BretEdge
Adventurer
Two weekends ago I left Moab for a quick, three-day escape to the San Juan Mountains. I'd grown tired of the oppressive desert heat and red rocks and I knew the Rockies would deliver cooler temperatures and trees. That, and I had to drop off ten prints at the Durango Art Center for an exhibit featuring some of my black and white work. Seemed like a perfect excuse for a fully tax deductible business trip! If you're in the Durango area, I recommend you stop off at the Durango Arts Center to check out the exhibit. Several photographers are participating and the work is absolutely amazing.
After dropping off the prints in Durango I headed north to Little Molas Lake for sunset, which wasn't bad but didn't set off any alarms, either. I wanted to sleep in an alpine basin next to a lake so after sunset I drove to Clear Lake Basin just outside Silverton. It was a Friday night and I was worried I wouldn't find a place to park but luckily, I found a spot right next to the lake. I was exhausted and thankful that I roll with a roof top tent that pitches in about two minutes flat. I crawled into the tent and fell asleep to the sounds of...nothing. Just dead silence. The temperature inside the tent dropped to 35 degrees on Friday night. I wanted cooler temperatures and I got them.
I awoke early on Saturday to shoot sunrise as there were still quite a few healthy wildflowers, which surprised me given it was mid-August. Today would be a long day so after sunrise I drove into Silverton for the all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet at Grumpy's. Stomach full, I headed out toward Animas Forks. I first drove into and back out of Minnie Gulch, then took the road into Eureka Gulch, which was a favorite of the trip. I scouted out a couple outstanding places to camp next to a cascading creek with a beautiful tarn only a few feet away, all of which was overwatched by a pair of lovely peaks. Once out of Eureka Gulch I headed into Placer Gulch, where I somehow got off track and ended up driving way, way up some dead end road through a huge flock of sheep. I also found an old mine on a hill and some relatively fresh det cord that I decided not to handle since one end disappeared into a pile of rocks. I eventually found my way back to the main trail and drove it to the intersection with the California Gulch trail. The views in this part of the San Juans are embarrassingly good. I drove up to California Pass, then Hurricane Pass and finally into Corkscrew Gulch. The view from California Pass is among my favorites but unfortunately, I only shot it on my iPhone. I still don't know why I didn't break out the big camera. I needed to find somewhere to shoot sunset but I hadn't done any research on the area so I decided to go where I knew an opportunity was present: Owl Creek Pass. It was a long drive but I made it right at sunset. I scurried around looking for a photo opportunity but struck out. I parked my rig in a meadow across the road and sacked out for the night. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that not one single vehicle passed the entire night.
I slept in on Sunday and when I did finally crawl out of bed I made breakfast and then pointed the FJ south to Ouray. I was excited to run Imogene Pass again. I hadn't been over the pass in a few years but I knew it afforded some of the best views in the whole mountain range. The road seemed a little rougher than the last time I drove it but the FJ handled it with grace. Below the pass on the Ouray side I found a few fields that were literally carpeted with wildflowers. At the pass I stopped for lunch and made a few images, including a spectacular panorama of the endless mountain views. The day was growing short and I needed to hustle home so I made no stops on the downward side into Telluride.
The following weekend I went back with my wife and son. We ran a few more trails, the most notable of which was Mineral Creek. My guidebook rates it as "difficult" and I expected it to be much worse than it was. In Moab, when a trail is described as "difficult" it usually involves significant technical challenges and many sweaty palm, butt pucker moments. With the exception of one narrow section of off-camber shelf road that pitched the FJ into a slightly uncomfortable view of the abyss hundreds of feet below, I found Mineral Creek to be relatively straightforward. Clearly, Moab "difficult" is significantly different from San Juans "difficult." The highlight of our time on the Mineral Creek trail was spotting a lynx running across the road and through some wildflowers on a hillside. Sorry, no photos as my camera was in the back of the truck.
All in all, it was a fantastic time and many photos were made, some of which I'll post below. I'm already eager to get back next year and run a few more trails. I've been on nearly every trail in the San Juans but there are still a few that I'd like to visit again and even a few more that I've never explored. No doubt there's an alpine basin or two that I really need to see!
After dropping off the prints in Durango I headed north to Little Molas Lake for sunset, which wasn't bad but didn't set off any alarms, either. I wanted to sleep in an alpine basin next to a lake so after sunset I drove to Clear Lake Basin just outside Silverton. It was a Friday night and I was worried I wouldn't find a place to park but luckily, I found a spot right next to the lake. I was exhausted and thankful that I roll with a roof top tent that pitches in about two minutes flat. I crawled into the tent and fell asleep to the sounds of...nothing. Just dead silence. The temperature inside the tent dropped to 35 degrees on Friday night. I wanted cooler temperatures and I got them.
I awoke early on Saturday to shoot sunrise as there were still quite a few healthy wildflowers, which surprised me given it was mid-August. Today would be a long day so after sunrise I drove into Silverton for the all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet at Grumpy's. Stomach full, I headed out toward Animas Forks. I first drove into and back out of Minnie Gulch, then took the road into Eureka Gulch, which was a favorite of the trip. I scouted out a couple outstanding places to camp next to a cascading creek with a beautiful tarn only a few feet away, all of which was overwatched by a pair of lovely peaks. Once out of Eureka Gulch I headed into Placer Gulch, where I somehow got off track and ended up driving way, way up some dead end road through a huge flock of sheep. I also found an old mine on a hill and some relatively fresh det cord that I decided not to handle since one end disappeared into a pile of rocks. I eventually found my way back to the main trail and drove it to the intersection with the California Gulch trail. The views in this part of the San Juans are embarrassingly good. I drove up to California Pass, then Hurricane Pass and finally into Corkscrew Gulch. The view from California Pass is among my favorites but unfortunately, I only shot it on my iPhone. I still don't know why I didn't break out the big camera. I needed to find somewhere to shoot sunset but I hadn't done any research on the area so I decided to go where I knew an opportunity was present: Owl Creek Pass. It was a long drive but I made it right at sunset. I scurried around looking for a photo opportunity but struck out. I parked my rig in a meadow across the road and sacked out for the night. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that not one single vehicle passed the entire night.
I slept in on Sunday and when I did finally crawl out of bed I made breakfast and then pointed the FJ south to Ouray. I was excited to run Imogene Pass again. I hadn't been over the pass in a few years but I knew it afforded some of the best views in the whole mountain range. The road seemed a little rougher than the last time I drove it but the FJ handled it with grace. Below the pass on the Ouray side I found a few fields that were literally carpeted with wildflowers. At the pass I stopped for lunch and made a few images, including a spectacular panorama of the endless mountain views. The day was growing short and I needed to hustle home so I made no stops on the downward side into Telluride.
The following weekend I went back with my wife and son. We ran a few more trails, the most notable of which was Mineral Creek. My guidebook rates it as "difficult" and I expected it to be much worse than it was. In Moab, when a trail is described as "difficult" it usually involves significant technical challenges and many sweaty palm, butt pucker moments. With the exception of one narrow section of off-camber shelf road that pitched the FJ into a slightly uncomfortable view of the abyss hundreds of feet below, I found Mineral Creek to be relatively straightforward. Clearly, Moab "difficult" is significantly different from San Juans "difficult." The highlight of our time on the Mineral Creek trail was spotting a lynx running across the road and through some wildflowers on a hillside. Sorry, no photos as my camera was in the back of the truck.
All in all, it was a fantastic time and many photos were made, some of which I'll post below. I'm already eager to get back next year and run a few more trails. I've been on nearly every trail in the San Juans but there are still a few that I'd like to visit again and even a few more that I've never explored. No doubt there's an alpine basin or two that I really need to see!
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