winter river valley snowshoeing

I'm sorry for not having posted in a long while.  It's not because I've avoided the outdoors, nor did I leave my camera at home, but forgot I should be sharing photos and stories with you.

Most weekends from November through January, when I wasn't shoveling I was snowshoeing.  I kept the trail packed up until the big snowfall that so far has been the last big snowfall.

Huntsmans Ridge

What was my go-to hike last summer has not seen my feet until today.  The rain we've enjoyed encouraged many wildflowers and mushrooms, along with some biting flies (a rarity out here).

I took the ridge out to the overlook to capture some panoramas and HDRs.  You'll want to click on the panos to see them best.

click on image to see large

click on image to see large

Yule Creek

No matter how many photos I share of this place, it never gets spoiled.  Even last week, when there were a half dozen cars at the trailhead, we saw only one person on the trail (the trailhead serves two trails, and many take the less scenic one, for reasons that elude me).

a big ass panorama that you have to click to appreciate

old steam engine on the trail

Autumn Mountain Splendor

my, oh, my!  a little fresh snow and peak colors combine to create an incredible landscape

McKee Pond, near Marble, Colorado

McClure Pass

Placita, between Redstone and Marble

Huntsman's Ridge

Running north from McClure Pass, Huntsman's Ridge wraps around the west side of the Coal Basin west of Redstone, Colorado.  The trail climbs about 1,700 feet before leveling out.  This used to be a 4WD road, but the gate appears to have been closed the entire season (it was open last fall when I went up there, and a number of hunters had made camp part way up).  The sign says that dirt bikes and ATVs can still use it, but they obviously are not.  Given the downed trees across the road/trail, I can't imagine how even an ATV could navigate this.

I wasn't in the mood to drive far for a hike today, and this one is just a few miles from my home.  I like how steeply it rises (great for exercise), how quiet it is (I was surprised when I saw two other hiking parties on my way down), and the incredible views of the Crystal River and North Fork (Gunnison) valleys.

panorama from the meadow

crooked aspens

The Crystal River Valley, South of Redstone, Colorado

A familiar trail I've avoided for a while was a perfect place for a short hike last Saturday afternoon.  Few other places have sage brush, scrub oak, and aspen trees.  Because colors are changing later this year, the scrub oak is peaking while the aspens are changing.  It's a great time for landscape photography, especially when using a polarizing filter.

This unmarked trail goes by many names, and is on few maps.  Driving north from Placita to Redstone, the road descends into a canyon.  On the right is a turn-out, and on the left one can pick the grade of a long-abandoned road bed climbing the western slope of the valley.  If you're coming from Redstone, it's about three and a half miles south of the coke ovens on highway 133.

Avalanche Creek 2011

Thank goodness the trail stays north of the water, as it's running very high and fast this year.

Plenty of wildflowers abound, especially shooting stars.

 

The trailhead is at the end of the Avalanche Creek Road, on the east side of the USFS campground.  The road joins Highway 133 about ten miles south of Carbondale.

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").

Seasonal streams and falls will run high and fast this year

Hikers and backpackers in the Colorado mountains should expect more snow and tricky stream crossings this year.  Near-record snowpack at the upper elevations is going to take longer to melt and will add much more water to the run-off that feeds seasonal streams and waterfalls like the one pictured above.

This seasonal waterfall begins flowing in March and dries up in June each year.  At its peak in May, it's really gushing as it flows into the Crystal River south of Redstone, Colorado.

Huntsmans Ridge in Winter

Snowshoeing up Huntsmans Ridge this morning, I was puzzled as to why, the higher I went, I still hadn't seen anyone.  When I crested the ridge, about 1,500 feet above McClure Pass, I saw my answer.  The skiers that preceded me skied off the north side, into the valley below.  The south side, while much safer, and the route everyone takes up, was pretty settled and it would have been a challenge to carve turns there.  The snow on the north side was probably outstanding, but one needs to have good avalanche knowledge and some well-equipped friends before trying such a thing.

Huntsmans Ridge extends north of McClure Pass, on highway 133.  It has its own parking area, or you can park at the top of the pass and walk downhill a hundred or so yards.

Snowshoeing on Huntsmans Ridge

Midway between Redstone and Marble, Colorado, in the Crystal River Valley, is the road to McClure Pass.  From the top of the pass, Forest Service roads run north and south.  The southern route is Ragged Mountain Road.  To the north is Huntsmans Ridge.  The latter offers great views of the Crystal River valley, Chair Mountain and the Raggeds (as well as Treasure Mountain, just outside of Marble), and continues around the south and west sides of the Coal Basin.

Most foot traffic, including skiers and snowshoers, follows the easier Ragged Mountain Road.  While pleasant enough of a hike, the views and experience, in my opinion, are superior on Huntsmans Ridge.  Climbing about 1,000 feet per mile, it's relatively steep, but that's just what my friend Dana calls "efficient."

Today, I was able to follow the tracks of backcountry skiers who had skinned up much of the way.  From then on, I was breaking trail, which wasn't too bad, because I didn't sink so much in the heavy snow that fell this past week.  The trees were blanketed in snow, which made for some interesting photos.  The views were spectacular.  I think I'll go back up there tomorrow.

Winterscape with mountain and river

Chair Mountain, lit by the morning sun, is reflected in the Crystal River one winter day in Colorado.

One of my favorite places to shoot, this bend in the river is known as Placita, and is midway between Redstone and Marble, Colorado.

The Crystal River Valley

Connecting Marble to Redstone to Carbondale, Colorado, the Crystal River Valley is one of the most scenic areas in Colorado.  A snowstorm last night gave everything a fresh white coating, and the parting clouds this morning stand out great against the blue sky.

The seasonal waterfall in the canyon south of Redstone, Colorado

Three miles south of Redstone, Colorado, in a narrow canyon, there's a seasonal waterfall that flows for just a few months each year.  When it flows, it can really gush.  It began late this year, last Friday, and the warm weather this weekend may help it reach peak quickly.

All around the Crystal River valley there are seasonal streams.  The run-off from melting snow is why they call this time of year the "mud season."  That's the season between ski season (or snowshoe season) and summer hiking season. 

This is a great time to head to the desert.  It's not nearly as hot there as it would be in the summer, and some cacti may be flowering.  We'll head to the canyons around Grand Junction next weekend, and I'll post photos of our hikes here.

Colorado riverscape in both color and black & white

We carried our snowshoes down to the river this morning, thinking they would be needed in the deep snow.  However, the freeze/thaw cycles of the last couple weeks left the surface rather firm, and we were able to get around quite easily with just boots.  If this condition exists at higher elevations, we might be able to get into the deep backcountry much earlier this spring.

So we carried our snowshoes, instead of wearing them, and set them down to take photos along the Crystal River.  This shot, below Chair Mountain, is at one of those bends in the river where you can walk out into the stream this time of year.

I love this view!

Of course there are thousands of views I love.  Colorado is one of the most spectacular places to hike, backpack, ski, snowshoe.... or just live. 

The scene above is looking southeast towards the Ragged Mountain chain, with Chair Mountain on the right.  I took this from just below McClure Pass, on Highway 133, between Redstone and Marble, Colorado.

The longer days mean more photo ops, and I may be coming in late to work if the conditions warrant it.  Spring is a time for fog in the Crystal River valley, and foggy mornings can produce incredible landscape images.

Snowshoeing in the Colorado winter landscape

Even with snowshoes on, we were sinking over a foot deep in the snow.  Had we been wearing only boots, I can't imagine how difficult it would have been to travel very far.  The cold weather this winter is preserving the snow and keeping it light and fluffy.  I was really surprised it hadn't settled more.

Starting  near the Bogan Flats group camp, downstream of Marble, Colorado, we traveled up the Crystal River until the steep slope turned us back.  A snow squall was fully upon us by the time we returned to the car.  Earlier the area was bathed in sunshine. 

The winter landscape, especially when the blue skies are obscured by clouds, is rather monochromatic.  Thus shooting landscapes in black and white, instead of color, just seems like a natural thing to do.  I like the results.

Chair Mountain and the Crystal River valley

This area sees a decent amount of visitors in the summer, and seems mobbed in autumn, when the aspens are in full color, but winter is pretty quiet.  Exploring this bend in the river, below McClure Pass, is one of my favorite activities when I'm not in the mood to travel far.  The trail was packed enough that you could walk it in boots, but the deep snow made for quite a challenge when I stepped off the trail.  I think I'll wear snowshoes the next time I go down there.

Colorado's Crystal River

Late autumn and early winter offer some incredible photo opportunties on the Crystal River.  These stretches will be almost completely snow-covered soon.  Right now, with the mixture of ice and open water, they have so much more visual interest.

These two photos were taken between Marble and Redstone, Colorado.