Last Christmas we drove to Cameron Pass and returned home by way of County Road 68C. On our way home, we passed by the Shambhala Mountain Center, and then before we got to the Ben Delatour Scout Ranch, we passed the Elkhorn Creek trailhead. The trailhead seemed to be new or newly improved, and it was fairly remote. I decided to come back in the summer and hike it – which is what my daughter and I did yesterday on July 4th...

...Not that we got an early start. The trailhead is located in Roosevelt National Forest – 20 miles west of Livermore and 40 miles northwest of Fort Collins. We got to the trailhead around 11 in the morning, and as we parked, it started to rain. It rained lightly as we studied the posted trail-map. That map is the only one I know of, and it shows the Elkhorn Creek system of interconnected trails and loops. At least, I hadn't been able to find a map of the Elkhorn Creek trails before we had left, despite my determined online searching. So, as I stood there ignoring the rain, that map was all I had for deciding where we should hike.

The Elkhorn Creek trails will take you to three destinations: Disappointment Falls, Lady Moon Lake, and Molly Lake. I decided we should hike to Molly Lake, which the map suggested would be a five- or six-mile out-and-back hike. The rain stopped, and we headed out. Almost immediately, two horseback riders came by. I wanted to verify we were on the trail to Molly Lake. Oh no, they said. Go over there by that trail. They said Molly Lake wasn't too far.

We veered off in the direction they suggested. A half-mile later, it started to rain in earnest. After another half-mile we came upon two more horseback riders... Oh no, they said. You can't get to Molly Lake this way. Well they said, you can, but you'll have to walk through mud up to your hips.

That didn't sound too promising, but they also said there was a nice view up ahead. By then we were wet, and I thought we'd turn around after seeing the view.

But it stopped raining and never started again. And the view turned out to be spectacular, as the photos below show. We had reached Disappointment Falls, which we could hear in the gorge below us but couldn't see through the trees, not that it mattered. The gorge and view were well worth the trouble of taking the short hike up to see them.

The trailhead map had said the trail between Disappointment Falls and Molly Lake was under construction. But since it had stopped raining and we'd just seen some inspiring scenery, my mood had improved. I suggested to my daughter that we should continue towards Molly Lake and see what happens. She agreed to keep going.

The trail took us gently downhill, and we eventually intersected with the creek. We took off our shoes and forded it – Which made my daughter very, very unhappy. She didn't like it at all. She didn't want to walk through the water. She thought we were lost. She wasn't happy. Did I mention she didn't like it? She didn't. What's a father supposed to do? The water was shallow; the creek was narrow. I told her she should trust me; she should trust herself; and we weren't lost. We made it to the other side of the creek, where we found a rock in the sun and dried off.

From there, the trail paralleled the creek and took us through a lightly wooded meadow. This was thoroughly enjoyable Colorado hiking. I assumed we'd come to Molly Lake, but the trail unexpectedly made a right-angle turn away from the creek, and we found ourselves on a forest service road.

Wild flowers bloomed in the open meadow and the forest shade, on either side of the road. In particular, we saw large patches of Colorado columbine (Aquilegia caerules), which is the Colorado state flower and is also known as the Rocky Mountain columbine. Eventually we came to a trail sign, which told us we were leaving the Molly Lake trail and picking up the Granite Ridge trail.

From there, the hike was OK – easy walking but not noteworthy in any particular way. (Technically, I'd be remiss not to mention that on this stretch of the hike we mistakenly took a spur-trail and got lost enough for me to call the Roosevelt Forest visitors center on my cell phone...) By the time we made it back to the car, we'd probably hiked seven miles.

Despite everything, my daughter and I agree that the hike to Disappointment Falls and along Elkhorn Creek was very special. Because of the scenery, the landscape, the easy terrain and the little-used nature of the trail.

And as an additional heads up, both of us recommend the King Sooper's Breakfast Burrito with Potato, Egg & Cheese ($3.49 each). It's a really good burrito, and you can eat it in the car, without making a mess as you drive to your trailhead.