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Trip Dispatch #55: Tuesday, July 12: Redcliff to Minturn Game Creek Trail: Back to Civilization

We packed up and followed Steve into town. He took the railroad tracks, and we took the trail. We tied up the horses to a rail next to Mango’s Restaurant. Pete left with Steve in search of breakfast burritos, and I stayed with the horses. Kids appeared, and for the next hour they petted and fed our chowhounds copious amounts of dandelion greens and grass.

A dirt biker pulled up next to the horses and chastised one of the kids for tipping over his machine. I then chastised him for startling the horses.

We rode through town after eating our breakfast burritos, purchased at the nearby Green Bridge Inn. Our afternoon trek took us along the Eagle River, which flows into the Colorado River. On our left was fast-moving water, and on our right massive outcroppings of red rock. We finally came to a much-welcomed stretch of pea gravel. We saw several mine shafts, and a mine that had been built into the hill. We had to pick our way through rock scree and railroad debris. The horses were extra careful. One thing that can be said for Icelandic horses—they have a great deal of common sense.

We ate lunch in a meadow by the railroad tracks and listened to nearby shooting range activity. My heart was in my throat as we later rode by this facility. Neither the dog nor the horses

Redcliff
Redcliff

Trail below Redcliff
Trail below Redcliff

were phased by the gunshots. The afternoon found us riding on a ridge that paralleled Minturn—a heavily populated area. Down below were shops and houses, all brightly painted. Come evening and we had a moment of indecision. We’d heard that there was a USFS corral across the way; however, I didn’t want to cross Route 24. We opted to instead go up the trail that leads to Vail’s Eagle’s Nest Summit.

We set up camp a short ways up the Game Creek trail, and just after getting our tent up we were passed by a gaggle of academics—they stopped and invited us to join them at the Minturn Saloon. Alas, they were leaving when we got there, so we weren’t able (as we’d hoped) to eat dinner with them. We did talk for a while with a fellow named Russ the about academic conference particulars. This made me wish that I was again teaching.

Next: Trip Dispatch #56: More Civilization