8/12 - Fri - Baker's Tank to Guller Creek Trail
A beautiful sunrise over Bald Mountain greeted me as I broke down camp and packed up. I got an early start at 5:55 and followed roads for almost the first 12 miles of the day, so I was quick. It was a crisp and cool morning, which definitely helped the pace I was moving at. Boreas Pass Road was more or less flat to Ken's Cabin and Section House at the top of Boreas Pass over 3.4 miles to 11,500’. Ken’s was tiny, holding 2-3 people, and looked quite rustic. Originally built in the 1860s and known as the Wagon Cabin, the cabin is one of the oldest buildings in the Breckenridge area. Section House was a contrast in size as a two-story building holding 10, but it’s not much newer, being built in 1882. The US Forest Service and Colorado Historic Society restored it in 1996 and opened it to guests in December 1997.
Section House (#3 - 07:13)
Ken’s Cabin (#4 - 07:13)
After 1.6 mi of backtracking, I took Indiana Gulch Road towards Highway 9 for about 4 miles. The easy roads were ending for a while and I climbed about 900’ a jeep road over 2.5 miles up to 11,360’ and Francie’s Cabin, built in 1994. It surprised me how big the hut was, but it holds 20 and is the most popular hut in Colorado. I filtered some water, put on more sunscreen, and turned on to the Wheeler Trail around 11 am. It was getting warm already.
Francie’s Cabin (#5 - 10:43)
The Wheeler Trail climbed through alpine meadows with wildflowers in bloom to a ridge along the 10 Mile Range. It flattened out after a steady 1100’ climb over 1.2 miles. The trail rolled down 300’ over 1.6 miles looking over the Breckenridge Ski Resort before a quick 200’ climb. Views shifted towards Copper and the Gore Range once I got over the ridge and started to descend. The Wheeler Trail hit the CDT 1.3 miles after dropping off the ridge and got down to Copper and my low point for the day, 9700’, after another 2 miles.
The CDT above East Village was closed and the detour sent me into the Village, so I got a bacon guacamole cheddar burger and waffle fries from JJ's. The traverse across Copper was a little brutal in the afternoon sun but got better once I got into the woods after 2.7 miles. I found a side trail I thought would lead to a campsite when I was at about 27 miles for the day, but it cut the switchbacks on the CDT and led directly to the back of Janet's Cabin. The first in the Summit Huts system, it was opened in 1991 with beds for 20 upstairs.
Janet’s Cabin (#6 - 18:49)
After the hut, I reconnected to the Guller Creek Trail and I figured I would try to get a look at the winter route over to Vail Pass, but hail and thunder rolled in just before I got up to the ridge. I ducked below treeline and camped in a not very flat but sheltered spot while lightning struck over the 10 Mile Range a few miles away.
