But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me start from the beginning.
I set out yesterday from the top of North Cheyenne Cañon. I started out on Seven Bridges, and since I got a late start, it was already quite hot. The views from the trail (622) were clear blue skies.
The 622/Seven Bridges trail is washed out in several sections.
Soon I reached the junction with Pipeline trail (668). If you're following this route, make sure you go left up the steep hill once you see the metal sign in the photo below, and you'll soon come to the junction with the multi-use trail. Continue to the left (south) from there.
This is one of my favorite sections of trail. It is fairly rolling/flat, and opens up to a great view of the valley beyond.
After following this trail for a while, I came to the area designated as "Nelson's Camp" on the Pikes Peak Atlas. Although I'm not sure who Nelson is, or why he camped here, there are a few ruins on the trailside that indicate the area. If you're trying to follow this route up Almagre, pay attention for this, as you're about to turn off the trail.
After you see these ruins, go just a bit further and you will come to another one of the old metal signs. Cross the creek here, and immediately after crossing the creek, turn off the trail to the right (west). You'll very quickly pick up a solid class 2 trail that follows the drainage up to Almagre Reservoir.
I saw some other trail runners coming down this route! Generally the trail is in pretty good condition. It passes by some very nicely flowing waterfalls.
It feels like this part takes forever! Eventually you will come to the crossing of trail 701. I always tend to loose the trail here, but the best route (if you can find it) picks up at the next switchback to the south along the 701 trail and continues following the same drainage.
Eventually you'll get close to treeline and the route will get a little scrambly, like a class 2+ or easy class 3 rock hop.
And then before you know it, you'll see the brick wall in front of you that is the Almagre Reservoir dam.
Climb up on top of the wall and you'll feel like you've entered an alien landscape. Almagre Reservoir isn't actually there, and I'm not sure if the dam actually works or just isn't in use, but a solid creek was still flowing through the basin.
The plant life in the basin is strange, delicate, and completely unlike the flowers you see below treeline.
There's so many cool rock outcroppings in the basin area. I really want to hike up here with a tent someday and set up camp and just scramble around on as many rock outcroppings as I can.
I decided that since I was pretty tired already, and my way down would add at least an extra mile or more to the return trip, I would just climb the saddle between the north and south summits and soak in the view before heading down.
The view down to the west showcases the South Slope Recreation area, plus the Bull Park off road area. Pikes Peak is to the northwest, along with the long stretch of the Cog tracks that goes from Windy Point up to the summit of Pikes. If you look far in the distance to the west, you make out a number of fourteeners, like Mt. Princeton.
Obligatory "I was actually there" selfie.
I sat contemplating life and the mountains for a few brief minutes before I had to return. The view down into North Cheyenne Cañon as I began my descent was amazing. I swore I could make out the parking lot where I'd started this morning, although I'd probably need binoculars to confirm that.
I began descending on the road, stopping for a few more photos on my way down. I love the view across to Mount Rosa.
There is a trail that is a little bit of a "shortcut" down towards Frosty's Park. The trail is marked by a cairn along the road.
I took this shortcut trail down and joined up with the road 379 right by Frosty's Park, taking the standard 701 to 668 to 622 route back to the parking area, where I met up with my husband.
Afternoon thundershowers began to build as we left, wrapping up my adventure for the day.
What a fun adventure! I have to say again that I'm thankful to my husband for supporting my adventuring. And I think my spirit lives up there in the high mountains. I hope that someday I'll be able to take an overnight trip to the Almagre Reservoir basin. I bet the stars are amazing up there.
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