To Colorado and Back

[highz]

A week ago I drove up to the Gunnison and Crested Butte area to meet up with my sis. She doesn't like to camp, so the only camping report is at the end of my trip, on the way home. We did have a nice time just taking in the scenery, though. It's a part of CO my sis hadn't seen before.

Near Crested Butte

We drove a scenic loop from Crested Butte that went west then turned back east along the north side of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison before rejoining Hwy 50. And yes, Barko, we went through Crawford, but a day before your email asking us to check out the real estate . Crawford looked like a nice laid-back village, but we didn't stop there - just drove through.

Along the North side of the Black Canyon, we saw the full moon rising at sunset over the Curecanti Recreation Area. It was an incredible vista, and these snapshots fail to do it justice.

The next day was reserved for the Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP.

 

[MarkBC]

Beautiful country -- very green!
Too bad it's so far away...

 

[highz]

There are trails to hike down to the bottom of the canyon, but not with dogs, so we did the usual tourist drive along the south rim of the Black Canyon, with short walks out to the different vistas. The pinkish intrusions in the cliff walls are pegmatite. Maybe Esteemed Leader DD can tell us more about the area's geology. The canyon walls are so steep because the Gunnison River flows at a steep gradient, so cuts the rock very efficiently.

We spent another day kicking around the Gunnison/Crested Butte area, then I headed back to New Mexico, with plans to stop, camp and fish for a couple of days just over the NM border.

 

[highz]

The Rio de los Pinos has its headwaters at the southern part of the San Juans and flows from Colorado into New Mexico and then back into Colorado. I'd never been there, but heard it was good trout water. I camped at a stretch managed by New Mexico Game and Fish, which held mostly rainbows. I read when I got home that if you go further upstream there are browns, cutthroats and brookies as well. It must be excellent fishing along the river, because even I was catching trout, and either I picked out the right flies immediately (very unlikely) or the trout were not picky (likely). It was good fun. I did catch-and-release, although you can take two trout on flies or artificial lures in the special trout waters just upstream from where I was. I think you can take more on the stretch I was on, but I haven't checked the regulations.

I should mention that I had the place to myself on a weekday, although there was a little traffic on the dirt road into the hamlet of San Miguel.

The Rio de los Pinos

A typical sized pocket water trout in this area (about ten inches, I think).

The view from my campsite. Nice and shady, but bring your mosquito repellent.

From there, it was time to head home and get ready to go back to work. I'll keep this rio on my list of places to return to.

 

[Barko1]

It's all very nice territory! I met another FWC from the midwest at the Southside campsite.
Here is another view

 

[MarkBC]

I've heard of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, but I didn't realize how spectacular it is -- wow!
Thanks for sharing.

 

[Lighthawk]

The Painted Arete, first ascent Layton Kor 1962

As I recall Layton Kor did some very difficult, serious rock climbs in the Black Canyon in the 60's.

 

[highz]

I overheard some locals at the overlook to Painted Wall saying that this spring it had been closed to climbing because of nesting Peregrine Falcons. That cliff is 685 meters, so less than El Capitan, but the tallest in Colorado. Personally, I wouldn't try to climb either one .

 

[ski3pin]

highz, very nice trip report and photos. We enjoyed it, thanks!

 

[Dughlas Stiubhart]

Highz, thanks for the report and pics. I too enjoy poking around the State of Colorado and, for that matter, your State of New Mexico.