Engineer Pass is part of the Alpine Loop, that runs from Ouray to Lake City and Silverton by way of 4wd roads that once were part of the huge mining industry that helped settle this region. Today, the roads are enjoyed by many off road enthusiasts, including not only Jeeps and other off road vehicles, but also dirt bikes and ATV’s.

The day was filled with sunshine and good times as we began our expedition up Engineer Pass. The trail has remained roughly the same over the years with a few exceptions where mother nature decided she needed to rearranged a bit. It’s not a difficult trail but it is unmatched in scenery. On the way up we pass the Mickey Breen mine. Located in 1874, it saw most of the mining action in the 1890’s. It was also in production as late as the 1980’s, seeing some on and off use.

About a mile past the Mickey Breen we came to the Poughkeepsie Gulch turnoff. Normally, Poughkeepsie is still closed on the 4th of July but this year the snow has melted a bit quicker and it is open for travel. We opted to follow Mineral Creek on up Engineer. Our next stop was at the little settlement called Des Ouray. It received its name from investors from Des Moine, Iowa. It was comprised by some twenty claims. It also had a sawmill and a hydroelectric dam on Mineral Creek that served for electricity throughout the town and mines. After a picnic and some exploring we were ready to venture onward.

Another mile or so we turned off the main road and headed up to the ruins of the San Juan Chief Mill. Just to the south on a rough and rocky road is the remains of the town of Mineral Point.

We then proceeded to the ghost town of Animas Forks. There were a lot of people there today. The road from Silverton is a graded dirt road and makes easy access for the “car bound”. We opted to bypass Animas Forks till another day, and another story. From there we drove up California Gulch, past Bagley Mill. At the top of California Pass we decided to head down Poughkeepsie Gulch. With just a small amount of snow on the road we mad it down safely to “the wall”. This is the toughest spot on the trail. It’s a rock outcropping that just get better with age. Since we were going down, it wasn’t too difficult. But being “adventurous we had to play on the wall. There are two or three options available to climb so we spent about a half hour trying them all. From there we headed back down and joined up with the Engineer road and went on into Ouray. It was a great day in the mountains. The sun was shining and the temperature was perfect. Plus we were with the best of friends.

Check back often for more adventures of the Wild Bunch

Halfway to camp, she turned and looked at me, with a worried expression, and asked if there were really bears up there. I laughed feeling no need to feed her already heightened fears. On the first turn up the steep hill, she let out a yelp. She screamed, “This truck is going to fall apart with all the bumps in the road! Are we even supposed to be driving on it?” I had grown up bouncing around in a truck and thought nothing of the steep grade and sharp turns! She cried out around every corner in fear that we would fall off. She almost jumped into my lap when she saw a cow in the road. She thought they would bite her through the window!

After we arrived, I let her calm down as the rest of our group started setting up tents. She was so exhausted from the short thirty minute ride I figured I would do it myself. She was munching on some food in no time when I heard her say, “Seriously! bears!” She ran over to me and said we needed to go home. I explained that there are bears and deer and all sorts of animals everywhere in Colorado at all times. As long as we kept all of our food stored away and didn’t leave it out, we should be fine.

During the rest of the trip, she was a real trooper. We took four-wheelers all over Kinikin driving as fast as we could around narrow dirt roads, admiring the trees and smells of the forest as we zipped by. We caught two very small fish, which she thought was quite a feat. The trip ended in a night of singing songs around the campfire. That morning we rinsed our hands off in the water and I knew that she and I were gonna have a blast teaching each other the greatest lessons in life. I’d teach her about Colorado and how beautiful girls are the best outdoorsmen. She’d teach me what real courage and adventurous spirit looks like!

The mesa is home to more than 200 lakes filled with Rainbow Trout and the Native Cutthroat Trout. Fishing may take place all times of the year. Some people ice fish during the winter months, while others prefer to throw a fly out when the temperatures are somewhat warmer.

The Mesa offers several lodges that are open year around for lunch and dinner. The Grand Mesa Lodge has several cabins for rent, plus snowmobile tours for beginners. For advanced snowmobilers there are over 400 trails, a few of which are groomed for a smoother ride. I grew up in Cedaredge, which is just at the base of the Grand Mesa and have been a snowmobiler from the time I was five. I was not big enough or old enough to ride my own snowmobile, so I rode in front of my dad. He was a crazy driver and had a tendency of rolling the snowmobile over, luckily not ever hurting either of us. This was a great way for the entire family to spend quality time together, plus get a great workout.

My wife dropped the three of us off about 1 hour outside of Montrose at the Middle Fork trailhead in the Cimarron area. We began with a gentle climb in the fragrant fields of mountain flowers that cascaded down from the abrupt castle-like cliffs that surrounded the Porphyry Basin.
As we turned our backs on Courthouse Peak, we began the steep climb toward Matterhorn. The trail disappeared under a glacier that presented the only rational way over the pass. I have to admit that we all felt a sense of accomplishment as we reached the 13,000-foot top that presented a direct view of two 14ers. (Colorado has 53 14ers–mountains with elevation over 14,000 feet. The San Juans are home to 14 of them). In reality, this small climb was a leisurely stroll compared to what lay ahead.

As we began the decent from the rocky pass to the grass-covered slope, we started to pick up animal tracks and sign. Everywhere we looked; we found droppings and hoof prints. They were too small for elk; but we couldn’t imagine that 200-300 dear had herded together on the slope. The mystery and our inept tracking skills were clearly revealed when we soon heard the low baa of sheep that had been led to high elevation for the summer. And our pace quickened when their two Great Pyrenees protectors made it clear that we weren’t welcome.

After forging the east fork of the Cimarron River, we found the ideal spot for camp between Uncompahgre Peak and Matterhorn next to the headwaters of the Cimarron. After pumping water and shoveling in a couple dehydrated meals each, we hit our mats hard. The next morning, we skirted around Matterhorn Peak on the Ridge Stock Driveway trail and set our sights on conquering Wetterhorn Peak.

Once we went above tree line, we could feel the need for more oxygen. So we found some rocks near a curious marmot where we hid our packs until our return. At 13,000 feet, the thin air demoralized my nephew; and he decided to turn around. Knowing that he’d regret that choice for a long time to come, I talked him into walking with me to a rock that was about 25 yards up the hill. We arrived and he spun around to go back to the packs. I challenged him to come with me to a ledge about 15 yards ahead. It didn’t take long until he figured out my strategy; but it gave him enough to keep going. He had lost heart when he saw how far we had to go, but the little goals were enough to get him to the summit.

When we were about 100 yards beneath the summit, we could see storms quickly approaching. There is no cover on a 14er from lighting; and people are struck and killed on them every year. The storms come in so quickly at that elevation. My fear began to build with the clouds. By the time we reached the top, we could see lightning coming in. My Arkansan relatives wanted to soak in the moment which I interrupted in a near panic as hail moved in on the summit. The sound of rocks crackling with electricity is horrifying when you have no place to hide. Despite their excitement and accomplishment, we were in serious danger. With constant prodding to hurry, we scrambled down the mountain nearly running for our lives. It was a mistake for me to allow the group to keep climbing as the clouds were building, and we were fortunate to descend the mountain unscathed.

With the rain pouring down, we set up camp beneath tree line with half of the journey left to go. The next morning we headed for American Lake on the Saddle Trail. Most of the 8 or 10 miles to American Lake were well above 12,000 feet. The south edge of Blackwall Mountain and Wildhorse Peak were breathtaking.

That night I experienced my favorite moment camping—ever. I couldn’t sleep between my snoring relatives and my feet cried out for freedom from the confines of the mummy bag. After 2 hours of elbowing the others and fidgeting, I nearly ran out of the tent in frustration. I have never seen anything so beautiful. There was no moon, no lights, and very little atmosphere. The Milky Way was so thick it looked like it would drip down on us. The sky was crowded with colors that I had never seen overhead before.

The final day, we made our way out on the Bear Creek National Recreation Trail. After Wetterhorn, we didn’t see a single person until we were about five miles away from our exit point. The trails disappeared under the growth of the untrodden path. The Bear Creek Trail took us through the breathtaking waterfalls near Grizzly Bear Mine and over the old mining trail that is carved out of the cliffs above Bear Creek. As we approached Highway 550, we spotted the town of Ouray to the north. We were just close enough to call my wife for our shuttle home. Exhausted, I plunked down in the middle of the trailhead parking lot—10 pounds lighter than when we began.

Telluride Ski Resort

Telluride, CO – Colorado’s Telluride Ski Resort is the newest U.S. home for World Cup snowboarding with the Visa U.S. Snowboardcross Cup Dec. 17-20, 2009. Telluride is the sole U.S. stop of the LG sponsored FIS (International Ski Federation) Snowboard World Cup this season and will feature both SBX (snowboardcross) and PGS (parallel giant slalom) competitions during the second in a series of five Olympic qualification events for the two disciplines.

With snowmaking in full swing, the mountain will be fully prepared and eager as athletes, coaches, media, families and friends from local areas and around the world will visit Telluride for this Olympic qualifying event.