Jones Pass

     On Tuesday, Nick and I drove up to Jones Pass for a hike. Jones Pass is just southwest of Berthoud Pass. Recently, hiking in the foothills has become way too hot, so we decided some altitude was necessary. After turning off US40 and driving up a dirt road for a couple of miles, we were forced to park at a large open meadow. Further up the road there were giant snow drifts and it was impassible by car.

      There were no set trails and barely any signage, so we decided to hike up a closed road, which followed a small, yet raging, creek. Only a short distance up the road, it crossed the creek. After several minutes of deliberation, we decided it was unsafe to cross. So, we left the road and headed northwest up a hillside. It was a continuous trek through soft snow and mud, which led to wet feet and legs very quickly.

 

      After walking up the hillside and meeting back up with the creek, we found a spot narrow enough to jump across. So, we met back up with the road and followed it for a short bit. Somehow we managed to lose it again, while avoiding deep snow and mud. We continued to head north along the creek until it disappeared under the snow.

      At this point, we had no real set path. We continued north and headed up the hillside. After stopping at a relatively flat point to have lunch, we decided to turn back. Crossing the steep snowfields was too slippery and dangerous. At one point my leg sank in up to my butt, and we had to dig it out because I was stuck. Managing our way back down the hillside to the creek was rather difficult. We found ourselves climbing higher and higher to avoid large snowfields. After a slow and very careful descent, including a few accidental butt slides, we made it back to the creek. At one point, Nick stated that he thought it was the most difficult hike he had ever been on, at least technically.

       On our way back along the creek, we found the road again and discovered it had made a hairpin turn up the hillside in the opposite direction from which we went. This merely amounted to a shoulder shrug, and we continued down the road to our car. Overall, this hike was extremely challenging. The high country is a mess right now. The record breaking snowfall during the winter and spring has led to a very late snow melt. Hiking through snow and mud added a lot of extra resistance and difficulty. However, the views were breathtaking, the temperature was pretty much perfect, and we were happy with our journey upon returning to the car.