PANCAKE ROCKS
September 25, 2003
By Tim Briese
One day my wife Teresa and I wanted to go on a scenic fall hike close to home and decided to explore the Pancake Rocks area on the west side of Pikes Peak. I had read articles about it in our local newspaper and looked forward to checking it out someday.
We drove south from Divide on Highway 67 about ten miles to a point where the highway passes through a gap where there was once an old railroad tunnel, and parked at the trailhead on the east side of the highway at the far end of the gap. About 1 p.m. we struck off up the trail into the woods above the highway with our two labs. It was a clear and beautiful afternoon, and several other hikers were also out enjoying this popular place.
The fine trail climbed gently up a valley on the south side of a creek that sang in a gorge about a hundred feet below to the left. At first we were disappointed about the lack of yellow aspens as we hiked along in a dense, shady conifer forest, but our patience was later rewarded. After about three-fourths of a mile the terrain flattened out and we reached a broad valley called Horsethief Park. We came to a signed trail junction and turned right onto the Pancake Rocks Trail. This trail climbed through the woods up a steep north-facing slope with numerous long switchbacks. This was the most difficult and aerobic part of the climb, for we gained about 800 feet of elevation before the trail mercifully leveled out.
When we reached the top of the slope we were greeted by bright sunshine and extensive stands of brilliant yellow aspen trees quaking softly in the breeze. We met an older couple coming down the trail who told us that we were in for a scenic treat when we reached the Pancake Rocks. From this point the trail took us up and down across semi-wooded, rocky terrain on the southwest flank of Pikes Peak with little additional net elevation gain.
After about a mile and a half we reached an area where layered rock formations began to appear and I knew that our goal was near. We strode across rocky slabs in the midst of piles of reddish-brown granite that looked very much like stacks of colossal pancakes. Far below to the southwest lay a beautiful valley adorned with flaming yellow aspens. We found a nice spot to sit on the rocks and enjoy the grand panorama for a while. It was a perfect day to visit this wonderful place, with warm September sunshine and a deep blue sky above.
We lounged about for a half hour or so before retracing our steps down the trail. About 5 p.m. we returned to the trailhead. The hike covered about six miles roundtrip and entailed 1500 feet of elevation gain. The late day sun shone through the aspens along the highway with a gorgeous fiery yellow color as we drove away and headed for home.
