c_rockwood

McCullough Gulch Hike

[img::aligncenter:medium:Falls of McCullough Gulch, just east of Quandary Peak]I did a brief 3+ hour hike around McCullough Gulch on June 4th (not an ascent of Quandary). I'm a novice mountaineer; we originally picked this spot because of an excerpt from an alpine wildflower hikes guide book. Here are a collection of my thoughts on the trip:

This was one of the more enjoyable hikes I have had recently, mostly due to the beauty of the often photographed split waterfall that hallmarks McCullough Gulch. Our round trip was not more than a couple of miles, with frequent stops for picture taking.

The main negative was the mud. Another couple of weeks and I'm guessing this hike would be 90% dry. We also found that the McCullough Gulch trail is a bit hard to follow in spots. The cairns are few and far between, and the path itself relatively faint at times. It's impossible to get very lost in this narrow gulch, however.

Mountain Buttercups were blooming in large patches, if you're into wildflowers. No animals were seen, though this should be expected given that we were hiking with two dogs.

I highly recommend this trip to anyone who is looking for a shorter hike and enjoys the sight/sound of large waterfalls.