Spruce Ridge Llamas Adventure Treks

4141 CR 210 Salida, CO 81201
1-888-MTN-TREK (686-8735)
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"Really a terrific and unique outdoor experience and a great way to see Colorado's amazing scenery. The llamas were wonderful to hike with and I've had a lot of fun since, sharing the various "Lama Facts" I learned along the way with friends and coworkers." James, '09

Overnight Treks from June through September 20

Child Discounts Apply

1. Spruce Creek Trail.  Easy.  8,500 - 9,400 ft. 7 miles.  This loop trail begins at our ranch and climbs through juniper and pinion pine with beautiful views of our valley and the Salida area.  The trail passes through a fir forest, then breaks into a high mountain valley.  The trail merges with a 4-wheel drive road and meanders through aspen and spruce forests and open areas.  Deer and elk can sometimes be seen.  We camp in a secluded yet open meadow at about 9,400 feet.

    2. Spruce Creek/Little Cochetopa Creek Trails.  Easy. 8,500 -  

        10,700 ft. 8 miles.  Follows Spruce Creek Trail until we

        branch off along an irrigation ditch that passes through quiet

        aspen forests and dense lodgepole pine stands.  The trail

        emerges into a ponderosa and grass covered slope with

        beautiful views of the Sangre de Cristo mountains.  Following

        the ditch the trail merges with a 4 wheel drive road that passes

        through stands of aspen and spruce.  Our camp is in a

        nonmotorized area near the Little Cochetopa Creek with views

        of the Continental Divide. Our most popular overnight trek.

     3. Stumpy Creek Trail.  Easy to moderately difficult.  8,500 -

         9,400 ft. 8 miles. We leave from our ranch, hike through

         ponderosa and fir forests with views of the upper Arkansas

         Valley; merge with a 4WD road with distant views of the

         Sangre de Cristo Mountains, then turn down Stumpy Creek. 

         The trail follows the creek through aspen forests to the junction

         of Browns Creek.  We hike for one-half mile up Browns to a flat

         clearing.  From every vantage point mountains completely

         surround us.  We’ll return the same way we came.  A long

         overnight trek but definitely worth it with hard-to-beat views.

    4.  Pass Creek Lake Trail.  Moderately difficult.  9,100 - 11,400

         ft. 10 miles. Treks available after July 1 due to heavy snows.

         We begin our trek at an old homesteaded ranch and hike along

         a 4-wheel drive road to the trailhead.  The trail passes through

         aspen stands and pine forests. We’ll camp near the lake. Pass

         Lake sits in a closed bowl surrounded by 12 - 13,000 ft

         peaks. This is an up-and-down trek. 

    5.  Marshall Pass/Little Cochetopa Creek Trails.  Moderately

         difficult with a half-mile very steep climb.  10,810 - 12,400 ft.

         12 miles.  We meet atop Marshall Pass and hike along the

         Continental Divide Trail to the junction of the Little Cochetopa

         Pass.  The climb to the pass is very steep but the views are

         worth it all.  If the weather is clear we can see Pikes Peak to

         the east and Uncompaghre and the San Juan Mountains to the

         west.  We’ll camp at 10,800 feet beside the Little Cochetopa

         Creek.  The hike out is easy and downhill with beautiful views

         of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.

     6. Monarch Pass/Hunts Lake Trails.  Moderately difficult,

         11,300 - 12,600 ft.  9 miles.  We start atop Monarch Pass and

         hike along the Continental Divide trail for 5 miles.  Most of the

         trail is above timberline so weather conditions can change

         quickly and temperatures may be erratic.  The views are

         forever.  We’ll camp below the Divide either at timberline or at

         Hunts Lake. The next day the hike is easy as we descend to

         Monarch Mountain Lodge at 9,750 ft where our trek ends.

1. Greens Creek/Continental Divide/Little Cochetopa Creek Trails.  Moderately difficult with a one-half mile very steep climb.  9,000 - 12,400 ft.  18 miles.  We drive vehicles to Greens Creek trailhead and begin our climb paralleling the creek.  We’ll camp at the Greens Creek junction of the Continental Divide, or just below the divide in a small meadow.  The second day we’ll hike along the Divide Trail for about one mile, then ascend the steep one-half mile Little Cochetopa Pass.  At the top, on a clear day, the views are the best of anyplace in the state for the Colorado Rockies.  We descend down into the Little Cochetopa basin eventually entering spruce and aspen forest and camp in a small meadow near the creek.  The third day is an easy hike out on a trail and old road to our ranch.                     
2. Monarch Pass/Continental Divide/Little Cochetopa Creek Trails.  Moderately difficult with a one-half mile very steep climb.  11,300  - 12,400 ft.  18 miles.  Our adventure begins atop Monarch Pass at the parking lot where we access the Divide Trail.  We hike a long 9 miles atop the Divide to the Greens Creek trail junction.  During the day well encounter a variety of weather conditions, from cool to warm, from clear to stormy with possible rain or snow, or very dense fog.  The second and third days are similar to that described for the Greens Creek, Divide & Little Cochetopa Creek Trails.  This route is available July through September 20 due to snow fields that are usually encountered and must be crossed.                                         
3. Fooses Creek/Continental/Divide/Little Cochetopa Creek Trails.  Moderately difficult with a one half mile very steep climb.  9,500 - 12,400 ft.  18 miles.  Fooses Creek is another scenic trek with stream access that leads us through aspen and evergreen stands.  There are good views along the trail of 13,000 and 14,000 ft peaks to the north.  The first night we’ll camp below the Divide Trail.  The second and third days are similar to the description for the Monarch/Continental Divide/Little Cochetopa Creek Trails above.

    4. Middle Fork.  Easy with some moderately difficult hiking.  9,800

        - 12,400 ft.  9 miles.  This is a beautiful up and down trek that

        follows a very rough jeep road, and trail.  We drive our vehicles

        to Monarch Mountain Lodge and park them.  The trail (old road)

        begins across from the lodge.  We’ll hike through dense timber

        stands with intermittent open areas before breaking out into an

        open valley surrounded by high mountain ridges.  Our campsite is

        about eight miles in.  The second day we’ll take our day packs

        and hike to the top of Chalk Creek Pass for lunch, then back to

        our campsite.  On day 3 we’ll hike back the same way we came

        to our vehicles. 

    5.  Little Cochetopa Creek Trail. Easy with some moderately

         difficult hiking. 8,500-10,700 ft. 8 to 15 miles. We follow an old

         game trail through the forest until we branch off along an

         irrigation ditch that passes through quiet aspen forests and

         dense lodgepole pine stands. The trail emerges into a ponderosa

         and grass covered slope with beautiful views of the Sangre de

         Cristo mountains. Following the ditch the trail merges with a 4-

         wheel drive road that passes through stands of aspen and

         spruce. The road dead-ends and the footpath-only trail leads us

         to a clearing along the Little Cochetopa Creek with views of the

         Continental Divide. On the second day we can day hike to the

         top of the Divide with or without the llamas or as far up as

         you’d like to go. The third day we can leave as late as

         noon and still get back by 3 p.m. An excellent and easy trek

         with awesome views. My favorite trek of all we do.

1. Spruce Creek.  Easy.  8,500 - 9,400 ft.  2-3 miles.  There are several variations to this route so it is suitable for half-day and an easy all-day trek. We trailer the llamas about one mile up our county road. We begin the trek on private property and pass through large stands of aspen and ponderosa. We cross into the forest and go through a beautiful, quiet and lush area of aspens and firs. Our trek follows an old road that passes through tall and big aspens and firs. We pass several mountain meadows suitable for lunch or snacks, then slowly descend through vast stands of aspen and fir trees until we reach our vehicles.

2. Little Cochetopa Creek/Spruce Creek.  Easy. 8,500-9,200 ft. 3-5 miles.  We start off on private property and pass through large stands of aspen and ponderosa. We cross into the forest and go through a beautiful, quiet and lush area of aspens and firs. We'll go up several short hills that are moderately difficult, "T" into an old irrigation ditch and follow it to a grassy mountain hillside that overlooks the Sangre de Cristo mountains and the Continental Divide. We'll have lunch up the hillside with awesome views. We come back the same way or can take a longer route through a dense aspen forest. We come out onto a old road for about 2 miles before we cross back onto private property and down to where we started.

The treks described above have been carefully chosen to provide you with an exceptional backcountry experience with solitude, outstanding views and none of the crowds frequently experienced in the 14’ers region.