San Juans in July

[Mags]

An oldie but goodie...

I am doing a photo project, and stumbled upon a favorite photo that I thought I'd share.

Deep in the San Juans of Colorado, I had this secluded alpine campsite over looking Vallecito Valley. My camp was surrounded by a herd of mountain goats. Sure-footed. Majestic looking. Adapted for their environment.


Easily one of the most memorable campsites I’ve had.




http://images-2.redbubble.net/img/art/size:large/view:main/2459568-2-san-juans-mountain-goats.jpg

[Sly]

Pretty cool, I didn't realize they had mountain goat in the San Juans. Is that on the CDT?

Good chance I'll be out there this summer, if not sooner.

[Mags]

Pretty cool, I didn't realize they had mountain goat in the San Juans. Is that on the CDT?

Good chance I'll be out there this summer, if not sooner.


Nope, it is in Vallecito Valley. It is sandwiched between the lower Colorado Trail and the higher CDT.

http://www.summitpost.org/route/314574/vallecito-backpacking-route.html

A place of high, unnamed passes. Alpine Lakes. No trails except for the odd and vague unmarked miner trail. Pretty cool..

This at the top of an unnamed 13k ft pass:
http://www.pmags.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=9145&g2_serialNumber=2&g2_GALLERYSID=f78a3e9fade375390b8197797125e37a


Side of another unnamed pass:
http://www.pmags.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=9173&g2_serialNumber=2&g2_GALLERYSID=f78a3e9fade375390b8197797125e37a




These photos are from July 2003..damn..I want to go back!

I am thinking of backpacking the Hardrock 100 route (http://run100s.com/HR/) this coming summer.
Normally a marked course of 100 miles and 33k' elev gain. You have 48 hrs do it in as a supported "run" (fast hike, actually). I'll see if i can do it 96 hrs as a backpacker.

The appeal for a non-supported backpacker is that it is a loop route (starts and ends at Silverton, CO) so the logistics are easy, goes through the heart of the San Juans in some remote places that are trail-less (including over a seldom climbed 14er (http://www.summitpost.org/mountain/rock/150302/handies-peak.html) (Relatively speaking!) and should be beautiful. I'll probably modify the loop to make it less race centric (after all, they do get supported at points) and more backpacker centric. We'll see. :)

[skinewmexico]

That is too cool. I love that part of the world. I didn't realize they had mountain goats either, but I just found out that the Taos area Bighorn sheep are doing so well that they've started taking them out for transplant.

[garlic08]

The mountain goats in the Chicago Lakes Basin, just "around the corner" in the San Juans, are so numerous that tenters are advised to keep their tent doors closed. The goats are so tame that they will look in your tent (for food or something salty), catch their horns on the way out, panic, and rip your shelter to shreds.

[Mags]

The Chicago Basin. Gorgeous area..but it is like grand central station at times, esp. with the easy access to three 14ers. :o

[mudhead]

Premium pics. Wouldn't I love to have foot gription like those goats. Cool hooves. Must have a sense of balance like, you know.

[fiddlehead]

Nice pics Mags,
I've hiked down that Vallicito valley back in 2001.
Almost stepped on a sleeping bear on that descent.
Good stuff for sure.