Hiking Trail On The Old Railroad Grade - Inside Chalk Creek Canyon (Photos, May 21, 2007)

*A HIKE ALONG AN OLD RAILROAD GRADE (Chalk Creek Canyon)* - May 21, 2007
	There is a very interesting and historic trail inside Chalk Creek Canyon. The old railroad grade, which once served as one of the main arteries for transportation during the settlement era, traveled west from Nathrop up into Chalk Creek Canyon with stops in St. Elmo, Romley and Hancock enroute to the Alpine Tunnel and points west. Today, a very scenic stretch of that railroad grade has become a great place for mountain biking and hiking with grand views of the mountains on the north side of the canyon. To get there: Simply take Chaffee County Road 162 west. Pass the Mt. Princeton Hot Springs and continue west past the Agnes Vaille Falls parking lot on the right. At that point, you'll be able to see the railroad grade to the left. The trailhead (top photo) is located just past the Cascade Falls parking area on the left. The bottom photo is the view of the road from the beginning of the trail.
	The mountain views on this trail are definitely scenic. Part of the Chalk Cliffs can be seen on the side of the mountain in the right photo.
	The best views are to the north. You'll get a great view of the Agnes Vaille Falls. I'm somewhat sure the summit of Mt. Princeton is included in the left and bottom photos.
	Oooooooh! This creek was running through the old railroad grade.
	And not far from the creek above, was this bridge.
	The green needles of this tree and pine cones really caught my eye. The cross was pretty too.
	The trail continues downhill for quite awhile. I turned back after snapping a decent shot of the bighorn sheep viewing area.
	I continually snapped pictures of the trail. ;)

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