Sutton Mine Hike with grandsons - 10/15/16

"A walk in nature, walks the soul back home."

Mary Davis

It is always a treat to hike with my grandkids.  They always add a lot of "life to the party".  Fortunately, they still like following gramps around.  I hope that never changes.  This hike is fairly easy and ends with the fun of the Sutton Mine buildings and the infamous laundry line.  It's tradition to add some piece of clothing to the line.  It appears some folks made the return trip nearly naked.  Not me!

View from the Ouray overlook.

The aspens were putting on a show.

Main mine building with Garrett, Dylan, & Ryan

Relics of days gone by....except for the Colorado Rockies cap!

The infamous clothes line.

Coxcomb Pass 8/13/16

"It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves."

Edmund Hillary

Due to a special hunting license, I knew this would be my last opportunity to hike the high country until the following summer.  So, I wanted the season to "go out with a bang".  This hike definitely did that.  It rises to over 13,000' and is just full of stunning views.  I'm blessed!

The sunrise ride to the trailhead was gorgeous.

A Turret Ridge sunrise - wow!

Cimarron Middle Fork morning.

Precipice Peak is one of my favorite photo subjects.

Coxcomb and Redcliff standing tall.

Making a timelapse from high on the pass.

Letting the "dogs" rest before heading back down that valley.

Blue Lakes 7/29/16

"Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt."

John Muir

I know, another Blue Lakes Hike?....YES.  This was a combo fishing and hiking trip. It was a beautiful day and the wildflowers were at their prime.

Mountain views weren't too shabby either!

Fishing Grand Mesa - Butts Lake - July 22, 2016

"Take only memories, leave only footprints."

Chief Seattle

One of my favorite past times (next to hiking of course) is fishing.  It is even better if a hike is involved.  I especially like remote mountain lakes or rivers.  Butts Lake is a favorite destination dating back to childhood.  As a young feller in my 20's my dad and I had Wednesdays off in the summer.  Each week we would load up our little 8' aluminum boat on a bicycle wheel rack and drag it up to Butts.  We had some great times and made memories that will never be lost.  Dad is gone now, but I still often return and still enjoy it like yesterday.

Wildflower show on the way up the trail.

Passing Little Eggleston Lake

Colorado Columbines - my favorite wildflower.

Butts Lake - the fishing was poor.  But the scenery and flood of memories was priceless.  I had an unusual treat of a fighter jet going back and forth across the mountain.  Since Butts is tucked in against the Craig's Crest cliffs, there were times I wouldn't even hear him coming.  He was very low and the rumble would make me jump every time.  Hey....maybe he scared the fish!  Who knows? It was a great day anyway.

Part of the problem may have been that it was so still.  The water was like a mirror.  That usually does not bode well for fishing.

But, all in all, there was no way to find fault in this day.  Thank you Lord!

Richmond Pass 7/15/16

"Hiking is the answer.....who cares what the question is?"

Richmond Pass is always on the short hiking list.  It's just a wonderful hike for any reason.  This day was perfect in every way.

Up through the aspens in the morning sun.

Looking back to the Red Mountains....a pathway in paradise.

Rising higher.  Looking down on the Red Mountains and the Corkscrew Pass jeep road.

It was unusual that there were still snow drifts at the pass this time of year.

View from the pass looking west into Yankee Boy Basin and Imogene Pass.

Abundant wildflowers just above Half Moon Basin - looking east.

Fishing Big Blue Creek...July 9, 2016

"There's always time for one more cast!"

I got a new Tenkara rod for Father's Day.  I was looking for the perfect stream opportunity to test it out.  Big Blue Creek seemed like the spot and this day seemed like the time.  I only caught a couple small brookies.  That Tenkara stuff is definitely fun and has a bit of learning curve.  Since I was alone I took my SPOT signaling device with me.  Somewhere in that maze of willows I lost it.  I had been all over through there and felt there was no way I could ever retrace my steps and find it.  Prayer seemed to be the most logical thing to do....so I did.  I then began trying to retrace my paths and realized that was completely impossible.  It all looked the same.  But, after about 15 minutes of wandering, I poked through a tangle next to the creek and there it was.  My heart was full of wilderness stream fishing and thanksgiving.  It was a beautiful day!

Penstemon on top of the Alpine Plateau on the drive to the stream.

The willow maze where I lost my SPOT - temporarily.  Thank you Lord!

Wow this stream is "purdy".  Post-card purdy!

I'll be back and hike on up this creek!  Several years ago I hiked up it to Slide Lake.  But, I didn't fish on that outing.  I will on the next run.

Independence Day Fishing Grand Mesa July 4, 2016

"Wilderness is not a luxury, but a necessity of the human spirit, and as vital to our lives as water and good bread." 

Edward Abbey

Joann and I took off for Grand Mesa on this Independence Day.  We hiked up to a lake off the beaten path.  It appeared to be dead, except for the abundance of water dogs.  So, we left and tried a few other lakes.  The fishing was definitely not good - the only thing biting were the mosquitoes.  We fed them well.  The day ended with a heavy hail storm that turned everything white.  Unfortunately, I was trying to stay on the muddy road so I only got one shot out the windshield.  Any day in God's mountains is a good day regardless of bugs and snooty fish.

Blue Lakes Hike 6/24/2016

"The land of the great woods, lakes, mountains and rushing rivers is still mysterious enough to please anyone who has eyes to see and can understand."  Norman Collie

Blue Lakes is on my hiking list every year - often more than once.  It's a place like few others...a place of unrivaled beauty and grandeur.  It's hard to believe that people can go there and still say there is no God.  Only open eyes and a blind heart could come to that conclusion.  On this day there were myriads of people up there.  Two school buses of kids were there from Indiana.  They were good kids and seemed respectful of the place and other hikers.  Would I rather have had the place to myself - sure?  But, such beauty is seldom overlooked or ignored.  It belongs to all and I'm thankful I can still go there regardless of how many I have to share it with.  Usually, I go on up to the upper lakes, which few others do.  But, this year the snow is still so deep and the stream so strong that I decided to not attempt that.  This is the most snow I've seen there at this time of year.  Another hiker I met had been there four times already this year.  He stated that the lower lake was completely frozen over just two weeks before.  I also took my Tenkara fishing rod but did not see any fish rising or cruising the lake shallows.  That's really unusual and I hope there was not a winter kill.

What a magnificent morning!  The full moon was about to set.  The hermit thrushes were singing non-stop.....who can fault them!

Trees come and go...but, not as quickly as we do!

This is like a pathway to heaven.

Marsh marigolds were still in bloom.

It's one amazing vista after another.

Wow - what a God! What a creator!

This trail section just speaks "peace".

Calypso Orchid

Blue Lakes - aptly named!

Thank you Lord for such beautiful places!  Thank you for the strength and ability to hike to places such as this.  Thank you for the eyes to physically behold such wonder and the heart to know where it came from.  I am blessed!

Camping July 18, 2016

"I go to nature to be soothed and healed and to have my senses put in order." 

John Burroughs

We really wanted to camp on the top of the Alpine Plateau.  It is almost at timberline.  However, the road was still closed due to snow.  So, we wandered a bit on the backroads and found a good place to camp.  On one road, within a stretch of only a mile or so we counted 11 piles of bear scat.  That made Joann a bit "edgy" about sleeping in a tent up there.  But, we locked all food in the 4Runner and spent the night without any visitors.  It was quite cool. There was a bit of light frost in the morning.  

Beautiful full moon.

Twin Peaks Hike 6/10/2016

"If it's blessings you're a countin', try a morning in the mountains" Jim Stoltz 

This is a hike I've usually done every spring.  Last year the snow was too deep at the end of May.  In October, it was snow that again stopped me.  There was no stopping me this time.  Armed with micro-spikes I was determined to make it.  Fortunately, I was late enough in the spring that I didn't need them.  The mosquitoes and biting flies were the worst I've seen anywhere and I forgot my bug spray.  So, it was the fastest hike up and down Twin Peaks that I've ever done.  Keeping in motion was the only deterrent - so rest stops were non-existent on this day.

A bee was enjoying a wild rose.

I'm not big on this selfie craze now days.  But, here's one anyway at the miner memorial part way up the trail.

The views from Twin Peaks are phenomenal.  Ouray is far below.

Whitehouse Mountain from Twin Peaks

It was the first time I've been on Twin Peaks when there was no threat of thunderstorms and virtually no wind.  It was a great day - despite the bugs!