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The Continental Divide Trail heading north from Wolf Creek Pass
This hike took the prize for 'Trail with the Most Wildflowers."
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Our
last few days in Colorado were spent in the Pagosa Springs area exploring trails
and sites that we didn’t have time to see during our June visit. Besides the Chacoan ruins at Chimney Rock, we
hiked another section of the Continental Divide Trail near Wolf Creek Pass and
also visited a new wilderness, the South San Juan Wilderness.
It has been so much fun this summer to slow down our travels and really explore south-western Colorado more thoroughly. This area is blessed with mountains, monuments, parks, history, great summer weather and wildflowers.
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View of spruce bark beetle damage from CDT north of Wolf Creek Pass
Dead spruce trees stretched for hundreds of thousands of acres.
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Trail head warning signs
Signs were posted at many trails in southern Colorado warning of
the dangers posed by the dead spruce forests.
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It has been so much fun this summer to slow down our travels and really explore south-western Colorado more thoroughly. This area is blessed with mountains, monuments, parks, history, great summer weather and wildflowers.
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| Aspen and fern on the Opal Lake Trail in the South San Juan Wilderness |
Here
are a few more photographs of Colorado, wildflowers still blooming…
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| Wildflowers along the CDT near Wolf Creek Pass |
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| Resting after lunch near Wolf Creek Pass |
Subalpine Larkspur
And more Columbines...
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| Mountains near Telluride |
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| Clearing dead spruce near Slumgullion Pass to make firebreaks |
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| Brook cress loves water |
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| A whole field of brook cress! |
David’s
Stats:
Days
Hiked 3
Total Miles Hiked 11.46
Ave. Miles per Day 3.82
Total Elevation Gain 2,100
Ave. Elevation Gain per day 700
Total Miles Hiked 11.46
Ave. Miles per Day 3.82
Total Elevation Gain 2,100
Ave. Elevation Gain per day 700
