Main Fork Horsetail Creek to ridge above Middle Fork Ditch Creek to Ditch Creek Road

Looking back down the main fork of horsetail creek toward the junction with the west fork

Potential Campsite (3 miles from Horsetail Ck TH)

This site is located on a flat bench next to some aspens in a meadow. The trail makes a large swooping turn through the meadow and crosses a strong water source. Good tent sites are next to the aspens (pictured here).

Mass wasting event.

Slope movement slowly blocking the trail. Appears to be very slow and not likely to pose any great risk to travelers.

Potential Campsite (6 miles from Horsetail Creek TH)

Good camping in the meadow. Strong water source that will probably be good into July.

View south from Campsite (6 miles from Horsetail Creek TH)

Lots of flat space for tents. Groups should not camp close to the standing dead wood on the south and west sides of the meadow. Good even age stand of conifers for lightning safe spot.

Water source for camp at the top of the West Fork Horsetail drainage

We took a wrong turn at the "junction" between the main fork horsetail, west fork horsetail, and ditch creek trails. After decending a bit we decided to make camp in the meadow next to a mtn bike/motorbike "wall ride" feature. This feature is a very obvious clue that travelers have started to descend the west fork rather than the main fork or ditch creek. All that said, it's a decent camp site and water should be good for a few more weeks.

'Junction' is not obvious

Ascending the main fork of horsetail creek the trail wraps around very naturally and obviously into the west fork of horsetail. Transfering to the ditch creek section of trail is not obvious. In this photo, the trail to the right (south) of the logs is the point at which the main fork trail wraps around into the west fork. The people standing on the left of the photo are on a very ill defined trail that leads to the summit trail of 9190. There is no obvious trail from here down to the middle fork ditch creek trail (the ridge, not the valley). Once we were at the base of 9190 where the trail turns to double track up the summit we traveled north, off trail, down the meadow until we met up with the middle fork ditch creek (ridge trail) that tracks west/northwest.

North Camp Site (6.5 miles from where we parked the car on ditch creek rd.)

This site is an open meadow with great views of the GV to the north and east. Good water on the south east end of the meadow. Good tent spots abound.

Sharkfin Meadow

The top of the grand is visible to the west from the east end of the meadow. Not a great camp spot (no great water source)

Woof

Boulders on Ditch Creek Road

This is the old 'end of the line'. There is now a washed out culvert about .5 miles below this spot that is the new 'end of the line'. The road is not completely washed out but it is now too narrow to cross in our vehicles. There is a decent parking spot below this washed out culvert.