Back to Home Page Backpack into the Buffalo Peaks Wilderness AreaSeptember, 1998 I had hiked and climbed in this area many years ago, before it was designated a wilderness area, but never had camped within the area. After reading an account of a day hike along Rich Creek and Rough and Tumbling Creek in the Out There section of the Colorado Springs Gazette, and reading trail descriptions in Zoltan Malocsay's book Trails Guide to the Pikes Peak Country, 1991 edition, I decided this would be a good place for an overnighter and an opportunity to try out some new gear: Leki hiking poles, a Sweetwater water filter, and a Eureka! Mountain Pass tent. I opted to start my hike at the Lynch Creek Trailhead, reached via Forest Service Road #431 which starts a few miles north of Antero Junction (junction of US Highway 24 and Highway 285). From there, I planned to hike up along Rough and Tumbling Creek trail to Buffalo Meadows, a large valley a the top of the drainage and near the intersection with the Rich Creek Trail. This starting point saved me a couple of miles of hiking compared to beginning at the Rich Creek Trailhead off of the Weston Pass Road. From the parking spot at the wilderness boundary, the trail crosses Lynch Creek and heads down an old road to a tributary of Rough and Tumbling Creek. From there, the well-worn trail follows the tributary upstream, then over to Rough and Tumbling Creek. The trail follows the creek, crossing it once on a log structure. I found the hiking poles useful, as the trail was a steady climb, and I had really put too much into the pack - including a large can of Dinty Moore Beef Stew. The drainage eventually opens up into a large meadow valley, Buffalo Meadows, and the trail becomes much flatter. I stopped at a large rock and snacked as I surveyed the scene - a large meadow with the creek running down the center, surrounded by forest and low mountains. I hiked a little further up the trail and checked out a small terrace of land that projected into the valley. The spot could not have been better for a campsite - it was flat, not densely wooded, with a view over the valley and of Buffalo Peaks in the distance. The site looked like it could be a camping spot of horseback riders, as there was a large fire circle with a number of stumps arranged around it, many spots where tents could be pitched and an area nearby where horses possibly could be tethered. I pitched my tent hoping that no riders would arrive to either kick me out or camp on top of me. I first chore was to get some water. I took the water filter pump and a one gallon collapsible jug down to the stream and found a spot where I could sit and collect some water. At times I wish I had three hands, one to hold the pump, one to pump, and another to either keep the collector tube from drifting into the weeds or to hold the discharge tube in the jug and out of the dirt. Plus the pump kept clogging, which I think was due to the amount of algae in the water (the stream was pretty sluggish at the spot I using.) Pitching the tent was pretty easy, since I had at least practiced setting it up beforehand. I selected a spot which had no branches overhead which might have broken off in a strong wind ("widowmakers"), wasn't in a depression where rainwater might collect, and facing in a direction which would give me a good view of the campsite. Another precaution I take is to make sure no edges of my ground cloth under the tent are exposed - I once woke up in the middle of the night in a puddle of water in my tent. Rain water had run off the rain fly and onto the plastic groundcloth, which acted like a big collector, and funneled all the water under and up into my tent. Rain wasn't a worry on this weekend though - the weather was perfect. And the view from the campsite overlooking the valley was gorgeous. There was one other camper that I knew of, and another I spotted the next morning, both several hundred yards away. Only a couple of hikers passed on the trail below, so it was really quiet. I read for a while, took in the scenery, heated my can of stew, hung up my food to keep it away from rodents, and turned in for the night. I woke in the morning to this sound which I could not identify. It was like a "plop, plop" sound which I thought may be someone collecting wood, but so close to my campsite? Looking out, I couldn't see anyone, but the sound continued. I had to watch for a minute or two to see it was a squirrel, removing apparently every spruce cone he could find in the trees above me and letting them drop on the forest floor. I'll have to let someone else explain the motivation. After breakfast I threw some snacks and other essentials in a small daypack and went exploring. I hiked up the trail a little farther as it heads toward becoming the Rich Creek Trail, then, using my compass, headed up through the timber to climb a small unnamed peak behind me. I climbed up to above timberline to the top of the hill, then angled around to climb another nearby hill, wondering if anybody ever bothered to climb these insignificant peaks, only to discover two people already on the top of my destination! I guess they were dayhikers and had come up another direction. Oh well, so much for solitude. After I climbed down, I packed up and headed back along the route I had come the day before, passing a number of dayhikers along the way. I had to climb back up the last mile of trail to the car, but the hiking poles helped me out. I plan to come back and camp here again, perhaps when the aspen are turning, but I do intend to carry a lot less. Further Reading
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