Bridge of Heaven via the "New" Horsethief Trail

Taking its lead from the Horsethief Trail, the route up to the Bridge of Heaven first winds along a level path through coniferous pines and pockets of aspen. Gaining 500 feet along the first series of switchbacks, the new trail meets with the old at the eastern terminus of the Old Horsethief Trail. Climbing from the trees onto the bald southern exposure of the mountainside, panoramic views of the Sneffels Range open up. The next 2 miles pulls the route above treeline to find 1,500 more feet of elevation gain. The final oxygen-deprived push towards the summit ends at the 12,000 foot Bridge of Heaven.

This description follows the "new" Horsethief Trail, but a second one leaves from Ouray on a steeper approach. Through the years, this "old" trail had been washed out during heavy rains as it passed through the "Blowout". Volcanic in origin, the "Blowout" is highly mineralized and was the center of Ouray's mining district.