Tin Cup Joe Falls — Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2020

I just heard about Tin Cup Joe Falls a couple weeks ago, and thought I'd check it out.  I parked at the Dingford Creek Trailhead, which requires a forty-minute drive along a very rough road complete with washouts, creek crossings and countless deep potholes.  With the rain and snow, the potholes were full of water.  No truck-eaters, but some were deep enough to be a problem for sedans.  When I reached the TH, it was all pickups, jeeps and 4WD SUV's.  Alternatively, you can park at the Middle Fork TH, easily reachable by all vehicles, and hike from there.  The upside is a longer hike, more scenery, and less driving.  I would have parked at MF myself if not for the heavy rain making a long hike seem... less desirable.

There were a few other diehards out in the rain at Dingford, but they were destined for other trails as I didn't see anyone while hiking.  The Middlefork Connector path is on the south side of the parking lot.  Walk past the info sign to the left of the bathrooms and you'll see it.  The trail winds downhill and across a sturdy bridge to meet the Middlefork Trail.  Hang a right (WNW) and follow the MFT a short way to where it crosses Cripple Creek on yet another fine bridge.  Just a few feet past the bridge, you will see the path leading to Tin Cup Joe Falls on your left.  There is no sign, cairn or marker of any kind besides the disturbed Earth, so keep your eyes peeled.

The Tin Cup Trail is short but quite the adventure.  It's an unofficial, user-built trail, and has none of the nice manicuring that the MFT receives.  Tread is often sketchy and there are a lot of exposed roots to watch out for.  Be ready to scramble over and crawl under a multitude of blowdowns, some very large.  The rain/snow combined with the slush and ice on the logs and rocks made some of the blowdowns rather difficult to get past.  I felt like an ant trapped in a drawer full of magic markers.  Cairns and occasional flagging help guide the way in confusing areas.  Still, the trail can be hard to follow at times as it disappears under fallen logs or overgrowth.  Thankfully, with Cripple Creek nearby and steep valley walls containing your wanderings, it's difficult to actually get lost.  Losing the trail though?  Oh yeah.  As ShaneCO recommended in their trip report, take some time to get familiar with the trail or you will lose it on the way back.  I reached the falls 2-hours out from the car and explored a good while before going back.  The upper falls are tough to get to but absolutely worth the extra effort.  In order to get close to the falls and even scramble around on them a bit, it is necessary to push through a nearly impenetrable thicket of vine maples.  For those not wanting to deal with the thicket, an excellent view of the upper falls can still be had from a distance.

This is a great hike for a rainy day since it gets you out'n about, but it's short enough that you get home before hypothermia sets in.  :)

Summary: ~4mi RT w/1400ft elevation gain; 11am-3pm

"Hey, hey Cripple Creek ferry
Butting through the overhanging trees
Make way for the Cripple Creek ferry
The waters going down
it's a mighty tight squeeze."

-Neil Young, "Cripple Creek Ferry"