Second Creek Trail to Twin Cones
Getting There
Nestled amongst the sharp switchbacks of Berthoud Pass is Second Creek Trail, a popular summer hiking spot and winter ski touring area. The trail is right off of Highway 40, with parking on the same side of the trail head as well as across the road.
The Trail
The hike starts in the forest with a more pronounced incline, which slowly becomes more sparse and more moderate as you gain elevation. A mile in to the hike you will reach Broome Hut, sitting at 11,350 feet elevation. The hut is about half way up, where you’ll switch from hiking along Second Creek, to First Creek. If you need to use a restroom, you’re in luck! The trail becomes much more gradual at this point, and in early July will still have a few patches of snow to cross. It may also be a bit muddy! At this point you’ll be surrounded by waist-high bushes along the trail, and then it all disappears into expansive, rolling meadows dotted with wildflowers. There will be a fork in the trail as you approach Twin Cones- you’ll want to head right. If you continue straight, you can reach top of the Winter Park ski resort at the Parsenn Bowl.
Heading down, take care on the snow fields as they’ll have warmed up and become soft and slippery. Dusty loved the patches of snow and was sliding his way down them while rolling around.
There is no shelter once you pass the Broome Hut, so make sure you are watching the weather and are down before any storms are set to roll in. In the summer, a general rule of thumb is to be off the mountain by noon.
