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

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

Hiking season is open!

It was the first weekend at home since the weather turned warm, and we were eager to get in a hike.  We talked about Yule Creek, but that's a shady north-facing trail that can often have a lot of snow on it well into June.  My girlfriend had never been up Huntsman's Ridge, so I suggested that as an alternative.

The trail is on the Forest Service road, but as it's a challenging drive, there's almost never any traffic there.  The gate was locked for some reason, and with no other cars in the parking area, we knew we would have it to ourselves.

I will either hike to the highest point on the ridge or cross a meadow a few hundred feet below the top and follow the ridge out to a point that affords tremendous views of the upper Crystal River valley.  The latter option is the one we chose.

To get down, we bushwhacked through the aspen forest, which is where I took the photos of the mature aspen tree trunks.

Huntsman's Ridge

Treasure Mountain(left), Chair Mountain (right), and the Raggeds form the backdrop of this scenic view above the Crystal River Valley.

People familiar with the Colorado mountains will find it odd that this shot was taken in early July.  Why?  Because there's hardly any snow to be found!  A below-average winter (with respect to snowfall), coupled with a very warm spring and summer has left the mountains very dry and relatively snow-free.

The Crystal River, which flows in the valley above, is running about 80% below average for this time of year.  Until the rainfall of last week, it was flirting with the record lows of 1977.

All of us out here are hoping that the wildfires making the news are brought under control quickly, and that few new ones take their place.  We remember the summer of 2002 well, when everyone was on edge all summer long. 

This morning, I hiked up Hunstman's ridge again.  I've done this about a dozen times this spring and summer, as it's close to home and makes for a great training hike.  I would like to get up into the other high country some more, but have been busy with a variety of things, and just haven't gotten around to it yet.  Soon, I hope.

Another snowshoe outing in Colorado's North Fork valley

Several miles below McClure Pass, in the North Fork Valley, the landscape is a mix of ranches and public lands.  There's a little known trail here, straight west of Chair Mountain, that we tried to find yesterday.  No luck on that front, but we did have a good time snowshoeing over the ridges and through the gullies of this area near the Ragged Mountains.  Breaking trail is hard work, and our best progress was made when we rotated the lead.  Though less than six weeks from the winter solstice, the sun is already climbing in the sky, and despite the mix of clouds yesterday, I managed to get a little sunburn on my face. 

Scenic Winter Vista

I first discovered this point several years ago when I was hiking up Huntsmans Ridge in the summer.  After reaching the ridge, I saw a game trail leading down it, and followed that out to the end, where one is treated to a nearly 360 degree view.  To the north, you can see Mt. Sopris, and to the south, the North Fork (of the Gunnison) valley.  This shot is taken to the southeast, with (from left to right) Treasure Mountain, Ragged Mountain, and Chair Mountain most prominent.  You also get a nice view of the Crystal River Valley at the bend where the settlement of Placita used to exist.

I never dreamed of being able to enjoy this view in winter, but was able to reach it by snowshoes this weekend.  I broke a lot of trail on Saturday, so when I returned on Sunday, was able to go even higher.  I would have liked to shoot this from closer to the edge, but didn't want to risk having the cornice give way, and take me on an express ride to the bottom.

Huntsmans Ridge can be reached from McClure Pass, near Marble and Redstone, Colorado, a half hour north of Paonia.  The trail runs north of the pass, while to the south is Ragged Mountain Road, an easier and thus more traveled route.