Chapter 10
Dayhike to Music Pass

The Grape Creek Trailhead for our hike to Music Pass was a further drive than yesterday, about a half hour. The trailhead was the beginning of a very rough dirt jeep road that lead up into the mountains. Duncan didn't like the idea of driving his rental Jeep Liberty up the road so we started the hike at the bottom of the road.

It was an easy 2.5 mile walk up to the end of the jeep road. I was surprised how many 4-wheel drive trucks were in the parking lot at the end of the road. I would have loved to have seen how they negotiated some of the really rough rocky sections of the road.

Views of the jeep road to Music Pass. It was easy at first but rougher and more "primitive" as time went on.

From the parking lot at the end of the road, we picked up the Music Pass Trail which was a relatively easy hike up to Music Pass. The views from Music Pass were great. We could look back behind us over the Wet Valley to the Wet Mountains about 25 miles distant . . . . or . . . . we could look forward over Sand Creek Valley to Tijeras Peak. At Music Pass there were signs announcing the border line with Great Sand Dunes National Park. The valley and mountains before us were in the park. On the other side of their ridgeline were the sand dunes, out of sight from our position.

From our overlook of Music Pass, we continued northward, going off trail following a long thin ridge. We stopped along the way for our lunch at a spot that gave us a good view of Music Pass and the mountains around us. After lunch, Diane and Duncan continued up the ridge and beyond, while Nora and I relaxed and snoozed. After about an hour, Diane and Duncan returned and we all headed back down the jeep road to our car.