WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.339 Apple podcast title, Deep Dive, Holy Cross Wilderness, 00:00:04.480 --> 00:00:07.240 Colorado Hiking Dangers and Majestic Peaks. Apple 00:00:07.240 --> 00:00:10.660 podcast description. In this deep dive, we unpack 00:00:10.660 --> 00:00:13.259 the breathtaking but unforgiving terrain of the 00:00:13.259 --> 00:00:16.280 Holy Cross Wilderness. Nestled within Colorado's 00:00:16.280 --> 00:00:18.440 White River National Forest and San Isabel National 00:00:18.440 --> 00:00:24.059 Forest, this 122 ,797 -acre wilderness area boasts 00:00:24.059 --> 00:00:27.839 164 miles of trails and the iconic 14 ,000 -5 00:00:27.839 --> 00:00:29.899 -foot mound of the Holy Cross. But it's not just 00:00:29.899 --> 00:00:31.440 about the stunning views from Notch Mountain. 00:00:31.640 --> 00:00:33.939 We explore the critical importance of wilderness 00:00:33.939 --> 00:00:36.380 survival, risk management, and why unprepared 00:00:36.380 --> 00:00:38.200 hikers frequently find themselves in the wild. 00:00:38.000 --> 00:00:40.380 in danger. Whether you're navigating the Lake 00:00:40.380 --> 00:00:42.719 Charles Trail or gazing at Mystic Island Lake, 00:00:42.840 --> 00:00:45.560 join us as we synthesize the history, the trails, 00:00:45.600 --> 00:00:47.460 and the hidden risks of one of Colorado's most 00:00:47.460 --> 00:00:49.939 majestic protected areas. Apple podcast description. 00:00:50.259 --> 00:00:51.880 Okay, let's unpack this. Welcome into another 00:00:51.880 --> 00:00:53.659 custom -tailored deep dive. Glad to be here. 00:00:53.759 --> 00:00:55.719 Our mission today, and I know you, our listener, 00:00:55.880 --> 00:00:57.799 love getting to the core of a topic quickly but 00:00:57.799 --> 00:01:00.359 thoroughly. Our mission is to explore a really 00:01:00.359 --> 00:01:02.399 fascinating stack of sources we've got regarding 00:01:02.399 --> 00:01:04.840 a stunning but honestly deceptively dangerous 00:01:04.840 --> 00:01:07.450 slice of the American West. Right. The Holy Cross 00:01:07.450 --> 00:01:09.590 Wilderness in Colorado. Exactly. And it's just 00:01:09.590 --> 00:01:12.510 this massive expanse. It encompasses Eagle Lake 00:01:12.510 --> 00:01:15.510 and Pitkin counties. It really is huge. And what 00:01:15.510 --> 00:01:17.849 we're going to look at today, alongside the facts 00:01:17.849 --> 00:01:20.430 and the trail names, is this overarching theme 00:01:20.430 --> 00:01:23.829 of. Well, the duality of nature. Yeah. Because 00:01:23.829 --> 00:01:25.650 on one hand, you have this awe -inspiring beauty, 00:01:25.750 --> 00:01:27.930 right? But on the other, it just has this absolute 00:01:27.930 --> 00:01:31.469 lack of mercy for anyone who goes in unprepared. 00:01:31.469 --> 00:01:33.890 It is entirely indifferent to your survival. 00:01:34.010 --> 00:01:36.069 Completely. So to give you a sense of the sheer 00:01:36.069 --> 00:01:38.549 scale we are talking about here, it was established 00:01:38.549 --> 00:01:44.730 in 1980. And it spans an incredible 122 ,797 00:01:44.730 --> 00:01:47.760 acres. Which is almost 500 square kilometers 00:01:47.760 --> 00:01:51.219 for those tracking the metrics. Yeah, 496 .94 00:01:51.219 --> 00:01:53.599 square kilometers to be exact. It's massive. 00:01:53.799 --> 00:01:56.819 And it features 164 miles of trail. And you have 00:01:56.819 --> 00:01:58.659 to consider where it sits geographically, too. 00:01:58.819 --> 00:02:00.560 Right. It's near some really well -known Colorado 00:02:00.560 --> 00:02:03.579 hubs. Yeah. Leadville, Minton. Edwards. Yep. 00:02:03.620 --> 00:02:06.159 Eagle and Vail. Just straddling the San Isabel 00:02:06.159 --> 00:02:08.379 and White River National Forests. Which is an 00:02:08.379 --> 00:02:10.939 important detail. Because having those civilized, 00:02:10.939 --> 00:02:13.039 you know, bustling cities right on the edge of 00:02:13.039 --> 00:02:15.919 the wilderness creates a sort of cognitive. dissonance. 00:02:16.000 --> 00:02:18.960 How so? Well, you might be drinking a latte in 00:02:18.960 --> 00:02:22.080 Vail and an hour later you're stepping into this 00:02:22.080 --> 00:02:25.139 untamed ecosystem. It's easy to forget you've 00:02:25.139 --> 00:02:27.319 crossed a major threshold. That's a great point. 00:02:27.419 --> 00:02:29.020 But here's where it gets really interesting. 00:02:29.319 --> 00:02:32.599 The namesake of this entire massive area. The 00:02:32.599 --> 00:02:36.039 Mount of the Holy Crab. Yes. It's a 14 ,005 foot 00:02:36.039 --> 00:02:39.439 peak. A classic Colorado 14er. Right. Which is 00:02:39.439 --> 00:02:41.599 a huge draw on its own. Bagging a 14er is a big 00:02:41.599 --> 00:02:44.219 deal. But there's this literal cross formation. 00:02:44.490 --> 00:02:47.210 on the mountain. that gives it its name. What's 00:02:47.210 --> 00:02:49.509 fascinating here is how a single geographical 00:02:49.509 --> 00:02:52.830 feature like that becomes this powerful magnet 00:02:52.830 --> 00:02:55.930 for human exploration. It's just two deep snow 00:02:55.930 --> 00:02:58.129 -filled crevices. Right, exactly. They intersect 00:02:58.129 --> 00:03:01.050 on the eastern face, and long after the summer 00:03:01.050 --> 00:03:03.250 sun melts the snow off the rest of the rock, 00:03:03.409 --> 00:03:06.469 those couloirs stay packed with white snow against 00:03:06.469 --> 00:03:09.189 the dark gray stone. Which creates that iconic 00:03:09.189 --> 00:03:11.550 image. Right, and it's been drawing people in 00:03:11.550 --> 00:03:13.669 for over a century. It's almost like a site of 00:03:13.669 --> 00:03:15.909 pilgrimage. Funny thing I found of the sources 00:03:15.909 --> 00:03:18.370 is that if you actually climb the Mount of the 00:03:18.370 --> 00:03:20.449 Holy Cross, you can't really see the cross. No, 00:03:20.650 --> 00:03:22.889 you're standing on it. So the sources point out 00:03:22.889 --> 00:03:25.009 that Notch Mountain is actually the prime spot. 00:03:25.250 --> 00:03:27.770 Notch Mountain is the viewing platform. That's 00:03:27.770 --> 00:03:29.710 where all the backpackers and day trippers go. 00:03:29.870 --> 00:03:32.449 Just to get that crystal clear, perfectly framed 00:03:32.449 --> 00:03:35.889 view of the cross formation. Human beings have 00:03:35.889 --> 00:03:38.270 this intense desire to witness these monuments 00:03:38.270 --> 00:03:41.490 with our own eyes. will endure quite a bit of 00:03:41.490 --> 00:03:43.770 physical hardship just to stand on Notch Mountain 00:03:43.770 --> 00:03:45.969 and look across the valley. Yeah. And to really 00:03:45.969 --> 00:03:48.550 give you a sense of scale, we have to look at 00:03:48.550 --> 00:03:51.590 the broader Colorado context in our source material. 00:03:51.990 --> 00:03:55.229 The list of protected areas in the state is just 00:03:55.229 --> 00:03:58.419 staggering. It really is. Holy Cross isn't just 00:03:58.419 --> 00:04:01.219 an isolated park. It's part of this enormous 00:04:01.219 --> 00:04:04.199 statewide commitment to conservation. It's a 00:04:04.199 --> 00:04:06.699 piece of a much larger ecological puzzle. Right, 00:04:06.759 --> 00:04:08.960 because you have massive national parks right 00:04:08.960 --> 00:04:11.560 nearby, relatively speaking, like Rocky Mountain 00:04:11.560 --> 00:04:13.900 and Mesa Verde. And national monuments like Brown's 00:04:13.900 --> 00:04:17.079 Canyon. Not to mention the dozens of state parks. 00:04:17.279 --> 00:04:20.480 The sources list areas stretching from the Arkansas 00:04:20.480 --> 00:04:23.379 headwaters to the Yampa River. Which means you 00:04:23.379 --> 00:04:26.220 have this deeply interconnected web of wilderness. 00:04:26.420 --> 00:04:29.779 And that isolation brings us to the dark side 00:04:29.779 --> 00:04:33.199 of that beauty. The risk. Exactly. Because with 00:04:33.199 --> 00:04:36.420 that level of vast, uninterrupted nature comes 00:04:36.420 --> 00:04:39.680 very serious danger. The sources are incredibly 00:04:39.680 --> 00:04:42.860 specific about this warning. The Holy Cross Wilderness 00:04:42.860 --> 00:04:45.810 has a pretty grim history. of hikers becoming 00:04:45.810 --> 00:04:47.889 endangered. And we really need to break down 00:04:47.889 --> 00:04:50.730 why that happens because it's rarely some unavoidable 00:04:50.730 --> 00:04:53.129 freak accident. What is it usually that? It's 00:04:53.129 --> 00:04:55.569 unfamiliarity with wilderness risks. People go 00:04:55.569 --> 00:04:57.709 in lacking adequate equipment. They don't have 00:04:57.709 --> 00:04:59.790 the essential supplies for emergency conditions. 00:04:59.889 --> 00:05:01.589 They just assume it's going to be a casual hike. 00:05:01.649 --> 00:05:04.110 Exactly. Critical thinking is essential out there. 00:05:04.209 --> 00:05:06.810 The tragedies we see are largely due to a complete 00:05:06.810 --> 00:05:09.250 lack of basic risk management and preparation. 00:05:09.730 --> 00:05:12.009 And the sources gave some really chilling, real 00:05:12.009 --> 00:05:14.449 -world examples to back that up. They did. There 00:05:14.449 --> 00:05:17.649 was this incident in 2007. A lost hiker was up 00:05:17.649 --> 00:05:20.720 there. The weather turned and he literally had 00:05:20.720 --> 00:05:24.160 to brave the wind and freezing cold huddled inside 00:05:24.160 --> 00:05:28.259 a cave just to survive. At 14 ,000 feet, the 00:05:28.259 --> 00:05:30.779 weather doesn't just shift. It violently attacks 00:05:30.779 --> 00:05:33.540 you. And then there was the 2010 case. That one 00:05:33.540 --> 00:05:35.959 is heartbreaking. Yeah, missing hiker in that 00:05:35.959 --> 00:05:38.459 rugged terrain. And the situation got so bad, 00:05:38.480 --> 00:05:40.399 they actually had to call off the search. Which 00:05:40.399 --> 00:05:43.819 is the hardest call a rescue team can make. But 00:05:43.819 --> 00:05:46.579 when the terrain and weather get that bad. The 00:05:46.579 --> 00:05:49.660 rescuers' lives are at severe risk, too. So think 00:05:49.660 --> 00:05:51.899 about that for a second. Have you ever thought 00:05:51.899 --> 00:05:54.040 a wilderness hike was just going to be a casual 00:05:54.040 --> 00:05:56.379 walk in the park, just a few hours out and back? 00:05:56.620 --> 00:05:58.759 If we connect this to the bigger picture, our 00:05:58.759 --> 00:06:01.180 modern world really lulls us into a false sense 00:06:01.180 --> 00:06:03.379 of security. We think our phones will always 00:06:03.379 --> 00:06:05.620 work. Right. We forget that the wilderness is 00:06:05.620 --> 00:06:08.329 completely indifferent to our presence. Thorough 00:06:08.329 --> 00:06:10.430 research and reasonable planning are literally 00:06:10.430 --> 00:06:13.089 the only shields we have. So assuming you are 00:06:13.089 --> 00:06:15.029 prepared, assuming you've got your gear and your 00:06:15.029 --> 00:06:17.490 emergency plan, what does this all mean for the 00:06:17.490 --> 00:06:20.470 actual hiking? Oh, the trail network is phenomenal 00:06:20.470 --> 00:06:22.529 if you respect it. Yeah, I want to map this out 00:06:22.529 --> 00:06:24.569 a bit because there's an incredible variety of 00:06:24.569 --> 00:06:26.329 trails mentioned in the sources. Where should 00:06:26.329 --> 00:06:28.269 we start? Well, there's the Nolan Lake Trail. 00:06:28.449 --> 00:06:31.029 A classic route. And then the Lake Charles Trail, 00:06:31.170 --> 00:06:33.860 which takes you out to... lake charles and mystic 00:06:33.860 --> 00:06:36.560 island lake which is just a stunning high alpine 00:06:36.560 --> 00:06:38.959 destination then you've got the new york mountain 00:06:38.959 --> 00:06:43.720 trail and the dead dog trail which honestly that 00:06:43.720 --> 00:06:47.579 name is so evocative it is the names really tell 00:06:47.579 --> 00:06:51.519 a story when early explorers or rangers name 00:06:51.519 --> 00:06:55.319 a route dead dog they aren't trying to be cute 00:06:55.319 --> 00:06:58.579 it's a warning exactly it tells you immediately 00:06:58.579 --> 00:07:00.839 about the steep grades and the punishment your 00:07:00.839 --> 00:07:03.829 body is going to take The sources also list Beaver 00:07:03.829 --> 00:07:06.250 Lake Trail heading up to Beaver Lake and Turquoise 00:07:06.250 --> 00:07:08.069 Lake. Also beautiful spots. And then there's 00:07:08.069 --> 00:07:11.009 the Fancy Lake Trailhead, which has really quirky 00:07:11.009 --> 00:07:13.970 but potentially dangerous detail in the source 00:07:13.970 --> 00:07:16.930 notes. The mapping inconsistency. Yeah. Some 00:07:16.930 --> 00:07:19.069 maps apparently call it the Fancy Creek Trailhead 00:07:19.069 --> 00:07:22.209 instead of Fancy Lake. Which sounds minor, but 00:07:22.209 --> 00:07:25.509 reading these maps accurately is vital. If you're 00:07:25.509 --> 00:07:27.689 coordinating a rescue or trying to find your 00:07:27.689 --> 00:07:30.230 way out, the difference between a lake and the 00:07:30.230 --> 00:07:33.250 creek that feeds it... could be miles of impassable 00:07:33.250 --> 00:07:35.730 terrain. It really highlights why you can't just 00:07:35.730 --> 00:07:38.949 blindly follow a single ab. No, absolutely not. 00:07:39.230 --> 00:07:42.009 What about the Grouse Lake, West Grouse Creek, 00:07:42.269 --> 00:07:44.889 and Martin Creek Trails? Those take you through 00:07:44.889 --> 00:07:47.949 some incredibly dense, dynamic parts of the forest. 00:07:48.230 --> 00:07:50.430 And for the main event, the Mount of the Holy 00:07:50.430 --> 00:07:53.199 Cross itself. The sources highlight the Half 00:07:53.199 --> 00:07:55.439 Moon Pass Trail. Right. Half Moon Pass is the 00:07:55.439 --> 00:07:58.180 route. And the name itself highlights the topography. 00:07:58.699 --> 00:08:02.180 You have to navigate this curving, exposed ridge. 00:08:02.240 --> 00:08:04.379 You're fully exposed to the elements way before 00:08:04.379 --> 00:08:06.160 you hit the summit. Which goes back to the risk 00:08:06.160 --> 00:08:07.639 management we talked about earlier. Totally. 00:08:07.779 --> 00:08:09.879 The last few mentioned are the Two Hair Lakes 00:08:09.879 --> 00:08:12.620 Trail and the Cross Creek Trail leading to Treasure 00:08:12.620 --> 00:08:15.139 Vault Lake and Blodgett Lake. Treasure Vault 00:08:15.139 --> 00:08:17.579 is another great topographical name. Sounds like 00:08:17.579 --> 00:08:20.050 something out of a fantasy novel. It does. It 00:08:20.050 --> 00:08:22.730 highlights the geography and the history of human 00:08:22.730 --> 00:08:25.889 interaction out there. A secluded alpine bowl 00:08:25.889 --> 00:08:29.009 that takes serious effort to reach. Reading these 00:08:29.009 --> 00:08:31.970 trail names isn't just a list. It's a map of 00:08:31.970 --> 00:08:34.809 the physical toll the land demands. So synthesizing 00:08:34.809 --> 00:08:36.970 everything we've pulled from this deep dive today. 00:08:37.110 --> 00:08:39.230 It's a lot to take in. It is. We are looking 00:08:39.230 --> 00:08:44.480 at a... 122 ,797 acre wilderness. It's got this 00:08:44.480 --> 00:08:48.159 massive magnetic pull, mostly from that 14 ,005 00:08:48.159 --> 00:08:50.879 foot peak and the cross formation. People will 00:08:50.879 --> 00:08:52.940 always want to see it from Notch Mountain. But 00:08:52.940 --> 00:08:55.080 the stark reality is that this environment demands 00:08:55.080 --> 00:08:58.379 absolute respect. If you don't prepare for the 00:08:58.379 --> 00:09:00.559 altitude and the weather, you could end up in 00:09:00.559 --> 00:09:02.899 a really grim situation. And my final insight 00:09:02.899 --> 00:09:04.720 on this is just that knowledge is only valuable 00:09:04.720 --> 00:09:06.919 when it's applied. Right. Knowing the names of 00:09:06.919 --> 00:09:09.059 the trails, like Half Moon Pass or Dead Dog, 00:09:09.159 --> 00:09:11.519 that's great for trivia, but knowing how to actually 00:09:11.519 --> 00:09:13.860 respect the wilderness, knowing how to pack for 00:09:13.860 --> 00:09:16.059 emergency conditions, that is what brings you 00:09:16.059 --> 00:09:18.200 home safely. Which leaves us with a lingering 00:09:18.200 --> 00:09:20.059 question for you to mull over as we wrap up. 00:09:20.220 --> 00:09:21.799 I think this is the most important takeaway. 00:09:22.279 --> 00:09:24.299 When we look at a map covered in hundreds of 00:09:24.299 --> 00:09:27.340 protected areas and miles of trails, we often 00:09:27.340 --> 00:09:30.019 just see a playground. We see recreation. Because 00:09:30.019 --> 00:09:32.559 it's designated as a park or wilderness area. 00:09:32.740 --> 00:09:35.299 Exactly. But considering the chilling history 00:09:35.299 --> 00:09:37.379 of those who wandered into the Holy Cross wilderness 00:09:37.379 --> 00:09:41.120 unprepared, how might shifting our mindset from 00:09:41.120 --> 00:09:43.580 conquering nature to surviving as a guest in 00:09:43.580 --> 00:09:46.740 its home fundamentally change the way we pack 00:09:46.740 --> 00:09:50.090 our bags and take our very first step? onto the 00:09:50.090 --> 00:09:52.289 trail. It changes everything. You stop packing 00:09:52.289 --> 00:09:54.230 for the hike you want and start packing for the 00:09:54.230 --> 00:09:56.230 wilderness you're actually entering. Something 00:09:56.230 --> 00:09:58.129 to really think about before your next adventure. 00:09:58.450 --> 00:10:00.389 Thanks for joining us on this deep dive and we'll 00:10:00.389 --> 00:10:00.990 catch you next time.