Stardate 2015.770

iFall

Hi folks. Autumn in the high country is winding down. With each fall storm, a bit more snow makes an appearance. To catch the end of the leaf season, Snowcatcher and I recently visited Crested Butte, Colorado, again. (We ought to just move there.) Although we missed peak colors, plenty of radiant fall vegetation caught our attention.

As for my photos, my little point and shoot is getting tired. It has survived rough landings on rock, dirt and pavement over the last 10 years. Twice, it's fallen out of a jersey pocket and hit the road at 20 mph. I hate to think of how much sweat it's had to endure as well. So I gave it a weekend off. Instead, I put the iPhone to work. I had okay results. I dislike everything being in wide-angle. But it did a decent job – for a catch-all electronics device. I hope you enjoy Day One of the tail end of CB's leaf season.

The scenic approach to Ohio Pass fills the senses with warm earthiness on a bright autumn afternoon. In the distance rise the Castles. Behind the Castles, West Elk Peak, the highest peak in the West Elk Range, touches the clouds at 13,035 feet. It's the 617th highest peak in Colorado. Lacking the crowds that are drawn to the higher peaks, the West Elk Range is still a wild and rustic place into which one may disappear.



The east end of the east-to-west Anthracite Range allows southerly access to Ohio Pass, Kebler Pass and the Ruby Mountain Range. The latter is actually a sub-range extension of the Elk Range proper; it also embraces the isolated and striking Raggeds Wilderness area.

Fall is a special time to visit this region. It's kind of like stepping back in time. Real cowboys are putting in long hours on horseback to herd their product down off of high mountain pastures. With all the livestock herding, the road can be an elixir of dust and bovine byproduct. You get a bit mangier with each passing vehicle. You feel like a kid again, rolling in the dirt. It's a hoot! Kids do still play in the dirt, don't they?




Future forest soil nutrients




Captured




A Populus tremuloides (Aspen) grove filters afternoon sun along Ohio Pass.





I like drying ferns; they look prehistoric and straight out of the Jurassic Period.




The stored nutrients of decomposing leaf litter patiently journeys its way back into the catacombs of the forest soil.






Colorful Ruby Peak rises to 12,644 feet, as seen from the west side of Kebler Pass.




The eye-catching fluted ridge lines of 11,348-foot Marcellina Mountain provide a pleated late afternoon backdrop from Horse Ranch Park.




That's it for now. Check back for Day Two...

Adios

Stardate 2015.575

Ohio Pass – Crested Butte's Back Door

Ohio Pass connects the Gunnison and Ohio Creek Valleys with Kebler Pass and Crested Butte. It's very scenic. During the fall colors, it's simply on fire. Moreover, on any given fall day, you may inch your way through a herd of cattle being driven down to winter pasture. It's like being in the old west for several hours. It's especially fun to watch the cow dogs work; they're amazing.

Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'
Though the streams are swollen
Keep them doggies rollin',
Rawhide...


We're starting our ride up Ohio Pass, with the Anthracite Range in the background.



The mountain gods be a brewin' something.



If you were to wade out into the quakie jungle, which I highly recommend, the understory would be waist- to chest-high.



Ohio Pass road is not difficult. The average car usually has enough clearance. Nonetheless, there are some rock and drainage surprises to clear; this can change from storm to storm. The pass is narrow, steep and exposed (don't drive off the edge) in places. Long vehicles and trailers are not allowed.



An enchanting waterfall adorns the eastern terminous of the Antracite Range.



After riding Ohio Pass, we began the five-hour journey home (Yes, we take the long scenic route.). While driving down Ohio Valley, afternoon storms rapidly gathered over The Castles, eastern ramparts of the West Elk Mountains.




Parry Clover
Trifolium parryi
Pea family
The clover was getting after it at the confluence of the Ohio Creek and Gunnison Valleys.






Lupine
Lupinus argenteus
Pea family
Reminiscent to Ride the Rockies, our route home took us up the Taylor River Valley to Taylor Park and 12,126-foot Cottonwood Pass. Much of the montane forest ecosystem was quilted together with Lupine.


I think my next blog will be a foray into the colorful Elk Mountains. Stay tuned...

Adios

Stardate 2015.570

More Crested Butte

After a somewhat wet Day One, we retired for the evening along the shore of Blue Mesa Reservoir and listened to the waves caress the shoreline throughout the night. For Day Two, we headed back up toward Crested Butte via Ohio Creek and Ohio Creek Pass.



When we arrived at the base of the pass, the Anthracite Mountains were still enshrouded in overnight mystique.



The flower-bathed meadow at the Swampy Trailhead was awash in yellow.



Remember, a flowery hill slope is a happy hill slope.




Goldeneye
Heliomeris multiflora
Aster family




Yellow Paintbrush
Castilleja sulphurea
Figwort family
This species can have a while color variation.
The actual flower is hidden within the colored bracts.




Coral Root
Corallorhiza maculate
Orchid family
This is a very shy orchid.




Orange Sneezeweed
Dugaldia hoopesii
Aster family




Sticky Geranium
Geranium viscosissimum
Geranium family




The above two pics are of backcountry and livestock staging area corrals at the Swampy Trailhead. I think the bent upper rails are to ease in throwing heavy bales of hay into the corrals. If the corrals are full, it would be easy to get squished while feeding from the inside.

I had a unique bonding experience with these corrals on that day. I was filming the fields of flowers with my video camera, just moseying through the grass and flowers. The plant life was waist- to chest-high and I couldn't see my feet very well. Slowly moving, concentrating on keeping the camera still, I faintly noticed the tail of a snake in front of me. No big deal. Without looking, I conveniently stepped up onto a small log to go around the stealthy reptile. Well, as I stepped onto the log, I jumped clean out of my skin and exited as fast as I could! The log was covered with serpents sunning themselves! As soon as they felt the log tip, they began writhing hypnotically and slithering around! The rest was all reflex and a few colorful words! Snowcatcher caught the moment on film, too, and it's hilarious. My camera was still recording as well. I think the trailhead should be renamed Serpents' Lair. What do you think?



More Day Two is on the way!

Adios

Stardate 2015.142

Ride The Rockies Dirty 30

Day 4 of this year's Ride the Rockies has an option. In addition to the normal State Highway route between Gunnison and Crested Butte, Colorado, riders will have the option of riding over Ohio Pass (10,033 ft), dropping to Kebler Pass (9,980 ft), then further dropping to historic Crested Butte.



The Ohio Pass option — "Dirty Thirty" as it's called — should be a jewel. The route up Ohio Creek begins about 3 miles north of Gunnison. The ride up the creek is a very scenic roll through numerous working ranches. Better yet, the Castles will be in view a good portion of the way.



About 18 miles up Ohio Creek, give or take, the asphalt gives way to dirt and gravel. During the fall, this region can be immersed in colored foliage. Ohio Pass is still several miles ahead. The rocky grade increases significantly as the route begins its climb over the eastern shoulder of the Anthracite Range.



I've spent a fair amount of time on Ohio Pass and Cottonwood Pass, the other dirt leg of this year's ride. Cottonwood has the elevation, but Ohio is more narrow and rocky. More than a few wheel rims will come off of Ohio Pass with war wounds.




From the summit of Ohio Pass, it's a short, easy, dirt descent to Kebler Pass. West of Kebler Pass, the road remains dirt. However, the tour will descend the east side of Kebler on relatively new asphalt.




The Kebler descent will deposit riders in the heart of Crested Butte.

Adios

Stardate 2015.112

2015 Ride The Rockies Route

What can I say; the 2015 route is a beaut. I don't think it will top the 2010 route, but it will be close. It does contain several awesome climbs. The Grand Mesa will be a whopper. Don't let the sub-11,000-foot summit fool you. This climb hurts. Cottonwood Pass is a whopper too. Its summit sits above 12,000 feet. Yes, air molecules have a lot more space in which to dodge each breath you take.


Day One will be a short, stiff climb, followed by a cruise over the top of the Colorado National Monument. A jaw-dropping landmark adjacent to my home town, the Monument has seen my wheels countless times. Being biased, it is one of the best rides in the state - pure and simple. Another 20+ miles can be added to this 45-mile loop by riding the farmland north of Fruita and Grand Junction. The Alphabet, as it's called, is the zig-zag linking of the east/west roads that happen to be lettered instead of numbered (north/south roads are numbered).



The start of Day Two will will twist and turn through the numerous vineyards and orchards of East Orchard Mesa and Palisade. After a short ride up Plateau Canyon, the road ramps up significantly, just below the town of Mesa, then the hurt begins. Huff, Huff, Huff... I guaranty it, no matter how fit you think you are! After a fast descent, 98 miles later, you'll limp into Hotchkiss.



Hotchkiss is a delight. This is a small ranching, farming and coal mining town. Some orchards and vineyards exist as well. It's rural Colorado at its finest. It's a picture of what the majority of Colorado was not too long ago. I miss living this lifestyle. Hotchkiss also is a gateway into the West Elk Mountains. It's easy to let yourself disappear in these mountains.



Day Three will be a 78-mile ride to another favorite town, Gunnison. In fact, we've thought of retiring in this town. It still has a wild and wooly air to it.



Day Four is yet another of my favorite towns, Crested Butte. There are two options for this day, a scenic 27-mile all-pavement route along the Gunnison, East and Slate Rivers; or, a very, very scenic, 35-mile, pavement-and-gravel ride up Ohio Creek to Ohio Pass (10,033 ft). From Ohio Pass, the route drops down to Kebler Pass (9,980 ft), then continues its drop into Crested Butte. Except for some hide-a-ways in the San Juan Mountains, this is about as good as it gets!



Day Five will be another distance jewel. The 102-mile route leaves Crested Butte for Salida. The only thing in the way is a twisty, gravelly, pot-holed road up to Cottonwood Pass, which rises a measly 12,126-feet above the sea. This will be a leave-early-and-hope-to-beat-the-thunderstorms-over-Cottonwood-Pass day. Cottonwood Pass to Salida is downhill for the most part.



An easy 66-mile jaunt down scenic Arkansas River Canyon to the Royal Gorge is in store for Day Six. The tour will cross the Royal Gorge Bridge and into Cañon City for the evening. Cañon City is another small authentic Colorado town. In fact, part of our afternoon will be visiting quilt/yarn stores.



The last day bids farewell to Cañon City and heads southwest into the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. It'll be a tough climb back up to Westcliffe via Hardscrabble Pass. If you drop off the left side of the above ridge, scamper to the bottom, and head northeast several miles, then head north, you'll find Westcliffe. The above photo is of the summit of Humboldt Peak, touching the sky at 14,064 feet. There's also a marmot stylin' for a photo. Humboldt is the 38th highest Peak in Colorado.

Thanks for reading!
All photos, except Crested Butte, courtesy of Snowcatcher - thank you!

Adios