Leader in Training (LIT) Hike – Lower Dadd Gulch Trail

Carpool Place & Time: King Soopers (NW corner of parking lot), North College Ave., Fort Collins at 7:00AM, departure 7:15AM (King Soopers - Google Maps)

We'll carpool for the Lower Dadd Gulch Trailhead parking lot (Lower Dadd Gulch Trail - Google Maps)

Additional carpool meeting location possible further south.

From the trailhead we'll follow the Dadd Gulch trail southwest along the creek (probably dry at this time of year), which we will cross in several places, also passing through several meadows. After about 2 miles the trail leaves the creek bed and gets a little steeper as it passes some interesting rock formations and then some aspen stands. The last 1/2 mile
of the trail is in the Cameron Peak burn area. We'll find a comfortable spot at/near the top of the trail for lunch/snack. We'll have some opportunities for off-trial exploration and modest scrambling. We'll decide as a group whether to return to the trailhead using the same route or do some off-trail navigation: from a point about 1/2 mile below the top of the trail, a rocky high point is visible to the left of the trail. Navigate to this high point and
then follow the ridge in a general NE direction for about a mile, paralleling the trail. You'll pass through a saddle and on to a second rocky high point. From this high point, follow the broad nose of the ridge SE to drop back to the trail. Continue on trail to the trailhead.
Our pace will be comfortable for all group members. Overall, this hike is ~7 miles and ~1400 ft elevation gain. (Lower Dadd Gulch Trail | COTREX)