roverrocks
Expedition Leader
Spent all day exploring and wheeling/hiking in Yankee Boy Basin, Governor Basin, and Sydney Basin above Ouray, CO in the San Juan Mountains. Beautiful smoke-free day in the Colorado High Country. Quite a lot of wildflowers considering how dry we have been for months in SW Colorado. Since my July 1 adventure however the monsoon has kicked in and we have had some excellent much needed rains in both the San Juans and the much lower areas around Montrose, CO and elsewhere in SW Colorado. Heavy rains that Montrose hasn't seen in a number of years. Great news for all our hard working fire fighters both in Colorado and nearby bone-dry Utah. For the area ranchers and farmers this rain was a real blessing. We hope the monsoon continues. The drought is not ended but we had some incredibly welcome relief.
To start my day on July 1, I wheeled up Yankee Boy Basin picking up 3 Mt. Sneffels hikers along the way. They were very happy to be spared some of the steep, beautiful hike up Mt. Sneffels which is an area 14'er. I ended up hiking up to exquisite Blue Lakes Pass which lies just below Mt. Sneffels which I have climbed in the past. At Blue Lakes Pass you look down to the west at the upper 2 Blue Lakes of which there are 3 in total. After Yankee Boy basin I descended partway down the Yankee Boy 4x4 trail and then wheeled up to Governor Basin which is full of old silver mines and beautiful alpine meadows. There is an old mine/pack/hiking trail that continues over the head of Governor Basin and down to Tomboy just above Telluride if one wants to do it. Then I wheeled a loop off of the Governor Basin 4x4 trail which takes you on a beautiful loop through Sidney Basin which once again is full of old mines, high peaks, and great meadows. To get out of Sidney Basin one wheels along a narrow shelf trail which emerges onto the Governor Basin Trail. There is some definite pucker factor on this narrow shelf trail. Far, far below lies the Yankee Boy Basin trail and associated mines and mining town ruins. The San Juans never disappoint. Here are some pictures.
To start my day on July 1, I wheeled up Yankee Boy Basin picking up 3 Mt. Sneffels hikers along the way. They were very happy to be spared some of the steep, beautiful hike up Mt. Sneffels which is an area 14'er. I ended up hiking up to exquisite Blue Lakes Pass which lies just below Mt. Sneffels which I have climbed in the past. At Blue Lakes Pass you look down to the west at the upper 2 Blue Lakes of which there are 3 in total. After Yankee Boy basin I descended partway down the Yankee Boy 4x4 trail and then wheeled up to Governor Basin which is full of old silver mines and beautiful alpine meadows. There is an old mine/pack/hiking trail that continues over the head of Governor Basin and down to Tomboy just above Telluride if one wants to do it. Then I wheeled a loop off of the Governor Basin 4x4 trail which takes you on a beautiful loop through Sidney Basin which once again is full of old mines, high peaks, and great meadows. To get out of Sidney Basin one wheels along a narrow shelf trail which emerges onto the Governor Basin Trail. There is some definite pucker factor on this narrow shelf trail. Far, far below lies the Yankee Boy Basin trail and associated mines and mining town ruins. The San Juans never disappoint. Here are some pictures.
