Colorado (northern NM) Autumn Foliage and more

Bosque Bill

Bosque Bill

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 27, 2012
Messages
756
Location
Albuquerque, NM
Bosque Bill's Backroads goes to Colorado (and northern New Mexico) - September/October 2019

Visiting such locations as: Creede, North Clear Creek, Lake San Cristobal, Cinnamon Pass, Animas Forks, South Mineral Creek, Kebler Pass Road, Cottonwood Pass, St. Elmo, and more.

This report covers my last camping trip of the season. I took lots of video this year that I haven’t edited. Hopefully, I’ll publish a few video posts over the winter. Stay tuned.

RECOMMENDED:
> Click on a photo for a larger version. Once there, you may use your arrow keys to step between photos.
> Click on the full-screen icon in the upper right corner of the spherical panorama frame to get a big, beautiful view.

Four parts, but a link to the next can be found at the end of each one:
1. https://bosquebill.blogspot.com/2019/11/colorado-autumn-october-2019-part-1.html
2. https://bosquebill.blogspot.com/2019/11/colorado-autumn-october-2019-part-2.html
3. https://bosquebill.blogspot.com/2019/11/colorado-autumn-october-2019-part-3.html
4. https://bosquebill.blogspot.com/2019/11/colorado-autumn-october-2019-part-4.html

Thanks!
 
Great report. Awesome photos. I've explored a lot of the area around St. Elmo and Taylor park over the years. You hit the area at the right time. Tin Cup pass would have been very doable in your rig. I've seen many stock 4x4's on it over the years and other than a some rocky sections on both sides it is pretty easy. I will say I saw a Mazda 3 hatchback up there about 100ft from the summit that might have been a bit over it's head.

Hancock pass is a bit more rocky and technical though. However, if you go past the Hancock townsite you can continue on up to Hancock lake at the top of the mountain. The lake is a short hike from the end of the trail. Of historical note, most of the trail from St. Elmo to the where it splits to go over the pass or the lake is the old railroad bed to the alpine tunnel. It passes past an old mine building slowly falling down the face of the mountain.

Off of the trail over Hancock pass is a side trail for Pomeroy lakes. There is the Mary Murphy mine which has many structures still standing to see. The trail is rocky but worth the slow travel to see the mine. It's not what I consider a rock crawling trail, but it does require slow technical driving. The trail is more technical above the mine all the way to Pomeroy lakes. Again the views of the peaks and the lakes below them are stunning.

There are a handful of other trails that lead into the mountains around St. Elmo to explore with different levels of difficulty.
 
Bill thanks for the ride.Beautiful fall colors.
Your photos of the mines in Creede bring back the memories of 1974 the first time I was in that area.
The 2 mine buildings look the same not much has changed except they aren't operating now.

In 1981 we camped at that NFS campground on Slumgullion pass.Don't remember much about the site except there was a beaver pond in the area with beaver.
Also drove all the way along 149 to US 50 then west. Camper some where off the north side of the lake back a few miles off the road.
Some of your trips bring back old memories of when we went through that area.

Thanks for sharing your trip.
Frank
 
Thank you Bill for putting together these reports. I'll acknowledge based on experience, your high quality photos and write ups take a lot of time to produce. Colorado is a bit out of reach for us currently but I know there is beauty there I want to see. If you keep these reports up they will be really valuable in the future for planning areas to visit! In the mean time they serve as a way to vicariously take a visit to those beautiful spots. Thanks!
 
Zoomad said:
Great report. Awesome photos. I've explored a lot of the area around St. Elmo and Taylor park over the years. You hit the area at the right time. Tin Cup pass would have been very doable in your rig. I've seen many stock 4x4's on it over the years and other than a some rocky sections on both sides it is pretty easy. I will say I saw a Mazda 3 hatchback up there about 100ft from the summit that might have been a bit over it's head.

Hancock pass is a bit more rocky and technical though. However, if you go past the Hancock townsite you can continue on up to Hancock lake at the top of the mountain. The lake is a short hike from the end of the trail. Of historical note, most of the trail from St. Elmo to the where it splits to go over the pass or the lake is the old railroad bed to the alpine tunnel. It passes past an old mine building slowly falling down the face of the mountain.

Off of the trail over Hancock pass is a side trail for Pomeroy lakes. There is the Mary Murphy mine which has many structures still standing to see. The trail is rocky but worth the slow travel to see the mine. It's not what I consider a rock crawling trail, but it does require slow technical driving. The trail is more technical above the mine all the way to Pomeroy lakes. Again the views of the peaks and the lakes below them are stunning.

There are a handful of other trails that lead into the mountains around St. Elmo to explore with different levels of difficulty.
Click to expand...
Thanks, Zoomad, for the additional details about the area. Not a big fan of super rocky roads, but may have to explore in that area some more.
 
Casa Escarlata Robles Too said:
Bill thanks for the ride.Beautiful fall colors.
Your photos of the mines in Creede bring back the memories of 1974 the first time I was in that area.
The 2 mine buildings look the same not much has changed except they aren't operating now.

In 1981 we camped at that NFS campground on Slumgullion pass.Don't remember much about the site except there was a beaver pond in the area with beaver.
Also drove all the way along 149 to US 50 then west. Camper some where off the north side of the lake back a few miles off the road.
Some of your trips bring back old memories of when we went through that area.

Thanks for sharing your trip.
Frank
Click to expand...
Thanks, Frank. I admit to some surprise those mines were operating as "recently" as 1974, but then again they are in pretty good condition.
 
Boy Bill, after a morning of shoveling snow and pulling in the garbage cans :oops: , it was sure nice to come inside and play with your Tr. Sure wish I was there camping in the aspens and looking at old ghost towns with you instead of moving snow around (although my border collie, Timber, thought it was just fine to play in). Ah, more snow due in at the end of the week! Again I sure enjoy your adventures and keep then coming--need the inspiration to keep me going until, hopefully ; I'll be on the road somewhere soon myself :rolleyes: !.

Smoke
 
Bill, what a wonderful trip. We will be spending close to a month in Colorado, Sept. 2020 into October. Aspen, Crested Butte, Telluride, RMNP, back Country. I will be reading these reports again. Thanks for sharing. jd
 
Smokecreek1 said:
Boy Bill, after a morning of shoveling snow and pulling in the garbage cans :oops: , it was sure nice to come inside and play with your Tr. Sure wish I was there camping in the aspens and looking at old ghost towns with you instead of moving snow around (although my border collie, Timber, thought it was just fine to play in). Ah, more snow due in at the end of the week! Again I sure enjoy your adventures and keep then coming--need the inspiration to keep me going until, hopefully ; I'll be on the road somewhere soon myself :rolleyes: !.

Smoke
Click to expand...
Ha, ha. Glad to be of service. Thanks.
 
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