Thinking about heading up to Shrine Ridge sometime this week. Never been there but the photos others have shared here look appealing. Anyone been there recently and can report on wildflowers. Is it better around sunrise or sunset. Is there some signage at the pass indicating which way to go and how far? Thanks.
I haven't been there this year, but i prefer the early morning light. if you head to the parking area near the top of the ridge (with the bathrooms) and hike down the hill a bit, head into the woods a couple hundreds years and, with any luck and enough rain, you'll have plenty of opportunity for flower fields and macro work.
I was in Holy Cross wilderness on the 30th and the flowers were decent. If it hasn't been too hot on the ridge, I'd guess it is OK for flowers right now based on what I saw on my trip. I haven't been up shrine pass, so I don't have any info for you on that.
Doug, Tony L. just posted an update to the CO Wildflower sticky thread with flower conditions up there.
The Shrine Pass road isn't hard to find, nor is the parking lot for the trailhead. There's a description in the CO Best Wildflower Hikes vol. 2 book if you're interested.
Posted by Joshua Hardin on July 10, 2007 at 12:17 PM
I was there on Saturday afternoon and it is well worth the hike. It should be good for the next week or longer. The paintbrush along the trail and growing in the stumps is as good as last year. However the blooms on the ridge with the view of Mt. of the Holy Cross were much, much better than last year IMO. I saw several lupine, alpine sunflower, aster and paintbrush on the ridge and I will likely be going back again for a sunrise during the next week.
Discussion
4 repliesI haven't been there this year, but i prefer the early morning light. if you head to the parking area near the top of the ridge (with the bathrooms) and hike down the hill a bit, head into the woods a couple hundreds years and, with any luck and enough rain, you'll have plenty of opportunity for flower fields and macro work.
Good luck!!
The Shrine Pass road isn't hard to find, nor is the parking lot for the trailhead. There's a description in the CO Best Wildflower Hikes vol. 2 book if you're interested.