by Thomas Cleary Living beneath a narrow slice of sky for 16 days and nights is a magical experience not to be missed and never to be forgotten. Floating Our group of 14 pushed off from Lee’s Ferry, AZ in 4 rubber rafts and one cataraft, plus 2 inflatable kayaks, heading 225 river miles to [...]
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story and photos by Thomas Cleary I have been walking all day across the top of the snow, this time on skis. The sky is brilliant blue, and the snow surface consists of a few inches of light powder on top of a firm old snow surface. During the night, in places where cold air [...]
Continue reading …Public comment period for elk management on San Luis Valley refuges ends Jan. 18 In an effort to reduce the im- pacts to riparian habitat on San Luis Valley National Wildlife Refuges (NWR) by elk, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) today released for public review and comment a Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) [...]
Continue reading …Christmas vision quest turns into search and rescue mission by M. Diane Bairstow Search and Rescue:At 10:30 a.m. Christmas morning, the Saguache County Sherriff’s Dept. received a concerned report that William Rook, of Crestone, had set off toward Willow Creek at 2 a.m. The Sherriff’s Dept. dispatched a two-person Search and Rescue Hasty Team that [...]
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Are you looking for a hike that will avoid the 14ers crowds, but still get you up into the high Sangres? Rito Alto Creek Trail is a nice option that reaches a lake within 7 trail miles and 3000 feet elevation gain; and as a bonus, a loop and several side hikes are available from [...]
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story by Phil Madonna, Will Miles, Bill Schmidt photos by Phil Madonna unless noted otherwise The scene was the usual winter Friday morning coffee get-together at the Bliss Café. Three guys with graying hair discussing something, the loudness dependent on whether Phil had in his old hearing aids. The topic of the moment was the proverb: There [...]
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story & photos by Katherine Michalak It’s 5:59am, and today is my day. I’m in shape, there’s no rain in the forecast and the sun won’t set for fourteen hours. I have five quarts of water, a ridiculous amount of food and a topo map. When I sign into the Liberty Trailhead register at the [...]
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by Thomas Cleary A few years back I spent my birthday camped out at Penitente Canyon. The days were bluebird clear and the night sky full of stars. I have climbed in the canyon many times and hiked and biked the trails along the canyon rim a bit. I have basked in the sun on [...]
Continue reading …by Will Miles At Curt’s Café on a Friday morning, Will patiently listened to Phil Madonna’s tales of his climbing days and the Fourteeners he had climbed some thirty years ago. Phil became especially sad as he remembered his climb on the Maroon Bells. Days long gone, never to return. Only the flickering of memories [...]
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by Keno Is the hole in the ground south of Crestone a meteor crater or not, and if not, what is it? Well it sure looks like one, and many geologists believe it is, but a few others say they aren’t sure. It’s a Crestone mystery that’s not completely solved. Known as the “Crestone Crater” [...]
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Story and photos by Thomas Cleary This month, I’m outlining the basics of trip planning and encourage you to head out on your own. A variety of factors go into destination and route selection, including your goals, your physical abilities, time frame, and experience. Are you looking for solitude, the magical fishing spot, [...]
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