A sign at the trailhead doesn’t even say Eccles Pass. News, travel inspiration, podcasts, & more. Success! Virtual Tour of Meadow Creek Trail … Eccles Pass and Red Buffalo Pass Thru HikeWhere: Meadow Creek Trail, Frisco, to Gore Creek Trail, VailHike length: 13.6 miles (one way) This challenging trek makes for a rewarding (but long) day out in breathtaking terrain through aspen and pine forests and alpine meadows (Note: fall comes to the tundra in more subtle but still stunning ways). At just over 4 miles, you reach a small beaver pond with dead pines along its shore. Sign-up for our Free Colorado newsletter. The trail levels off at this point, and the forest transitions to spruce and fir. 60-degrees at top of psss with light wind - unobstructed 360-degree view’s - lived it! A good reflection of the mountains that ring the basin can be seen here. Reflecting tarn, Meadow Creek Trail, Eagles Nest Wilderness, CO, Wildflowers, near Eccles Pass, Eagles Nest Wilderness, Frisco, CO, Reflecting tarn, near Eccles Pass, Eagles Nest Wilderness, Frisco, CO, Jessica and Phil, Colorado Mountain Wedding, Colorado Destination Wedding Photographer. The Meadow Creek trail just outside of Frisco provides the primary access to the pass. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); You can contact ProTrails directly through our Facebook or Instagram accounts. The 1st mile or so was wonderful with the aspens changing color! Eccles Pass straddles a high, divisive ridge between the Meadow Creek drainage (south), and South Willow Creek drainage (north). Eccles Pass and Red Buffalo Pass Thru Hike. Hike this trail on Sept 25, 2019. Recommended season(s): Mid-summer – mid-fall. Perfect Colorado blue sky day and seasonally warm (72-degrees at trailhead at 11am). Trees give way to tundra as you connect with the Gore Range Trail. Take in all the views and true Rocky Mountain terrain on this rewarding day hike (or you can make it an overnight). The trail junction for the short trail to Lily Pad lake appears just after the .5 mile mark. Another option for returning to Frisco is to head south to the North Tenmile Trail. A side trip to the lovely Gore Lake is highly recommended for those doing this route. At this point, hikers have two options. Around the 3.5 mile mark, the trail crosses the creek over some logs and limited views through the forest appear. An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Continue straight and follow the main trail as it quickly ascends through lodgepole pine. The trail climbs through stands of aspen for the first mile as it works it way into the wilderness. Leave a car in east Vail and one at Copper Mountain for an amazing two-nighter up Gore Creek from the east, over Red Buffalo Pass to Eccles Pass, then down to Tenmile Creek for night two before climbing Uneva Pass to reach Copper Mountain. There was an error processing your request. Despite the haze from 4 wildfires burning in Colorado, it was a beautiful day and the wildflowers did not disappoint. The Gore Range Trail is named after Sir St. George Gore, an Irish nobleman who led a hunting expedition across this mountain range in 1853, Aslike Clover (Trifolium Dasyphyllum) grows well in Meadow Creek's damp alpine meadows, Northerly panorama across the South Willow Creek drainage, Dusky Beardtongue is a less-common type of alpine penstemon, The saddle between Eccles and Red Buffalo Pass is dotted with alpine ponds and known for prolific flowers, Looking southeast across the Meadow Creek valley from Eccles Pass, Looking north from Eccles Pass; the headwaters of Gore Creek originate from lakes just over this ridge, The Gore Range Trail steepens through open tundra on the final approach to Eccles Pass, Alpine meadows along Meadow Creek beneath Eccles Pass attract elk and moose, Looking north from Eccles Pass toward Red Buffalo Pass, Looking west from Buffalo Mountain over Eccles Pass and the South Willow Creek Basin, By August, the lower portion of the trail fills out with raspberries and thimbleberries along the creek, Chief Mountain frames the south valley on the initial approach to Eccles Pass, Summit County - Eagle County - Clear Creek County. The Meadow Creek Trail out of Frisco, CO is … Eccles Pass straddles a high, divisive ridge between the Meadow Creek drainage (south), and South Willow Creek drainage (north). The trail junction for the short trail to Lily Pad lake appears just after the .5 mile mark. This is a difficult out and back trail to Eccles Pass in Eagles Nest Wilderness Area. There are a few small tarns and ponds as well as plenty of wildflowers to attract your eye. Leave a car in east Vail and one at Copper Mountain for an amazing two-nighter up Gore Creek from the east, over Red Buffalo Pass to Eccles Pass, then down to Tenmile Creek for night two before climbing Uneva Pass to reach. The last time I was up here, I photographed some beautiful reflections in the pools. The trail passes by mining relics, and in late summer, high mountain meadows are filled with wildflowers. Shuttle hikers can keep going over Red Buffalo Pass and will come out in East Vail. Around the 2 mile mark, the trail crosses Meadow Creek over a small bridge and then begins an arduous ascent along a rocky trail for the next 1.25 mile. This remarkable vantage provides commanding views across each, and distant peaks of the Gore and Ten Mile ranges. Starting at the Meadow Creek Trail head just off the turn off to Frisco this hike connects the stunning Eccles Pass and Gore Creek trails. United States › Colorado › Eagles Nest Wilderness Area › Eccles Pass via Meadow Creek Trail. The views from the pass are worth the climb. It simply says, “Meadow Creek 331.” But this is no simple hike. The junction to Top Lake is 0.7 miles away to the south and The Top Lake Trail (#1506) out to Forest Road 400 and Lake Wenatchee is … Signup today for free and be the first to get notified on new updates. The views at the top of Eccles Pass are breath-taking, that is, if you have any more breath to give away after the hike up! Don’t forget the mosquito repellent. The Meadow Creek Trail continues past the tip of the lake another 0.1 miles to meet up with the Pacific Crest Trail for a total distance of 8.25 miles. This mountains get a ton of snow and can be extremely buggy well into August. The climb starts right away. Too bad they’re now history. You have permission to edit this article. The trail climbs through stands of aspen for the first mile as it works it way into the wilderness. The Meadow Creek trail just outside of Frisco provides the primary access to the pass. Deceiving good fall color hike with Aspens for first 0.9 miles and then ground cover fall colors for the majority of trail up to Eccles Pass. The faint trail to the left proceeds down to 10 Mile Creek. This remarkable vantage provides commanding views across each, and distant peaks of the Gore and Ten Mile ranges. Return the way you came or camp out in this lovely basin.