Cutler Creek

TRAILHEAD:

The trail begins begins in Thistle Park off County Road 14A above Lake Lenore. The trailhead is across the meadow where parking is available.

ATTRACTIONS AND FEATURES:

Round trip to the junction of the Baldy/Dexter Trails is 9.0 miles with an altitude gain of 2,610 feet. Taking the Cutler, Baldy, Left Fork loop is 8.9 miles. The trail has easy grades and good views. It crosses the creek almost immediately--at high water look for a large log downstream. Ascend left of the creek through forest and meadow for 0.75 mile, then turn left and follow a dry stream to the Okeson Trail junction (1 mile; see description below). Go straight 700 feet to the Cutler Creek Left Fork junction. Take the right fork down across Cutler Creek. Then climb to an open area--look NW for Horsefly Peak (10,347 feet) on the Uncompahgre Plateau and SW for Whitehouse (13,492 feet) and Mt. Sneffels (14,150 feet). At the Dexter/Baldy Junction turn left for a short distance on the Baldy Trail to an 11,140 foot hill top--a good lunch spot with views of Courthouse, Coxcomb, Wetterhorn, the back of the Amphitheater and Potosi. At the junction, the Dexter Creek trail goes right 4.7 miles to its trailhead, and Baldy goes left. The shortest loop back to the Cutler trailhead is 4.4 miles via Baldy (1.4 miles) and Left Fork Trail (see description below).