Windy Pass hike, behind the lines

 

 

I always enjoy seeing photographs that others take when I am supposedly looking at the same scenes.  Sometimes I wonder if we were in the same place.  But this time Doug took one in virtually the same place as I, the aspens in his first photo.  We were separated by many steps as he was way in the lead and I was way in the back.

Therefore, he took this scene first.

 

There was this wickedly twisted tree at the pass that had leaves that looked a lot like maple.  Apparently it has lead a rough life.

The pass itself was a peaceful place and a good spot for food and drink.

And can the fall colors be far away?

 

I thought that I had seen Silver Falls on an earlier (several years) trip on the Elwood Pass road, but I had never seen this gracefully sculpted falling water scene before.  There is another falls on this road farther up toward the pass (right next to the road), but now I have no name for it.  Several of us commented that this might be a wonder in the spring with more water.

Bob.

Windy Pass hike

Seven tough hikers walked uphill for 3 miles to Windy Pass.  The rewards were beautiful views and pleasant sunshine.  Three kept walking down the other side, where the other four picked them up for a side trip to Silver Falls. All of this was in the San Juan National Forest, just beyond Wolf Creek Pass.  A few sprinkles caught us on the way down, but we didn't have to don ponchos.

Next week we'll prepare to do our third high country hike on John C. Fremont's "Fatal Fourth" route. This time we'll meet the Creede folks at Hanson's Mill (at about 9:40 a.m.), then follow the rough route a ways to the North side of  Pool Table Mountain. Then, on foot, we'll reconstruct and follow the route to two of the camps that trapped the party in deep snow. We should have an easier time getting out than the snowbound folks, back in the late 1840's.

Questions:  Doug Knudson 873-5239

 

Windy Pass Trail

 

Golden Glow

 

Cont.Div fr. Windy Pass Tr.

 

Colorful larva

 

Sun baths on Windy Pass--Bob,Jan,George,Mike,Wayne and Linda

 

Aspen at Windy Pass

 

Silver Falls

 

Silver Falls

Rainbow trail hike

Wayne led us up the Rainbow Trail along the West Fork of the San Juan River for about 3 miles. There is lots on pretty scenery on the way and if you go far enough you can be rewarded with a dip in some hot water pools.......

We got back to the vehicles ahead of the afternoon showers by a few minutes, had some heavy rain on us going over Wolf Creek pass but it was dry as a bone in South Fork........

DENNIS

Lobo to Big Meadows hike

I am looking for another route to hike from Lobo to Big Meadows lake, so we started a little ways East of Lobo and followed the power line for about a half mile, then found a logging road on top of the ridge and followed it until we knew it was heading for the highway.....not towards the lake. We turned around and started back to the vehicle, Allison found some King Boletes and Linn found some Chanterelle mushrooms, it really "made their day"...............

We spooked the grouse up about a mile from the vehicle and then about 100 yards from the vehicle we saw a flock of ten grouse (grouses, grise, greese?) and they were in no hurry get away from us, so Allison and Linn got a good look at them.

We will be hiking Monday, meet at the VCPL by 9AM, bring your lunch, water, raingear and a friend.........

Dennis

Hike into Phoenix Park

 

 

As Doug stated it was a FINE day.  No thunder boomers.  Entirely pleasant.  There was much more water flowing over the falls than I expected.  I suppose that the rains have contributed to the flow.

There is wildlife up there, but none showed their fur today.

I experimented with exposures, so that is what follows.

I believe that these are a type of gentian.  I hope that I spelled that right.

This is the falls a mile farther up the valley from Phoenix Falls.  These are 2 exposures, the one on the left a short one, the one on the right a longer one.  The camera is sitting on a rock for stability.

 

The upper group and the view down the valley looking back towards Creede.

These three shots are Phoenix Falls.  The one on the left is a short exposure and the two righties are longer exposures, one in shade and one in bright sunlight.  Another rock combination came in handy.

As a rhetorical question, which do you like better?  Short exposures or long ones?

Bob.

Phoenix Park Hike

Sublime! Serene! Phoenix Park always charms with creeks, waterfalls, and many shades of green.  Our ten hikers got to waterfall # 2 and found it semi-hidden among rocks and behind trees.  Then we came back to the bigger one, forded the streams and rather reluctantly walked out of the beautiful valley. 

Although the spruce have succumbed rapidly to bark beetles, advance regeneration (nature's replacement tactic) is already showing up on the ground.  Likewise, aspen is occupying large areas--some of them ready to show off for autumn visitors.

George gained trophies--a large elk antler and a bag of mushrooms. The rest of us brought home legs that covered 6.5 miles of wonderland.

 

Over ice cream in Creede, we came up with some options for next Tuesday.  Either would start at South Fork and go over Wolf Creek Pass, onto the San Juan National Forest.  Option one would take trails on the East of US 160, up to Windy Pass.  Option 2 would be longer and try to get the 4.5 miles into the non-commercial, remote Hot Springs above the West Fork of the San Juan River.  Each will require some energetic hiking and minimal resting. I'll send a reminder and more specifics next Monday.

--Doug Knudson

 

Phoenix Falls

 

2ND PHOENIX FALLS

 

smaller Phoenix Falls bottom half

 

•Phoenix Park

 

looks like red elderberry (bear food)

 

Beaver Dam, fine structure, Phoenix Park

 

Phoenix Park Skyline

 

Some hoof it; some friendly strangers used expensive gasoline.

 

George found a big antler