Mosca Pass hike

Seven hikers strolled through the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve; one explored the lower parts; six retraced up and back of Mosca Pass.

Even though we walked away from the dunes, a great number of photographs were taken of the sands on the way back.  We wandered among steep cliffs and fine pines--Piñon, Ponderosa, Limber, and Bristlecone--plus Douglas-fir, roses, and many other plants prepared for winter.

 

We imagined Antoine Robidoux bringing wagons or mules through this pass in the 1830s, loaded down with supplies from Bent's Old Fort and/or Pueblo, heading around the  dunes, across the SLValley, over Cochetopa Pass and on down hill all the way to Fort Uncompahgre (Delta, CO), where he offered rest, food, and trade goods (plus some "bads") to Utes, trappers, preachers, and Old Spanish Trail travelers.

 

The colors indicate that it was hunting season.  We saw but three at the top (playing horseshoes at their camp) and heard a loud couple more, perhaps directing the movements of each other or of the quarry. 

 

It was a peaceful, calm, sunny day--perfect for hiking in the smallest of our five nearby wilderness areas (what a privilege!).

 

We will do it again next week.  Monday--close to home; Wednesday--9 a.m. in a safe location.  Heavy snow isn't predicted, yet. 

--Doug Knudson    873-5239 for updates

 

Mosca Pass starters

 

Wilderness trail of 3.5? miles

 

Tim holds up rocks

 

David takes in nutrition

Trees of several ages

 

Signs of November--for a few hundred yards at the 9,750' level

 

November colors

 

aspen surrounded by 3 kinds of pines

 

The big valley and the waves upon its eastern shore

 

Sandy waves

 

Christmas Party

The Christmas Party has been set for Monday, Dec. 15, 6:30 PM at the Fire House Restaurant in South Fork.

 

 

George Powell, president

Silverthreaders Club

Silverthread Outdoor Recreation Club

 

 

Cool hike featuring orange

Here's the big picture.  A group of 7 wearing orange or yellow-green celebrated a new hunting session by walking on the southern edge of our fair community.  A little bit of ice on the road soon yielded to the sunshine.  We welcomed David back from Spain and Barbara back from the flatlands where snow isn't a regular event.  Thanks to all for your lively companionship on this pleasant stroll.

 

Remember to vote tomorrow (Tuesday). Remember that Dennis has gone to Kansas for most of the winter--no hikes on Thursday. 

When snow returns, you will want your snowshoes for Monday hikes--tune them up!

 

Remember Wednesday for the next hike (not Tuesday).  We'll leave for a drive across the big valley at 9 a.m. (from the Visitor Center).  We'll stop at the Great Sand Dunes National Park's visitor center.  Then, we'll probably hike up the three miles to Mosca Pass, have a lunch (bring your own) and go back down.  That's the plan and it appears that the weather will be a little warmer than in South Fork.  If ice prevails, we'll take a lower path and explore elsewhere. 

 

Judy plans going with us and seems to have some alternative hikes in mind, on more level ground.

 

The weather forecast predicts that we'll have a fine sunny day in the 50s.  Hunting is prohibited in the National Park.

 

See you Wednesday     --Doug Knudson

 

November has begun!

 

6 hike photos Oct 29

Eight of us followed Ozzie on a walk half-way up and around Baxter Mountain--one of his favorite hikes.  We were next to South Fork, but it seemed separate. A sunny lunch stop in the grass and on the small rocks gave some a chance to snooze.  Then we went down the  Alder Bench trail's switchbacks where shuttle cars awaited.

 

Nice hike!

 

Autumn adjustments, pre-snow:

   Next Monday--A gentle walk in a place where hunters won't be.  Start at chilly 9 a.m. at the Visitor Center. We will draw straws to determine the choices of 3 places.

   Next Wednesday--Drive to "no hunting" Great Sand Dunes National Park.  Hike about 6 miles and then drive home. This is an historic trail--Robidoux' supply route between Bent's Fort and his Delta, CO, trading post.  Please be ready to depart at 9 a.m. sharp.

 

Later adjustments: with-snow:

  We'll have at least a Monday hike every week that it's practical.  If snow is adequate, we'll use snowshoes (available at 3 outlets in South Fork).  If snow isn't available, we'll walk in our water-proof boots.  Normally, we have set starting time at 10:00 a.m.  We usually get back from these shorter excursions by 1-2 p.m.

--Doug Knudson  719-873-5239

 

 

Ancient Douglas-fir on Baxter Mountain-side

 

Tree skeleton

 

8 of the 9 who were up and down on this basically even trail.

 

A flat spot beyond midway

 

Alder Creek signaled the last few yards to the Guard station, where we had started the mid-summer

 

The "almost talking rocks" at the guard station are often overlooked.

 

Monday on "our" Lake Fork National Recreation Trail

Eight of us did an autumn check of the Lake Fork Trail, one of the Silverthread Outdoor Recreation Club assignments.  On October 27, the trail was dry, cool but sunny, and just as steep, rocky, and narrow as always.  This trail is not for slippered auto tourists.  It requires good hiking boots, good lungs (>10,000 feet with some steep stretches and lots of up and down), and well-conditioned legs.   However, even with these warnings, a few hundred yards of walking on this trail takes anyone into a special scenic forest environment beside a beautiful splashing creek

 

Its tread is often only 1 foot wide, crossing steep slopes and irregular rocks on the surface.  The work done after the big fire has held up well--from the bridge reinforcement to the clearing by Silverthreaders and the Forest Service crew. 

 

The Lake Fork Trail offers an interesting mixture of luxuriant stream-side forest in its first mile, then entering the charred remains of a spruce forest for the rest of its 5-mile length.  This summer saw rapid ground cover with many flowers and grasses, including fireweed, sun-flower relatives, grasses, and some shrubs.  Blackened dead spruce and fir and aspen trees will be in evidence for some time.  Heavy rains will wash friable black soils into the South Fork watershed for some years, but the healing has begun. 

 

Next:

Ozzie announced a hike on Wednesday at 9 a.m., apparently to get in the swing for next spring's schedule.  Because most of you and I learned of this only this afternoon, I'll be at the Visitor Center on Tuesday, just in case someone shows up for a pleasant short hike.

 

Dennis and Mary Shepherd will soon leave for a Kansas winter, so there will not be a hike on Thursday, as Dennis announced in a recent e-mail. 

--Doug Knudson

 

Wide, smooth spot on a skinny trail

 

One of many little water falls

 

Ground cover still green

 

The stream drops constantly, beautiful to see and to hear.

 

We were reunited at the 2.3 mile turn-around spot--all eight--Linda, Bonnie, Pat, Ozzie,  Marty, Eve,  Wayne

 

Look what a hot fire did to subalpine spruce

 

The creek keeps moving amidst stands of dead spruce and other plants--but look at the ground cover!

 

The mostly rocky segments require firm ankles and sharp eyes--not a walk in the park.  These folks (in their 60s to 80s)

have both, as well as the good sense to occasionally breathe deeply and to appreciate the scenery.

 

Our second car (Marty's) got into a quick-strike misunderstanding with a sizeable buck deer. He turned around, parked his

van at the Visitor Center and rode back up to the trail-head with Ozzie and Eve and Pat. They caught up with the other

half of our 8 at the lunch spot.  This was the first fauna fatality by hikers in a very long time (at least on a hike trip).

Penitente Canyon Hike

 

Dennis:  I have been trying things with the Garmin program Base Camp.  Here is a link to the Garmin Adventure of last Monday's hike.  There are a lot of extraneous waypoints from my GPS - I think I know why they are included and will have to work to exclude them from future adventures.  Anyhow thought you might be interested in this.  You can send it to the other hikers if you think they might be interested.

Marty

http://adventures.garmin.com/en-US/by/marty-danko/penitente-canyon-10-13-14/#.VEGPpfnF-So

Hike Schedule

Wayne will lead two more hikes this month. Next Monday (10/20) plan on a hike to Lookout Mountain in Del Norte. The following Monday (10/27) to be determined. There will be no Monday hike on November 3 – another hunting day.

No more Tuesday hikes. Snowshoeing will start when conditions permit.  Watch for email notices.

Penitente hike 10-13-14

In honor of Columbus Day, Barbara led us to a destination that some had never been to, some had been there and thought they could find it again and some that had electronic assistance to keep all of us on track...........Thank Goodness!

We did find the Keyhole Rock after some discussion as to its location, but we kept to the trail (even though I thought it was the wrong one) until we reached a junction that I recalled.  From there on it was only a matter of looking for the right cairns we had set up the last time we came out.  The area is a maze of trails and don't all the canyons look the same after awhile?

Upon reaching the Keyhole rock we enjoyed our lunch and came back out past the Wagon Tracks and down the canyon (the right one) to the vehicles.

A beautiful day for a hike, good fellowship, great scenery and good exercise.

I won't be hiking anymore on Thursdays, if we get enough snow I will switch to snowshoes and Barbara & Lloyd will send out info regarding the Tuesday and Monday hikes..

 

Dennis

 

Community Potluck

The Silverthread Club is hosting community potluck this month. Setup will be at 10:30 AM, Tuesday Oct. 14, The meal will start at 6:30 PM. Wear your Silverthread shirts and come to the potluck. It is at the South Fork Community Building. Come and enjoy.

 

 

George Powell, president

Silverthreaders Club

Silverthread Outdoor Recreation Club

 

Friday ATV Trail Workday

There will be an ATV trail workday on Friday, Oct. 10. Meet at the visitor center at 9 AM.

 

 

George Powell, president

Silverthreaders Club

Silverthread Outdoor Recreation Club

 

ATV discussion at South Fork Council Meeting

There will be discussion at the South Fork City Council Meeting concerning ATV riding in South Fork. It will be Thursday Oct. 9, 7 PM at the South Fork Community Center. This is for your information.

 

 

George Powell, president

Silverthreaders Club

Silverthread Outdoor Recreation Club

what you missed on Tuesday--Campbell Mountain cliffs.

Four of us went up the 1.5 miles onto the cliffs of Campbell Mtn, just north (and up) of Creede.  The views are worth the easy, slightly puffy, climb and the walk on a rocky but clear trail (simple on the return).

 

Lichens were trailside in several interesting colors.  One of the area's large displays of living and dead bristle-cone pines formed a guiding tunnel most of the way. Their spiral grain intrigued us.

 

This is the final Tuesday hike for October.  Judy and I will be doing Old Spanish Trail work (and play) in other states.  [If you're curious about our book "Characters of the Old Spanish Trail," Google sylvantrailbooks.com.

We'll be selling it in Nevada, Utah, and other places during our travels and meetings.]

 

Dennis has a Thursday hike coming up.  Wayne has planned a valley hike for Monday, where the hunters will be scarce--you may still wear orange.  Departure--9 a.m. at the Visitor Center in South Fork

 

Studying gray, black, and dark gray lichens

 

One of the cliffs over Creede.

 

a spiralling stump of Pinus aristata (bristlecone pine) lived and died among the rocks.

 

Looking down into East Willow Creek and the northern-most of the La Garita Mountain range

 

Finding the 3-foot wide trail was easier than it appears.

 

How many colors of lichens can there be?  The vivid neon green got the most attention.

 

Young bristlecone.

 

Engelmann spruce cone

 

Bristle-cone face, lying down

I'm sending another few photos of this photogenic destination.

West Frisco hike10-6-14

Wayne led 17 of us up the Middle Frisco cr.trail for about 2.5 miles for a nice lunch spot and enjoyed a pleasant time.  We passed a couple of backpackers that were headed up to the Frisco lakes.  Then we met a biker on our way back down the trail. When we got back to the parking lot it looked like a Wal-Mart, horse trailers and vehicles all over the place.........

A lot of the aspens are bare at this elevation but still enough leaves to make it attractive.........

 

Dennis