Synopses & Reviews
The Flat Tops Wilderness Area is unique, a high plateau at 11,000 feet. Its nearly flat surface is covered with woodlands and alpine meadows, pockmarked with hundreds of lakes and drained by mountain streams. The wilderness is accessed by a network of trails for hikers and horseback riders alike. A visitor could spend an entire season here and not see all of this magnificent wilderness.
This book is the only comprehensive guide to the Flat Tops Wilderness. It gives detailed directions to each trailhead and describes what you will find along the many trails. You will discover the many wonders of the Flat Tops; its geologic history from the episodes of mountain building and subsistence, and inundation by warm seas; the periods of volcanism and succeeding ice ages; and the first visitors to this remarkable land. The wildlife of the region, the flora and fauna, the weather, and seasons are all described. You will also learn common sense ways to protect wilderness environment as well as yourself on a visit to this incomparable land.
Synopsis
This book is the only comprehensive guide to the Flat Tops Wilderness.
The Flat Tops Wilderness Area is unique, a high plateau at 11,000 feet. Its nearly flat surface is covered with woodlands and alpine meadows, pockmarked with hundreds of lakes and drained by mountain streams. The wilderness is accessed by a network of trails for hikers and horseback riders alike. A visitor could spend an entire season here and not see all of this magnificent wilderness.
The Hiking and Camping Guide to the Flat Tops Wilderness gives detailed directions to each trailhead and describes what you will find along the many trails. You will discover the many wonders of the Flat Tops; its geologic history from the episodes of mountain building and subsistence, and inundation by warm seas; the periods of volcanism and succeeding ice ages; and the first visitors to this remarkable land. The wildlife of the region, the flora and fauna, the weather, and seasons are all described. You will also learn common sense ways to protect wilderness environment as well as yourself on a visit to this incomparable land.
Arthur Carhart was said to have been so inspired by the area that it sparked the ideas fundamental to the Wilderness Act of 1964. Known as "the Cradle of Wilderness" the area, and this book, includes infamous trails like the stunning Devil's Causeway and lesser known trails like Wall Lake Trail. Readers will find detailed maps, history and flora and fauna, regulations and hazards, as well as tips on how to avoid altitude sickness in the book.
Author Al Marlowe has backpacked, hiked, fished, and camped in the Flat Tops for over 50 years and shares his insider knowledge with adventurers in this book. Co-author Karen Rae Christopherson is a geophysicist by education and training and shares her expertise, as well, rounding out this guide as a complete resource for travelers seeking to explore the area.
About the Author
Since his first visit to the Flat Tops in 1969, Al Marlowe has returned many times. He has backpacked, fished, hunted, camped, and explored the wilderness. Al lives with his wife, Jean, and their golden retrievers in east Clear Creek County, Colorado. He has a BS in geology and worked several years in the oil industry. In 2000, he established Hidden Lakes Press to publish fishing and hiking guides on CD. After leaving the oil industry he worked as an outdoor writer. His articles were published in numerous outdoor magazines. In 1994 his first book, A Hiking and Camping Guide to the Flat Tops Wilderness Area, was published by Fred Pruett Books in Boulder, Colorado. In 1997 Pruett Publishing in Boulder, Colorado, published his second book, Fly Fishing the Colorado River: An Angler's Guide. After establishing Hidden Lakes Press his first guide was Fly Fishing the Flat Tops. Subsequent work has included fly fishing guides coauthored by Evergreen angler Karen Christopherson. Their guides, Fly Fishing the North Platte River, Fly Fishing the Colorado River, Fifty Colorado Tailwaters, and Trout on Colorado State Land, are available at coloradofishing.com.
Karen Rae Christopherson has been fishing since her childhood in Boulder, Colorado. A geophysicist by education and training, Karen has traveled extensively throughout the US and across the world, often with her fly rod in tow. Writing has been a passion since school and she feels fortunate to author books about fly fishing as a diversion from the technical world of geosciences. Karen also acts as webmaster for coloradofishing.net and other fishing websites.
Table of Contents
Area Map
Trail Map West
Trail Map East
Chapter One
Introduction
History
Flora and Fauna
Climate
Access
Chapter Two
Regulations and Common Sense
No Trace Camping
Emergencies
Environmental Hazards
Other Hazards
Altitude Illness: Dont Let It Get You Down
Chapter Three
Maps For the Flat Tops
Hiking The Flat Tops Wilderness
Pilgrims And Horses
South Fork of the White River County Roads 17 and 10
Oyster Lake Trail 1825
Peltier Lake Trail 1826
Hill Creek Trail 2255
Fowler Creek Trail 2256
Fowler Bench Trail 2257
South Fork Trail 1827
Lost Solar 1828
Park Creek 1829
Fawn Creek
Nichols Creek 1830
Doe Creek 2259
North Fork of the White River County Roads 8 and 12
Papoose Trail 2248
Ute Creek Trail 1824
West Marvine Trail
Marvine Lakes Trail 1823
East Marvine Trail 1822
Big Marvine Peak Trail 1822.2A
Big Ridge Trail 1820
Wild Cow Park Trail 1820.1B
Big Ridge Cutoff Trail 1820.1A
Forest Road 205
Mirror Lake Trail 1821
Big Fish Trail 1819
Boulder Lake Trail 2262
Lake Of The Woods Trail 2263
Duck Lake Trail 2261
Himes Peak Trail 1877
Trappers Lake
Wall Lake Trail 1818
Stillwater Trail 1814
Carhart Trail 1815
Surprise Lake Trail
Trappers Lake Trail 1816
Skinny Fish Trail 1813
Picket Pin Trail 1811
Anderson Reservoir Trail
Forest Road 8 (County Road 8)
Chinese Wall Trail 1803
Deer Lake Trail 1802
Transfer Trail 1172
East Fork Trail 1119
Lost Lakes Trail 1116
West Lost Lake Trail 1103
Black Mountain Trail 1117
State Highway 131
Sand Creek Trail 1123
Sawtooth Trail 1165
Mandall Lakes Trail 1121
Smith Lake Trail
East Fork Trail 1119
Devils Causeway
Bear River Trail 1120
North Derby Trail 1122
Edge Lake Trail
Bailey Lakes Trail 1859
Eagle County Road 301
Hooper Lake Trail 1860
Island Lake Trail 1842
Solitary Lake Trail 1846
Middle Derby Trail 1858
Hiking The Southeast Flat Tops
Roberts Trail 2076
South Derby Trail 1857
Turret - Crescent Trail 2269
W Mountain Trail 1817
South W Mountain Trail 2060
Turret Creek Trail 1832
Johnny Meyers Lake Trail 2067
Shingle Peak Trail 2042
Sweetwater Trail 1854
Rim Lake Trail 1856
Forest Road 600
Deep Creek Overlook
Trappers Lake Trail 1816
Wagonwheel Creek Trail 2049
Blair Lake Trail 2098
Appendix
Bibliography
Index