My last post ended with a photo of me flirting with a saloon girl (actually just a mannequin) in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. I received an email from a friend (who shall remain anonymous for his personal safety) saying that there were some benefits to mannequins – they had hard bodies, could be taken anywhere and never complained. I don’t think I’ll share that email with My Lovely Bride…
We departed Pagosa Springs (7,126 ft) on US Highway 160, and immediately started on the steepest long climb the coach has ever made. We topped out at Wolf Creek Pass (10,850 ft), after an average 6.8% grade that had a few short sections of 7%+. We were averaging only 25 mph, still passing some loaded semis, and our coolant temps were edging close to the red line at times. The Colorado Dept. of Transportation (CoDot) web site has this warning sign for “The Wolf” and Hwy. 160, which has seen many fatal accidents, mostly on the way down from Wolf Creek Pass.
Our next stop after clearing “The Wolf” was South Fork, CO, where we spent several days catching our breath from some long driving days. The whole area was blanketed with smoke from two major forest fires, one to the north and one to the east. The latter would result in closing our route to the east, but that was yet to come. On our second day, the smoke cleared a bit, and we went for a hike in a beautiful valley.
This lake near South Fork was my first attempt at Colorado trout fishing. It was more a gear-testing afternoon, with new waders, boots, rod, reel, line, leader, tippet, and flies being worked out, along with my less than expert casting techniques being “refined”. As any fly fisherman will tell you, it’s easier casting on a lake because there aren’t trees and bushes around on which to hang up your fly. (The totality of the preceding sentences is fisherman-speak for “I didn’t catch anything that day.”)
I also tried some trout fishing on the south fork of the Rio Grande River, for which the town is named, but high water temperatures made the fishing very slow. I spoke to two fisherman downstream of me, and none of us caught anything in the two hours before noon. The river was basically closed in the afternoon because the trout would die if they were hooked and landed – being catch and release guys, none of us fished after 12 PM. Locals said that we should come back in October or May-June, when the fishing was much better. It’s the Angler’s Lament… “But Sweetheart, the weather was too hot in July… I have to fly back to Colorado in October and try again…”
So what do you do when the fishing’s bad? “Go for a hike!” Suzanne had a reading to give, and some other work to do, so I took a few hours and hiked the Deep Creek Trail near the tiny town of Creede (8,700 ft). The first thing I saw at the trailhead was this small marker; it reads, “Here lies a small girl who died of a sickness on the wagon train west. In memory of all the children who died going west.” Typically, 6-7% of the people traveling west died enroute, with typhus, diphtheria, measles, scarlet fever, Rocky Mountain fever, and violent interactions with locals being the principal causes, but even simple accidents like falling off a wagon or underneath an ox or wagon wheel could easily be fatal, since there was precious little medical care available on the Oregon, Emigrant, Mormon, Santa Fe, or Overland Trails.
The Deep Creek Trail follows Deep Creek (isn’t that a surprise?) for 9 miles into the Rio Grande National Forest, but I made this a 7 mile day hike (round trip). A beaver dam and pond along the way made a pleasant place to stop for lunch. The beavers’ lodge was on the other side of the pond, and I purposely didn’t go near it so as not to disturb them. The beaver is probably my favorite wilderness animal.
The beavers (Castor canadensis) must have heard me coming, because none were to be seen or heard. I include this web photo for those who have lived sheltered lives and never experienced seeing these delightful critters in person. They were trapped extensively in the 19th Century, mainly for their pelts, which were made into men’s hats. As of 1988, their US population was estimated at 6-12 million, compared to 60 million at its peak. Being herbivores, their diet is principally aspen, alder, cottonwood and willow. Their flat tails are used for swimming and as alarms – they slap them hard on the surface of a pond or stream to alert other beavers nearby. When alarmed, they can stay underwater for up to 15 minutes. Adults can weigh up to 55 lbs, and their teeth are self-sharpening and keep growing so they don’t wear down as they chew on trees and branches.
This photo shows why the trail follows Deep Creek through its canyon – the walls are steep and rocky, with many rockslides and avalanche chutes that make climbing up from the creek trail, well, problematic… not to mention difficult, dangerous and dumb… (oh, it would then be a 3-D trail!) I can hear the bighorn sheep booing – or is that baaaahhhhing -now.
From South Fork, we had to detour about 100 miles out of the way because of the forest fire near La Veta Pass (9,413 ft), which had forced the closure of Highway 160 through the Sangre de Christo mountains. Our destination that day was Buckley AFB, where we spent one night. Our goal was to meet with our dear friends Jeff and Lynn Hollahan, and we enjoyed a delightful dinner at their house in Denver. We had last seen Jeff and Lynn in Scottsdale, but they are such fun that we are trying to get them to move to the East Coast… wishful thinking, but we can try!
Rocky Mountain National Park – our next stop, and one of our favorite destinations in Colorado – is a hikers’ dream. We stayed in a commercial campground right outside Estes Park, a typical crowded tourist town, but close to the park entrance. I went on a two day backpack in the high country, and had a ball. It was a 13 mile loop trail that started at one of the park’s most popular destinations, Bear Lake (9,450 ft), where Suzanne dropped me off. There were several hundred people here, because there is parking and a shuttle stop, but once I left Bear Lake, I only saw a handful of people over two days.
It was a couple of hours hike up through aspens, spruce and pines, then over a pass and around Joe Mills Mountain (11,078 ft) to Odessa Lake, where I stopped for lunch. The spur trail to the lake is uphill alongside this gorgeous stream…
Odessa Lake is another of what Suzanne and I refer to, tongue in cheek, as “Hateful Places”… It was very crowded, though; I think I saw three people in the distance. The lake is surrounded by several 11,000 – 12,000 ft peaks, including Flattop, Notchtop, Little Matterhorn (the sharp one over my thumb), Knobtop, Gabletop, and The Gable. It’s a climber’s paradise.
Another few miles along was my destination for the night, Fern Lake. (Yes, another Hateful Place…) I chose Fern for my campsite because I would be getting the best campsite there – a “group camp” with four campsites, but because I was the only person asking for it, I would have my pick of the four, with no one else around. “It don’t get better no better than this!”
I set up camp in a grove of spruce and pines, with my tent on a relatively flat spot with few rocks. There was a requirement to carry bear canisters for food and smelly stuff like toothpaste, so I didn’t have to hoist my food into the trees; the down side is that the bear canister (hard plastic, cylindrical, heavy) weighs 2.2 lbs. This added a lot to my pack, and made the total about 33 lbs. And there was no spare weight for even a small bottle of wine… what a bummer!
I didn’t encounter any bears (so I could have replaced the bear canister with a small cask of Zinfandel, but I digress), but I had a visit from this attractive young local female late afternoon as I was prepping my gourmet dinner – freeze-dried Spanish rice and chicken… Emeril would not have been impressed, and neither was Ms. Doe; she walked calmly through my camp, as I stood stock still, and started browsing in a nearby meadow. It was a delightful encounter… mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) are the predominant species here.
At dusk, I swatted away only a couple of mosquitoes, and crawled into my sleeping bag, and because rain wasn’t forecast, I hadn’t rigged a rain fly over my tent. This was my view as I contemplated my good fortune in being in one of Mother Nature’s most beautiful places. I fell asleep with an owl hooting in the distance…
The next day, after coffee, freeze-dried eggs and hash browns, I got to fishing; Fern Lake is famous for its Greenback cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii stomias), one of the prettiest fish in the world. It is a threatened species, so it’s all catch and release, which I was happy to do anyway. Cleaning fish in bear country can be… well, problematic… The cutthroats here are all small, about 10-13 inches, but they put up a good fight on a fly rod. I caught three in an hour or so, one on a black and yellow spider fly and two on a caddis pattern. (For those of you have followed my blog, my success at fishing has been… well… spotty. For the record, this day’s catch was no Fisherman’s Tale!
I have mentioned that my meditative time comes most often on hikes. This photo may give you an idea of why… It was a joy to be on a pristine mountain lake, surrounded by sawtoothed peaks, with only two other people in sight, far away on the other side of the lake. Life is Good!
18 Comments
Rae Bridges
Wow Ty! I love reading your blog. I've always wanted to visit Colorado and perhaps even live there! Your photos are beautiful and I love reading about your adventures!! 🙂
Unknown
Sounds like you had a wonderful adventure! Great photos, and I love the info on the beavers – they are very special creatures! Cheers, good sir! Much to be thankful for in the splendor of the Earth.
Debbie Pawelek
Great pictures! Especially the picture of Fern Lake! How awesome that you and Suzanne are able to hike together and create so many great memories to cherish! Thx for the great photos and sharing your adventures with us…
Unknown
Very beautiful photos, and as always, your narrative is quite entertaining!
Unknown
Thank you so much for sharing your adventures punctuated with a lovely attitude, humor and wit. I have had the pleasure of meeting you in Texas at a couple of Suzanne's events. Keep up the wonderful posts. It is SO nice to draw on your positive energy through your writings.
Unknown
Hi Ty. I am reading your current blog as I wrap up a 10-day vacation. I did some fishing as well, but it was interrupted by some intense sea sickness. However, my boyfriend, the Fish Whisperer, distracted me from my misery by catching the most fish on the boat and the largest fish on the boat. Safe travels to you and your lovely bride. Michele Young from Suzanne's Wilkes-Barre workshop
Nita
Wow. Gorgeous pictures. Especially the last one with the calm lake. I'd admire your bravery to be out in the wilderness alone.
Unknown
Hi Ty, I hear you and the pups are alone. Me too with my two Yorkies. I remember Wolf Creek Pass! It was a snowstorm back in '74 and the troopers made us take off the new radials and put on the old worn out snow tires. We crept up and over the pass with our heads out the window singing Onward Christian Soldiers as we couldn't see a thing and there is a cliff on the side of the road, What road? A semi passed and we thought well maybe he could see but when we reached the top we saw him on his side on the other side of the road. Finally reached the top and started down as the cloud lifted a bit enough to see the road and any cars ahead. I started going faster due to gravity but realized I did not want to go 25 in those conditions and knew you were not supposed to put your foot on the brake as you would go into a spin so I downshifted instead. OOPS. Same thing. I went into a spin and slid off the other side of the road. Fortunately no one was coming up on the other side of the road. No damage to the car but we couldn't get out of the ditch so a kind couple in a station wagon full of Christmas presents stopped to pick us up and we went the rest of the way down the mountain sitting on top of their presents. Thank heaven for good samaritans! This was in a lime green 68 1/2 Mustang!Loved that car but lost interest in it after that. Safe travels and stay off the passes in the wintertime. Lynn in Mesa, AZ where it was just 114 yesterday!!!
Unknown
Gorgeous !! Thank you for sharing, and wishes for continued safe travels and beauty!!
Unknown
Thank you for sharing this beauty and your experiences!! Safe travels !!
Tracy Wilburn
Hello, Ty, it's Tracy Wilburn. I'm a friend of Suzanne's; you and I met at the Heart House in Sedona back in May during her Serving Spirit 2 weekend. Your blog brightens the life of this armchair traveler more than you can imagine. Seeing these parts of the country through your eyes and enjoying the genuine belly laughs from your commentary is something I look forward to as I anticipate each new entry in your anthology. Much love to you, Y(our)LB, and the pups.
Anonymous
Enjoying the mountain pictures and your adventures. I was blessed to grow up in those hills (Winter Park, Denver, Pagosa) and was just there the end of last month for a visit. Ruins you for living anywhere else. 🙂
Ginafish
I have a feeling, your pictures are too small to really show the majesty of your surroundings. Enjoying the pictures all the same. Since Arkansas (where I live) doesn't have mountains of those size, maybe one day the fishing will get you here to visit? I don't fish, but since the motto is "The Natural State" I am sure there are lots of fish waiting to be caught!
karen musselman
Such beautiful pictures. How incredibly perfect that it isn't overrun with people. Guess the hiking at high altitude cuts out the less hardy souls. 🙂
Unknown
Ty, I always enjoy your blogging, but this morning, I found such pleasure and peace in your photos and your descriptions of your travels. Thank you. 💕
Unknown
Beautiful blog, as always! Blessings for you and the puppies as you keep the "mobile home fires" burning. We sold our 7th and final RV yesterday but will keep traveling via your blog. Much love, Lois and Elaine
Anonymous
Wow, what get experiences in some of the most beautiful backcountry in the world! Did you get close enough to any fires to see flames? The one I was on in Basalt, CO kicked our butt for awhile but is now under control.
I’m now on a fire near Happy Camp, CA working as a Helibase Manager. Most days it’s been too smoky to fly. My wife is on a fire near the North Cascades National Park in north central WA. She’s working as a Logistics Section Chief up there.
Safe travels and I hope you avoid more smoke to improve your views. Brad
Lynette
What a gorgeous travelogue. And funny, of course, because you are That. �� Makes me miss Colorado and Wyoming with my little husband. Also, only you would find a photo of a beaver sitting on a what appears to be a gigantic tongue. That is very odd looking. I'm always pulling Deaf Betty's tail out from beneath her as she sits next to me. Rethinking that now. Thinking of both of you right now. Sending lots of love.