New York Creek

From the parking area, the trail crosses Lincoln Creek. This crossing is very wide and can be tricky during high spring runoffs. The trail ascends gradually and then more steeply following an old jeep road for 1 mile before merging with the old aqueduct road. Follow the old aqueduct road to the right for 1/2 of a mile. In a little over 1/4 of a mile, the trail crosses the Brooklyn Gulch Creek Diversion. Stay on the aqueduct road which makes an immediate S curve and then straightens. A few minutes farther the New York Creek Diversion can be seen. A few steps before this diversion, the New York Trail enters the woods on the left where a sign is posted. If you miss the trail turnoff and come to the end of the road, retrace your steps and the trail will be about 50 yards back on the right. Once in the woods the trail parallels New York Creek for 3/4 of a mile ascending through spruce forests before crossing New York Creek and emerging into a meadow. The trail then ascends more steeply through alternating evergreen forests and open meadows for another 1-1/2 miles to the upper meadows above treeline. Marking the trail for the last mile before the pass are cairns and wooden posts. This portion of the hike is very steep and extreme caution is required to avoid damaging the fragile alpine tundra.