?

I run Green Mountain, Dinosaur Ridge, Red Rocks often and looking for other good trails in the area.
User avatar
roguejackalope
Posts: 239
Joined: 7/11/2011
14ers: 39  6 
13ers: 25 2
Trip Reports (1)
 

Re: Trail Running Around Golden/Red Rocks

Post by roguejackalope »

Chimney Gulch from 6 up to Windy Saddle or Buffalo Bill's grave is relatively steep (~10%). You gain almost 2000 feet in about 3.5 miles.

I'm going to keep my eye on this thread though because I am training for the Pikes marathon and I need to find some new climbs too.
"Hiking is just walking where it's okay to pee" - Demetri Martin
User avatar
MikeyC
Posts: 320
Joined: 4/13/2007
14ers: 26 
13ers: 12
Trip Reports (1)
 

Re: Trail Running Around Golden/Red Rocks

Post by MikeyC »

I run Mt Falcon pretty often and it may be too easy for you. There is also White Ranch from the east side. I'm not sure what the gain is and it has been a while since I have done it. It is very close to Golden though. I used to do the monocline route on Mt Morrison but I could have sworn they closed all the routes on that mountain. If not, a couple laps on that are awesome and you can get a crapton of vert really quick. Also, if you ever want a running partner please let me know. I may be a wee bit slower than you but I am training for the Pikes ascent this year and could use some help with motivation.

-Mike
User avatar
Monster5
Posts: 1759
Joined: 8/7/2009
14ers: 58  31 
13ers: 289 37
Trip Reports (27)
 
Contact:

Re: Trail Running Around Golden/Red Rocks

Post by Monster5 »

Some trails (all about 45 min - 1.5 hrs):

-Chimney gulch from 6th. Sort of steep during the first mile, but not challenging after. Plenty of trails to tack on though. I typically do this one from campus. Crowded.
-Matthews/Winters. Short and quick but easy to access. Starting at the NE entrance, has a nice steep lollipop up the Morrison slide and back via the red rocks trail.
-White Ranch. My favorite for running - has plenty of loop opportunities. Whippletree->Longhorn is a good start.
-Green Mountain and the Table Mountains. Has a quick initial steep gain with plenty of trails to cruise on after. Practice hopping rattlers. Sort of boring.
-Mount Galbraith. Good moderately steep lollipop. Gains about 1200' in a couple miles or so.

Edit - link for maps/stats: http://jeffco.us/openspace/openspace_T56_R108.htm
"The road to alpine climbing is pocked and poorly marked, ending at an unexpectedly closed gate 5 miles from the trailhead." - MP user Beckerich
User avatar
FireOnTheMountain
Posts: 1181
Joined: 2/28/2011
14ers: 53  1  23 
13ers: 269 29
Trip Reports (23)
 

Re: Trail Running Around Golden/Red Rocks

Post by FireOnTheMountain »

Thanks for the recommendations / warnings.

Here's some info on Apex / Enchanted. Enchanted is really neat but not too hard or long. You have to be weary about the day you are on the trail also, some days are designated for bikers and others for runners which is nice actually.

http://dtr.runuphillracing.com/Maps/Apex.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I've also heard of a Mount Morrison Funicular Ridge but that one might be closed for restoration. Supposed to be pretty hard.
Monster5 wrote:Practice hopping rattlers.
Very true :lol:
Everyday is a G r A t E f U L Day here in the ID...?
User avatar
SurfNTurf
Posts: 1890
Joined: 8/20/2009
14ers: 58  28 
13ers: 127 7
Trip Reports (48)
 
Contact:

Re: Trail Running Around Golden/Red Rocks

Post by SurfNTurf »

My understanding, which stands a strong chance of being wrong, is that the official trails on Mt. Morrison are closed for renovation/restoration. The ridge from Entrance 4, however, is not an official trail. Perhaps someone with better knowledge of the situation can chime in. Every time I do it I see plenty of other people on the trail, and I've never had a note/ticket left on my car or anything.
“There are two kinds of climbers: those who climb because their heart sings when they’re in the mountains, and all the rest.” - Alex Lowe

"There have been joys too great to describe in words, and there have been griefs upon which I cannot dare to dwell; and with those in mind I say, 'Climb if you will, but remember that courage and strength are nought without prudence, and that a momentary negligence may destroy the happiness of a lifetime. Do nothing in haste, look well to each step, and from the beginning think what may be the end.'" - Edward Whymper
User avatar
CRAIGO
Posts: 332
Joined: 8/2/2006
14ers: 58 
13ers: 25
Trip Reports (6)
 

Re: Trail Running Around Golden/Red Rocks

Post by CRAIGO »

I like running Mt Golbraith in Golden. Its 960' elevation gain in about 2 miles. The full loop is 4.2 miles.
Last edited by CRAIGO on Fri May 11, 2012 11:02 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
SolarAlex
Posts: 529
Joined: 8/15/2011
14ers: 35  13  5 
13ers: 92 23 5
Trip Reports (21)
 

Re: Trail Running Around Golden/Red Rocks

Post by SolarAlex »

+1 about rattlesnakes on table mountain. i have seen at least 5 snakes so far this season on north table, almost all of them over on the south side of the loop, where you are across from the coors plant.
Vincit Qui Patitur
User avatar
Tory Wells
Posts: 1799
Joined: 7/10/2007
14ers: 46 
13ers: 24
Trip Reports (9)
 

Re: Trail Running Around Golden/Red Rocks

Post by Tory Wells »

Doing a counterclockwise loop of Red Rocks and Dakota Ridge (starting from the Matthews/Winters lot) is a good one. You can also take the Zorro trail from Dakota over to Green Mountain to add more distance. You can easily do 20+ miles and a good vertical mile linking those two parks together.

I'll second White Ranch as another good one, and will say that Mt Falcon from the bottom to the true summit is a good hard climb. Deer Creek Canyon also has good trails, two 7k' summits with trails up them, and plenty of vertical gain.
"Tongue-tied and twisted, just an earthbound misfit, am I." -David Gilmour, Pink Floyd

"We knocked the bastard off." Hillary, 1953
"It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves." Hillary, 2003
Couldn't we all use 50 years of humble growth?
-Steve Gladbach
Post Reply