It's troo, I'll share locations on request, but this one is so high up and so far off the beaten path I figure most of you'll just enjoy the photos. It's on the one side-road that goes west a few miles south of Platoro. I forget the Forest Number, but if you search on Treasure Creek (Conejos County) you'll find it.
The profusion of the state flower was overwhelming!! But you can see pictures of them anywhere.
Photos just don't do it. When I came around the bend and saw the view below I stopped, got out, and spent the rest of the afternoon walking. I kept expecting Heidi to show up at any moment. Treasure Creek flows through on the far left side.
This magnificent specimen was its sole representative.
Lookout Mountain and Lake De Nolda in the afternoon light. (Friggin rain!!!)
It gets wild in the upper altitudes!!
The monsoons are in full swing with (maybe) three hours in the morning when you might see the sun. Forest Road 105 leaves off Forest Road 250 a few miles south of Platoro. I spent a couple of days exploring, but could easily stay weeks...if it weren't for the rain.
The road soon rises above 10,000 feet and (finally) levels off at the junction to Tobacco Lake where I DIDN't check altitude but guess it to be close to 11,000.
 |
| Monsoon at >10,000 feet |
The trail to Bear Lake takes you into the San Juan Wilderness. The aspen are dying en masse...supposedly due to the li'l gals shown below. They was the only wildlife I seen.
Other than the disfigurement, the leaves of the shrubs didn't appear to be suffering from their case of the carbuncles. (Time to start shopping for a camera that focuses).
Pausing to inhale the aroma of vanilla from a Jeffrey(?) Pine, I noticed a splotch of white in the brush; someone had tossed a bottle of gelled alcohol and yerz trooly, Lucky Herrmann, had found it. Back at camp I celebrated the tradition of stockpiling more than enough wood, but even after shredding the underbark (scout manual page 237, para 2) I couldn't get it going. It was then I remembered....FIRE STARTER!! What a concept!!
I've never been big on fires; their romantic effects not withstanding, on my own, once the tater's done, so'm I. And with this kind of wet, youse either gotta be a duck or from Portland to stand around.
It's less than a mile past Saddle Creek to this view. Time for lunch!
