Flat Tops Wilderness

The Flat Tops Wilderness is a area of Colorado that has been set aside for it's natural beauty and many lakes.

Flat Tops Wilderness area back packing and fishing Sept 19th thru Sept 24th 2011
Players Vince Vogel-Mike Lloyd-Dave Christie

Driving directions
I 70 west to Dotsero drive north on Colorado River road /at Derby Junction drive west on Derby Mesa Loop turn est on FS 610 Stump Road

Stump Road is very rought for the first 4.5 miles to Middle Derby trail head. I drove for 1.5 miles and walked the rest of the way. My truck is a 4 wheel drive with over 300,000 miles on the body, the truck not me. The thought of breaking down and paying a tow truck for help could also break the bank. There are more than enough places to pull off the dirt road on 610 and park

Sept 19th The three of us walked for the 3 miles towards the trail head. Within a hour we came to a fork in the road and we swithched onto the road to 612 on our left. the aspen trees where just beginning to turn a golden color in the valley along the Middle fork Derby Creek on our left.

Shortly after passing by 1858 trail head sign there was a well worn fork in the trail. One trail led along the irrigation ditch and the other one led due north. the three of us put our heads togethor and stared a hole in our trusty map. According to our interpretation the trail followed the canel. This level trail was very appealing to our slightly sore legs.; We where making great time but completely lost. Our first clue as to how lost we were came when we had to cross the creek. The trail according to our map should be on the right of the creek, but we stood on the left. After a half hour of scrambling across blown down trees and being pricked by sharp wild rose thorns we climbed up onto the right trail.

The trail was wide and well worn from hundred of outfitters horses using it during the hunting season. The trail crossed the creek several times with many different types of crossings. Some had logs thrown over the creek to form a temporary bridge. Every year after the spring run off all the bridges have to be rebuilt. One of the crossings was a fallen tree acting as a floating affair. every step on the tree kept the tops of our boots inches away from the freezing rushing water. When we stepped on the end of this temp bridge, the tree came up like a see saw as we jumped onto the far bank.

By 4:00 pm we came to a junction of the trail of 1842, which led to our goal of Island Lake. Time to look at the map again. The map told us to stay on our right but a major trail was staight ahead along the creek. Within a half hour the trail ended at a deserted outfitter's tent settlement. A large white tent that must have slept ten people stood on top of the small knoll. this well worn trail was formed by all the horse travel. Even though we had walked in the wrong direction it was great to see the smoky white tents along the valley.

The right trail lead us across the creek and then it climbed among some pine trees. The steady ascent led us closer to our goal, our camp site along the lake front. By 6:00 pm we found level ground along the lake. The lake sat in a bowl made up of grey mountains. Our leather boots were a bit wet from all the creek crossings, but dave's low cut boots where like solid blocks of ice created by the temperature dropping as the sun set. With the late hour of arrival we didn't have time to fish so the critters would juts have to wait until tommorrow morning.
Milage walked 12 miles- in 6 hours
Scenery/ followed creek with small water falls and mountains covered with golden aspens on both sides
Next time/ spend a extra day to fish Island lake and the lake above
Weather sunny warm in the afternoon/sunset temps dropped to 40-30 degrees

Sept 20th We woke to a clear sky and the mist was just beginning to come off the lake as I cast my lure. Within 45 minutes I caught 10 Cut Throat Trout, life is good indeed! Mike also was having a good time casting dry flies out on the mill pond like lake.

Dave decided to go back to our vehicles and return to Denver, due to a few job obligations. Mike and I would continue on to Lost Lake along the Chinese Wall trail.

We climbed above the Island Lake on 1802 until the junction of 1803. Two more lakes stood above our campsite lake. The trail led us towards the picturesque Deer Lake down in the valley, but we wisely decided to walk along the ridge and stay up high. The lake looked very inviting way down below us and the next time it will be on our list of places to fish.

The Flat Tops lay ahead of us as we walked along the treeless tundra, to us it respresented what Mongolia might look like. I would hate to be caught in this area unprepared during a snow storm, as your body would be the only thing stopping the wind and snow, Lots of little lakes dotted the landscape.

Just before lunch we had to make a jog on the trail and walk on 1814 trail before we where back on 1803. As we sat down to eat our grub, the first hiker came towards us. Both Mike and I thought he had a carton of cigarettes under been the poster child for lite weight hikers everywhere. He wore canvas tennis shoes, a sweat shirt, shorts and a frayed straw hat. By the way the carton of smokes turned out to be a box of Little Debbie's Oatmeal cookies, the ones with the sugary white filling. "This is all I need!" as he stuck out the cookies and a small bottle of water in the other hand. The cookies did look to both of us, but if the weather turned bad we would be reading about this Cheese Head in the local papers. Frozen hiker found wrapped around a box of Little Debbie's, frozen fresh and full of flavor.

By afternoon the wind had picked up and it was pushing us around as our packs acted like sails. We stopped along the Chinese Wall and lokked down at McGinnis Lake. The trail towards the Chinese Wall must have been faint or we where tired beacause we missed the turnoff. With the Devil's Causeway ahead of us and the wind blowing us around it made for quite the crossing. The causeway trail is only 5 feet wide and there is a sheer drop off on either side. Mike is deathly afraid of heights and it was more than a little challenging for me and I have worked construction for 40 years. Mike got down on all fours and crept along the rocky shelf. As soon as I saw the 1119 trail coming up from Stillwater lake I knew we had missed the turnoff.

Time for a change of plans, why not walk to Causeway Lake instead of Lost Lake. The trail was decent and had lots of trees for us to get out of the wind. On this side of the mountains there were a lot more elk trails and sounds of bugling. By dinner time we had made it to lake and set up camp. The lake didn't have any fish jumping and we couldn't catch a fish no matter what we tried.
Distance walked 12 miles-6 hours
Scenery/Mongolia tundra on the Flat Tops/ overview of lakes in the valley/the Chinese Wall breathtaking/Chinese causeway one of a kind!!
Next time camp and fish Deer Lakes

Sept 21st Woke to a bull elk bugling in the distance. I climbed up on the nearest knoll and sat down with a keen interest in finding the elk that where making all the noise. On the distant hillside I noticed 4 bull elk circling around each other with their antlers clicking together. After each sparing match the bulls would retreat to the aspen trees and the next set of elk would come out, I almost to hear a bell clang like at a boxing match. After all the dueling was done a large heard of cow elk came running through the boxing ring and all the males just dropped what they where doing and followed the girls.

We noticed on the map a lake that looked like it might be great for camping and fishing named Deep Lake. Our travels would take us past more then just a few lakes. We stopped at Round Lake to try our luck at fishing. The lake looked very inviting and I had a few trout give my lure the eye ball.

At East Long Lake we hiked to the south side of the lake. It looked to shallow for any kind of fishing from shore. As we turned to leave a bull elf bugled in the background not far from us. I gave my best imitation of a bull looking for a harem. For little over ten minutes I had that frustrated elk returning my calls and beating the snot out of a aspen tree with his antlers.

Even though a trail wasn't represented on our map we did find a trail on the west end of the Deep lake. By 3:00 pm we had set up camp and with much strut in our step we decided to try our fishing skills against the fish of Deep LAke. From 4:00 pm until 6:00 pm again we didn't even see Miss Paul's fish stick. After eating dinner we headed back to the lake and from 7;00 pm until we couldn't see the end of our fishing poles, we could do wrong. We caught 10 Brook Trout, but these puppies where between14 and 16 inhes and Mike caught on over 18 inches. The trout were spawning and their colors where beyound compare. Bright red bottoms, multi colored speckled sides and hooked mouths. The fish had the look of a Monet painting. We let all our fish go, as they were much too pretty to eat for us mortal men.
Milage walked 6 miles 3 hours
Scenery/ Round lake and Long LAke breath taking/looking up at the Chinese wall/ elk bugling
Next time/camp at Round lake/bring a elk call
Weather sunny during the day/ cold at night

Sept 22nd Today we would walk towards Trapper Lake with he idea of maybe fishing this giant body of water. there are an equal amount of rules and regulations to go with the privilage. Flies only, barbless hooks, catch and release, instead of catch and grease!As we traveled down 1812 we met a fellow fisherman form Steamboat Springs. He comes to Mcginnis Lake every year to fish. This older gentleman informed us he enjoys flying over this area in his small plane to look down at th glittering lakes. He occasionally will see a group of elk hunters below him, scratching their heads, wondering the elk have vanished to, then observing that in the next valley are a large herd of elk just laying in the sun kicking back.

At the Skinny Fish trail head the trail meets a dirt service road. We had just stepped out of the woods when a truck pulled up with a couple of archery hunters wearing camouflage makeup. I waved to them and they swung their truck around and wanted to know if we wanted a ride. Mama didn't raise no fool, so off we went to the Outlet trail head.

At the trail head several more hunters were all standing around trying to figure out the elk locations. had a chat about the elk we had heard in te Lost Lake area. It was so remote if one of these Elmer Fudd's had shoot one they would have a large frying pan, to eat it on the spot.

Then it was on to our next campste, an hour above Trapper Lake. A grove of trees that had been spared by a forest fire was our temporary shelter.
Milage walked 10 miles- 5 hours
Scenery/ Some forest burn areas/Trapper Lake very nice/ distant mountains
Next time/ truck camp at Trapper lake with canoe and walk to Upper Trapper Lake

Sept 23rd Awoke to clear skies and we had to hike up on the Flat Tops again. The views form the top were well worth the hike. The many lakes culd be seen in the distance, besides the ones along the trail. from 1816 we crossed over to 1817 W Mountain trail. This time the wind wasn't blowing and we couild see the bacl side of the mountain above Island Lake whre we had started. The high ridge above Cresecent Lake gave us a view of our next campsite. A trail snaked it's way down to the lake shore. A 4 wheel drive road came up to his lake and the ground was well used with crzies on ATV's. below the dam a SUV lay on it's top, a past visitor that didn't quite make the trip.

On the north side of the lake were some great camping spots with a view of the lake. After seting up camp we hit the lake with assorted lures and flies. By dinner time we didn't have anything to show for our efforts. After dinner we walked down to the dam. i walked back and forth along the dam trying every lure i had. A Tasmanian Devil orange in color produced a 24 inch lake trout. I laid Mr. tout on the grass and took his picture and then put my camera in my top paocket. When i reached over the lake to release my prize, my camera did a belly flop in the lake.
Mileage walked 10 miles 5 hours
Scenery/ great views of Trapper Lake and many smaller lakes/ the red mountains above Island Lake/creek drainages below
Next time/camp long lake above Trapper Lake
Weather perfect

Sept 24th the next morning would be our last hike back to my truck. We followed the Crescent Lake Road 613 down along the South Derby Creek. We met a couple from Fort Collins that were truck camping and enjoying the fine weather. After crossing the South Derby Creek over a homemade bridge, we looked for a trail that would lead us to trail 1837. The trail wasn't to be found so we cut cross country and hen decided to alk along the irrigation ditch. At lunch time we found the 1837 trail and followed it along with a bear who had used the trail just prior to us, guessing from the bear signs we saw.

This time we were back in Middle Derby drainage and it was time to find a way over the high creek without putting on a swim suit. I made it across wearing my crocks and then threw them back to Mike to use. We then had to slowly work our way up to Stump Road. The climb was steep and the hill was south facing so it was a little warm to say the least. After a hour of climbing we made it back on the road we had come in on. A old truck came rumbling down the road and the couple riving were looking for the intersection of 610 and 612. I don't know who was more confused them or us.

Afer a few hours of walking we made it back to my truck. We had a great time and plan on coming back for many more fishing and hiking trips to the Flat Tops.
Mileage walked 12 miles 6 hours
Scenery Crescent Lake was great/ the aspens were turning
weather perfect the whole time