Lost Creek Wilderness Backpacking Trip

With the Toyota FJ Cruiser out of commission this summer LJ recommended that we take a backpacking trip in the Lost Creek Wilderness. I did a little research and discovered that there is a nice 24 mile loop that starts in the south east corner of the wilderness area. The trip travels up the Goose Creek drainage, then over to McCurdy Park and finishes dropping down Hankins trail back to the start. This would be my first backpacking trip in years and Nancy’s first trip ever so I wanted to be sure that it would be easily doable.

Our packs ready to go

We chose to use freeze dried food to lighten the load and make the meal prep easier. We still had some heavy packs to carry. LJ and Nancy were at about 30-35 pounds and my pack was at about 55. Our dog Sage also had a pack to carry with all the dog food. Tris, our new puppy, was the only one that did not have a load.

Day 1

We got an early start from home and made the trail head at about 9:30. We loaded our packs up and hit the trail.

At the trail head

After a short drop to the creek the trail starts a steady accent.

Granite Formations

After a few miles on the trail the we left the valley floor and got our first good look at the granite formations that the area is known for.

Lunch time

We stopped for lunch at some old cabins.

After lunch we continued to climb to the intersection of the McCurdy Park trail and the Goose Creek trail. Once on the McCurdy Park trail we descended down to Refrigerator Gulch where we planned to spend the night.

At rest in camp

It was nice to get the packs off our backs and the boots off our feet.

Additional Photos

Data for the day:

  • Total Distance: 7.453 mi
  • Minimum elevation: 8079.247 ft
  • Maximum elevation: 9452.784 ft
  • Total of ascents: 4.21 mi
  • Total of descents: 2.665 mi
  • Height gained: 2471.193 ft

Day One Profile

Google KML File: Goose Creek Backpacking

tomas

Tomas has lived in Colorado since age 5. Having grown up on the Western Slope of Colorado lots of time was spent in the Desert Southwest. Tomas' father introduced him to the love of 4 wheeling at an early age in the high mountains around Aspen, Colorado. While an avid Mountain Biker, Tomas and his Family enjoy adventures in the mountains and desert in the remote locations that can only be reached by 4wd. Day hikes are always a must when on the family trips. While enjoying outdoor activities he wants to share his love as a certified 4wd trainer and ski instructor. Tomas also enjoys caving and cave exploration. Tomas currently resides in Colorado Springs. 

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