Latest Posts by backwoodsnbrush - Page 8

You are not IN the mountains, the mountains are in YOU.

John Muir (via getlostinthemountains)

Happy Birthday, Colorado! On this day in 1876, Colorado became a state; we celebrate with a amazing photos from Handies Peak Wilderness Study Area - one of our favorites. 

The scenic quality of the Handies Peak Wilderness Study Area in Colorado is outstanding due to the interaction of mountainous landforms; multi-colored rock strata; diverse vegetation; and vast, open vistas. Handies Peak itself rises 14,048 feet over the area and is the highest point of land managed by the Bureau of Land Management outside of Alaska. This WSA also hosts 12 other peaks that rise over 13,000 feet, three major canyons, numerous small drainages, glacial cirques and three alpine lakes. The landscape a variety of volcanic, glacial and Precambrian formations. A rock glacier formation is also located at the head of American Basin.

This is an area perfect for hiking, backpacking, camping, mountain climbing and photography.  Guaranteed to inspire!

Photos by Bob Wick, Wilderness Specialist for BLM’s National Conservation Lands

Find directions for this hike here.

Mystic Falls by Guy Schmickle on Flickr.

This seldom visited waterfall can be found in the San Juan Mountains near Telluride, Colorado. I visited these falls in the springtime as it sees rather low water levels later in the summer.

Snow on the mountain by William Horton Via Flickr: Snow emphasizes the texture of the Cimarron Mountains as seen from Owl Creek Pass Road near Ridgway, Colorado.

Uncompahgre Peak

A “giant’s top hat, slightly cocked to one side” is the way some climbers describe Uncompahgre Peak. As fourteeners go, it is a relatively easy climb, but there is really only one way to ascend the mountain. The peak is surrounded on three sides by vertical cliffs of crumbly volcanic rock, but fortunately the south side consists of a sloping ridge that is easily climbed with a minimum of scrambling. Uncompahgre Peak was first climbed by members of the Hayden Survey in 1874. The mountain has long been recognized for its scenic beauty, and in the 1930s the area was included as one of the Forest Service’s original Primitive Areas.

Sutton Mine Trail

[05|28|16]

So I did the majority of this hike! Lol. There is a theme to my earlier hiking experiences. This blog post from Box Canyon Ouray explains in detail the hike and what to expect. This post from 5280 was helpful too.  I was blown away. It was early springtime, especially for the mountains, and everything was a little extra marshy and wet, which was beautiful. Another hiker on the trail had her two dogs who were just diving into the little pools that would collect here and there from the melted snow. There was plenty of that. Melted and unmelted. First, the overlook is gorgeous and worth the what feels like an incline that should take you directly into the sky. Apparently it’s a popular overlook for postcards for Ouray. Then you enter magical marshy and meadowlands, leading to great views of the million dollar highway and the distinct Mt. Abrams. I am eager to finish the hike next season to see Neosho Mine wish is the final point on the trail. The weather got a little dreary after I passed the Bear Creek overlook so I essentially hauled ass after that omen from nature. And made it back to the car safely!

Cutler Creek

 [05|22|16}

One of the reasons I won’t allow myself to call this a real hiking blog yet is because half of the time we/I didn’t finish the hike because...well I don’t know, at first it felt like there was always something! I also don’t really read maps, use compasses, or have a GPS watch or anything, so those are all goals that I have. In the mean time, I feel that I do need to record my experiences so that I can remember and avoid these sorts of things next time.

Now I’m writing this from a memory of 5 months ago, so I am a giving out a warning that this should be taken with a grain of salt. But I remember the drive there was wack! Nathan has a 4WD truck and we did not feel comfortable driving all the way to the trail head. Pretty sure we had to walk a little more than .5 to the trailhead, and soon after the trail began, a roaring creek prevented us from really going farther--plus we had done the Owl Creek Pass drive earlier that day, which I’ll have to post on another day. 

Here are some directions/descriptions for the trail:

Blog 1

Blog 2

Below are some pictures of the creek that made us turn away and the cool view from the crazy drive.

Perimeter Trail

[05|20|16]

From what I recall, we only did part of the perimeter trail in Ouray this day. I remember finding it way more tiring than I was expecting! This is a classic trail. It has so many dimensions--waterfall, gorges, baby baths, aspen groves, meadows that open up to views of Mt. Abrams, Hayden Mountain... I did do the complete trail the year before in July 2015. I think there was a bit of renovation completed on the trail between those times. I also remember specifically that I did not do any online research prior to hitting the trail, and I went and asked the Visitor’s Center where the trailhead was. Oh, only right across the street! But I do wish I had read this blog post first, from Rocky Mountain Hiking Trails. Below are a few half-assed shots of the part of the trail that we did. I probably didn’t have enough strength to lift my arm. Oh, and it looks like there were some pretty trees in bloom in town, too. 

Interested in updates made to the trail? This’ll help you out. 

Basalt High School Trail

Description-This hike starts directly behind Basalt High School and heads west along a gentle trail before climbing steeply to reach a ridge near the top of Light Hill.

Directions-  From the main Basalt stoplight on Highway 82, go south on Basalt Avenue (away from downtown). Take a right onto Fiou Lane and then go left on Southside Drive to where it ends at the high school. Behind and to the left of the school there is a bus turnaround. The trail begins at the left side of the turnaround.

Our description and directions today comes from the Basalt Chamber of Commerce, accessed May 14, 2016.