San Juan Mountains Epic Adventure 2012

[FishPOET]

I left La Habra at 8am on Friday August 3, 2012.

Our dispersed camp the first night was in the Coconino National Forest on route 552 Locket Meadow approx 9 miles north of Flagstaff AZ on US 89.

Coconino National Forest Motor Vehicle Use Map

Entrance on US 89 at N35° 22.328 W111° 34.567

Lat/Lon format is hddd° mm.mmm WGS84 datum

I have dispersed camped here twice on the way to Colorado. It is close to the highway and there are plenty of spots to spend a quiet evening.

On Saturday August 4, 2012 we stopped at Four Corners Monument

To be continued...

 

[FishPOET]

Camp for 8 nights was Golden Horn designated camp on South Mineral Creek approx 5 miles from Silverton Colorado. N37° 48.746 W107° 44.605 We had 23 people and 11 rigs all together for the week.

San Juan Public Lands Map

San Juan National Forest Columbine District Motor Vehicle Use Map

To be continued.....

 

[FishPOET]

Sunday August 5 we still had folks arriving at camp so we had a short run close to camp that left after lunch. We ran the Clear Lake Trail.

I had a Strait Edge II inflatable kayak on the top of my Jeep but we ended up not using it as the weather turned real nasty shortly after arriving at Clear Lake. We stuck it out for a half hour or so in the rain and hail before heading back to camp.

There are 2 waterfalls on the way to Clear Lake. This one we drove to.

And this one we hiked to.

The road up to Clear Lake

Clear Lake

The valley below Clear Lake

More Clear Lake pics can be found here.

To be continued....

 

[FishPOET]

Monday August 6 we ran 3 trails. The first was Engineer Pass

We started the morning at the ghost town of Animas Forks

More Animas Forks photos can be seen here

From there we climbed up Engineer Pass

At the top

More Engineer Pass photos can be seen here

To be continued...

 

[ssichler]

Great report and pics. Love that pano shot at the end.

 

[FishPOET]

From Engineer Pass there is a little used spur that goes to Schafer Gulch and Hurricane Basin. We took that spur

We found a wonderful waterfall.

And an old mine with lots of old equipment and a 20 bed boarding house.

More Schafer Gulch and Hurricane Basin photos can be seen here.

To be continued...

 

[FishPOET]

After running Schafer Gulch and Hurricane Basin we returned to Engineer Pass and continued on towards Lake City.

Cabin with a bridge over a gorge for access

We had lunch at Whitmore Falls

We saw the Rose Lime Kiln

Capital City is for sale

We spent some time at the Ute Utay Mine

And we finished the trail in Lake City and had an ice cream break.

To be continued...

 

[FishPOET]

After leaving Lake City we drove past Lake San Cristobal and headed up the Cinnamon Pass Trail.

We stopped at the Sherman Townsite Interpretive Area

It started to rain heavy as we climbed the steep switchbacks.

We persevered and reached the top of the pass.

Thankfully it was the last day that we would have heavy afternoon rain.

More Cinnamon Pass photos can be seen here

As we reached Animas Forks we had planned on running Eureka Gulch a few miles down CR2. We ran into a landslide that was completely blocking the road.

We had to turn around and take California Gulch to Hurricane Pass to CR110 and back to Silverton.

To be continued...

 

[FishPOET]

Tuesday August 7 we ran 3 trails. First trail of the morning was Black Bear Pass

Black Bear Pass is arguably the most famous 4WD trail in the country. C.W. McCall even wrote a song about Black Bear Road

The steep switchbacks leading from the pass down to Telluride are so steep and narrow that they are one way travel downhill only.

Climbing up from the Million Dollar Highway trailhead

Near the pass

Black Bear Pass 12,840'

Going down into Ingram Basin

Swinging out over Ingram Creek and Telluride

Telluride 3000' below

Switchbacks

Bridal Veil Falls and Powerhouse

View of the switchbacks

More Black Bear Pass photos can be seen here

To be continued...

 

[teotwaki]

Excellent trip Doug! I love all of the photos.

 

[chicken corners]

Thank you!!!!!! Great pictures

 

[FishPOET]

Black Bear Pass ends in Telluride and Imogene Pass starts in Telluride. It it makes a logical loop bringing us back over the mountains.

The climb up out of Telluride on Imogene Pass has a great view of the switchbacks that we just came down on Black Bear Pass.

We had lunch at the Tomboy townsite. This place was massive back in the day.

Imogene Pass 13,114'

Hidden Treasure Mine

Imogene Creek crossing

Heading down towards Camp Bird

More Imogene Pass photos can be seen here.

To be continued...

 

[FishPOET]

Imogene Pass ends at the junction of CR361 and Yankee Boy Basin. We turned left and took Yankee Boy Basin

Revenue Mine

Sneffels Waterfall - "They" say this is the waterfall found on Coors beer.

Pinnacles

Lots of groundcover

Lake at the top

On the way back down CR361 to Ouray is this overhang

More Yankee Boy Basin photos can be seen here

To be continued...

 

[FishPOET]

On Wednesday August 8 the first trail we ran was Stony Pass

On the way up the northwestern slope.

At the top.

Stony Pass marks the Continental Divide.

On the way down the southeastern slope.

The headwaters of the Rio Grande

After viewing the headwaters of the Rio Grande we turned back around and headed back up to Stony Pass and back over.

More Stony Pass photos can be seen here

To be continued...

 

[FishPOET]

After Stony Pass we headed back down and made a right turn and headed up Rocky Gulch to Buffalo Boy Mine.

Rocky Gulch

Buffalo Boy Mine Tram Station

Buffalo Boy Mine Tram Station

Tram towers

More Rocky Gulch and Buffalo Boy Mine photos can be seen here

To be continued...