Cross Creek Trail

Cross Creek Trail

Cross Creek Trail is a hiking trail in the northern Sawatch Range, part of the Rocky Mountains in the US state of Colorado. It is located in the Holy Cross Wilderness, west of Mount of the Holy Cross in Eagle County. Cross Creek Trail is south of Interstate 70, west of Highway 24, south of Minturn, southwest of Vail and south of Beaver Creek Resort, Colorado.

Cross Creek Trail follows Cross Creek south from a trailhead elevation of 8,550 feet, 12 miles to a junction at 11,300 feet, with the trail up Savage Peak to Treasure Vault Lake. The trail passes the steep west face of Mount of the Holy Cross. A loop of Holy Cross Ridge can be completed in approximately five days of backpacking from the Cross Creek Trailhead, up Cross Creek Trail, over Fancy Pass to Fancy Lake, then north to Holy Cross City. From there, the Hunky Dory Trail leads to Fall Creek Pass on the northern ridge of Whitney Peak, 13,271 feet, where the Fall Creek Trail continues north. Fall Creek Trail passes Lake Constantine and a junction with the Notch Mountain Trail to arrive at Half Moon Campground. From the junction with Half Moon Pass Trail, the return to Cross Creek Trailhead is an eight-mile hike down Tigiwon Road. Holy Cross Wilderness Area: Northern Trails of Eagle County, a hiking guide by Kim Fenske, provides a description of Cross Creek Trail.

The Holy Cross wilderness has a history of threatening the lives of adventurous hikers. Primarily, the hikers who require rescue are unfamiliar with the risks of entering wilderness areas and do not bring adequate equipment and supplies to respond to emergency conditions. Hikers are frequently stranded or lost due to changing environmental conditions and confusion regarding the surrounding landscape.

References

• ASIN B004AYD70M, Holy Cross Wilderness Area: Northern Trails of Eagle County
• Holy Cross or Bust, Vail Daily
• Hiker still missing in Holy Cross area, Vail Daily
• Search called off for missing hiker in rugged Holy Cross Wilderness, Denver Post
• Search for missing hiker ends, Vail Daily
• Questions litter missing hiker's trail, Casper Star-Tribune