Deckers – Much like the apple in the Garden of Eden, the new trail into upper Cheesman Canyon comes with a stem attached. But no snakes.
On Saturday, just in time for the Memorial Day weekend, anglers for the first time in four years will be able to hike directly into that section of the South Platte River immediately below Cheesman Dam.
It’s a paradisiacal place, laced with mysterious plunge pools framed by majestic boulders. Unlike much of the river, it was untroubled by the 2002 Hayman fire and, for the most part, by anglers.
Now, following a lengthy moratorium, trout enthusiasts can reach the spot by an upper route. But first the hook. They should bring along the essentials for deceiving cagey trout with the added challenge of extremely low flow. Also lots of drinking water and a strong set of hiking legs.
This recently completed Dam Trail – accomplished through a cooperative effort by Trout Unlimited, Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado, Coalition for the Upper South Platte, Denver Water and the U.S. Forest Service – provides a year- round river access that circumvents Cheesman Reservoir and Denver Water’s facilities.
It’s an often scenic hike that in places wanders through a forest scarred by the fire with sweeping views of the reservoir. But rarely can it be called easy.
Rising perhaps 500 vertical feet above the water, the 1.2-mile route features switchback climbs and, finally, as a cruel add-on, that notorious grade on the final leg down to the gauging station. It also begs the question which is the easier access, this new route or the existing Gill Trail that parallels the river.
The prize is the same as always: A spectacular jumble of water and rock where lurks the same basic mix of trout that preceded the fire. Located less than a mile above Schoonover Gulch, scene of a similarly devastating blaze less than two months before the Hayman fire, shows none of the silt load or companion ills that mar the lower canyon.
The problem over the past four years has been getting there. Safety and security issues relative both to the fire aftermath and post-9/11 concerns about the nation’s dams caused Denver Water to close the road leading to its facility.
This closure, along with access to fishing on the lake, remains in effect.
Denver Water will consider lifting this fishing ban in 2007, provided potentially dangerous trees can be removed.
The Dam Trail, winding up and around Denver Water’s core property, provides an alternate route to the river – but not without some cost in boot leather.
The hike lasts more than an hour, about twice as long as the former route along the reservoir, with considerably greater elevation change. A reasonable level of fitness is suggested.
That the trail exists at all is a testament to the diligence of Trout Unlimited, principally the Cutthroat Chapter, with various assists from Cheyenne Mountain, Evergreen and West Denver. In 2004, Denver Water consented to using a portion of its property for a trailhead.
Eric Schwab of Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado, a man with a keen eye for trail contours, performed the engineering. Volunteers swarmed like ants over the hillside, alternately hacking a path through blackened timber and live brush.
“We tried to get as many people as possible involved. The canyon belongs to everyone,” said Jerry Arni, a TU volunteer who has been a catalyst for the Gill and Dam trails.
Still on the drawing board, awaiting Schwab’s magic, is a final trail extension down to the river that will avoid Denver Water’s road completely and form a complete link with the Gill Trail.
“We’re about done. Now we can shift to the maintenance phase of the operation,” said Kent Higgins, a TU member who, with Arni, will serve as a steward to monitor use of the trail.
The biggest challenge, Arni said, will be to squelch the practice of “short-cutting” across switchbacks.
“In this terrain, the soil is so easily disturbed. If you walk in the wrong places, it won’t come back for years.”
Meanwhile, anglers should be aware of low- flow conditions, just 53 cubic feet per second, that will continue as long as Denver Water continues its current push to fill Cheesman Reservoir.
Regulations on this Gold Medal stretch of river call for catch-and-release fishing, with flies and lures only. It should be noted that the trout deserve as much care as the trail.
Charlie Meyers can be reached at 303-820-1609 or cmeyers@denverpost.com.
