Shorty Springs hike

We hiked the Shorty Springs trail into La Garita Park, ate lunch uphill from the creek.  There are still a few wildflowers left, but they are getting scarce; we saw a few aspens that have turned already.  The stock tank is made from a very large tire, the water is piped down the hill from Shorty Springs.  This was the first time our group had hiked this trail and everybody enjoyed the new scenery..........

 

Next Thursday (tomorrow) we are hiking from the top of Deep Cr. trail down to the road, about 7 miles; meet at Rickles park AT 8 AM TO CARPOOL AND MEET THE CREEDE FOLKS AT DEEP CR. TRAILHEAD BY 830AM.  From there we will drive to the top of the Deep Cr. trail and come back down.

 

Next Tuesday we will hike the Ivy Cr. trail, MEET AT RICKLES PARK AT 9 AM, MEETING THE CREEDE FOLKS AT THE DEEP CR. ROAD BY 9:30 AM.  Then we will carpool to the Ivy Cr. trailhead.  Bring your lunch, water, raingear and a friend................

 

Dennis

 

Hunters Lake Hike

The last Monday in August (day 29)proved the mettle of nine stalwarts. Sunshine at the SF Visitor Center and Trailhead gave us hope. Blowing clouds and ice pellets brought out the ponchos. Lightning and thunder brought doubts and turned us back. Vapors rising from Hunters Lake confirmed the reversal. Ice, heavy rain, and even some snow on the windshields told us that the seasons are a-changing--already. So we lit a fire at 89 Fir, dried out, and warmed our innards with coffee, cocoa, Wanda's fancy sandwiches and our "hiking" goodies. Thanks to Pat, Loren, Marty, Wanda, Wayne, Susan, Stacey, and Judy for the gumption and good humor on a hike to remember.

A new adventure next Monday at 9 a.m. starting at the SF Visitor Center. Prepare for any weather. Please bring a sweater and poncho. I don't think we'll need snowshoes yet.
--Doug Knudson

Sunny, cool start Hunters Lake trailhead

*Time for ponchos

•The ice-ball trail

Aha! People tracks!

Hunters Lake turning over?

Drying out/warming up

Heading home

Hiker at rest

Del Norte Peak hike

We hiked through the clouds today!  We had visibility of about 50 feet at the height of the cloud cover, but thankfully we had Sue with us and she predicted sunshine by 11AM.  At 1050AM we had Sunshine!  Thank you Sue.............................

 

The chipmunk was friendly until we got too close, then it decided to hide.  Part of us came down a shortcut from the peak, coming through the rock fields by picking out paths through the rocks.

 

The mushrooms are King Boletus, the largest I have ever seen; lots of great eating ahead!!  We drove through the blow down area caused by a Micro-burst last summer (2009), a lot of the trees have been salvaged by firewood cutters...

 

WE WILL START OUR HIKES AT 9AM, BEGINNING NEXT WEEK. WE WILL HIKE THE SHORTY SPRINGS TRAIL OVER INTO LA GARITA PARK NEXT TUESDAY.  BRING YOUR LUNCH, WATER, RAINGEAR AND A FRIEND.

 

WE WILL MEET UP WITH THE VALLEY FOLKS AT THE RIVER BRIDGE ON THE EMBARGO CR. ACCESS ROAD AT ABOUT 915AM..............

 

Dennis

 

Middle San Francisco Creek Hike

A lovely aspen forest and a rushing little stream, Flowers, fruit, and fungi, and a dozen appreciative hikers--

Made the Middle San Francisco Creek trail the right spot for a pre-rain walk on Monday.

Welcome to Jimmie Hudson and Candy Mulrain who joined us for the first time this year.

They requested a visit to the timberline Stairsteps; We hope the weather allows it next Monday.

Meet before 9 a.m. at South Fork's Visitor Center with lunch, tough boots, rain gear, and readiness to gain altitude, to see distant elk, a lovely lake, and maybe even a moose.

If weather so dictates, we'll have an option ready.

--Doug Knudson 873-5239

Trough the forest

Middle Fork, SF Creek

MidSFCr. raspberries

Parry gentian Pneumonanthe parryi

Delicate deadly? mushroom

Alison, Christy, Wayne Mid Frisco TR. as sprinkles started

Moonlight hike

Fun, food and fellowship!!  That pretty well sums up our outing last night; the clouds stayed around long enough to give us a gorgeous sunset and then cleared away so the moon could do it's thing..............

 

Our hike to the overlook was fun and the lights out over the San Luis Valley were awesome; everybody tried to figure out which lights were one of the towns and communities.

 

Thanks to all who contributed food, cleaning up and setting up, you are very much appreciated.........

 

We will hike to the top of Del Norte Peak Tuesday, meet at Rickles park at 8AM, bring your lunch, water, raingear and a friend..

 

Dennis

 

Bennet Pk

We hiked to the top of Bennet Pk., starting from Blowout Pass (elevation 11,775 ft.) and ended on top of Bennett Pk. (elevation 13,202 ft.).  We gained about 1500 ft. of elevation in 2.45 miles.....................of the 16 hikers starting up, 14 made it to the top!!

 

The alpine flowers are still spectacular, especially with all the rain we have had. We ate our lunch at the cairn and true to tradition, everybody added a rock to the cairn.  The jar and registration book was not there so we started a new one.........

 

We had last hiked this peak about 8 to 10 years ago and it seems the mountain has gotten a lot higher in the meantime.  We looked DOWN on Del Norte peak to the northwest of us a few miles so we decided we would hike Del Norte peak next week since it looked so short in comparison...............

 

The pile of rocks is a temporary Sheepherds shelter to protect him from the elements as he tended sheep up on top of the mountain, or so I have been informed by an old timer.

 

We will hike to the top of Del Norte peak next Tuesday, meet at Rickles park at 8 AM, bring you lunch, water, raingear and a friend.

 

WE WILL HAVE A MOONLIGHT HIKE NEXT SUNDAY EVENING AT 7 PM AT SHAW MESA. I WILL HAVE THE FIRE STARTED AND FURNISH HOT DOGS, CONDIMENTS, DRINKS, BUNS AND TORTILLAS, ALONG WITH THE S'MORE FIXINS.   WE WILL PROBABLE EAT AT ABOUT 730 PM. BRING A DISH TO SHARE WITH THE GROUP AND WE WILL HIKE TO THE OVERLOOK (ABOUT 1/2 MILE) AND COME BACK TO HAVE HOT DRINKS AND S'MORES.

 

TO GET TO SHAW MESA, GO 1 MILE EAST OF SOUTH FORK TO FSR345 AND GO UP 345 ABOUT 4.5 MILES AND TAKE A LEFT; GO ABOUT 1/4 MILE AND TAKE A LEFT TO THE CLOSED GATE, I WILL HAVE MY WHITE TRUCK SETTING THERE AND A FIRE GOING.

 

HOPE YOU CAN MAKE IT, LET ME KNOW IF YOU ARE COMING SO I CAN BE SURE TO BRING ENOUGH FOOD....

 

Dennis