• Always navigate with a U.S. National Forest Service Map and U.S.G.S. Topo Maps when possible.
• On the maps, FDR numbers refer to like numbers on the Forest Service Map identifying forest access roads. Other three-digit numbers identify non-improved roads and trails.
• The Forest Service Map is difficult for people with impaired vision. Hiking trails are shown with very fine single dashes and 4×4 trails with equally fine double dashes. A magnifying lens is very helpful.

Thanks to the USFS, Pagosa District.

• All directions to trailheads begin at Pagosa Springs.
• Forest Access Road and trail numbers are in parentheses.
• For road travel, the San Juan National Forest map is useful.
• Mileages are approximate.
• Most trailheads offer limited parking space. Please leave room for others to turn around.
• CDT – Continental Divide Trail, shown as a red dot.

Click on Map to Enlarge

NOTE: This map is NOT TO SCALE and is meant for illustration purposes only. Do not use this map for navigation purposes.

No. 1 POISON PARK TRAILHEAD
Travel west on U.S. Hwy 160 to Piedra Road (FDR 631), north 22 miles on Piedra Road, right on Williams Lake Road (FDR 640). Proceed 3.5 miles, turn left on FDR 664. Go 3 miles to the trailhead at road’s end. The trailhead elevation is 9,210 feet.

No. 2 WEMINUCHE TRAIL (592)
This trail is about seven miles in length from the trailhead to the junction with the Divide Lake Trail (539), this trail meets the Hossick Creek Trail (585) at mile 2.2 and the East Fork of the Weminuche Trail (659) at mile 6.5.

No. 3 CIMARRONA CREEK TRAILHEAD
Travel west on U.S. Hwy 160 to Piedra Road (FDR 631), north 22 miles on Piedra Road, then right on Williams Lake Road (FDR 640). At 4.1 miles, the trailhead is on the left side of the road, just beyond the entrance to Cimarrona Campground. The trailhead elevation is 8,400 feet.

No. 4 CIMARRONA TRAIL (586)
Trail is about eight miles in length from the trailhead to the Continental Divide Trail at Squaw Pass. The first two miles of the trail are moderately easy then it climbs 3,000 feet in just 6 miles. The Hossick Creek Trail (585) junction is at mile 6.5. Camping areas along the trail are very few. The highest point is 11,500 feet.

No. 5 WILLIAMS CREEK TRAILHEAD
West on U.S. Hwy 160 to Piedra Road (FDR 631); north on Piedra Rd., then right on Williams Lake Rd. (FDR 640). The trailhead is at the end of Williams Lake Road. Trailhead elevation is 8,360 feet.

No. 6 WILLIAMS CREEK TRAIL (587)
This trail ascends 3,400 feet in fourteen miles from the trailhead to the Continental Divide. A couple of stream crossings may be difficult during high water, and three fairly steep sections are along the way. Highest point is 11,800 feet. At mile 2.5, the Indian Creek Trail (588) goes east.

No. 7 Indian Creek to Palisade Meadows and the Continental Divide
At mile 7.5, the Williams Lake Trail (664) climbs to Williams Lake and the Continental Divide.

No. 8 MIDDLE FORK TRAILHEAD
Travel west on U.S. Hwy 160 to Piedra Road (FDR 631), north 17.8 miles on Piedra Road, then right on Middle Fork Road (FDR 636). Follow Middle Fork Rd. to its end at the primitive Middle Fork Hunter Camp and Trailhead. Trailhead elevation 8,400 feet.

No. 9 MIDDLE FORK TRAIL (589)
This trail is ten miles in length from Middle Fork Trailhead over Palomino Mountain to the Continental Divide Trail. The crossing of the Middle Fork can be difficult during high water. Trail is steep and offers little camping along the way. The last half of the trail is at 12,000 feet, so snowmelt is late. Highest point is 12,000 feet, total ascent is 4,600 feet.

No. 10 FOURMILE TRAILHEAD
Turn north at the downtown clock tower, then left on Fifth Street which becomes Fourmile Road. Follow Fourmile Road (County Rd 400/FDR 645) for 13 miles to the trailhead. Access to Anderson (579) and Fourmile (569) Trails. Trailhead elevation 9,200 feet.

No. 11 FOURMILE TRAIL (569)
This trail is about eight miles in length from the trailhead to Turkey Creek Trail (580). It’s relatively easy walking for the first three miles to the waterfall. There is steepness and deteriorating conditions of portions of the trail beginning three miles from the trailhead and ending at the junction with the Anderson Trail. To go to Fourmile Lake, follow the Anderson Trail northwest.

No. 12 ANDERSON TRAIL (579)
This trail is eight miles in length from the trailhead to its junction with the Fourmile Trail. The trail begins to the left at the trailhead. A relatively easy trail through steep terrain, it crosses the eastern shoulder of Pagosa Peak. There are few camping spots to be found in the first 5 miles. Fourmile Lake is at mile seven. The trail continues south one mile to the Fourmile Trail (569).

No. 13 FOURMILE LOOP
This fourteen-mile loop uses the Anderson (579) and Fourmile (569) Trails. Due to the steepness and deteriorating condition of portions of the Fourmile Trail beginning three miles from the trailhead and ending at the junction with the Anderson Trail, many prefer going up the Anderson Trail and down the Fourmile Trail. The highest point is 11,900 feet, total ascent is 2,600 feet.

No. 14 TURKEY CREEK TRAILHEAD
Go northeast on U.S. Hwy 160 for 7.3 miles, then left on Jackson Mountain Road (FDR 037). The trailhead is four miles in at the road’s end. Trailhead elevation is 8,240 feet.

No. 15 TURKEY CREEK TRAIL (580)
This trail is twenty miles in length to the Continental Divide at Piedra Pass. It is of moderate difficulty, crosses several streams, with beautiful scenery and some steep grades. At mile 12, Fourmile Trail (569) goes southwest a short distance to Turkey Lake, then about 8 miles to the Fourmile Trailhead. The Turkey Creek Trail climbs above timberline at about 14 miles to meet the Continental Divide Trail at Piedra Pass. The highest point is 12,000 feet; the total ascent is 5,000 feet. The route that includes the Turkey Creek Trail, Continental Divide Trail, and the West Fork Trail (561) is sometimes called the Rainbow Trail.

No. 16 WEST FORK TRAILHEAD
Travel northeast on U.S. Hwy 160 for 15 miles then turn left on West Fork Road (FDR 648). Continue past West Fork and Wolf Creek Campgrounds and across the bridge over the West Fork of the San Juan River. Continue northwest to the trailhead. Trailhead elevation is 9,040 feet.

No. 17 WEST FORK TRAIL (561)
This trail is thirteen miles in length from West Fork Trailhead to the Continental Divide Trail at Piedra Pass. The first mile of trail is through private property, so please stay on the trail. Continuing on the West Fork Trail, the area between the junction with the Beaver Creek Trail and the next crossing of the West Fork of the San Juan is closed to campfires and camping is permitted only in existing sites at least 100 feet from water. At mile 6, the trail begins to climb steeply. There are several stream crossings before reaching the Continental Divide Trail at Piedra Pass. Highest point is 11,700

No. 18 BEAVER CREEK TRAIL
Beaver Creek Trail is Closed at This Time
At mile 4.5, there is a junction with the Beaver Creek Trail (560), which climbs steeply, east to the Continental Divide. Total ascent is 3,600 feet.

No. 19 QUARTZ CREEK TRAILHEAD
Go northeast on U.S. Hwy 160 approximately 9.5 miles. Turn right on East Fork Road (FDR 667) and travel 8 miles, then turn right on FDR 684. Travel to the trailhead involves fording the East Fork, which at times may require use of a 4WD vehicle or may not be safe to do. Proceed 1.5 miles to the trailhead on the left. Trailhead elevation is 8,960 feet.

No. 20 QUARTZ CREEK TRAIL (571)
This trail is eight miles in length, and accesses the Continental Divide Trail south of Summit Peak.

No. 21 QUARTZ RIDGE/COAL CREEK TRAILHEAD
Go northeast on U.S. Hwy 160 for approximately 9.5 miles. Turn right on East Fork Road (FDR 667) and travel approximately 4 miles. The trailhead is on the right before the bridge over Sand Creek. Trailhead elevation is 7,900 feet.

No. 22 QUARTZ RIDGE TRAIL (570)
This trail is fifteen miles in length. It begins at the Quartz Ridge/Coal Creek Trailhead and returns to East Fork Road further east, near the Silver Falls Guard Station. This steep trail with several switchbacks goes up Sand Creek to Quartz Ridge before dropping down to the East Fork. The last 1.5 miles of trail pass through private property, so please stay on the trail. The highest point is 10,900 feet. The total ascent is 3,000 feet.

No. 23 COAL CKEEK TRAIL (581)
This trail is ten miles in length from Coal Creek Trailhead on East Fork Road (FDR 667) at Sand Creek to the trailhead on Fawn Gulch Road (FDR 666). It crosses the shoulder of a mountain and both ascent and descent are very steep. It can be extremely slick when wet. Highest point is 10,800 feet; total ascent is 2,800 feet.

No. 24 COAL CREEK TRAILHEAD (Fawn Gulch Road)
Go 3.5 miles northeast on U.S. Hwy 160, then turn right on Fawn Gulch Road (FDR 666). The trailhead is on the left near the end of the road. The Trailhead elevation is 8,000 feet.

No. 25 LITTLE BLANCO TRAILHEAD
Go south on U.S. Hwy. 84 for 1/8 mile, turn left on Mill Creek Road (FDR 662). Proceed 6.5 miles. At the junction take Nipple Mountain Road (FDR 665) to the right. Continue 9.5 miles to the trailhead. Trailhead elevation is 10,040 feet.

No. 26 LITTLE BLANCO TRAIL (572)
This trail is eight miles in length from trailhead to the Continental Divide Trail at its junction with Quartz Creek Trail (571). First 2 miles are steep with switchbacks. At mile 4, the Quartz Lake Trail (568) goes about one mile north to the lake. Little Blanco Trail continues northeast four miles to the Divide. The section of trail above timberline seems to be on a storm track, so use caution during thunderstorms. The highest point is 12,200 feet; total ascent is 2,160 feet.

No. 27 FISH LAKE TRAILHEAD
Go south on U.S. Hwy 84 for eight miles then left on Blanco Basin Road (FDR 657). Travel ten miles, then right on Castle Creek Road (FDR 660). At the junction with the road to Opal Lake stay to the left. During wet weather, you may wish to park at the junction and walk from there. This section of road is very slippery and sometimes impassable when wet. The annual mudslide at the crossing at Castle Creek often closes the road.

No. 28 FISH LAKE TRAIL (574)
Ten miles in length from trailhead to the Continental Divide Trail, this trail goes up the north fork of Fish Creek to Fish Lake (at mile 5), then on to the Continental Divide. There are several stream crossings and steep grades. Highest point is 12,100 feet; total ascent is 3,000 feet.

No. 29 LECHE CREEK TRAILHEAD
Go south on U.S. Hwy 84 for eight miles, then left on Blanco Basin Road (FDR 657). Travel ten miles, then turn right on Castle Creek Road, continue .5 miles and turn right on Crescent Lane. The trailhead parking is on the right side of the road and trail is on the left.

No. 30 LECHE CREEK TRAIL (576)
This trail is eleven miles in length from trailhead to the Navajo Peak Trail (577). It passes through several aspen stands. Highest point is 10,200 feet; total ascent is 2,000 feet.

NO. 31 V-ROCK TRAILHEAD
Go south on U.S. Hwy 84 for 19 miles, then turn left on Buckles Lake Road (663). The trailhead is at road’s end at 9,600 feet elevation.

No. 32 V-ROCK TRAIL (578)
This trail is three miles in length from the trailhead to the Leche Creek Trail (576). The first mile climbs steeply to the top of the ridge. There are spectacular panoramic views from the top. The highest point is 10,600 feet; total ascent is 1,000 feet.

No. 33 NAVAJO PEAKS TRAILHEAD
Price Lakes Road. Go south on U.S. Hwy 84 for 24 miles to Chromo, turn left just past the Chromo Store. Proceed 6.5 miles, turn left on the Price Lakes Road (048/731). Continue to the trailhead at road’s end.

No. 33 NAVAJO PEAK TRAIL (577)
This trail is eight miles in length from the end of Price Lakes Road (FDR 731) to Buckles Lake Road (FDR 663). The trail travels through relatively easy terrain. The highest point is 9,500 feet; the total ascent is 300 feet.

No. 34 PIEDRA RIVER TRAILHEAD
Travel west on U.S. Hwy 160 to Piedra Road (FDR 631), then north on Piedra Rd. for 14.5 miles. Cross the Piedra River, then continue about 300 yards to the signed trailhead on the left. Trailhead elevation is 7,700 feet.

No. 35 PIEDRA RIVER TRIAL (596)
Twelve miles in length, this trail turns left shortly after leaving the trailhead, drops down, and follows the northwest side of the river. This is a relatively easy trail for the first 3.5 miles. The trail continues 8.5 miles above a box canyon and ends at the end of First Fork Road (FDR 662). The Piedra Area boundary is about 6 miles from the trailhead.

FIRST FORK TRAILHEAD (West of Pagosa, not on this map)
Travel 22 miles west on U.S. Hwy 160 to First Fork Road (FDR 622). Turn north and continue about 12 miles to the trailhead at road’s end. Trailhead elevation is 7,200 feet.

The post Hiking Trails in the San Juan National Forest – Pagosa Springs Area appeared first on Pagosa Springs Colorado.

Quietly, aspen trees (members of the Willow family) gently sway in the cooling winds of the winter months. As warmer temperatures begin to warm the branches, the male and female flowers emerge (on their own separate trees) with a cotton-like dangle (catkins) from the smallest limbs. These puffs of catkins are home to tiny seeds tipped with soft, white hairs and are dispersed with the upcoming winds. This is a sure signal that spring will soon transition to summer and the bright green of the aspen leaves will slowly stretch and form into the clattering coin sound so many are accustomed.

An unusual tree, you won’t see just one. Stands tend to be of the same age and development having matured from shoots of the same root system. Not a long living species, aspen trees begin to die, mostly from the inside out, at about 80 years old.

These slender, tall trees have a sweet inner bark that is edible in the spring and in earlier days was scraped off in long strings and eaten raw. The bitter leaf buds and young catkins are edible and rich in Vitamin C.

Days are passing one by one and the hillsides are shimmering in silver. Days from now little specs of fluorescent green will show through and then transition to a darker green that hides the trunks of this clump of trees. As you walk through the stand look for the signs of animal habitat and then take a short rest of your own beneath the branches to touch and feel and observe from the stand of aspen.

About Step Outdoors, LLC
Step Outdoors wants you to go outside and we lead individually inspired one foot in front of the other adventure pursuits to get you there. In the summer, we will tailor a first time overnight backpack or a more challenging multi-day hiking adventure just for you. Perfect for mothers and daughters, couples, families, or a group of friends, we provide a 100% guarantee of fun.

Check out our blog at http://stepoutdoorscolorado.com/blog/. Or send us an email at info@stepoutdoorscolorado.com.

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Yielding on the trail is much like yielding when driving a vehicle. Slow down and be prepared to stop. Proceed only when you can do so safely.

There is etiquette with regard to shared trail usage. The question being, when on a trail who yields? Essentially, it comes down to the faster yield to the slower. Which means (take a gander at the photo above) …

• Hikers/walkers headed downhill yield to hikers/walkers headed uphill
• Bikers yield to hikers/walkers
• Bikers yield to horse riders
• Everyone yields to horse riders

When encountering horse riders it is best to get off the trail on the downhill side. You will look smaller to a horse and less dangerous. Talk to the horse rider in a quiet voice; they will provide you additional instruction if necessary. And, stand quietly with no abrupt movement while the horse and rider pass.

Although hikers/walkers have the right of way; it is often less hazardous to let a biker pass. Say a quick “Howdy” and if you are stepping off the trail a bicycle rider will often take that as a sign to pass quickly.

And, etiquette says that groups should yield to a single hiker or a pair of hikers. But, the reality is that it is more difficult for a group to get off the trail (and probably more damaging) therefore it is agreeable to let the group have the right of way.

Quick conversation is all that is necessary to ensure the safety and quality experience of all trail users. Your keeping a smile and being aware to yield will make for a better day of hiking.

About Step Outdoors, LLC

Step Outdoors wants you to go outside and we lead individually inspired one foot in front of the other adventure pursuits to get you there. We tailor a first time overnight backpack or a more challenging multi-day hiking adventure just for you. Perfect for mothers and daughters, couples, families, or a group of friends, we provide a 100% guarantee of fun.

Check out our blog at http://stepoutdoorscolorado.com/blog/. Or send us an email at info@stepoutdoorscolorado.com.

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I loved the equality of the sandbox. Everyone got to play. There was accountability. If you didn’t bring the cupcakes you promised, the jug of lemonade, the sheet for shade you were called to task. You knew your commitment had an impact on everyone. No one got away with less than they were able to contribute.

In the sandbox everyone got to go home with a few flecks in their eye. Sometimes the bruising would be more pronounced on one on any given week but the goal was always the same – everyone gets to play in the sandbox.

Decades later I still enjoy playing outside and play with a conviction in the truth of the open-air elements. Outside, nature’s survival of the fittest combines with hardy endurance. The smell of the dirt …

Many are attracted to the smell of dirt. And, despite thousands and thousands of backpacking miles in the trees and mountains and desert I’ve never been able to adequately and vividly describe the smell or emotion I feel. Interestingly, I googled “how do you describe the smell of dirt” and learned that it isn’t the smell of dirt at all but instead an organic chemical called geosmin that gets the nose all a flitter. In the geosmin is a bacterium that produces the chemical that smells good. Makes you want to grab a handful of dirt doesn’t it?

When I’m outside a good day consists of delving into opportunities that awaken my senses. Pigpen’s dust bowl doesn’t dissuade me. Dirt streaked up my legs and around the crease of my neck invigorates and serves as a reminder that I worked hard, that I invested and involved myself in the day’s experience.

Leading by example is a model to which I subscribe. For new backpackers sitting in the dirt during a break is a foreign concept. We’ve grown afraid of the grit, particles, stray pine needles or small crawling bugs that may remain once we get up and brush ourselves off, load the pack back to our shoulders and carry on. Amazing the reward to notice the moment when someone who is not acquainted with the ease of the transition sits, eats, observes the environment around them and will pick up and move on. I relish those instants when awareness comes full circle.

In those days the sandbox was as big as the world of my imagination. But, then as I travel I learn, my imagination wasn’t any less than the opportunities that still abound to play in the dirt.

About Step Outdoors, LLC

Step Outdoors wants you to go outside and we lead individually inspired one foot in front of the other adventure pursuits to get you there. We tailor a first time overnight backpack or a more challenging multi-day hiking adventure just for you. All adventures take into consideration your goals, fitness and experience level. Perfect for mothers and daughters, couples, families, co-workers or a group of friends, we provide a 100% guarantee of fun.

Check out our blog at http://stepoutdoorscolorado.com/blog/. Or send us an email at info@stepoutdoorscolorado.com.

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True grit is what gets you up each step of a staggering high mountain or through the day to day hurdles of “real life.”

Though John Wayne made the original movie popular, these two words have valuable day to day meaning and symbolism.

For four days three women exhibited and lived true grit. Each dug deeper into herself revealing an attitude and aptitude to go a bit further, to accept the previously unacceptable and to bask in the glory of true self accomplishment.

True grit presented itself after the onslaught of rushing flash flood waters (to which we could not have known was coming) following an enduring night of thunderous rampage and lighted sky. Sediment carried for a mysterious number of miles flavored otherwise unflavored water and settled as a thick, dissectible mud at the bottom of Nalgene bottles, cook pots and, my personal favorite, hot chocolate mugs.

True grit came from steep descending walls constructed with larger than life boulder stepping, butt sliding and shimmy down stones. These were preceded by a sandstone, flatstone, wall walk that took one’s breath but in a totally beautiful way.

True grit came with walking through the slurry of river crossings, each growing less cumbersome as the hours and days passed and the concern for wet boots simply ceased to be a worry. Conversation turned to appreciation of the rainfall that caused the red river and gave greater value to the overall experience. Practice and time gave confidence to each rock hop, scramble, negotiation, slide, jump and visualization of how to reach the other side. In the start it was one lead and the other follow exact. By day two, four bodies would span the creek bank and make their own way to unite on the opposite side.

True grit came from going minutes to miles with an endurance you didn’t know you had. And, mile after canyon mile being mesmerized by the true grit that formed and shaped by time, erosion, wind and water the arches, walls and pillars – the Chinaman, the finger, the kissing pair, grandma with a bun – and eventual arches that bestow the red, burnt orange, ebony and bronze into the sandscape that eventually slowly and methodically filters to the canyon floor and lined the way for four days.

True grit finally came from a freehand climb up and mind game of the height of an ever growing crack in a wall (its height grew daily and sometimes by the hour). The final trial to the mesa top at the end of an ascent that could be exhilarating or tense, joyful or tearful, easy or difficult, unwary or mindful, appreciated or not.

Exposed … from beginning to end. Twinkling stars, muddy boot prints, sandy granules that unite with a bondful union pressed by time. Long lasting … from shy greeting to heartfelt hugs goodbye. Chatter, dirty stinky socks, sharing of sentiments and suggestions of change that will be impacted in time. Pride … by this guide of her girls. Strength, perseverance and acknowledgement of limitations. Growth … endless and bountiful … no limit of time.

About Step Outdoors, LLC

Step Outdoors wants you to go outside and we lead individually inspired one foot in front of the other adventure pursuits to get you there. We tailor a first time overnight backpack or a more challenging multi-day hiking adventure just for you. All adventures take into consideration your goals, fitness and experience level. Perfect for mothers and daughters, couples, families, co-workers or a group of friends, we provide a 100% guarantee of fun.

Check out our blog at http://stepoutdoorscolorado.com/blog/. Or send us an email at info@stepoutdoorscolorado.com.

The post True Grit appeared first on Pagosa Springs Colorado.

About Step Outdoors, LLC

Step Outdoors wants you to go outside and we lead individually inspired one foot in front of the other adventure pursuits to get you there. We tailor a first time overnight backpack or a more challenging multi-day hiking adventure just for you. All adventures take into consideration your goals, fitness and experience level. Perfect for mothers and daughters, couples, families, co-workers or a group of friends, we provide a 100% guarantee of fun.

Check out our blog at http://stepoutdoorscolorado.com/blog/. Or send us an email at info@stepoutdoorscolorado.com.

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The Details

Trail: Fish Lake Trail No. 574
Distance: 8.5-miles to Fish Lake/12.2-miles to the Continential Divide Trail
Elevation Gain: Approximately 4,000-feet gain to the CDT
Directions: From the junction of Hwy 84 and 160 turn south on US 84. Travel for 8-miles and turn left onto Blanco Basin Road. In 9.5-miles turn right on FR 660. Continue 6.7-miles to where the road ends at the trailhead parking lot. Notice – there is a washout in the road which requires negotiating your vehicle with patience and the road is extremely slick when wet.

About Step Outdoors, LLC

Step Outdoors wants you to go outside and we lead individually inspired one foot in front of the other adventure pursuits to get you there. In the summer, we will tailor a first time overnight backpack or a more challenging multi-day hiking adventure just for you. In the winter, we offer snowshoe hikes appropriate for beginners and for those with a tad more experience. Perfect for mothers and daughters, couples, families, co-workers or a group of friends, we provide a 100% guarantee of fun.

Check out our blog at http://stepoutdoorscolorado.com/blog/. Or send us an email at info@stepoutdoorscolorado.com.

The post Leaves and Views in Pagosa appeared first on Pagosa Springs Colorado.

Viewing wildlife requires patience and quiet. Here are a few tricks to make your next search more rewarding.

• Seek times and areas of change. Nature reveals itself most where woods meet meadow and at dawn and dusk.

• All good things come to those who wait. One of the best ways to observe animals is to sit still at an inconspicuous spot with a good view of the surrounding area.

• Take the high ground. Few animals look for danger above them as often as they look to their flanks and rear. Ideally, locate yourself at heights of around 10 feet or more.

• Wear loose, bulky clothing that will break up your outline. And, they are more comfortable to sit in.

• Place yourself in front of an object rather than behind it. When you hide behind something, you give yourself away every time you peer around or over it.

• Sit with your back against the tree. This will not leave you silhouetted against the sky, and it will mask your small movements. It is also the most comfortable position, providing a backrest, and the more comfortable you are, the longer you can sit still.

• To remain motionless for a longer period of time, learn to concentrate on your breathing. Inhale slowly through your nose, filling the lower lungs first and selling the abdomen. Then slowly fill them up the rest of the way, expanding your chest cavity. When your lungs are full, exhale, letting the air slip slowly out through your mouth. Empty the chest cavity first, and finally push out the last of it by contracting your abdomen. Be careful not to make any noise. Breathing this way will relax your mind and body, enabling you stay still even longer.

The bulleted tricks come from Edward Duensing’s Backyard and Beyond – A Guide for Discovering the Outdoors but still is very applicable to hunting.

About Step Outdoors, LLC

Step Outdoors wants you to go outside and we lead individually inspired one foot in front of the other adventure pursuits to get you there. We tailor a first time overnight backpack or a more challenging multi-day hiking adventure just for you. All adventures take into consideration your goals, fitness and experience level. Perfect for mothers and daughters, couples, families, co-workers or a group of friends, we provide a 100% guarantee of fun.

Check out our blog at http://stepoutdoorscolorado.com/blog/. Or send us an email at info@stepoutdoorscolorado.com.

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The Bonito Pass trail is 0.5 miles long. It begins at End Of Forest Road 388 and ends at Continental Divide Trail 813. The trail is open for the following uses: Horseback Riding, Foot and Horse Travel, early Fall Hunting. This high altitude trail is open year around but is usually snowed in from November through May.

Directions: From South Fork, travel west on US Hwy 160 for 12 miles. Turn left and travel south on Forest Raod 390 (Tucker Ponds Road) for 6 miles. Turn right on Forest Road 388 and travel south 2 miles to the end of the road where the trail head lies.

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When we got there the minute I walked up and introduced myself I was offered coffee and breakfast. In my head I was like ‘‘COFFEE!!!!!!!!!’’ I was really pleased with everyone already. It was really cool to meet people from all over. There was a couple from California, a guy from Minnesota, a woman from Kansas, and a guy from Belgium – out of all places!! So now I just had to worry about “what the hell are we gonna do in the field?” Come to find out we were going to hike about ¾ a mile and build check dams on this trail that was pretty tore up. What we had to do was dig holes long enough and wide enough for these logs to fit pretty tight in the ground and stick out about two inches or so. From what I understand these dams filter water, keep water from eroding the trail, and when they eventually fill over time they fix the trail so it’ll be all pretty again. YAY. Building the dams was super easy and pretty fun at the same time. It felt good to have finished all of them in one day of hard labor.

Day two consisted of a lot more walking than day one, about a mile and a ½ more. I really was not the happiest camper out there ‘cause of this. But when you look out to the mountains it’s just so amazingly beautiful you don’t know anything better to do than take a million pictures. If you have, “Witness something truly majestic” on your bucket list visit Colorado. No joke. And if you want to give something back to the community I strongly suggest working with VOC. If you would like to know more about Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado click here They’re a great organization. And if you want a new perspective, go to the mountains and camp out for a few days ‘cause it definitely changed me(not like I’m a new person but you know).

Anyways, when we got to the site all I saw was a very small trail and lots of rocks. What we did as a group was attempt to make the trail more safe for horses and people. What I did was build a rock wall that turned out pretty damn good if I say so myself. Building that rock wall was the worst most hard game of Tetris I’ve ever played, but in the end it looked so good I just had to brag about it. Fitting all the rocks together was definitely an artist’s job, my job. It was a challenge but I came, I saw, I conquered. In other words Veni, Vidi, Vici.

About Meredith
The above blog entry was written by Meredith, 17 years old. She is an inspiration, full of spirit and setting goals for what her life will be like when she becomes an adult in a few short months. When she is not working at constructing rock walls she is pondering how those “old people” get up the big mountains and work at digging in the dirt for hours at a time.

About Step Outdoors, LLC
Step Outdoors wants you to go outside and we lead individually inspired one foot in front of the other adventure pursuits to get you there. We tailor a first time overnight backpack or a more challenging multi-day hiking adventure just for you. All adventures take into consideration your goals, fitness and experience level. Perfect for mothers and daughters, couples, families, co-workers or a group of friends, we provide a 100% guarantee of fun.

The post Giving Back – Trail Work appeared first on Pagosa Springs Colorado.

Plan Ahead and Prepare. For me, the most important principle of backpacking! It is what you do at home before you go and what you consider is necessary to do the trip right. (Plan Ahead and Prepare is the first principle of Leave No Trace). 136-miles is a lot of miles to hike in seven days but before leaving the house with loaded backpacks we knew several key pieces of information – including trail out alternatives.

But first …

Four cirques greeted the morning walk. Herds of elk stopped to graze and water in the numerous ponds speckled with morning sunrise. Sedges thawed one droplet at a time. With a moment’s stop, it was easy to observe individual leaves lose their fuzzy hairs of frozen ice as the sun stretched and touched with its warmth. The desolation of the scenery did not go unnoticed. The building clouds didn’t either.

An array of ascents and descents passed the first few hours. Rocky buttresses, grassy knolls and bobble headed flowers stuck to steep slopes with the trail barely hinged on the side. Gradients plunging 1,000-feet into the Williams Creek valley could have added anxiety but instead rewarded with a sense of accomplishment for the miles, the experience, the variety of terrain. My final goal for this particular journey lay just ahead – a ridge with full 360-degree views from a high precipice. Sadly, a decision had to be made to forego the scramble up high.

Flexibility. A requirement when backpacking, particularly in high elevations.

Flashes of lightning, booms of thunder, pelts of rain. Standing at the last junction available to make a decision we opted for a turn directly north and began a rapid descent beneath the ridge with its seemingly endless barrage of bolts and anger. Our first chance to re-ascend was not promising. Gathering another review of the map we opted for a continued descent and knew several miles away would be a connector trail that we could ascend back to the ridgeline.

Downed trees. Animal path or foot trail? Waterfalls. Sneezeweed or Nodding Sunflower? Oversized meadows with a rush of autumn colors. Crawl over or crawl under? Creek beds overflowing their banks. Lost trails. Hours pass. Miles few. A junction reached but it is too late.

All great adventures must come to an end. On the fringe of living in the wilderness – where every breath is well earned and each step towards a destination forward – I value that each meal is more delicious than any made at home, that the soreness in the thighs and feet is a reminder of a good day where progression was via footsteps and the red hue to my skin is reflective of the leaves as the season too is changing.

Instead of heading back up to the ridge we had descended earlier in the day we turned left. A route whereby, “in the early season some fording may be possible.” Well, maybe in late season too! 17-fords, some mid-thigh were a surprise. The tightening canyon blotted out the sky. Jagged rocks building one on top of another with a steepness seemingly unclimbable. Sound replaced with the rushing of water as it moved over rounded rocks. Upriver the headwaters began with a drop … which turns to two … then to three. Landscape changing waters magnitude and fierceness can just as easily be shallow and soothing.

Rain falling … skies gloomy … a preposterous way to end a trip. Slogging through streams with boots filling; toes pickled in a whirlpool experience. The beauty momentarily leaks from my senses as I sulk in disappointment and ingratitude. Frustration and anger bind my stomach, steal my spirit.

Our last night’s camp sat at a barely wide spot between two crossings. Hot chocolate allowed for reflection and then adjustment of misplaced negative emotion. Appreciation for the coolness, rising of mist, the gentle roll of droplets falling unknowingly for dozens of feet from the bright green of an aspen leaf.

Reflection of a great trip. A reminder that many don’t often see the beauty we’d been privileged enough to see over the past week – a cow, calf and bull moose; an end to end rainbow; snow fields; intimidating mountains; temperate slopes; transitioning clouds; the call of the wild.

We packed slowly our final morning. Crossed the stream another five times before passing a pond with its ducklings, otters and pink lily pads. Half a mile later and a pasture enveloped in morning fog shared horses standing watch. Nine more miles and we stood at a paved road, thrust out our thumbs and headed home … to the other end of the backyard.

ABOUT US AND OUR ROUTE:

Together, Boone and I have over 30,000-miles of backpacking experience. We made a conscious decision to hike over 20-miles per day to reach our goal for this particular hike. We would not recommend you do the same but instead that you take the time to enjoy the grandeur of the divide. Our route followed the Colorado Trail and Continental Divide Trail beginning at Spring Creek Pass and coincided with the guidebooks related to both trails.

If you would like more specific information pertaining to the planning details of this particular hike please contact Stacy at info@stepoutdoorscolorado.com.

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