Fourteen or fifteen hikers stepped into their snowshoes this morning and than stepped out on a short stroll to near the entry of Shallow Creek, near Creede. Warm sunshine is gradually evaporating the snow cover out in the open. More moisture is needed for a safe summer.
Welcome to the Kirks and the Pattersons. We were glad to see--back in action--Sally, Harolena, and Linda Cross.
It was nice to meet Mr. Richardson, Katie's dad, visiting from Albuquerque, as he greeted us at the Visitor Center. We tried to persuade him to join us.
NEXT WEEK--another venture into someplace with deep (sort of) snow. Meet Monday at the South Fork Visitor Center before 10 a.m. with snowshoes in hand, and maybe hiking boots, too, depending on the weather.
The week after that, neither Wayne or I will be available--unless Wayne tells you differently next Monday. Someone can volunteer to lead.
Note: I'm drawing up a list of destinations for the tough/toughening hikers for the spring and summer. Your suggestions are welcome
The theme of several hikes will be to follow segments of the fatal route followed by John C. Frémont in 1848-9 into the mountains via Alder Creek, over Pool Table Mtn to Wannamaker Cr, then retreat via Rincon and Embargo Creek.
A new book is available in the Visitor Center about the whole trip. Written by one of our neighbors, Stuart Bryan, it contains detailed maps, drawings, and photographs of the sometimes elusive campsites. It contains the almost daily notes of two distinguished men of the party enhanced by Stu Bryan's explanation of them, some of his clarifications and esoteric asides. Stu worked on this for 22 years, four of those writing and compiling.
This trip was in December-January. About 120 mules died in the deep snow up at 12,000 feet. All of the men made it almost back down to the Rio Grande, but 10 of them expired before getting to the nearest town--Questa/Taos, NM. Kit Carson and other Taoseños fed and nursed the survivors back to health. Frémont (called "The Great Pathfinder") somehow recovered his reputation and became Senator from California, Governor of Arizona Territory, and the first Republican candidate for the U.S. Presidency in 1856.
He ran a good race but didn't quite beat out a fellow named Buchanan, considered by some (until recently) as one of our least effective Presidents. Frémont's loss paved the way for the 1860 candidacy of a fellow named Lincoln, whose fame has endured longer than Frémont's, despite the latter being one of the most famous Americans of his time.
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Frank and Mr. Kirk
