Rafting the Grand Canyon

Like so many others, my first trip to the Grand Canyon in 1981 was just a visit to the South Rim and an opportunity to marvel at the views from all the overlooks, but this taste of the canyon gnawed at me and demanded more. So in 1985, my family backpacked down South Kaibab to Phantom Ranch, spent a night or two, and hiked out via Bright Angel Trail, a fabulous trip!  But that brought dreams of making the complete round trip, South Rim to North Rim and back to South Rim, which we accomplished in 1989. Still not sated, we returned in 1999 to raft all 260+ miles of the canyon, and below are photos of that adventure.

Here we are at the start after leaving Lee's Ferry and passing beneath the old and new Navajo Bridges at mile 4.5. Highway 89A is the only road crossing the Colorado River for 200 miles. The old historic bridge opened in 1929 and was the highest steel arch bridge in the world at that time. Before it was built, people had to cross at Lees Ferry (water conditions allowing) or travel 800 miles to reach the other side of the river. But it was only 18 feet wide and had a weight limit of 40 tons, and after 66 years was outdated.  Pedestrians were not allowed on the narrow bridge, but the temptation to get photos of the river was too great and 72 pedestrians were hit in 13 years, 8 fatally. In 1995 the new Navajo Bridge opened (909 feet in length, 44 feet wide, 470 feet above the river) and the historic bridge became a safe pedestrian-only viewing bridge.

If you are unable to commit the time or cash to undertake a lengthy 14 or 21 day raft trip through the Grand Canyon, or if you wish to reduce the risk associated with running 160+ rapids in the smaller rafts, then a motorized launch trip might be for you. The photo below looks down at our Canyoneers raft from atop the Vishnu schist we climbed to reach Clear Creek Canyon. The raft is 39 feet long, hinged in two places to flex in the big rapids, and equipped with a 40 horsepower outboard motor to help negotiate the rapids and speed us across part of Lake Mead at the end of the canyon where there is no more current.

  

Our fantastic crew consisted of Mike and his wife Josie, and Dallas. They provided us with the trip of a lifetime. Their expertise, humor, informative lectures, entertaining stories, emphasis on safety, willingness to stop for side canyon hikes, exceptional food preparation, and overall concern and friendliness provided all 20 passengers with an excellent experience. For those concerned that the larger raft might not be any fun, the next three photos should demonstrate that we still enjoyed numerous drenchings in the bigger rapids. In the first picture, a wave from Hermit Rapid is just starting to hit the raft. Since we are seated on the upper level seats, this was a medium size rapid in terms of difficulty, but obviously a rapid high on the "splash factor" scale. And just being on a large raft is not a guarantee of safety, for these craft can also be flipped or even destroyed in the huge rapids.

 

More difficult and dangerous rapids required us to sit on the floor in the center of the raft and interlock arms with our neighbors, as in the next photo where we are seated on the floor and are drenched by the waves at House Rock Rapid, certainly a "10" on the splash scale.

And yet another drenching later in the trip at Lava Falls Rapid...

The life jackets are required apparel for everyone whenever you are on the raft. Our trip leader, Mike, joked that we had better have them on tightly because he was required to account for all life jackets at the end of the trip, but not all passengers. So he always grabs the jacket when someone falls overboard. If the jacket is on tightly, there is a real good chance the passenger will come back into the raft with the jacket. If not, oh well!


At mile 29 we hiked up Shinumo Wash.  Actually, we hiked, then swam a pool of water, hiked, swam a pool, and several times had to climb ropes until we reached Silver Grotto. The guides called this the "Slime climb." Here Scott is climbing to the next level of the slot canyon.

At mile 33 you reach Redwall Cavern, an immense chamber carved out by the Colorado River. John Wesley Powell wrote that he believed the chamber would seat 50,000 people! I'm not sure about that number, but the acoustics were superb and I saw a video once of a classical quartet playing in the cavern.

At mile 61, the Little Colorado River joins the Colorado. The Little Colorado is generally a beautiful Robin's egg blue color,  but unfortunately we did not get to see its usual color.  A storm upriver had turned it red with dirt. Here I am, in the center of the next photo with my feet above water to bounce off any rocks I encounter, as I body-surf through a rapid in the Little Colorado River. I did gain a healthy respect for the power of rampaging water from this body-surfing experience. It was absolutely impossible to release yourself from the grasp of the current until the rapid played out a hundred yards downriver, at which point you could finally swim to shore.  I then walked back upriver for another run -- three or four times in total!  It was great fun!  

By the way: Not seeing the Little Colorado in its usual color was one of only two disappointments I encountered on the trip. The other was not stopping to hike at Havasu Canyon, but that was remedied two years later when we backpacked down into Havasu.

At mile 84 we hiked up Clear Creek Canyon. The waterfall provided a welcome cool-down on a 105 degree day. Len enjoys the refreshingly cold water as he lets out a yell to the entertainment of the rest of us. We hiked several times each day, always astounded by the beauty we discovered up the side canyons. Our seven day trip is the quickest trip through the canyon. Longer trips allow for more side canyon hikes, of course, but are quite a bit more expensive, and we were satisfied with the amount of hiking we were able to squeeze into each day, despite having to average 40 river-miles daily. Our trip guides got us up around 5 every morning in order to get in our miles and still have hiking opportunities. My family hiked part of Clear Creek Trail back in 1989 when we backpacked rim-to-rim-to-rim.

A few miles later at 87.5 marker we passed beneath the Black Bridge which takes the South Kaibab Trail over to Phantom Ranch.  We hiked over the bridge on our 1985 backpack trip down to Phantom. Scott the architect seems to be looking up in amazement.

At mile 135 we entered Granite Gorge, the narrowest part of the Grand Canyon at a mere 76 feet across. Our raft is 39 feet long, so two of our rafts could not fit end to end here.

A mile later we see the amazing Deer Creek Falls, a lovely sight and a nice place to stretch our legs...

 ...as we hike up Deer Creek Canyon, where Anasazi pictographs and ancient worm burrow markings were evident.

...and then we reached additional smaller falls and cascades, where I availed myself of the opportunity to cool off in the falls...

At mile 158 we had a smaller campsite available, so we were crammed together more than usual.  Five of the six nights we slept under the stars.  Tents were available but we only used them the sixth night when it rained.  There are no bugs to worry about down here. The guides told us the scorpions, if any were around, would remain under the blue tarps and not bother us. I'm not sure if that was true or just more "guide speak," but at any rate no one had any scorpion encounters. (How do you know when a guide is lying? His lips are moving!) We didn't undo our sleeping bags until we were ready to use them, and we did check our shoes and sandals each morning before putting them on.

This is the slot canyon at the upper end of National Canyon at Mile 166. Hiking these canyons was one of the best activities on the trip. As much fun as the rapids were, it was good to get on land and hike and climb and marvel at the power of water as it rushes through and carves these magnificent canyons.

Shimano Creek Falls was yet another place to cool off after a hike up a slot canyon...

Travertine Falls at mile 230.5 was formed gradually as mineral-rich water evaporated, depositing calcium carbonate.

Len, Marlene, and Mark, our traveling companions, enjoying the trip along with Mike, the head guide.

It was a wonderful trip, and I recommend it highly!

Backpacking the Grand Canyon's North Kaibab Trail

We first backpacked down from the South Rim to Phantom Ranch in 1985, and we loved it so much we returned in 1989 and hiked round-trip, South Rim to North Rim and back to South Rim.

Here we are in 1989 backpacking up North Kaibab Trail after hiking down from the South Rim. This is the least traveled and most difficult of the three main corridor trails. It is 9.4 miles from Phantom Ranch up to the trailhead on the North Rim.  It's then another 2 mile hike from the trailhead to the Grand Lodge/North Rim Village area.

The trail traverses Bright Angel Canyon as you follow the namesake creek uphill, until it intersects with Roaring Springs Canyon which takes you to the rim.

About 5.5 miles out of Phantom Ranch you reach a side trail to Ribbon Falls which is a half-mile or so side trip off the North Kaibab Trail. It's a wonderful place to cool off and replenish your water supply, well worth the short detour. 

It's slippery, but you can carefully walk behind the falls and take a picture looking out through the falling water.  Notice the hikers on the right in the photo below. The lower "apron" of green is moss covered travertine, a rock formed of calcium carbonate (lime) dissolved from the limestone layers above.

1.6 miles beyond these falls is Cottonwood, which is halfway between Phantom Ranch and the North Rim. This area was first settled by Anasazi Indians over 800 years ago. They hunted game and foraged for edible wild plants, but also eventually farmed, growing corn, beans, and squash.  Cottonwood Camp was established in the 1920s as a layover for mule tours originating on the North Rim. The Civilian Conservation Corps further developed it during the 1930s.  It offers water, restrooms, a campground, and a ranger station. We camped here both on our hike up to the North Rim and on the return trip back to the South Rim.

Bright Angel Creek's riparian habitat fosters the growth of Fremont cottonwood trees, giving the area its name of Cottonwood. These trees are fast growing and water-dependent and provide welcome shade in the summer. They regulate their own temperature by transpiring copious amounts of water into the air -- up to 50 gallons daily! We used the creek for our water source after treating the water, and also stored our water bottles in the creek so our drinking water would be cooler.

A rainstorm higher up the mountain made the Bright Angel Creek "run red" as the NPS Ranger called it, as soil from the redrock area above was carried past us (and then all the way down to the Colorado River.)  "Colorado" is Spanish for "red river," and the Colorado used to be a red river.  But Glen Canyon Dam traps the red soil, preventing the soil from making the trip down the Colorado, although red water from tributaries within the Grand Canyon often temporarily turn it red again.

Two miles beyond Cottonwood is Roaring Springs, which is the headwaters for Bright Angel Creek. Ninety percent of the Grand Canyon's moisture falls on the North Rim and all that rainfall and snowmelt percolates into the ground. Then 3400 feet down the water hits an impermeable layer of rock called Mauv Limestone and gushes out of the cliff at aptly named Roaring Springs, five trail miles below the North Rim. A pump house located here pumps some of the water back to the North Rim for use at the facilities located there. Each day, 500,000 gallons of water are piped 10 miles down to the Colorado River where the piping crosses under the silver bridge and flows up to Indian Gardens un-pumped (the force of gravity and reduced diameter pipes allow this.) A pump house then sends the water up to large storage tanks on the South Rim. Below is a photo of just one little segment of the Roaring Springs water output.

Here's a photo of the water gushing from many areas of the cliff above the trail...

Before being named a national park in 1919, the trail traversed Bright Angel Canyon all the way to the North Rim and was viewed as a continuation of the Bright Angel Trail that starts on the South Rim. However, the trail required 94 crossings of the Bright Angel Creek! In 1926, the National Park Service reconstructed the upper section, re-routing it instead through Roaring Springs Canyon to the west. This required much blasting, including Supai Tunnel through the Supai Formation rock. You can see it just ahead of the hiker where the trail makes a left turn.  A closeup photo follows below. 

Supai Tunnel is 3 miles above Roaring Springs, and from here it is only 1.7 miles to the North Rim Trailhead. A pit toilet and water are available here on the other side of the tunnel.

In the far right of this photo below you see a hiker circled and your eyes can follow the trail blasted from the cliff towards the center of the photo and far beyond in the greener area. This entire section was blasted during construction and in many places the trail resembles a half-tunnel clinging to a ledge

This is a view of the Redwall Bridge, looking down from the North Kaibab Trail. The bridge is dead center in the photo below and crosses a deep depression, eliminating an otherwise troublesome loss and regaining of altitude. It was built after a major flood in 1966 wiped out much of the North Kaibab Trail due to 15 inches of rain in 36 hours on the North Rim. You may notice that I was standing in a section of switchbacks as I took this photo.

This next photo was taken near the top of the North Kaibab Trail looking back down through the narrow canyon opening we just hiked through and from where I had taken the prior picture (the Redwall Bridge is no longer in sight.)  Look closely and you'll see the red dirt trail switchbacking and snaking all the way down (just right of center.) As you approach the North Rim, the vegetation turns into lush conifer forest, quite a contrast from the pinyon pine and juniper dominating the terrain we just hiked through lower down and which predominates on the South Rim.

Once at the top, it's still a two mile trek to the lodge and main canyon rim area.  It is a nice trail through lush forest, and eventually you are hiking alongside the cabins that are for rent.  The North Rim offers a campground and several types of cabins.  There are various hiking trails, a wonderful deluxe restaurant with amazing views of the canyon, a gift shop, coffee shop, saloon, and sandwich/salad shop.  It is far less commercial and populated than the Grand Canyon Village on the South Rim.

Bright Angel Trail photos and info

South Kaibab Trail photos and info

Backpacking the Grand Canyon's South Kaibab Trail

We first backpacked down from the South Rim to Phantom Ranch in 1985, and we loved it so much we returned in 1989 and hiked round-trip, South Rim-to-North Rim-to-South Rim.

The trailhead for the South Kaibab Trail is at Yaki Point, about 4.5 miles east of Grand Canyon Village via the Rim Trail.  A free shuttle bus will also take you to the trailhead.  This trail is a ridgeline descent to the river meaning you follow ridges rather than side canyons. The trail is steeper than Bright Angel and offers little shade and no water, but it is the fastest route to the river and offers the best vista views.  It is also the most dangerous to ascend in the summer since it is steeper, has no shade and no water, and hikers are discouraged from using it for a return trip to the rim.  Following that advice, we backpacked down South Kaibab and up Bright Angel our first time here in 1985.

In this photo you see the trail hugging the cliff with a hiker on the trail.

The next two photos show mules carrying passengers back up the South Kaibab Trail. This trail is also used by the pack mules which supply Phantom Ranch with all of its supplies and pack out all of its waste.

Backpackers be aware: The mules have the right of way, so you must step off the trail, when possible, or near the downhill side of the trail, and let them pass. The mule wrangler will give you directions. When ascending the North Kaibab Trail in 1989, just after a cloudburst, a mule coming down lost its footing and slid into me, nearly pushing me over the edge. Fortunately the mule caught itself and stopped sliding, but I'm not sure who was more frightened, the rider on the mule or myself.

Mules use the South Kaibab Trail for a two day overnight trip to Phantom Ranch. The mules which are deemed not of the correct temperament for carrying people are used as pack mules to resupply Phantom Ranch and carry our garbage. Mule trips also travel down Bright Angel Trail as far as the Plateau Point Trail overlook and then return to the South Rim. Partial-day mule trips are also available from the North Rim partway down.

The mules need breathers on the steep switchbacks, so the wrangler stops the procession as needed. They always have the mules stand sideways on the trail during these rest stops. As one wrangler explained: "These mules only have eyes at one end, so we always have that end facing out so it knows exactly where the edge is," and if you look closely, you'll see that's how they are positioned on the trail in the photo below. And if hikers come upon a group taking a rest stop, they must wait until the mules resume moving before they can continue. As you can see in the picture, there's no room for hikers to pass the mules easily or safely when they are straddling the trail sideways.

Cedar Ridge, about 1.5 miles from the rim, has a pit toilet available, and you are nearing O'Neill Butte which is prominent in the next 2 photos.

This magnificent vista is indicative of all the views from the South Kaibab Trail. As mentioned earlier, the trail follows ridge lines which affords countless breathtaking panoramas, but which also necessitates the navigation of steep downhills as one descends. 

This section below, called the "red and whites," consists of 23 successive switchbacks, about half in the red limestone dirt and half in white limestone dirt. The photo below shows only 11 of the switchbacks, and this section is one of the reasons they do not suggest using this trail to exit the canyon, especially during the hot summer months. The employees at Phantom Ranch work 10 days and then have 4 days off, and on their first and tenth days they are allowed time to hike in and out (commute!) They are all in such good shape that they exit via this trail since it is the shortest and fastest way up, but they are carrying minimal gear and are in really good shape!

The North and South Kaibab Trail system was completed by the National Park System back in 1928. After years of unsuccessful attempts to gain control of the then privately-owned Bright Angel Trail, the NPS began construction of the South Kaibab.  Ironically, they received jurisdiction of the Bright Angel the same year they finished building the South Kaibab!

The photo below is your first view of the Colorado River as you descend the South Kaibab Trail. Only a dozen or so switchbacks remain and can be seen in the photo. If you look real closely, you can see the black bridge crossing the river just right of center in the photo. A view of this area from a vantage point across the river is shown in the second photo below, and it really shows these final switchbacks.

The photo below was taken from the Clear Creek Trail on the Tonto Plateau looking across the Colorado River back at the final segment of switchbacks which bring the South Kaibab Trail to the Black suspension bridge (located bottom center.) Again, you get an idea of the difficulty of hiking back up to the rim on this trail. 

Bright Angel Trail photos and info

North Kaibab Trail photos and info

Backpacking the Grand Canyon's Bright Angel Trail

We first backpacked down from the South Rim to Phantom Ranch in 1985, and we loved it so much we returned in 1989 and hiked round-trip, South Rim-to-North Rim-to-South Rim.

Three main "corridor" trails go down to Phantom Ranch located on the Colorado River at the base of Grand Canyon National Park. Beginning on the South Rim are Bright Angel and South Kaibab Trails, and from the North Rim, the North Kaibab Trail.  The Bright Angel Trail starts right in Grand Canyon Village. The South Kaibab Trail trailhead is at Yaki Point, about 4.5 miles east of Grand Canyon Village via the Rim Trail.  A free shuttle bus is available.  These three corridor trails are all well-maintained though all three are also used by mule trains, so watch where you step!

Bright Angel Trail runs 9.6 miles to Phantom Ranch and South Kaibab Trail is about 7 miles to the ranch. South Kaibab follows ridge lines and is a steeper hike (and not suggested for ascents) and offers huge vistas, whereas Bright Angel follows side canyons, has more shade and foliage and animal life, and is considered an easier ascent.  The trail descends 4380 feet from Rim to river.

This photo below is taken from the Bright Angel Trail (near the top) looking down at Indian Garden campground (the lush green area in the upper center of the photo which the snaking white trail leads to) which is located 4.6 miles from the South Rim.  It's another 5 miles from there to Phantom Ranch at river level via Bright Angel Trail as it continues down into the inner gorge to the Colorado River. A second trail, the Plateau Point Trail continues to an overlook where you can look down at the Colorado River far below. In the photo below, Plateau Point Trail is the white line crossing the plateau and ending at the cliff line. 

The photo demonstrates the elevation difference from near the top of the South Rim down to the Tonto Plateau. How does one get down there? The second photo below gives the answer -- switchbacks! Lots of switchbacks.

These switchbacks provide an example of how elevation is lost as one descends to the Tonto Plateau. In just 3 miles of trail, 3400 feet of elevation are lost. The switchbacks seem to be endless when you are on them, but they make it far easier to gain and lose elevation.

People who do not carry enough water and drink it regularly can quickly become dehydrated from the heat and strenuous exertion, and it is not unheard of to have a delirious, disoriented hiker walk right off the edge of one of these switchbacks to his death.  Rangers are stationed randomly on the trail, monitoring hikers for water and proper footwear, etc.  There is water at the 1.5 mile and 3.0 mile Resthouses (except October to April), and also at Indian Garden Campground.

Indian Garden is lush and provides lots of shade. It is an oasis that has been used for centuries by Native Americans. In fact, its springs were used by the prehistoric Anasazi, and after 1300 AD the Havasupai Indians farmed here.  From here, the Plateau Point Trail takes you a mile and a half to the overlook where you can look down into the inner gorge and gaze at the Colorado River.

The Bright Angel Trail crosses the Tonto Trail and then continues descending, this time alongside Garden Creek and Pipe Creek.  Though Garden Creek is a bit hidden on your left by the slope, you'll no doubt see backpacks sitting along the trail.  Drop yours and go join in the fun just below the trail level.  I've enjoyed this locale three different times, and not everyone is necessarily clothed.

One section of the creek has as many as six cascades you can cool off in and play in.  This is a welcome diversion on a hot summer day! They caution you NOT to drink this water.

You'll probably notice sections of the Transcanyon Pipeline along the way (photo below.)  The North Rim is more than 1000 feet higher in elevation than the South Rim and receives 90% of the rainfall for the canyon, but 90% of visitors are on the South Rim.  For decades, water was delivered to the South Rim by railroad, a very expensive proposition as visitation increased.  In 1932, a pump station was built at Indian Garden to pump water from its springs to the rim, but visitation outgrew this supply.  A five year construction project piped North Rim water 16 miles to the South Rim in 1970 (and also to the two resthouses.)  

                               

Rainwater and snowmelt on the North Rim percolate through the soil more than 3500 feet until hitting the impermeable Mauv Limestone layer.  It then gushes out in great waterfalls at aptly named Roaring Springs about  halfway down on the North Kaibab Trail (photos are on my North Kaibab Trail page.)  Some of the water is captured, treated, and pumped back up to the North Rim for visitor use.  Most of the water (500,000 gallons per day) is sent via 6" pipe buried beneath the North Kaibab Trail down to Phantom Ranch and Bright Angel Campground, across the Colorado River beneath the Silver Bridge, and up the cliff to Indian Garden. Gravity and reduction diameter piping get the water all the way from Roaring Springs to Indian Garden! A pump house then sends it to the South Rim via pipes drilled through the rock.  Large storage tanks on the South Rim contain about 3 weeks of water, so when the pipe breaks anywhere along this 16 mile route, they have time to find and replace the broken pipe.

Devil's Corkscrew shown below makes the long traverse through the Vishnu Schist geological layer (the oldest rock layer in the canyon.)

After reaching the Colorado River, you arrive at the River Trail, constructed in 1936 by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Its completion made it possible to travel the 1.7 miles along the Colorado River to Phantom Ranch through a sand dunes habitat.  The temperature was nearly 120 degrees when we hit this section of the backpack and it was a rough stretch to complete.

In the late 1960s, the Silver Bridge (550 feet in length) was constructed to support the Transcanyon Pipeline, and it is a wonderful feeling to reach this bridge after the long slog through the dunes section.

Below is a photo of the Colorado River near Phantom Ranch (looking from the west) and showing the Silver Bridge in the foreground and the Black Bridge in the background.  

The construction of the Black Bridge in 1928 necessitated the transportation of 122 tons of materials down the 9 miles of trail by mules and human power. Walking single file, 42 Havasupai tribesmen snaked the one ton, 550 foot long suspension cables down 4000 feet of elevation loss via the South Kaibab Trail!  Photos of this construction are here.  The Black Bridge has wood over its floor since mules use this bridge.

Phantom Ranch was built in 1922 on a site once used by Native Americans.  John Wesley Powell and his group camped here in 1869 and Wesley originally named the creek "Silver Creek" but later changed it to "Bright Angel Creek" when he wrote about his trip. President Teddy Roosevelt stayed in this area in 1913 on a hunting expedition, and his love of the canyon helped propel it into the National Park System in 1919. Below is the canteen building which is air conditioned and offers free ice water during its open hours. We retreated to its coolness many times during our stays in Phantom Ranch cabins and also when tenting in the nearby Bright Angel Campground.

Here's one of our campsites in Bright Angel Campground which is a half-mile from Phantom Ranch. There are 32 sites available (plus 2 group sites.)

Here's a bird's eye view of Phantom Ranch from the Clear Creek Trail about 100 feet above the canyon floor. You can see Bright Angel Creek along the base of the far cliff line and the cabins dotting the landscape.

South Kaibab Trail photos and descriptions

North Kaibab Trail photos and descriptions

Backpacking Colorado's Uncompahgre Wilderness

The Uncompahgre wilderness, (previously known as Big Blue Wilderness), is located five miles northwest of the quaint Colorado town of Lake City and ten miles east of Ouray.  It comprises 102,721 acres in the Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests with elevations ranging from 8400 feet to 14,309 feet. Over 100 miles of trails are available, and because about half of the wilderness is above timberline (11,500 feet at this latitude) the vistas are spectacular. Alpine flowers bloom in late July and August. Elk, bighorn sheep, ptarmigan, and marmots reside here. Here I am, contemplating Uncompahgre Peak, which we are about to backpack to and then hike up.

Uncompahgre, a name given by the Ute Indians to the area around Ouray, Colorado, has been translated variously as "red water spring" and "hot water." A public hot springs pool still exists in Ouray. The area is also known as the "Switzerland of America." Several decades ago I hosted a foreign exchange student from Carpi, Italy, which is in the extreme northern part of Italy. Luca, upon seeing this area of Colorado, remarked that it did indeed resemble the Alps of Switzerland.

Uncompahgre Peak's unusual broad, flat, tilted summit (seen above) falls away almost vertically on three sides for as much as 1500 feet, a landmark visible from far away. Its fourth side lies gentle and inviting to many hikers. As seen below, views from atop Uncompahgre Peak display a vast wilderness of towering rock castles and sweeping ridges that form some of the finest scenery in the state. Below is a photo from the top, and predominant are Wetterhorn (14,015 feet) and Matterhorn (13,546.)  The two Swiss names recount the area's nickname, "Switzerland of America." 

We drove in via Forest Service Road 868 (Alpine Road) off Colorado Highway 149, about 12 miles north of Lake City.  A nice campground awaits at the end of this road and is a good place to spend the night and gear up for your backpack, and the Big Blue Creek Trail (#232) leaves from that campground.  Check out the historic Alpine Ranger Station also located there (photo below.) 

My Dad's cousin, Jake Jauch, was stationed here early in his 40+ year career with the U. S. Forest Service, and my Dad visited him back in 1939 (photo below.) It was "Uncle Jake" who encouraged me to backpack the trail and who supplied me with the maps.  He and Dad rode to the top of Uncompahgre Peak to change out the sign-in sheets used by those who attain the peak, but the trail has deteriorated near the top so horses can no longer be used.  Hence, I became the second in my family attain the summit of Uncompahgre Peak, and I hope my sons and grandkids make it there sometime, too.

Slide Lake, created by a huge rock slide into Big Blue Creek in 1947, is located about 6 miles down the trail and is a great place to camp.  It is called a fisherman's paradise, and considerable fishing can also be found along the Big Blue which the trail parallels. 

Good fishing is also found in the four other main rivers in the wilderness, Fall Creek and the three forks of the Cimarron River -- Middle, East, and West.

The Big Blue valley, which extends 11 miles to Uncompahgre Peak, is the most magnificent valley I've ever seen, bar none. I've hiked here three times and hope to return more times to enjoy the incomparable beauty of the area. You can see the river winding its way with the peak in the background.

Below is our camp the second and third nights which provided magnificent views overlooking the valley. We base camped here, and it's about a 12 mile round trip from here to the top of the peak and back on trail 239.

Many people 4-wheel drive using Forest Road 877 to a parking area at the base of the mountain a few miles from our base camp. From that lot, it's another 3 miles and 3000 feet elevation gain to the top, but we wanted to come in the long way via the magnificent Big Blue Creek Trail.  The trail vanishes near the top and you have to scramble the last quarter mile or so up this loose rock scree to reach Uncompahgre Peak.  Len's taking a break here and enjoying the scenery.

Here Len and I are at the top, and the next two photos show the amazing views...

We then looped from our base camp over Silver Mountain Pass (12,480 feet) and on to Fall Creek Falls via trail 231, and then north and east back to Big Blue Creek and the trailhead.  Watching a herd of over two dozen elk circling around us and effortlessly reaching Silver Pass before us as we labored to make it up the grade, was a sight I will never forget. Their beauty, agility, and grace are beyond words.  Of course, they are far better adapted to the altitude than we flatlanders are!  

FOR INFO:

Uncompahgre Forest Headquarters
2250 Highway 50
Delta, CO 81416
970-874-6600

Exploring Colorado's Wild Areas by Scott Warren; The Mountaineers, Seattle, WA; 221 pages.

Hiking Trails of Southwestern Colorado: A Guide to the San Juan and Uncompahgre National Forests by Paul Pixler; Pruett Publishing Company; Boulder, CO; 214 pages.