SW Colorado - 4wd Trout Adventure & Alpine backroads (1 Viewer)

[bwesty]

Last month I took a couple weeks and explored/fished/camped at some places I've been wanting to visit for several years now in both northern New Mexico and southern Colorado.

Starting in Chama, NM, headed north through the Cumbres pass into Antonito and from there we spent several days along the Conejos and Alamosa drainages. Camping, exploring the backroads and many creeks, canyons and lakes of the area in search of some native Rio Grande trout.

We continued the trip traveling north through more passes, near Wolf and Pass Creeks and eventually into South Fork then headed north towards Lake City. Settled on a secluded site up on north fork Henson Creek below Wetterhorn Peak.

We spent a couple days exploring some of the lesser traveled routes in this area and hikes some trails, caught an insane amount of 8" brook trout from Henson Creek and its forks.

Drove Engineer over to Ouray and wrapped up the trip down at Vallecito Lake/Creek exploring some canyons and water down that.

Great trip to some places that I look forward to re-visiting in the future. Platoro & the surrounding peaks/creeks/views are spectacular and less traveled than many of the more popular spots of the San Juans.

 

[re_guderian]

 

[DSRTRDR]

 

[Cee Fish]

Awesome.

I spent a week in Ouray this summer. Can't wait to get back and see more.

 

[murf]

It is relaxing just looking at your pictures, thanks for sharing.

 

[enterconnect]

Nice pics, awesome color on the trout.

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

Awesome trip Brian
Make me want to go back to the Conejos.

 

[bwesty]

Awesome.

I spent a week in Ouray this summer. Can't wait to get back and see more.

Always worth the visit, so much to see and explore up there.

Nice pics, awesome color on the trout.

Thanks. Rio Grande cutthroat, native to these parts of Colorado

Awesome trip Brian
Make me want to go back to the Conejos.

Yes it is incredible country up there in the south San Juans. Looking forward to going back next summer to spend some more time around there. We spent several days just north of Stunner pass and didn't even visit a quarter of the places I had mapped wanting to check out. It was hard to leave some of the camps up there.
Have you been into Kerr Lake?

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

Yes it is incredible country up there in the south San Juans. Looking forward to going back next summer to spend some more time around there. We spent several days just north of Stunner pass and didn't even visit a quarter of the places I had mapped wanting to check out. It was hard to leave some of the camps up there.
Have you been into Kerr Lake?

Sounds familiar...Is it off the road that parallels the Conejos and you need to wheel to get to it and once there you have one tree on a the lake and all the other are back around it.

If it the same place we saw no one on. The place was definitely bear country and I was afraid of camping there.

How did you do fishing the Conejos?

 

[RHINO]

wow, oversaturation,,,,, hurts my eyes. great trip though.

 

[bwesty]

Sounds familiar...Is it off the road that parallels the Conejos and you need to wheel to get to it and once there you have one tree on a the lake and all the other are back around it.

If it the same place we saw no one on. The place was definitely bear country and I was afraid of camping there.

How did you do fishing the Conejos?

Yes, turnoff is right of the 250 and very close to the little village of Platoro with the cabins/lake/store. We didn't have time to get in there, not sure what it looks like More reason to revisit.

Lots of wildlife back there, everywhere!

We didn't fish the Conejos proper but did spend several days along tributaries of the Alamosa and some other creeks in the area. All high quality and productive fishing.

 

[Lc80series]

Great photos! Those look like awesome places to visit!

 

[Chuy]

Wow, that is some amazing scenery. Awesome trip and that trout looks awesome!

 

[enterconnect]

Were you anywhere near Cimarron? I heard there was good fishing there.

 

[bwesty]

We were not near Cimarron, that is northeast of Taos area. I've not been on the Cimarron but have read good things about it. There is great fishing all across northern NM and southern Colorado, it just takes some effort and know how to get into it.