3-way junction along the Miller Fork. Don't believe the Donner Pass distance (has to be longer) but others are pretty accurate.
Better view of the Miller Fork 3-way junction.
Miller Fork Road crossing. Not much for trailhead parking here (maybe 1-2 cars max).
Storm Mountain trailhead on Black Creek Drive (obviously not heavily used).
Steep, rocky climb up from Black Creek with plenty of shin-scraping sagebrush. Some sporadic cairns really helped to follow this trail.
Had to keep looking back at the views behind me (looking South) as I climbed higher and higher.
The "Retreat" neighborhood from where I started up this trail sits far below.
More of the same steep, rocky climb for maybe only a mile, but it seemed longer.
Views now to the West as well as I start getting up into the forest.
Some much more pleasurable singletrack as I got into the more forested areas (and a little less steep).
Finally got to stop climbing when I reached this open ridge. Unfortunately the high peaks of Rocky Mountain National Park were pretty clouded in.
Now begins a maze of forest roads, with my GPS trying to help me pick the right way to get to Storm Mountain.
GPS was leading me this way.
This road turned back into some well-maintained singletrack and I thought I was on my way to my desired trail junction near Storm Mountain.
However, the singletrack was a dead end at this cabin.
Trying another forest road route.
Again, I ended up at some private cabins. This road continued but I could see another cabin further up and it was time for me to start heading back to Dunraven trailhead.
On my return on this forest road I did notice a trail marking on a tree.
About as close as I would get to Storm Mountain. I was within a half-mile of the junction to the next trail that I was trying to access, but couldn't find the way this time.
Time to start the steep descent back to Black Creek.
A lot of snow above 10,000 feet.
Back to the trailhead at Black Creek Drive.
Only a couple hundred feet up the hill is the end of Black Creek Drive and the beginning of Copper Hill Road. I first thought this gated road might be the trailhead I was looking for, but it wasn't.
The beginning of the Miller Fork trail at the end of Fishermans Lane. It is about 1-mile of very nice trail from here to the Miller Fork Road crossing.
The little loop dead end of Fishermans Lane.
Miller Fork trail between Fishermans Lane and Miller Fork Road. I believe this trail section is maintained by the residents of the "Retreat".
The trailhead for Bulwark Ridge at the end of the Dunraven Glade Road. Apparently the owner of the private gated road has no problem with its use to access the National Forest trails.
