Dunes Photos

Wednesday hike with artistry by Linda and Margie (thanks, my camera ran out of energy).

We followed a trail to the pass in the Sangres.  This was more or less where lots of Indians of many tribes traveled (we think).  It was also the passage of

Zebulon Pike and his men in the winter (1806),  Antoine Robidoux (hauling trade goods from Bent's Old Fort on the prairie to his trading post at Fort Uncompahgre), and John Charles Fremont in 1848.

Welcome committee at the top

Aspen in the sky

The hikers

The sand piles

Hiking through the rocks

Almost autumn

Dunes and the SLV

Top of the Sangres

Trail companion

You are welcome to take our Monday hike all winter.  Our Wednesday "hike" will be a drive over the mountains to several short strolls among the aspen (often the best show in Coloradp) topped off with a lunch at

Platoro.  Both of these events will start at 9 a.m. departure from the South Fork Visitor Center.

Shady Creek Trail

We started down the Shady Cr. trail, which is very rough, from behind Del Norte peak.  We stopped several times to check the colors, it looks like I was about a week early, still a lot of green showing up.

We took the connector trail over to the Castle Rock trail, following it down to the Castle Rocks for lunch.  Tim climbed up to the top of the rocks and 2 of his pictures are really great, taken from the top.

After lunch we headed back to the trucks up the Castle Rock trail, encountering a few downed trees along the way..........

Thanks to all the riders today, I am sorry that I was a few days early; but better early than late, we can always go back later!

Dennis

Photos from Middle San Francisco Creek

Half-way between Del Norte (our county seat) and Bennet Peak, we ascended the gentle but muddy trail to the part way point to the peak's timberline lakes.  Several people indicated that their mathematical skills were useful in counting 22 hikers on this sunny Monday.

We'll have another pedestrian gathering on Wednesday.  We'll be going for a long ride and a choice of walks in the Great Sand Dunes National Park, just across the valley.  This will take most of the day and several choices of options.  

There are dunes galore

   — Some of us will want to ascend and descend a few of the biggest, f finest dunes in the nation.

   — Some will want to hike along the flat base, parallel to the very interesting creek.

   —There's a steep hike (3.5 miles up and the same down); done last year in one hour up, a half-hour look-around, and about 55 minutes down. A lovely collection of canyon rock walls and an historic trail in the mid- 1800s. (It was used to supply goods for a trading post near Delta, CO.   The nearest supply store was on the prairie out beyond Rocky Ford. It was called Bent's Old Fort) The trading post is still called Fort Uncompahgre and is right on the edge of the city of Delta, by the river.

We will depart from the South Fork Visitor Center promptly at 9 a.m.  If you live east of South Fork, either meet us at the Dunes visitor center or let me know ahead of time (at least a day) where we can pick you up by calling D. Knudson 719-873-5239 by Tuesday afternoon.

We will probably not be home until sometime near supper.

If you have questions call by real-phone or send an e-mail to 

douglasfir636@gmail.com.  If the computer  tells you that these methods are out of time and sight, just come along anyhow.  

Weather Prediction is no snow, no rain, maybe a little breeze.  If you have a park pass, we will need at least one for each car, unless you wish to pay the entry fee.

Shoulders Ready?

Into the deep, colorful forest

Striders from at least 6 states

Sticks help some, but this one leaned too far for the camera

Yesterday's rain-drops  on Aspen

More aspen and H2O

Lunch formation

An inexhaustible hiker headed to Portugal and Spain for a verylong walk

Flowers for you hair?

Cliffs along the Middle Fork of San Francisco Creek

Ripeness is almost ready for the deer

Monday's "No Name Creek" flowing down to Embargo Creek

This is a piece of acquatic art from Dennis Shepherd's

camera last Monday.  (I can't get it any bigger without

asking my wife and she can't understand why I can't.

Trout Creek Hike

Wednesday hike to Trout Creek:  Well done!

We scheduled a beautiful hike to a close-in trail that had three options--short, medium, and long.   The first two options were ignored (nobody wanted an easy hike, apparently).  Five of us showed up and all decided to go all the way to Trout Creek.   Four of these hikers were women, each one of whom expressed their opinion

that this was a lovely and pleasant hike.  I thank them and agree that it is a serene place.  The path we followed amounted to 8.3 miles  (round trip).  I was surprised that all of us enjoyed the hike.  

We encountered a British lady and her pleasant dog, who went to the same place to check on her husband's hunting blind (seeking turkeys).  This couple lives near--halfway between Del Norte and South Fork (in summers).  We didn't learn the fate of turkeys in this valley but we heard no shots.  She had caught up with us, passed us and had turned back as we arrived at the creek.  (David:  she hikes all over mid-Wales whenever she can get back there.)

 We have the next hike on Monday, the last hiking day on this continent for Grace Garcia  (for about a month--she'll be back, we hope).  Judy and I will try to follow her Portugal and Spain month+ of hiking on our computers.  Judy is working with Grace in how to get the thing operational.  Contact Judy at 719-873-5239 (if you still use the telephone).

On Wednesday, we plan going over to the Dunes, across the valley.  This year, I think we'll work on an in-park, fairly level variety of scenes .  We'll follow the creek and hopefully go up on one or two dunes.  

Four ladies of strong gaits (at rest at the destination).

 Trout Creek in its narrow bed.

Big trees apparently of good health

flowers still bloom

Beautiful

The "wall" above the creek

Trail=side gully on the way out

10 Hike Photos

Monday hike

Embargo Creek, in the Woods

September still has pleasant temperatures and long trails.  We missed the rain (on both sides of us and a while on the cars.  

Embargo Creek is long and bouncy.  We crossed several little rivulets coming off the hillsides to "feed" the main stream.  

It's hard to imagine hiking with equipment and hungry men walking in deep snow in 1848-9  as was done by the Fremont

expedition.  They struggled down Embargo Creek and eventually ended up in Kit Carson's house in Taos.  They rested in Taos;

then most of them continued on to California.

Our hike was pleasant, with the wonderful musical backdrop of tumbling water.  The rocky trail kept us alert, with only one or two little tumbles.

Wednesday, we'll take a trail that is better cared for.  I'm planing on Trout Creek Trail, which offers 3 different lengths:  

1) up to the ridge-top and back, on your own

2) Number 1 plus down to the little creek stop and back, on your own, and 

3) Number 1 and Number 2 , on to the bigger Trout Creek (30), where some say they have seen gold in the beautiful stream. (I haven't been persuaded yet).

These mean that we travel up and down three times for the third option.  It is gentler and smoother than Embargo Creek, but still gives you 

good exercise.  Hope to see you at 9 a.m. Wednesday.  Bring a lunch or candy bar and water.

  

Water on the trail

Scennic

Yes, we're in a big valley

Tumbling water

rose hip

Water is beautiful

Interesting water art

Remarkable!

Tumbling waters

Colorful hiker who also skated a bit

Thanks to all for joining us.