Beaver Creek trail

The Rio Grande National Forest offered a sunny, pretty warm day with great views. Mayebelle, Joyce, Pat, Marilyn, Wayne, and Doug enjoyed cloudless vistas.

We hiked up, then down, went through a gate that has wheel tracks but says no motorized vehicles.

This was our last hike scheduled for 2010. It's been a busy year for hiking and snowshoeing. Mayebelle's book of the year will soon be available for viewing at the South Fork Library.

We'll convene again at the SF Visitor Center on January 3, 2011. Hopefully for snowshoeing. 9 a.m. Bring a snack or lunch, a friend, and your snowshoes (unless the ground is bare).

Bear Cr. road & the cone

Aspen on a ridge Bear Cr.

Thermal control

#709 and Wayne

Del Norte Peak

Wayne's Tactic of Rapid Descent

East Alder Creek

Six of us took a short one up E. Alder Creek, One rolled a stone, sat down, then limped quite a ways.

Harry brought the red "ambulance." Judy's using a walker for a while.

The rest of us are ready for another trail next Monday at 9 a.m. The weather may tell you whether or not you'll need snowshoes or not.

Join us! We won't knock you down!

--Wayne, Pat, MayeBelle, Joyce, Doug (Judy will be healing and cooking)

The forest is lovely. We saw Ponderosa and limber pines, Douglas-fir, White fir, Rocky Mtn. and Common junipers, plus lovely aspens. We forgot to look for alders along the dry stream. The snow is still scanty, mostly evaporated.

Trudging up the track E. Alder

Ponderosa/Limber Pines, White fir, Douglas-fir, and two kinds of junipers

Cookie time

Populus tremuloides E.Alder Cr.

Look at what I did!  I thought downhill was easier!

Time to rest the twisted ankle.

5 Nov 29th short hike

Pat/MayeBelle-Look, no snowshoes

Fire and Beaver Mtn.

Edge of 2002 fire

2002 fire falling apart.

One to check out in summer

 

Someone predicted snow falling in abundance.
We encountered sunshine and unusual clarity.

We were but three.
We walked snowshoe-free.

The edge of the fire of 2002
crept near to FDR 350 and stopped.
The remains are falling apart and over.

Next summer, some of us will follow
the snazzy sign that invites us to go
upwards to Beaver Mountain.

Next Monday, more are welcome to find
a new place in the snow--which may be deeper.

Bring snowshoes and hiking boots to
adapt to the conditions.
Visitor Center, 9 a.m. Questions? --Doug Knudson 719-873-5239

Sentinel Mtn hike

Nov. 8 brought rain. It then froze and at 3:15-4:15 a.m. on Nov. 9,
snow fell. The South Fork landscape shown bright white with signs of more snow coming.

Five of us enjoyed a long interval without snow, with intermittent
warming sunshine. We ambled up and across and down the lower slopes of Sentinel Mountain, from Hwy 160 to Ponderosa Drive.

The glimpses of Del Norte Peak and Beaver Mountain, South Fork Center and the Rio Grande Club, plus the Rio Grande, the rocks and trees reveal the essence of our community.

This slight separation from, yet proximity to, "civilization" offers new perspectives and appreciation of our town and the Rio Grande National Forest.We are privileged to live here.

Next Monday we'll shift from Tuesday to Monday, what with ski season
getting under way.Pat Fluck will meet all comers, whatever the weather, at 8:50 a.m. at the South Fork Visitor Center.She has a couple of options in mind that will be governed by the weather. If the snow on the ground is a foot or more deep, bring your snowshoes. Otherwise, hiking boots will do well.

Remember, Monday, Nov. 15.No sense in being timid! We had a great time today!

--Doug Knudson

A search for ancient art

A big bird is on one of those walls. "You'll walk right to it; you can't miss it," said the neighbor who checked on us. Nice encouragement--but we weren't able to pick out the pictograph or petroglyph. Marilyn, Susan and I enjoyed climbing through the rocks and prickly bushes to search the places where ancients scratched their images.

It was a chilly day, with scattered snow on the ground from Monday's Autumn first snow-fall. A cool breeze called for hats, scarves, gloves, and jackets. Thanks to these two ladies for their good natures, eager searching, and obvious enjoyment of the interesting venture.

Fall is here, so shift your planning to warm clothes and come with us next Tuesday. We'll hike 4-5 miles, weather permitting. Meet at the
South Fork Interpretive Center in the center of town. We'll leave there at 9 a.m.
--Doug Knudson 873-5239

Road to Dog Mtn.

Dog Mtn natural rock art--it teased us from afar, but seems to be drawn by water and lichens.

big nesting holes (eagles?)

Cliffs on lower Dog Mtn.

Long face on Dog Mtn.

Picnic shelter Dog Mtn.  Susan almost fits.
Thanks to the landowner who permitted us to park on her land.

6 undercover Photos

Five of us are keeping quiet about where we went today. One hiker said it may be South Fork's best kept secret. It requires permission.
It's lovely, somewhat wild, somewhat tame, short, and very sweet. We did a little car tour afterward. As you can see, the color season did not come to an end yet. Visit the narrow-leaf cottonwoods this week. They rival the yellows and golds of the aspen.

We bid Wanda bye-bye for this fall. We enjoyed seeing her beautiful embroidery and quilt work that will go to her grandchildren soon.

Next Tuesday, 9 a.m., you are welcome to join us on another hike. Meet in the Visitor Center parking lot with boots, orange clothing,
and a bit to eat.

--Doug Knudson 873-5239

Susan,Wanda,Nancy,Barry Bear Cr.

S fr. the Trail

•Bridge on the Creek

Rest stop

Looking S

•There's gold on the R Grande.

N of Beaver Cr. Reservoir hike

Ten hikers saw many shades of green and gold and pink in the aspen at "the Farm" and beyond, then down Tewksberry Trail. The rain held off until we got home. The vales and glades and long slopes through clearings made this a beautiful, pleasant, brief hike.

Next week, someone will lead somewhere beautiful. We discussed Miner's Creek, near Creede, but the rains may fell most of the leaves.
Come to the Visitor Center in South Fork before 9 a.m. on Tuesday (unless there is an e-mail changing it).

I'll be coming back from an Old Spanish Trail Association Board Meeting, hoping that you have another good Tuesday.
--Doug Knudson

•Fall in Beaver Resvr.

Shack on "the Beaver farm"

•from farm-yard

•Fall near South Fork

Down Tewksberry

Distant hill fr. Tewksberry

Stunner-Platoro autumn scenery--

We are privileged to live in a beautiful place. Perhaps it is never more beautiful than in late September and early October.

Two Fridays ago, Judy and I went there, just 25-30 miles south of South Fork. This past Friday, Rik and Kathy Smith from South Carolina went along. We were all impressed. For you who did not get there this year, these seven pictures give you some idea of what surrounded us on all sides for about 10 miles of driving and walking. I've only been here for ten years, but I rate this year's as the most spectacular leaf show I've seen here, in New Hampshire/Vermont, or in Indiana. Something about being surrounded by diverse bright colors lifts and thrills intensely.

It was certainly Plata and Oro and Stunning!

Lookout Mtn

•Aspen & spruce

•Riot on slope of Lookout Mtn.

multi-color  Platoro

Golden cascade Stunner slope

•Red/Gold aspen Stunner

5 shades of aspen Platoro

Bonita pass to Silver pass on the Continental Divide Trail

We ate our lunch on top of the hill, then hiked down a "scary, shaley" trail for a ways before the trail got better.  Everybody made it OK, using lots of care and taking it slow............

 

The views are fantastic, best in many years; everywhere you look there is beautiful aspens.

 

We will meet at 9AM at the Visitors Center for next weeks hike, bring your lunch, water, camera and a friend.

 

Dennis