Monday, August 31, 2015

A Few Days in Gunnison, CO

 

Our planned one night stopover at Stevens Creek to meet up with Debbie, Chuck and Carla again in Curecanti NRA near Gunnison turned into four nights, as we all had lovely sites on the water, the weather was great, and we just didn’t feel like leaving.

DSC02978

We hiked in Curecanti on the Dillon Pinnacles trail, and a couple days went to Hartman Rocks which is a BLM area very close to Gunnison that has endless dirt roads and trails. It’s popular for mountain biking but Jim wasn’t in the mood for all the hill climbing so we just hiked instead. And climbed around on all the rocks.

DSC02969

DSC02959

DSC02960

P1020750

P1020748

DSC02965

P1020738

If you can drive your vehicle in, dispersed camping is allowed anywhere. Some of the roads are pretty rough and steep. Chuck thought we could get our Lazy Dazes up there but Jim wasn’t too sure.

DSC02971

DSC02975

DSC02976

DSC02977

DSC02982

This is one of the double black diamond bike trails.

DSC02983

It was hard enough just walking down it.

DSC02984

P1020740

The Dillon Pinnacles trail in Curecanti is another good hike, not quite 2 miles to a close-up view of the volcanic-formed rock pinnacles overlooking Blue Mesa Reservoir. We forgot cameras so we just took a few bad photos with the phones.

20150827_151229.

20150827_151214(1)

20150827_152707(1)

20150827_152549

Yesterday we parted ways with Chuck and Carla and Debbie, who went south. We wanted to explore some new territory to us and decided to head north to Twin Lakes, less than 20 miles south of Leadville, CO, but a thousand feet lower. We’re at the White Star Campground in the San Isabel National Forest, elevation 9,200’, where we found one of the few non-reserved sites that wasn’t under trees. We paid for three nights but may stay through the Labor Day weekend unless we find something better as we go out exploring the area today.

Twin Lakes and Leadville, CO

One of the Twin Lakes, Colorado's largest natural glacial lakes. Unfortunately only a few sites have partial views of the water.

DSC02987

Thursday, August 27, 2015

More Hikes Near Crested Butte

 

I was looking for a hike close to town in an area we hadn’t been and came across the Brush Creek trail. Just over two miles long, this fairly level out and back trail passes through the very scenic East River Valley.

DSC02931

At around 9,000’ the flowers were almost gone but it would be a nice walk earlier in the summer. The trail also passes through several aspen stands and would be a good hike when the leaves are changing.

DSC02934

DSC02932

DSC02923

P1020721

This cow blocked the trail but Jim kept heading for her and she finally moved. They are so big they make me nervous, even though I assured her we don’t eat them.

DSC02924

DSC02928

The next day we took a drive up Gothic Road through the ski area and just past the former mining community of Gothic, which is home to the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, founded in 1928 and still doing research on plants, animals, and climate change. Our destination was the Copper Creek trail to Judd Falls and beyond.

DSC02935

We parked just off Gothic Road, which added another half mile to the falls, but Chuck drove their Jeep to the upper trailhead, a very rocky, rutted road. We saw a Honda Accord parked about 3/4ths of the way up but Jim didn’t want to risk the Subaru driving up there. Maybe we’ll get skid plates put on one of these days, which would lessen the anxiety of a rock puncturing the oil pan.

It’s a couple hundred feet of climbing to the falls.

DSC02937

DSC02938

But after that the trail levels off and continues on another 4+ miles to Copper Lake, or you can keep going beyond the lake for another 9 miles or so and be in Aspen.

DSC02939

DSC02940

P1020724

DSC02949

DSC02948

We turned back after 3.5 miles. I tried but just couldn’t talk anyone into going all the way to the lake. There were several stream crossings, and on this one Jim and Chris decided not to follow the masses (Chuck, Carla, Debbie and me) and both ended up with water over their hiking boots.

DSC02945

An unexplained giant cairn on the side of the trail that didn’t appear to be marking anything.

DSC02946

Carla, demonstrating her skill at walking backwards.

P1020726

We got out of Crested Butte before a couple of rainy days, and are now back at Steven’s Creek near Gunnison for shopping, propane, and laundry. Not sure where we’re heading next.

Monday, August 24, 2015

Scarp Ridge Hike

 

On Saturday we drove 6 miles up Kebler Pass Road from Crested Butte to Irwin Lake campground for the western (easier) approach to Scarp Ridge. With six people we needed to take two cars, which worked out well since Chuck, Carla and Debbie hiked two miles to a lovely basin, and Chris, Jim and I continued on another mile or so up to the ridge. The trail is really a rocky jeep road for over two miles but fortunately we were only passed by a few vehicles.

Crested Butte, CO1

It’s a fairly steep climb up the road where we passed a couple houses, waterfalls, and lots of flowers.

DSC02890

P1020685

DSC02892

Prepared for the winter.

DSC02919

At around two miles the road levels off and to the right is a nice rock outcropping, where some other hikers were stopped to eat lunch. It was hazy over Lake Irwin.

DSC02900

We could see a faint trail ahead but weren’t sure if that was the way we should continue so I went to check it out.

P1020689

The views into this beautiful basin just kept getting better.

DSC02895

DSC02898

This is where the other half of our gang decided to turn back for a little over 4 miles round trip. It’s a good workout with great views up to this point, but we wanted to get up on the ridge.

DSC02897

So up the steep road we continued, although it soon leveled off. We came to a fork in the road and asked some other hikers where the trail was. They said it depended upon where we wanted to go, either up to the ridge or up Ruby Mountain. Looking at the faint trail switchbacking it’s way up Ruby Mountain we chose the trail to the ridge. Maybe another day.

DSC02902

Then we soon lost the trail, crossed a patch of snow, and had to bushwack our way to the trail we could see in the distance. The people we asked for directions went a different way where they also lost the trail and ended up ultimately following in our tracks.

Crested Butte, CO2

DSC02905

After one more steep climb up we were on the ridge.

DSC02906

P1020710

It is absolutely gorgeous up there.

DSC02909

DSC02914

P1020699

P1020702

P1020713

Chris and Jim were finishing their lunch while I went off to see if we could get over to the next higher ridge where we could see people.

DSC02913

P1020703

A Julie Andrews moment for sure.

P1020711

There was a sheer drop and no way to cross so we figured there must be a way to cut across at a lower level. Again, that would be for another day.

P1020708 

A dark cloud moved overhead so we thought it best to start back down. We actually managed to stay on the trail all the way back. We had light rain for the last mile but just as we got to the car the sky really let loose.

P1020714

P1020715

We hiked just under 7 miles with 1,400’ of elevation gain. If we ever go back I think I would want to try the shorter but steeper middle approach to Scarp Ridge. It’s a little more climbing but gets you up even higher, which is always a good thing.