In The Shadow of Longs Peak
Monday, 20 February 2017
Today our scheme is to pack up and head to Carrizo Canyon before heading back home.
At Carrizo, I am astounded to find a clear, running creek!
There is a short hike, which includes petroglyphs. We wander up the creek but do not find a place to cross so retrace our steps and climb back up to the parking area.
We spy another path and investigate. Now we head down the creek. Seems like we found a spot to cross and headed up the creek which included climbing up to see petroglyphs. We continued up and turned around in about the same place as earlier then back down, up to the car and home.
A wonderful outing!
Sunday, 19 February 2017
Overnight we heard the cry of coyotes, very far in the distance as well as owls in the alcove behind us. I am not sure that we have often heard owls on our various outings, so this is a treat!
We woke up about 8 AM, made coffee and breakfast, packed up for our hike and were on our way. There are 3 loop hikes, beginning with the arch rock trail, then the homestead loop then the outlaw loop.
We walk down the road to the furthest access point to go the long way thinking we’ll come back along the trail that faces our campsite. So we turn and immediately the trail becomes indistinct, more like a game track but I see a post not too far. Gary heads toward it and beyond there is another post and cairns.
I am actually surprised that the post is a marker as it looks more like a dead stump but all the subsequent stumps are look similar. We continue up and after a time are up on a mesa. I might point out, we do not have a topo map which is not really a good idea but this is a ‘check it out trip’, not a ‘get it done’ trip.
From the mesa, we move back down into a canyon where we meet up with another trail. We take the left hand trail which seems to be the most used. It is downward trending and takes us thru a canyon. At the bottom of the canyon, there is a set of signs, one for the picnic area, another for the arch rock trail which we follow. It goes up a short incline then into another canyon with yet another sign: Foot trail or horse trail. We follow the foot trail that takes us into two different narrow canyons, both which seem to peter out. We backtrack to the sign and take the horse trail which is well marked and moves up along the top of the mesa. This is open country, really nice hiking and a different world.
We turn back at my request and head back to the picnic sign and take the trail from there. There is a spring here. Then we take a 2-track but then turn around and continue on the trail. Before long, there is a fence and sign about preserving our heritage. We start back on that well-worn trail and see a panel of pictographs, painted in an iron oxide color. What little remains is exquisite but mutilated with other peoples names and dates.
I move along the rock, not really seeing much until a sign telling us not to deface the pictures. These pictographs are cool, along with some petro glyphs, including the parallel lines the book talks about.
(Later, Dan a workmate, tells be that the really cool stuff is up farther and around the corner the other way)
We head back to camp for a supper of Chicken Chow Mein. I am in bed by 7 and asleep soon after.
Picture Canyon
Picture Canyon in the Comanche Grasslands in South East Colorado
Presidents Day Weekend 2017
18 February 2017 – 20 February 2017
We traded the idea of winter camping at Peaceful Valley for another jaunt to the Comanche Grasslands, this time to Picture Canyon
Probably a good move: After feeling pretty lame on our ski tour starting at the south end of the Sourdough Trail on Sunday and down with a cold or flu by Monday night and staying in bed all day Tuesday I am not sure that camping in the snow and cold would have been a good idea. Plus my knee bothered me skiing.
Friday, 17 February 2017
We headed out of town on Friday after work. We are just east of Longmont at 5:50 and at Brian’s in Colorado Springs by 7:50 PM, 2 hours drive time which is typical. We spend the night there and are up by 8 AM.
Saturday, 18 February 2017
After a stop at Whole Foods for supper, we are headed south on I-25 to Pueblo by 9:30. At Pueblo we pick up US 50 east to La Junta then on to Lamar then south another 50 miles to Springfield CO and then Campo. I had never been east of La Junta so this is all new territory.
Just before Campo, we turn on county road M, then west 8 miles, then south on county road 18 for another 8 miles then 2 miles on Forest Service Road 6321 to the Picture Canyon Trailhead.
We arrive by 2:30 and setup camp. I am journaling while Gary checks out the trailhead info. We are the only ones camping here and it is quiet now that the wind has settled down. There are a few wisps of clouds and hopefully we will see stars tonight. And we did! Orion and Cassiopeia are clear. It is one of those nights where the dim stars are brighter, washing out the bright stars that we normally see.