Colorado Experience 2009

[FishPOET]

Colorado Adventure seemed to be in use so we'll call ours the Colorado Experience

All my photos have been uploaded. Tracy has more photos and some videos but the computer in Norco is down right now.
http://s34.photobucket.com/albums/d109/FishPOET/Colorado 09/

Tracy and I left Norco at 9am on Saturday July 25. Just North of Victorville the CHP had 10 units working with a cessna to pull over speeders. We had the cruise control set on 60 so no worries. Just past Daggett on I40 we were buzzed by two low flying military jets. We rolled onto the Coconino National Forest near Flagstaff at 5:30pm and found a spot for the night on forest road 9125 near Lockett Meadow. It rained for about a half hour.

Camp in the Coconino National Forest

Sunday July 26 we were back on the road at 6:30am. We stopped for breakfast about 9am in northern Arizona near Cow Springs and saw an electric freight train pass by. We were at Four Corners by 2pm and in Durango Colorado by 4pm. We spent the night just outside Durango in Junction Meadow Campground. No rain today.

Junction Meadow Campground

Monday July 27 found us at the San Juan Public Lands Information Center in Durango at 8am getting maps and books and advice on camping areas. Back on Highway 550 we started climbing out of Durango. There are 2 passes between Durango and Silverton. Coal Bank Pass at 10,640' and Molas Pass at 10,910'. We drove through Silverton and found a place to camp on Mineral Creek. We set up camp, offloaded the Jeep and ran up to Clear Lake at 11,950'. Back down to the Mineral Creek Trail and we ran it all the way to the end. Back to camp at 6pm. We had just a bit of rain in the afternoon.

Clear Lake

Waterfall below Clear Lake

Camp on Mineral Creek (we are less than 100' from the creek!)

Tuesday July 28 We left camp at 9am and took 110 to Gladstone. From there we headed up Hurricane Pass then over to California Pass and California Gulch. We had lunch back in camp and ran Red Mountain after lunch. It rained and hailed most of the afternoon.

Old chute on Hurricane Pass

View from California Pass with Lake Como in the background

Frisco Mill in California Gulch

Waterfall near Eureka

 

[IntrepidXJ]

Colorado Adventure seemed to be in use so we'll call ours the Colorado Experience

Sorry about that :sombrero:

 

[FishPOET]

Wednesday July 29 Tracy stayed in camp while I headed up to Ouray and met up with Russ Chung and his group of 10 rigs from jeepexpeditions.org. We started the morning on Yankee Boy Basin. After Yankee Boy Basin we headed over to Sidney Basin and then Governor Basin. I got back to camp at 6pm. It rained and hailed most of the afternoon.

C Cliff on the way to Yankee Boy Basin

Hummingbird in camp

Herd of Chipmunks near camp

Waterfall in Yankee Boy Basin near Sneffels that is rumored to be the waterfall used in Coors advertising

Lake near the top of Yankee Boy Basin

Thursday July 30 we headed up Corkscrew Gulch to Corkscrew Pass. From here we headed up to Hurricane Pass Overlook and then back to camp for lunch. After lunch we got a space in the Silver Mountain RV park for the night. We did some laundry, got some groceries and got caught up on the web.

Red Mountain in the background as seen from the Hurricane Pass Trail

Columbine

California Gulch from the Hurricane Pass Overlook

Friday July 31 we boarded a bus in Silverton at 7:45am that took us down to Durango. The bus driver was an older gentleman and he narrated for us the whole history of Silverton and Durango on the 1-1/4 hour trip. It was quite interesting. We arrived in Durango at 9am, had breakfast and boarded the Durango & Silverton coal fired narrow gauge steam train for the trip back to Silverton. The ride took 3-1/2 hours and paralleled the Animas River most of the way. It was an outstanding experience. We were back in camp at 2pm and after a quick lunch it was back out on the trails. First up was Eureka Gulch. Next was Minnie Gulch. Then on to Maggie Gulch. And finally Arrasta Gulch. Back at camp at 6pm.

The train in the Animas Gorge


Aerial tram station in Eureka Gulch

 

[FishPOET]

Saturday August 1 we met back up with Russ and his friend Woody at Corkscrew Gulch at 9:30am. We ran Grey Copper Gulch and Brown Mountain trails. We went up Corkscrew Gulch and over Corkscrew Pass. Over to Hurricane Pass and then California Pass, down to California Gulch. Next was Placer Gulch then Picayne Gulch. We made a brief stop at Animas Forks and then we climbed to Cinnamon Pass. We turned around and headed back down Cinnamon and over to Engineer Pass. We did not climb Engineer Pass. Instead we headed down Mineral Creek Trail to Poughkeepsie Gulch Trail. We saw a bear! We had heard that Poughkeepsie Gulch had one tough obstacle and we wanted to give it our best shot. I made it up. Russ is open/open and he gave it several valiant tries before we winched him up and Woody got hung up on his attempt and we had to lift his right front tire and stack a few rocks under it before he could make it up. We went up and over Hurricane Pass and down to Gladstone, on to Silverton where we had dinner at the Bent Elbow. For the first time all week it did not rain.

The Poughkeepsie obstacle


Corkscrew Pass

Refurbished mill in Placer Gulch

Lake Como at the top of Poughkeepsie Gulch

Sunday August 2 we ran Cunningham Gulch and Stony Pass. We crossed the Great Divide and saw the headwaters of the Rio Grande. We had lunch at 1pm and packed up camp headed for Ouray. We are set up in the 4J+1+1 RV park right on the Uncompahgre River for the next 4 nights. Some friends from San Diego are in the area and we had dinner with them at The True Grit in Ridgway. 2 days in a row with no rain.

Top of Cunningham Gulch aka the Top of the World

Headwaters of the Rio Grande

Monday August 3 we ran the Alpine Loop with the San Diego Geocachers. We went up Mineral Creek. Up Engineer Pass. Over to Lake City. We took a side trip to American Basin and then down Cinnamon Pass. We stopped in Animas Forks. We headed back for the Mineral Creek Trail and out to Ouray. 3 days in a row with no rain. Now the dusty trails are becoming a problem!

Engineer Pass

Marmot

Broke dam near Lake City

 

[FishPOET]

Tuesday August 4 we ran with the San Diego Geocachers up Mineral Creek, up Poughkeepsie Gulch, up to California Pass, down California Gulch, up to Placer Gulch, down Picayne Gulch, through Silverton to Hwy 550. We went up Ohpir Pass and through the town of Ophir. We went to Telluride on Hwy 145. We took Last Dollar Rd to Hwy 62 back in to Ridgway. 4 days in a row with no rain! Tracy made the observation that we started the day on the Million Dollar Highway and ended up on Last Dollar Rd.

Lake Como

Ophir Pass

Last Dollar Rd

Wednesday August 5 we ran Black Bear Pass and Imogene Pass. What a treat both trails are. We had been waiting to run these two trails since we got to Colorado and they did not disappoint. We had a few afternoon thundershowers.

Black Bear Pass

Black Bear Pass switchbacks coming down into Telluride. Ingram Falls is on the left and Bridal Veil Falls is on the right.

Bridal Veil Falls

Imogene Pass

Thursday August 6 we loaded up the camper and Jeep and headed for Mushroom Gulch, the campsite for the geocaching event Mountain Fiesta near Buena Vista. GC1QY7N
http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=d4ca0ef6-964d-45fd-ae3e-c5ab2f8f1456

 

[FishPOET]

Friday August 7 Dave and Eric led 10 of us up Mt Antero.

Mt Antero Trail

Mt Antero 14,269. My first 14er since I was a teenager on Mt Whitney.

After Mt Antero we headed for Brown Lake.

On Saturday August 8 Dave and Eric led 13 of us on Chinaman Gulch.

Chinaman Gulch Trail with Mt Princeton in the background

Group shot on Chinaman Gulch

Some flex on Chinaman Gulch

After dinner we all sat around the campfire telling tall tales for hours.

Sunday August 9 we packed up the truck, camper and Jeep and headed for my cousins house in Parker Colorado. My mom and dad drove in from Indiana.

Monday August 10 we arrived in Golden Colorado at the Coors Brewery at 10:15am. It is the largest brewery in the world covering 55 acres.

After Coors we wanted to go tour Fat Tire but after a phone call we found out they are closed on Mondays.

We drove back to Denver and headed for the US Mint. We arrived at 3:15pm only to find out that it closed to visitors at 3pm.

My mom and dad headed back for Parker while Tracy, my cousin Chris and I enjoyed some refreshments at some of the pubs along the 16th St Mall. We rode the bus to the train station and got our tickets for the train ride home after the game.

We met a friend Lynn at will call at 5:30 and headed into Coors Field. The Rockies beat the Cubs 11-5 and Troy Tulowitzki hit for the cycle.

Sunset at Coors Field

Back in Parker Colorado at 10pm.

Tuesday August 11 we left Parker Colorado, my cousin Chris, Dave and their family and my mom & dad at 8:15am and started the long journey home. We drove until 8pm and found a camping spot in the Fish Lake National Forest, Utah, off route 2691.

Wednesday August 12 we left Fish Lake National Forest at 8:15am and arrived back in Norco at 8:15pm.

 

[BigDaveZJ]

Having lived in Colorado for 20 years, I'd have to say that's one helluva Colorado Experience!

 

[02TahoeMD]

Nice set of rigs you have there. Nice pics, love the one showing the Black Bear switchbacks. Agreed on the Silverton RR, one of my favorite memories of Colorado is my trip from Durango to Silverton and back on the train. What a great way to spend a day.

Thanks for sharing, cant wait to get back there....

 

[Scott39]

Great trip report. Looks like you got to see and do a lot here in Colorado, I love it here.

 

[FishPOET]

Tracy's videos

Team Reid on Poughkeepsie Gulch


The Splashes on Poughkeepsie Gulch


Kickbak Jack on Poughkeepsie Gulch


Hummingbirds in camp on Mineral Creek



Tracy has her pictures on facebook

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/album.php?page=1&aid=40100&id=1198245887