About a month ago, we headed towards the Westcliffe area with our friends, Steve and Maureen O'Dorisio, for a much anticipated hike over Music Pass. I first heard of the trail when I saw photos on Kara Kochenberger's Facebook page of the Kochenberger family hiking it. Kara was kind enough to provide the info and I immediately started researching it on the internet. It looked awesome and I couldn't wait for the chance to hike it. Our first planned outing ended up being postponed and by the time we finally made it up that four wheel drive road to the trailhead, I could hardly wait.
Not sure why I was anticipating this trail so much. Maybe it was the name... I think Music Pass has a nice ring to it, pun intended. Maybe it was Kara's photos that included a beautiful lake above timberline that reminded me a lot of Sky Pond. Maybe it was all of the great articles I read on the internet describing this fantastic hike. Maybe it was the company, because hiking and talking with the O'Dorisios makes a 10 mile hike seem like a stroll in the park. Maybe it was stories I heard from Doug Naylon and Jeff Kochenberger describing how their families climbed the pass when they were growing up. I'm not sure, but I looked forward to this hike as much as I did on Lori and I's first hike in Rocky Mountain National Park.
And, in the end, the hike, the company, the views, the lakes, and the peaks in the background, did not disappoint. The end of our Sky Pond hike was incredible. But, I think I enjoyed this hike from end to end more than any other hike we have done so far. The views were simply awesome.
The start of the hike is a climb to the summit of Music Pass. The views in front of you, to the side of you, and behind you are stunning. After reaching the summit, you head down the other side of the mountain down a pretty steep hill that you know you are going to hate on the return trip! After reaching the bottom, we made the left turn towards Lower Sand Creek Lake. That portion of the trail was a quiet and cool walk through the forest. Eventually, you reach the prettier of the two lakes, Lower Sand Creek Lake. The lake is stunning and sits below an imposing and equally stunning Tijeras Peak.
After a short rest and snack, we started back down to the main trail up to Upper Sand Creek Lake. This climb is a little longer, but equally as nice. Upper Sand Creek Lake, while not as pretty as the Lower Lake, is still quite beautiful. We relaxed, ate lunch, and took in the views with that great feeling of knowing that it was all downhill from here... save for that little uphill jaunt I mentioned earlier.
That section of the trail that climbs back up Music Pass seems a lot longer going up than it seems when making your way down it. By the time we got there, we had walked at least 8 miles and the climb went slowly and methodically. Eventually, we summited Music Pass for the second time and felt that true sense of relief that it truly was all downhill from there. After a little more than 10 miles and 8 hours of hiking, we were back in the truck and headed back down the bumpy road through beautiful aspens and on our way back home.
Music Pass lived up to every expectation I had going in. I highly recommend this hike to anyone looking for a great day hike. Here's to Music Pass...
As always, click on any of the images below to enlarge.
Definitely click on the photo above to see the panorama!
Did this hike two summers ago. It was absolutely breathtaking. Have to say one of my favorite parts was the meadow of wildflowers just before the hike up to the lakes!
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