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.

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

Hayes Creek Falls

Hayes Creek Falls is south of Redstone, Colorado.  It flows year-round, but freezes in winter and is used by ice climbers.  In the spring, melt-off fuels its surge as it runs into the Crystal River.

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.

Autumn in the Colorado Mountains

The summer's drought is leaving the colors a little muted this year, but they're still spectacular.  It had been cloudy and rainy much of this week, when the colors were peaking.  I tried shooting with mixed results.  Then this morning the sun came out and lit up the scenery in a magnificent way.  A little fresh snow on the high peaks makes the scene perfect.

Chair Mountain from Placita, between Redstone and Marble, Colorado

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.

Ice-climbing a frozen waterfall

Ice-climbing

Hayes Creek falls, south of Redstone, Colorado is a popular ice-climbing location in winter. There are a few more places in the Crystal River valley, and I'm eager to find and photograph them.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.