All the Rivers and streams are high, turbid, and fast. Try the tail waters or lakes. Caught a few up in Divide lakes. Peggy caught the prettiest cut I have ever seen, about 12-14". It was about 10 mile hike in. Caught some beaver pond brookies up there as well. A few in winnemuche creek.
San Juan Trip June 21-28
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- kyle-landcruiser.blogspot.com
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Well...for those of you who didn't come down to the San Juans...ummm everybody but Travis, Kyra, Bill and I, you really missed out! The weather was near perfect, trails actually uncrowded and some great outdoors in one of the most scenic places on the planet.
I headed down on Sunday afternoon and set up camp along South Mineral Creek at the Golden Horn dispersed camping area. There were a couple of trailers/RVs down there, but for the most part it was empty all week. Travis and family arrived late Monday evening. I decided on Monday to hike up to the Ice Lake Basin while waiting for Travis. Most of the trip up was uneventful, but the stream at the lower basin was flowing strong and cold. I debooted and froze my feet off going across. Up above the lower basin, the snow took over. Initially 2-4 solid feet, and by the time I reached the ridge into the Ice Lake area, 10+ solid snow everywhere. I post holed badly the rest of the way...the lake buried with only the peaks not white! Great hike though and definitely the most snow I'd ever seen!
On Tuesday, we woke up and headed out for a trip over California and Corkscrew gulches. Well, we made it most of the way up California before we encountered the tractor plow and a closed road up the final couple of switchbacks to the pass. There was a lot of snow up there, about 3-6 feet worth. They were just about done plowing, but kept the road closed so we couldn't get to the top. So we turned around and headed for Placer and Picayne Gulches. None of us had ever run this loop, but it was awesome! The mines and views up there are fantastic! There was again a lot of snow up top, but the plow had been through. The views...oh man were they great! I highly recommend this short loop if you're in the area!
Wednesday was a down day for wheeling. Travis and Kyra stayed at camp and fished, Kyra caught her first one! Travis's dad Bill and I headed for Chattanooga to hike up an old wagon road to some run down mines. The weather chased us down after a couple of miles and we made an early arrival back at camp. We then decided to head to the Old Hundred Mine for a tour. Its a neat tour if you have never been deep inside a mountain before. It also got us out of the few showers in the area.
Thursday was to be our big day of trails...the Alpine Loop...Engineer and Cinnamon Passes. We got up early and took off. Just up from Eureka on the way to Animas Forks, I punctured a tire on a rock or something and had to swap the spare. We headed back to town to get my tire fixed, and our early start turned late. Engineer was rutted and fun as usual up the Silverton side. Great views and lots of snow the whole way up. The trail down into Lake City though...very dusty and warm. That part of the trip seems to take forever. We stopped at the San Juan Soda Company for ice cream and shakes and enjoyed a bit of time in the park in Lake City. We then headed up Cinnamon Pass back to Silverton. The past couple of years has seen little snow and very little maintenance done on Cinnamon with a few challenging areas that kept some stock vehicles out. But this year, they went through and graded the road and its a fairly simple pass now. We made it back to Silverton about 8 pm, and then went to eat dinner at Romero's...still delicious after 45+ years!
Travis and family left Friday morning and I headed out for more hiking. I originally wanted to hike the Rico-Silverton trail to the CDT, but about half a mile in, I was turned back by a very torrent cascade. There was no safe way across it. So I headed up Hope Lake. I made it most of the way before being turned back by deep snow to the pass and a rather unstable looking cornice. I did explore a few mines up the trail and found lots of cool minerals, just nothing valuable! Saturday I headed up Cement Creek and hiked the Georgia Gulch area. The trip to the Kansas City Mine was not overly exciting, there is nothing left of the mine besides a few tailings, but I decided to head up to the ridge line about 800 feet above to see what the view was like. STUNNING! Waterfalls all the way up the backside of the gulch, and the view from the ridge line over the back of Red Mountain, amazing. There was no traffic on Corkscrew or Hurricane and it was very peaceful. Definitely worth the extra 800 feet of elevation! I ended by trip with the Taste of Silverton event on Blair street. Most of the restaurants had a sampling of their food, there was live music and an old semi truck show. Lots of fun!
Overall it was a fantastic week! Travis will for sure be headed back down there at some point, and I look forward to scheduling another week down there next summer. I think June is a great month...fewer people, some snow but still was able find great trails and good times! I'll have some pictures up at some point when I get a chance to go through them...I took a lot!
I headed down on Sunday afternoon and set up camp along South Mineral Creek at the Golden Horn dispersed camping area. There were a couple of trailers/RVs down there, but for the most part it was empty all week. Travis and family arrived late Monday evening. I decided on Monday to hike up to the Ice Lake Basin while waiting for Travis. Most of the trip up was uneventful, but the stream at the lower basin was flowing strong and cold. I debooted and froze my feet off going across. Up above the lower basin, the snow took over. Initially 2-4 solid feet, and by the time I reached the ridge into the Ice Lake area, 10+ solid snow everywhere. I post holed badly the rest of the way...the lake buried with only the peaks not white! Great hike though and definitely the most snow I'd ever seen!
On Tuesday, we woke up and headed out for a trip over California and Corkscrew gulches. Well, we made it most of the way up California before we encountered the tractor plow and a closed road up the final couple of switchbacks to the pass. There was a lot of snow up there, about 3-6 feet worth. They were just about done plowing, but kept the road closed so we couldn't get to the top. So we turned around and headed for Placer and Picayne Gulches. None of us had ever run this loop, but it was awesome! The mines and views up there are fantastic! There was again a lot of snow up top, but the plow had been through. The views...oh man were they great! I highly recommend this short loop if you're in the area!
Wednesday was a down day for wheeling. Travis and Kyra stayed at camp and fished, Kyra caught her first one! Travis's dad Bill and I headed for Chattanooga to hike up an old wagon road to some run down mines. The weather chased us down after a couple of miles and we made an early arrival back at camp. We then decided to head to the Old Hundred Mine for a tour. Its a neat tour if you have never been deep inside a mountain before. It also got us out of the few showers in the area.
Thursday was to be our big day of trails...the Alpine Loop...Engineer and Cinnamon Passes. We got up early and took off. Just up from Eureka on the way to Animas Forks, I punctured a tire on a rock or something and had to swap the spare. We headed back to town to get my tire fixed, and our early start turned late. Engineer was rutted and fun as usual up the Silverton side. Great views and lots of snow the whole way up. The trail down into Lake City though...very dusty and warm. That part of the trip seems to take forever. We stopped at the San Juan Soda Company for ice cream and shakes and enjoyed a bit of time in the park in Lake City. We then headed up Cinnamon Pass back to Silverton. The past couple of years has seen little snow and very little maintenance done on Cinnamon with a few challenging areas that kept some stock vehicles out. But this year, they went through and graded the road and its a fairly simple pass now. We made it back to Silverton about 8 pm, and then went to eat dinner at Romero's...still delicious after 45+ years!
Travis and family left Friday morning and I headed out for more hiking. I originally wanted to hike the Rico-Silverton trail to the CDT, but about half a mile in, I was turned back by a very torrent cascade. There was no safe way across it. So I headed up Hope Lake. I made it most of the way before being turned back by deep snow to the pass and a rather unstable looking cornice. I did explore a few mines up the trail and found lots of cool minerals, just nothing valuable! Saturday I headed up Cement Creek and hiked the Georgia Gulch area. The trip to the Kansas City Mine was not overly exciting, there is nothing left of the mine besides a few tailings, but I decided to head up to the ridge line about 800 feet above to see what the view was like. STUNNING! Waterfalls all the way up the backside of the gulch, and the view from the ridge line over the back of Red Mountain, amazing. There was no traffic on Corkscrew or Hurricane and it was very peaceful. Definitely worth the extra 800 feet of elevation! I ended by trip with the Taste of Silverton event on Blair street. Most of the restaurants had a sampling of their food, there was live music and an old semi truck show. Lots of fun!
Overall it was a fantastic week! Travis will for sure be headed back down there at some point, and I look forward to scheduling another week down there next summer. I think June is a great month...fewer people, some snow but still was able find great trails and good times! I'll have some pictures up at some point when I get a chance to go through them...I took a lot!
Fitzgerald
Hey! Where'd the mountians go?!?!?
Nice write-up Kyle. Here are a few of the MANY pics I took.
Where Kira and I spent the nights...
On our way to Animas Forks:
One of the MANY, MANY mills in the area:
Up on California:
Kira catching her first fish:
Where Kira and I spent the nights...
On our way to Animas Forks:
One of the MANY, MANY mills in the area:
Up on California:
Kira catching her first fish:
Fitzgerald
Hey! Where'd the mountians go?!?!?
Picayune Gulch:
On our way back to Silverton:
On our way back to Silverton:
Fitzgerald
Hey! Where'd the mountians go?!?!?
A few more.
Dad playin' in the water on the way up Cinnamon Pass:
Kyle's dream summer home:
Dad playin' in the water on the way up Cinnamon Pass:
Kyle's dream summer home:
Fitzgerald
Hey! Where'd the mountians go?!?!?
.......also, saw a lot of nice 60's up there having fun... 
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....... 
