Yankee Boy Basin/Wrights Lake Spur

Jellystone of Black Canyon
Montrose, CO
July 4, 2015



Yesterday, our sights were on the San Juans. Our trail of choice was Yankee Boy Basin. Actually that was the seond choice, but Imogene Pass is still closed due to snow.

Yankee Boy Basin is an alpine basin with stunning beauty. Access is by foot, bike or a moderate rated 4X4 trail.  


The first part of the trail is Camp Bird Road. It is easy and wide and lined with spruce, pines and aspens.

We always go slow with the windows down to enjoy the smell of evergreens and moist dirt.

 The last section of trail gives this trail it's moderate rating...it is rocky with a couple of ledgy spots and the higher you climb, the more narrow and steep the trail gets.

A gate at the upper portion is closed until the snow melts in late June or early July.

 Our first stop was Twin Falls on Sneffels Creek...I love hiking here from bottom to top and back down again. 

 There are paths for walking among the wildflowers...

...and rocks for scrambling to get close to the falls.

Colorful wildflowers carpet the ground...

The water is crystal clear and very cold.

 From Twin Falls, the end of trail is just under 2 miles and our second stop. High Point is 12,400 ft. and the suggested best time of year to go is mid July-September.

Yellow Indian Paintbrush

Until next time,

 HAPPY TRAILS!

Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP

Jellystone of the Black Canyon
Montrose, CO
July 2, 2015

Happy 4th of July to all...God Bless America!

Entrance station to Black Canyon...

At the top of our list this year was a visit to Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP right here in Montrose. 

This NP offers a view of some of the steepest cliffs and oldest rocks in North America. It has taken the Gunnison River over two million years, along with forces of weathering, to sculptor a "verticle wilderness" of rock, water and sky. 

Breathtaking...exhilarating...invigorating...spirituous...

At it's narrowest point, the canyon is only 40 ft. wide.

The Black Canyon is so named because of it's steepness which makes it difficult for sunlight to penetrate into it's depths making the cliff walls appear black.  

Cross Fissures

Rapids from a swiftly flowing river...

In some places, the river only receives 33 minutes of sunlight a day.

I wish you could hear the sound of the river...

The Painted Wall...the tallest sheer cliff in Colorado at 2,250 feet.

Let the good times roll...

HAPPY TRAILS!

Up next...a jaunt into the San Juans.