Breathtaking Hike on Monday Feb 23 (Iwo Jima day)

We knew it was snowy when we got into the V.C. parking lot and the Chief of Police was hand-shoveling the walkways and one of the patrol cars was nearly buried in that white stuff.
We saw no other likely prospects for the venture. We missed one phone call from a prospect (sorry!).

Dennis and I proceeded to Linda Treibly's house. She had her shovel going and her car parked on the street. The three of us donned snowshoes and walked a 50-minute loop along Alder Creek, then up along golf course trails that we couldn't really see, then back to Linda's.

That was less than an hour of walking on and through knee-high fluffy stuff. For some reason we didn't take another loop in a southerly direction.

Now that we three are partially conditioned, two are headed out of town. I'll be here next Monday for what could be our deepest snow-shoe hike of the year. See more of you at 10 a.m.
at the Visitor Center.

Linda took a couple of photos somewhere between the tiny snow flakes. We'll send them to you, if possible.
--Doug Knudson

Aha! 6 late Photos

These handsome folks got buried somewhere in my computer yesterday.  I pushed a strange button, and there they stood, full of smiles, and admiring the scenery of our hike on Coller State Wildlife area.

 

Behind these folks--Rio Grande flowing under ice with the splendid palisades behind it. 

Unusual picture:  7 men and two hard-hiking women #6 is hiding in her yellow coat.

 

Up a bit from the river.

 

Looking down-stream--Del Norte Peak on left, part of Beaver Mountain on the right (the burned hill from 2002)

 

Limber pines

 

Limber cones and 5-needle cluster on left; rounder cone with 3 needles is Ponderosa Pine

 

Bringing Del Norte Peak a bit closer.  It won't be many months until we'll be standing on top of it.

 

Beautiful cool day, a few flakes, a good hike with nine nice people walking along the Rio Grande

Perhaps you'll notice the lack of pictures. The process of transfer had some slip-up that, seems to prohibit recovery of the images. Maybe some of the other photographers who were clicking away and can send some.

We hiked much of Coller State Wildlife area with 9 strong pedestrians. It's a "flat" hike, always with a cooling breeze (on the way back). We got to play in a few sheets of snow lingering in the shadows.

John Treibly tested various alternative ground covers and is qualified to inform us which is best: gravel road, railroad track, loose pebbles and rocks, moist top-soil, downed trees, crusty snow, twiggy shrubs and sticks. In his profession, he understands the importance of proper ground cover and someday, you may get a chance to hear him present analytical data in this regard. He also demonstrated the advantages of sitting on large cottonwood logs during lunch-time while others chose grassy but damp seats.

Join us next Monday for another hike or snowshoe trip. The weather will determine the type of equipment to bring. It's really about time for winter, isn't it?

--Doug Knudson

Hospital Hike Photos

Balmy Monday, February 9, 2015.  Amazing! A lack of snowshoes.  So, we hiked up the hills behind the county hospital to beautiful scenes in a vast area.  From the Sangre de Cristos--the longest (and skinniest) range in Colorado--to the South San Juans and the some of the rest of the San Juan Mountains--the greatest jumble of big peaks in the state.   Del Norte citizens have designed this trail (much longer that what we saw) with BLM backing and it is still under completion.  We will check the cactus out in April and May--two of the species seem ready to produce abundant blooms by late Spring; they have been spectacular reds and yellows in past years.

 

Next Monday we'll meet at the South Fork Visitor Center before 10 a.m. departure.  Is there any hope for deep snow?  If it comes, we'll put on our "big shoes" and walk slowly in deep snow.  If not, we'll put hiking boots on a trail and enjoy it.

—Doug Knudson     873-5239

 

14 hikers used a sunny day in January to visit the hills behind the County Hospital.  Two were new to the group.

 

back side of the hospital.  Upper Left--English Valley where we went last week.

 

The big D peak above Del Norte.

 

Going up to the rim of the hills S of Kevin Off's bison pasture

 

"What a view, with mountains all around!"  --one of our visitor's from Texas

 

That visitor with his famous sister.

 

Life was a struggle among these rocks

 

Alternative route upward--the path not taken

 

English Valley

What with scanty snow, ten of us donned our hiking boots and traveled eastward to English Valley.  The patches of snow there accentuated the beauty of this gentle place and its volcanic past. We even had a delightful English woman accompanying us.

 

However, the request for the story about the valley's name is so far unanswered.  I'll look into it further.

 

Next Monday, we may have a boot hike again, unless we get some much-needed snow.  See you at 9:50 a.m. at the South Fork Visitor Center with warm clothes and either boots or snowshoes. –Doug Knudson   873-5239

 

A score of experienced hikers entering English Valley at 8,600 ft. elevation.  Remarkably, we hiked downhill most of the way.

 

rock ridges slope into the valley—a great place to study geology.

 

Eastern "foot of the San Juans" just north of our parking spot.  These are part of Colorado's largest mountain range (by far).

 

We disturbed about 40 Pronghorns (Antilocapra americana). They exited gracefully and swiftly.

 

The highest Peak of this valley

 

Nice ridge (a dike)

 

Dikes are made by liquid volcanic material finding its way into cracks in the earth's surface.  A few weeks or eons later, erosion removes the original cover.

 

Watch where you sit.

 

The pinyons gave us shelter as we snacked.

 

We weren't the first animals to arrive in English Valley.