Stanley Reservoir via West Monument Creek

date: 04/18/2012
activity: hiking/fishing
distance: 5.5 miles
time: 4 hours

This was my 2nd attempt to reach Stanley Reservoir hiking the West Monument Creek trail. The first time I was turned around due to large amounts of snow and ice in November. The hike was the most difficult, yet most rewarding, hike I have done thus far in Colorado. A physically demanding, albeit short, hike yielded a small and secluded reservoir reached only by foot. Not coincidentally, I was the only person at the resevoir at the time. The reservoir was a photographer (and fishers) paradise. As is my norm, I only caught one fish on this trip. Here is a view of the canyon on the hike in:

(click any picture to enlarge)

The hike itself was strenous, to say the least. The trailhead began at the Air Force Academy at an elevation of 7200 feet. By mile 2, I was already at an elevation of over 8800 feet. A normal 2 mile hike might take 30 to 45 minutes, while this one took over an hour. Fortunately, along the trail were numerous water falls and man made log bridges that were aesthetically pleasing. Over the course of a half mile, there were at least a dozen small and medium sized waterfalls along the trail.

A large snowbank around mile 1.5 almost forced to me turn around. Thankfully, a brave soul had laid red flags along an alternate route up and around the snowbank. While this was the most difficult portion of the trail, it was easier than climbing on snow and ice. If you reach the snowbank and dont see any flags, turn around about 25 feet and they will be on the north side of the trail.

Once arriving at the reservoir, the scenery was breathtaking. There is apparently a parking lot near the resevoir to allow for easier access, but the tough hike was forgotten once I arrived at the water.

I only caught one fish in the reservoir, and unfortunately missed a few more. The trout was caught on a small white Road Runner with a pink tail. I had another near hit when a fish actually jumped out of the water to chase the lure on my retrieval. This is a spot I definitely will be coming back to fish this summer when I have more time and daylight!

An EveryTrail clip that shows the extreme elevation changes and a few additional pictures along the route:

Stanley Reservoir via Monument Creek

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