Duley Park on the Avalanche Creek trail

About four and a half miles up the Avalanche Creek trail is Duley Park, an open expanse that looks like a great place to build your dream home.  For day-hikers, this is a great spot to enjoy lunch and take photos.  Backpackers could make camp in the pines near the creek.  On the other side of the clearing the trail continues its gentle climb toward Avalanche Lake - the last mile and a half of which is rather steep.  There's also a junction with a trail that goes over a pass into Lead King Basin.

I often hike Avalanche Creek early in the season because of its low elevation and southern exposure.  September is a nice time too, as the golden fields compliment the blue skies and puffy white clouds.  In a couple of weeks, the aspens that cover the northern slopes of the valley will be ablaze in color, and I may return to photograph them.

The Avalanche Creek trailhead is in the campground at the end of the USFS road that turns east from Highway 133 about ten miles south of Carbondale, Colorado.

Marble, Colorado

Marble, Colorado is an unsightly little town nestled in one of the most beautiful valleys you'll ever see.  Sandwiched between the Raggeds and Snowmass-Maroon Bells wilderness areas, and with Lead King Basin to the east, Marble is a great jumping-off point for many backcountry trips.

The Marble airstrip is quiet for all but a couple weekends a year.

Backpacking and day-hikes, horseback trips, and fishing are just a few of the many things you can do in the Crystal River valley around Marble.

Some of my favorite hikes in the area are Carbonate Creek, North Lost Creek, Geneva Lake, and Yule Creek.  Backpackers will want to hike into Lead King Basin, where there are many campsites, and the scenery is unparalleled.

The Chair Mountain Ranch has cabins you can rent for any length of time.  Dave and Linda are great hosts, and will do all they can to ensure you have a great stay.

Marble is about twenty five miles south of Carbondale.  Take Highway 133 south to Gunnison County Road 3 (affectionately known as "the Marble road").

Maps - find a trail, and find your way along one with good maps

Over twenty years ago, I was camping in Rocky Mountain National Park when a woman straggled out of the woods looking both lost and relieved that she wasn't in the woods anymore.  In her hand was an 8.5" x 11" sheet of paper that could only be described as a photocopy of a hand-drawn trail map.  She was many miles from where she wanted to be, and ill-equipped to get there.

Years before, I learned the value of a good map when introduced to the topographical maps produced by the U.S. Geologic Survey (USGS).  I never went on a backpack or day-hike trip without one.  The scale, accuracy, and level of detail on these maps made them indispensable to the outdoor explorer.

Today, I favor maps from Trails Illustrated, part of National Geographic.  They begin with USGS topo maps, and review them for accuracy and changes, then print them on waterproof paper.  Each map contains several USGS maps, so the scale is manageable, and the area covered is broad enough that one map should have enough coverage for a multi-day loop. 

To find new areas to explore, or find my way to a trailhead, a road atlas won't do.  The Colorado Atlas & Gazetteer from DeLorme is in my car all the time (unless I bring it inside to examine).  The DeLorme Atlas & Gazetteer series now covers all fifty states (they used to make them for only the states worth visiting).  They also offer GPS downloads, digital maps, and other useful things to help you find your way in the backcountry.

Being somewhat "old school," I prefer maps and a compass to a GPS receiver.  The latter can be heavy, requires batteries, and tells you where you are - not which direction you're facing.

Camping Cuisine

Of all the aspects of camping, none has more variety of preferences than food.  I've seen some guys, in an effort to keep their packs light, carry just enough food to sustain them for the duration of the trip.  Others ignore the weight in order to "dine in style" on the trail.  Some opt for convenience, while others are willing to actually cook (and clean up from) a meal.  This shouldn't be surprising, as food tastes in homes and restaurants vary widely. 

What you do, therefore, will depend on your own preferences.  I'll let you know what I've done in the past, and offer considerations and options for your trips.  First of all, weight is important.  The longer your trip (both in days and miles), the more you'll appreciate keeping your pack weight in a reasonable range.  Advances in camping equipment technology and design have made available some really fantastic products, such as lightweight stoves and water filters, so you can focus on the food itself when managing how much space and weight are used for meals.

Since water availability is a prime consideration in choosing camping spots, dry and dried foods are a great way of travelling light.  Fresh fruit and vegetables (e.g. apples and carrots) should be eaten early in the trip, as they have a lot of water, and often suffer from too much jostling in your pack.  High energy foods, like peanut butter, provide a lot of calories and satisfaction in a small package.

For breakfast, some options include instant oatmeal with dried fruit, granola and milk (lowfat milk, in powder form is good for both cereal and your coffee), or even breakfast bars for maximum convenience.

While we've set up the stove and made ramen noodle soup for lunch, we usually opt for a cold meal.  Crackers or a dense bread travel well.  Top them with peanut butter, cheese, salami, or even hummous (some good mixes are available).  Adding fruit, fresh or dried, to the meal makes it complete.

For dinner, we always enjoy the new dehydrated meals.  Unlike their early predessors, these have good flavor and  decent textures.  Most need no cooking, and can be rehydrated right in the bag, making clean up very easy.  Because of the convenience of these meals, products like the JetBoil, an integrated stove and pot combination designed for the sole purpose of bringing two cups of water to a boil, are increasingly popular.  Adding hot water to dried fruit mix creates a tasty dessert much like fruit compote.  Hot drinks, like tea and cider, complete your evening meal.

What to take on a backpacking trip - a handy list

 

In addition to those items you bring on a day hike, http://colorado-wilderness.blogspot.com/2009/12/your-day-pack-contents-what-to-carry-on.html, your backpack will contain those things necessary for spending one or more nights in the wilderness.  Because you'll be carrying everything for miles, sometimes with significant elevation gains, it's important to consider the weight and necessity of each piece of camping gear you put in your backpack.

• Tent - lightweight backpacking tents have been around for a while; depending on the season and climate of your trip, you may go with as little as a rain fly or as much as a four-season tent
• Sleeping bag - possibly the bulkiest thing in your pack, the right sleeping bag can make a big difference in your comfort
• Sleeping pad - inflatable foam core sleeping pads insulate you from the cold ground and give you a soft surface on which to place your sleeping bag
• Biodegradable soap, camp towel, and other toiletries
• Toilet paper and trowel (plus the knowledge of how to use them in the wilderness)
• Lightweight stove and fuel, pot for boiling water, cup or mug, spoons, water filter
• Second flashlight - I prefer LED flashlights, and will take one handheld and one headlamp
• Garbage bag (pack it in - pack it out)
• CLOTHING - in addition to what you would pack or wear for a day-hike, bring extra clothing depending on your comfort level wearing dirty clothes; a fleece vest might be the only additional insulating layer you'll need
• FOOD - some people take great pride in their ability to make "gourmet trail meals;" I prefer to think food-is-fuel, and bring things that are dense with calories, low in water (weight), and easy to clean up; see (insert post url here) for a complete discussion of trail food
• to be continued...