Wheeler Lake...weekday run?

[FINOCJ]

Chris - if its ok with you...I am leaning towards Thurs as the day. 10am is probably good.

[FINOCJ]

Ahh....see you already moved to Thurs....thanks...see you all then.

[Jim]

I think I'll leave the top off - but will watch Wx as time nears.

Leaving FoCo @ 6 is on my mind - possibly a tad earlier.

Chris - what city are you in? (hint: adjust your profile)

[Getaklu]

Jim previously posted:

[Jim]

Just list'm both "Castle Rock & Jefferson". For run meeting it's nice to know where folks might be, generally, coming from. Nutt'n more than that.

Might one of you have an open seat for a guest? My sister is in state visiting family in Breckenridge. There's a remote chance they might wish to go with us on the trip. Two persons and I have only one open seat.

[Getaklu]

I will be running solo in my JKU so will have an open seat.

[FINOCJ]

Do not expect to have open seat....besides the jku would be way more comfortable.

[Jim]

Thanks gents. At this point, it seems only my sister might join (TBD) - daughter looks like she'll be at work Thurs.

[Java]

Just cleared my schedule and RSVP'd yes! I've wanted to run this for years, can't wait.

[FINOCJ]

Sounds good...see you on thurs

[Getaklu]

Paul previously posted:

[FINOCJ]

Hey guys...looking like Jen and I will be heading out to Frisco on Tues to camp and hike on Wed and camp again before meeting you all on Thurs for Wheeler Lake. Not sure exactly where we will be camping - hoping to camp by Lake Dillon. Will let you know, but we may meet you at the trailhead instead of Fairplay if we are camping to the north.

[Getaklu]

Sounds good James. I am heading up Wednesday so won’t have internet until I get to Fairplay Thursday, and that is using the term loosely at best, but will check for last minute updates at that point. Either way, see you Thursday.

[Jim]

So, meet at the trail head between 9 and 10a (leave trail head when all of us are there if earlier)

https://www.google.com/maps/?q=39.3597396,-106.0772896

[Getaklu]

Jim previously posted:

[Java]

Trailhead by 10.

[Jim]

A question - hitting the Google map link for the trail head, then turning on Satellite view, we have a water chute dropping into the reservoir. Where is that water coming from? Crystal Lake in the next valley north?

[FINOCJ]

Its the Hoosier Pass tunnel - takes water from the western slope (Blue River drainage) and puts it into the S Platte (eastern slope). The Montgomery Res is water owned by Colo Springs. Exactly where the northern/entry portal of the tunnel is unclear.

Here is some info from:
A HISTORICAL VIEW:TRANSMOUNTAIN DIVERSION DEVELOPMENT IN COLORADOJohn N. Winchester, P.E.'

Hoosier Pass Tunnel: The Continental-Hoosier Diversion System (a.k.a. the BlueRiver Project) is located southwest of Breckenridge, Colorado, and is owned by theCity of Colorado Springs which developed the project as a source of municipalwater. Water is diverted from the Blue River and its tributaries on the west slope tothe Middle Fork of the South Platte River on the east slope. Water taken through theHoosier Tunnel is delivered to Montgomery Reservoir, which is located in theheadwaters of the Middle Fork of the South Platte River above Fairplay.The Hoosier Pass Tunnel is an unlined tunnel, approximately 10 feet in diameter and1.5 miles long. The tunnel was completed in 1951 and has a capacity ofapproximately 500 cubic feet per second. Montgomery Reservoir has a capacity of4900 acre-feet, a spillway elevation of 10,861 feet and was completed in 1957. Thereservoir is also decreed to store water from the South Platte basin.Water from both the Blue River and the Middle Fork of the South Platte River isconveyed 70 miles across South Park to Colorado Springs via the 30-inchMontgomery Pipeline. The 1990-1999 average annual yield from the Blue River portion of the project was9939 acre-feet, while diversions from the South Platte were 1401 acre-feet. The 2000diversions for the Blue River and South Platte are 1401 and 386 acre-feetrespectively (CDSS, 2000; USGS, 1985).

[Getaklu]

Good question. Colorado Springs owns that reservoir, they are surely taking advantage of all of their water rights. My first visit, should be a good one.

[FINOCJ]

Some other interesting info - the Hoosier Pass area was the first water diversions built in the state. The tunnel replaced the original ditches. From the same article above:

East Hoosier and West Hoosier Ditches: The Hoosier Ditches were the first recordedtransmountain diversion constructed in Colorado, and were used to providesupplemental water for hydro-mining near Fairplay. The ditches divert water fromthe headwaters of the Blue River into the Middle Fork of the South Platte River. Theeast East Hoosier Ditch is 1.8 miles long, while the west East Hoosier Ditch is 1.3miles long. Hoosier Pass, the lowest point on the diversions, is at an elevation of11,540 feet. The East Hoosier Ditch is decreed for a total of 60 cubic feet per second,and the West Hoosier Ditch is decreed for 17 cubic feet per second, both with anappropriation date of August 5, 1929. The City of Colorado Springs obtained therights to the Hoosier ditches and now diverts the water through the Hoosier PassTunnel as part of the Continental-Hoosier Diversion System (Radosevich, 1976).