Oh Be Joyful Hike & Gunsight Pass

Gunnison KOA
Gunnison, CO
July 8, 2016


Doesn't a name like Oh Be Joyful entice you to come and play?  That's exactly what we did yesterday.  To find this wonderful piece of heaven, take Hwy 135 (Gothic Road) north through Crested Butte and turn left on Slate River Rd.  Drive 4.5 to 5 miles on a well maintained dirt road and look for the Oh Be Joyful Campground and trail sign.  

At the bottom of the hill you can cross the river if your vehicle has enough clearance and park on the other side.  

Joe, Scott, Zuni, Chris and Shannon

At first the trail climbs fairly steeply on an old mining road along side Oh Be Joyful Creek.  We had a great group...Ronnie, Carol, Shannon and Cooper, and Scott, Chris and Zuni.

When we reached  the falls, the trail mostly flattens out and becomes much narrower.  






Shortly after, we crossed the wilderness boundary.
From here the miles are endless as you traverse a narrow path through the glacial valley.  Our hike was 7 miles roundtrip in/out.  

We enjoyed the shade, fragrance and dampness  from patches of  evergreens and aspens along the way. 





But mostly I fancied the wide-open meadows with it's lush greenery, splashes of color and grandiose views. 

 

 

I am trying really hard not to duplicate the wildflowers.

This is Mountain Parlsey...one of the longest blooming mountain flowers.


This is Sneezeweed...named for the use of its dried and powdered flowers in snuff.  I love the droopy flowers !

Distort flowers wave in tight clusters a foot above most low-growing tundra flowers. Bears, elk and rodents find the ropey roots to be tasty.

 Horsemint Beebalm is a magnet for bees and butterflies.

 This is Mountain Harebell...commonly found in dry open meadows.

After lunch back at the Oh Be Joyful Campground, we headed up Gunsight Pass (just off Slate River Road close to where we were.)  with Scott and Chris.  This is not a trail in Charles' Wells guide.  It was an old mining road. Today it basically zig-zags up to the pass and is mainly used by bikers and 4WD vehicles.  About a mile from the top, the trail ends with a sign that recommends you not go past for your own safety. 
Scott leads the way...

The white lines on the right side bottom quadrant are Slate River Road.

 A beautiful view of the glacial valley we just hiked...

If you look closely, you can see the trail winding around the back side of Mount Emmons...its the yellow looking line going center to right. 

At the point where we could not go any farther, we stopped to play...





...and just take it all in.

Until next time, happy days...

...and happy,

 HAPPY TRAILS!

 Information on wildflowers is from a book I bought at the bookstore in Ouray a couple of years ago...Wild About Wildflowers by Katherine Darrow.

Judd Falls Hike

Gunnison KOA
Gunnison, CO
July 6 & 7, 2016

Yesterday, Joe and I joined Ronnie, Carol and Shannon on a Scenic River Tour.  This was my first time rafting and what an awesome time I had.  




Our tour was a Class II, 3 hour water trip down the Gunnison River. 

 The five of us plus Ariel, our energetic and informative guide, navigated easy rapids and clear channels with some maneuvering.  Cameras were not allowed which is a good thing as I don't think I could have managed a paddle and a camera.  Plus I was really wet. 

Today we (all 5 of us) were up and out by 9:00 to meet friends from Moab...Scott, Chris and their pup Zuni...for a hike to Judd Falls.  

The trail head is about 8.5 miles north of Crested Butte on Gothic Road just beyond Gothic.  

Swallow's Nest...1880

Since 1928, scientists from all over converge on Gothic during the months of June - August to study plants, wildlife, weather, and wetlands. 



 There is a Visitor Center and a small stand that sells coffees, lattes etc. 

Youth programs, talk series and tours are offered as well as opportunities to volunteer. 

Judd Falls Trail is an easy/moderate 1 or 2 mile round trip, in-out hike (depending on which parking lot you choose) that traverses through a wide dirt road through an aspen forest then changes to a narrow and rocky path surrounded by wildflowers and views of Gothic Mountain.  

Scott, Shannon, Chris, Zuni and Joe

Monument plants filled the forest.  They are a unique plant in that they live for many years, but produce flowers, fruits and seeds only once then die.  Some years the forest is full of blooms and other years you might have a hard time finding any. 

Carol and I noticed that two blooms looked a lot alike, but the leaves were quite different.  After a bit of research, I learned that this one is a tall herb...Cow Parsnip.  It has leaves made of 3 leaflets that grow up to 16 inches across.  The entire plant can be as tall as 7 feet.  

The other plant is Osha, also a herb.  It has fern shaped leaves. 

Beautiful views of Gothic Mountain 

Sulphur Buckwheat has bright yellow flowers which age to blazing orange or red.  These are only a few inches tall. 

 And then, Judd Falls...pictures just don't show how magnificent it is.

 It was another great day.  And oh my, the weather is fantastic !  Until next time, happy days...

HAPPY TRAILS !