J.E. - McCullough Gulch Creek Trail

This one had "Challenge" written all over it.  Time and time again, the OAB trek made some of the 11 brave soles on this outing question if this was a good idea.  A mid-morning start is not good in terms of weather at higher elevation. 

The TH (11,150') is followed by a brief walk on an old mining road before actual trail begins.  We are greeted by a dense pine forest, in which many trees have been felled and cut up by volunteers to keep trail passable.  Our first sign, this will be a day to be remembered.

Welcome to McCullough Basin.  This is NOT as bad as it would get later in the day!

Trail splinters into less-traveled paths of mud, but all lead back to a lake up ahead.  Everything a trail could throw at a hiker, was realized today.  Deeply eroded soil, exposed rock/root growth, fields of talus, wet meadows lined with alpine sagebrush, willows and various succulent species. 

On trail, Dorothy is dwarfed by house-size boulders.

 Add deteriorating weather, falling temperature, and depleting energy levels we all thought we had an adequate supply of when we got off the bus.  All within a few miles from the TH.

Ingrid takes one opportunity for a high altitude photo.

We reach the first in a series of unnamed alpine lakes as the clouds overhead start to empty.  A handful elect to move up trail to other lakes.  Some decide to wait here.  "Waiting" soon changes to "lets go back," a decision that would prove to be a solid one.

For the six who took on the elements and unforgiving trail, it would be a lackluster few hours. 

First hiker to reach the top of a field of talus checks out the long basin.

The trek to the next lake, across alpine tundra did take more out of me than expected.  Make a mental check of some vitals: Leg strength, strong; stamina, solid;  feeling in hands, gone; dry socks, not; dry underwear, nope; try gripping the lever to my pack zipper, can't feel it; dry camera, yes.

Helen, an experienced hiker, maneuvers across a ledge of jagged granite. 

 It is approaching the time we established to rejoin the balance of the group either at the first lake or at the TH.  It would not happen as planned. 

Quandry Peak (14,265'), to our left is totally emirsed in thick white clouds.  Still raining? Yes.  Some elect to don rain pants for the return trek.  A 20-minute lunch break, and we are on the rebound.

Sitting at 12,555,' Judy checks her pack before cinching in for the return trek.  Quandry Peak is in the background.

Trail (over rock, root, and wet grass) has become extremely slick.  Going down is no piece of cake.  The more experienced hikers give tips and best demonstrated practices to those who have proven to be good hikers but lack the experience. 

It is well beyond the agreed meeting time, when we arrive at the bus.  There are no injuries, only deflated spirits.  Now out of the elements and sitting (albeit dripping wet) in the bus, we hope for a good choice for something hot.  A soup-n-salad bar in Breckenridge helps make some of the wet clothes seem less annoying.