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
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