mar. 11, 2020 public trail information: lady moonthe lady moon trail continues south another 0.7...

Poudre Wilderness Volunteers www.pwv.org US Forest Service Visitor Information 970-295-6700 Oct.20,2020 PublicTrailInformation:LadyMoonTrail(s):LadyMoon#985(#267);DisappointmentFalls#985-2Ratings/restrictions: Hikers-EasyStockriders-EasyNobikesNov.1-Jun.30

SeecompleteREGULATIONSbelowDESCRIPTIONCautions: BicyclesontrailJuly1-Oct.31CattleoftenpresentTypicallyaccessible:

Year-round(seeSEASONALbelow)

Wilderness: NoneOne-WayLength: 2.6miles(fromLadyMoontrailheadtoElkhornCreektrailhead)

[+0.6mileforDisappointmentFalls]Beginning/PeakElevation: 8,146/8,328Gain/Loss/NetGain: 202/531/-329Map(s)-TrailsIllustrated: #111RedFeatherLakesGlendeveyMap(s)-USGS7-½‘Quadrangles: RedFeatherLakes,Rustic

TRAILHEADLOCATION:Red Feather Lakes Area: This trail can be accessedfrom either the Lady Moon Trailhead or from theElkhornCreekTrailhead.ViatheLadyMoonTrailhead:FromTed’sPlace,followUS-287northfor10.5milesto “The Forks” at Livermore. Turn left onto the RedFeather Lakes Road (CR-74E). At mm 20.8 you willsee the entrance to the trailhead on the south (left)side of the road. [The Mt. Margaret parking lot andtrailheadisnorthoftheLadyMoonTrailheadacrossCR-74E.]ViatheElkhornCreekTrailhead:FromTed’sPlace,followUS-287northfor10.5milesto the “forks” at Livermore. Turn left onto the RedFeather Lakes Road (CR-74E). At mm 16.25 turnsouth (left) onto CR-68C (Boy Scout Road). Drivewest past the Boy Scout Ranch until you reach theElkhornCreekTrailheadon thenorth (right) sideoftheroad(3.8miles).Therearetoilets,andgoodstocktrailerparkingwithpull-throughs, at both the Lady Moon and ElkhornCreekTrailheads. NowateratLadyMoonTrailhead;there iswaterat thecreekveryclose to theElkhornCreekTrailhead.TRAIL: The Lady Moon Trail was extended to thesouthin2010,runningfromCR-74Eatthenorthend(Lady Moon Trailhead) to CR68-C at the south end(ElkhornCreekTrailhead),foratotalone-waylength

of 2.6 miles. The Description below describes anorth-to-southhikeorride.WATER: Limited Water available at crossing ofElkhornCreek(justnorthofElkhornCreektrailhead)andfromElkhornCreekattheendofDisappointmentFallsTrail.CAMPING: There are many potential camp sitesalong this trail. Look for places around the rockoutcroppingsorintheforestthatareatleast100feetfromthetrailandfromwater,andoutofsight. Notethat you will be dry camping unless you are nearElkhornCreek.SEASONAL: Accessible inwinter. Theparking lot isnot plowed but often accessible. If there is snow,beforeyouentertheparkinglot,besureyoucangetup the slope again. You may also park just off theroad, if the plows have been through. With littleelevation change, the trail is good for skiing orsnowshoeing,conditionspermitting.DESCRIPTION:Thistrailinvolvesashort,gentlehikethroughopen,dryponderosapineforestandalarge,attractive meadow/prairie (Lady Moon Meadow).Therearenumerousquakingaspentreesandseveralsmallgraniteoutcropsalongthetrail,aswellasmanylarger granite outcrops and promontories about 0.5mile to the east and west of the trail. There arenumerous shrubs such as wax currant, shrubbycinquefoil,andWoodsroseaswellasmanyspeciesofwildflowers along the trail, both in the open forestandinthemeadow.ThenorthendoftheLadyMoonTrail passes through open ponderosa pine and

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quaking aspen for about 0.4 mile and then dropsdowninto,andcrosses,LadyMoonMeadow.Earlyinthe spring, or after a substantial rain, the smallintermittent stream flowing through this meadow,and the lowest portion of themeadow itself, can bechallenging to cross without getting both wet andmuddy.The Lady Moon Trail continues south another 0.7mile from Lady Moon Meadow through openponderosapineforestuntilitreachesajunctionwiththeGraniteRidgeTrail(E&W).Turneast(left)ontothe Granite Ridge Trail and proceed approximately400feettoatrailjunctionwheretheLadyMoonTrailcontinues through a gate to the south. About 1milesouth of the junction with the Granite Ridge Trail,thereisashort(0.6mile)spurtrail–DisappointmentFalls Trail – leading to the southwest and ending atsome rocky falls on Elkhorn Creek. DisappointmentFallsisnotadisappointmentintheearlyspringwhenthewater flow ishighbutbymidsummer it is oftennot very impressive. Along the spur trail toDisappointment Falls are the remains of a hay barn

onceusedbytheMonroefamilywhoownedthelandalong Elkhorn Creek. From the junction with theDisappointment Falls Trail, the Lady Moon Trailcontinues south for approximately 0.5 mile beforeendingattheElkhornCreektrailhead.Thissectionofthe trail isdifficult to follow,especially coming fromthesouth,astherearemanyoldroadbedsinthearea.TheunbridgedcrossingofElkhornCreek(justnorthofElkhornCreektrailhead)canbechallengingduringhighstreamflows,evenifyouarepreparedtowade.FromtheNWcorneroftheElkhornTrailhead,theSEportion of the Elkhorn Creek Trail meanders to thewest for 1.5 mi (one way) before terminating at adeadend.[Note that Lady Moon Lake is located on privateproperty east of the USFS boundary between the twomostnortherlyofthepromontories(8,442ftand8,722ft elevation) that are about 0.5 mile due east of theLadyMoon Trail.] This lake is NOT part of this trailandisnotaccessibletothepublic.

REGULATIONS:

• CampingandFires-Prohibitedwithin200feetoftrailheads,toiletsandparkingareas.Recommendatleast100feetfromwaterandtrail.

• Dogs-Mustbeundervoicecontrolatalltimes.• Stock-Toavoidspreadingnoxiousweeds,recommendbeginning72hourspriortotheride,stock

shouldbefedonlypelletsorcertifedweed-freehay.Required:throughoutthetrip,stockmustbefedonlypelletsorcertifedweed-freehay.

• BicyclesandOtherWheeledConveyances-ProhibitedNovember1throughJune30.Otherwiseallowed.

• MotorizedTransport-Prohibited.• GroupSize-Asinglegroupofmorethan74peoplemusthaveaUSFSpermit.

TrailAdoptedby:BSALongsPeakCouncil,FortCollins

Milee

GPS Coordinates: datum = WGS84 Lat/Long UTM

0 Lady Moon TH (on Red Feather Lakes Road; CR-74E) N40°46.76’ W105°32.25’ 454644mE 4514400mN 0.9 junction with Granite Ridge Trail N40°45.91’ W105°32.64’ 454086mE 4512831mN 2.0 junction with Disappointment Falls Trail N40°45.19’ W105°32.68’ 454022mE 4511499mN

old log structure (along spur trail to Disappointment Falls) N40°45.02' W105°32.84' 453795mE 4511186mN 2.6 end of trail at Elkhorn Creek TH (on Boy Scout Road; CR-68C) N40°44.79’ W105°32.39’ 454425mE 4510756mN

(Seenextpageformapoftrail.)

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