“OK everyone, we will start the time trial in intervals,” announces Adam Feerst of the Denver Trail Runners.
“The slower runners will go off first and the fastest runner will go last.” Unlucky for me, I happen to be the fastest runner today. Great, I get to chase everyone. But, this is Mt. Falcon, so at least I will get great views of the city if I can take my eyes off of my feet!
Mt. Falcon is a Jefferson County Open Space Park located just south of downtown Morrison on Colorado Highway 8. The route we are running today is the typical time trial route up the Castle Trail to the first picnic shelter, 2.5 miles and 1,600 feet away. This lung burning trail is a must for anyone training for the numerous mountain races in Colorado. However, the park has much more to offer than the Castle Trail and you would be a fool to not explore more.
The story of Mt. Falcon started with John Brisben Walker, owner of 4,000+ acres of land around Mt. Falcon. In the early 1900’s, Walker lived in a stone house near the summit of Mt. Falcon. From this home, Walker had breathtaking views of the plains out to the east, the Continental Divide to the west and what is now known as Red Rocks Park to the north. If you wish to truly experience Mt. Falcon, they must commit to a 13 mile run.
As I huff and puff up the trail, I think back to the early times of Walker. It is hard to believe that this “road” was once used by Stanley Steamers to carry people from the plains in the east to the foothills in the west. As we cross the second junction of the Turkey Trot Trail at 1.3 miles, I check my split. 12:22. If all goes well, I should cover the next 1.2 miles in about the same time and break 25 minutes. However, the relentless climb is starting to take its toll. As I climb out of the grasslands and into the evergreens, my heart rate soars as I instinctively try to pick up the pace.
At last… the final switch back! I sprint to the picnic shelter and hit the stop button. 25:10. Not what I hoped for, but good enough. I passed ten people on the way up, so I didn’t do all that bad. As Adam takes our times, I think back to when the record was set. I was only about five minutes in and Andy Bupp flew past me on his way to a blistering 22 minute clocking.
This was only the start of my run. As everyone else heads back down, I continue up the Castle Trail to the ruins of John Walker’s home. It burned down in 1918 and the only thing that remains are the massive stone walls and several fireplaces – the crumbling remnants of a broken dream. I continue to climb out of the trees and into the meadow atop the mountain. As I catch my breath, I am treated to wonderful vistas of the snowcapped peaks in the distance and beautiful wildflowers nearby. The sounds of the wind keep me going as I continue to the western edge of the park.
From here I plunge down the Parmalee Gulch Trail, which is filled with the scent of conifers. After a few minutes, I emerge in a field and am treated to a true canyon view with tall mountains to the south and west. As I re-enter the forest and start to climb, I notice that I have not been paying much attention to my feet. I soon realize that I have been running on smooth trail for almost two miles. This trail is not nearly as rocky as the first two miles of the Castle Trail.
Once I go up a few switchbacks, I make a right and head out towards Old Ute and Devil’s Elbow. I remember from the map that this is an out and back with a loop, so I just turn right at every junction. As I come around the farthest section of Devil’s Elbow, I am treated to a wonderful view of Denver and the eastern pains. However, this is short lived as I realize I must focus my attention on the now rocky trail so as not to end up on my nose!
I return to the junction of the Parmalee Gulch Trail and decide to tackle the Tower Trail, a short steep climb to the peak of Mt. Falcon. I figure that since I am up here, I might as well hit the summit. To my surprise, there is a lookout on the top. The views of Denver are even better from this vantage point!
A few more minutes down the trail and I come to the junction of the Meadow Trail and decide to turn right and head back towards the car. The Meadow Trail takes me out into the grass field filled with wildflowers that sits at the top of Mt. Falcon, and eventually drops me out at John Walker’s old home site. I retrace my steps along the Castle Trail to the picnic shelter at the finish of the time trial. It is at this point I decide to follow a trail called The Dream Trail. After a short climb, I come to another set of ruins with a small plaque that reads “Planned site for the Summer Home of the Presidents of the United States.” The construction of the Summer White House never proceeded beyond the laying of the foundation and cornerstone, though thousands of Colorado school children each donated 10 cents toward John Walker’s dream. WWI, combined with a turn of bad luck for Walker, brought an end to this project.
I soak in the views of both the plains and the mountains before heading back down towards the Castle Trail and a final descent of 1,600 feet into Morrison. When I come to the junction of the Turkey Trot Trail, I decide to turn left and head home a different way. This trial turns out to be much smoother and cooler as it travels the forests of the foothills. It is a little longer, but well worth the trip since it’s a nice diversion from the rocky portion of the other route. When I reach the bottom, I make another left and head back to the parking lot where, to my surprise, I still see numerous cars. “That is weird,” I think. “After I left the group, I didn’t see another soul.” This is one reason I am glad I grabbed the map of the park at the trailhead before heading out.
Editor’s note: To visit Mt. Falcon, take Colorado Highway 8 north from US 285 towards Morrison. Turn left on Forrest Avenue and then right on Vine Avenue. This will bring you to the eastern trailhead. A map at www.co.jefferson.co.us will show runners the numerous trails discussed in this article. Follow the links from the visting tab to the Jefferson County Open Space home page. Trail maps can also be picked up at both the east and west trail heads. For more information, please visit the Mt. Falcon Trail at the Jefferson County Open Space Home Page.
Photo captions, from the top: Brian Fisher runs in the Mt. Falcon Trial Race in June; A view from the upper portions of the Castle Trail into the meadow and forest beyond.