This Immense and Beautiful Landscape

As we drive or atv around the countryside adjacent to Lake City I'm ever more impressed by the sheer immensity of the landscape and the beauty it holds. In this segment I share some of my favorite spots, a mere sampling of what there is to see.

The falls on Nellie Creek is not large by many standards, but it splashes and pools alongside the trail we're atv'ing, creating a welcome refreshing, cooling scenic stop. I often say "I never can get a really good waterfall picture", but keep trying.

We're still on Nellie Creek trail here, looking back mostly south from whence we came. Visible here are five layers of mountains in the background, and every one of these layers presents its own world of rugged wilderness.

Nellie Creek trail, with little exception, follows the creek upstream to the hiking trailhead which leads on upward.

This is the access point for hikers to ascend to "The Big One," Uncompahgre Peak; we're told it's a grueling 2-1/2 miles, not for sissies.

Based on the number of vehicles parked at the trailhead, I'd estimate there were 10-15 hikers up there that day. The hardy ones backpack and camp up above this point; others camp in open areas around the parking area.

The distinctive shape of Uncompaghre as we approach the trailhead on our atv.

We stop on the way down for another shot at the falls; this is a little better view of the entire cascade and pool and the interesting coloration of the rocks that are constantly dampened by spray as the tumult of water hits bottom.

Here we see Clear Creek Falls, in a totally different type of landscape...a high plateau lying above the headwaters of the Rio Grande River.

We took an impromptu atv ride from the falls to an even higher plateau, near Bristol Mt. We intend to go back and ride up Bristol Mt. after the aspens turn golden.

We chose this hunting camp for our lunch stop; camps like this one are frequently seen throughout the areas where we ride. Elk and deer hunting are a big business here; deer archery season has just opened.

This kind of scene makes me stare in wonder....sheer rock cliffs jut above deep, steep canyons, hills pillow and mound in between where wildflowers flourish and die with the seasons and weather, small creeks and streams partition the landscape into unique ecosystems.

And yet, isolated as we feel, there's a sign of civilization...wouldn't surprise us to see a beautiful ranchhouse or lodge seated down there at the bottom of this sweeping scene.

This scene with the picnic bench near Clear Creek Falls just says something to me. Hello, is there anyone out there?

Our ATV ride to the top of Cinnamon Pass in early August provided this less traditional view of American Basin, flowers not being the object this time. The picture was taken from well above the trail which we normally take right into the Basin, we reached this spot via a number of tight, uphill switchback turns. Seeing the trail snaking out in front of us gave a whole different perspective on the distances and elevation changes we experience on these trails.

Between where I stand to take this photo and the furthest mountain peak in the background, I'm certain there is no town, no village....only isolated mountain homes, ranches and rugged wilderness.

Hinsdale County bears the label "The Most Remote County in the Nation," meaning that there are more places where the crow could fly long distances without crossing any sign of inhabitation than anywhere in the U.S.

Ditto, another jawdropping scene.

Yet another ATV ride took us up the Big Blue Road or Trail, which terminates at a trailhead and campground. We travel first by ranch vistas and then wind uphill through forested areas, home to much wildlife including wild turkeys, then down through a vast valley of meadow and stream, around the mountain's edge and upward to the trailhead. This view looks back down another valley where there is no trail, no road, no civilization.

I try here to show just how immense the landscape is....those are large tents down there amidst the pines.

The Powderhorn Valley, through which Cebolla Creek runs, is a different scene...the valley is all ranch land and at this season haying is at its peak. Every piece of land that can be cultivated appears to be in hay, right up to the creek's edge.

A large herd of horses, probably 35 in all, work over a newly mowed and baled field. The creek is the lifeblood of this valley; you can see by the adjacent hills that all is rocky and dry up there.

Accessible spots along the creek like this draw us to stop and linger for lunch. Most of the land is private here and not accessible to the public, but there are enough places in its wandering journey where fishing or just picnicking can be enjoyed to keep us going back every year more than once.

This is my favorite picture of summer of 2009. Here you can get some perspective of the size of the valley; it flows onward in the opposite direction for perhaps 6 more miles. I love it!

What's Been Happening

Throughout the summer we've engaged in a variety of fun activities, aside from the fishing and atv'ing that are standard items.

Earlier in our stay we saw the local presentation of "Always, Patsy Cline", featuring Julie Rothschild, a gal I've known from the community chorus. She did a great job, and we thoroughly enjoyed the latest Arts Center improvement, a new room with permanent stage and elevated theatre type seating (replacing the old arena where folding metal chairs were the seating choice!). The new area was a part of an adjacent restaurant/bar which has now become folded into the Arts Center renovation, a 3-yr. project. The new theater room has recently been improved even more by elevating the stage to a level where there's not a bad seat in the house!

On Aug. 15 we were a part of the enthusiastic audience for the last performance of "Hear Us Dance," the combined clogging & bellydancing show. We were delighted to again see Mary Nettleton, the only blind clogger, and little Zoe Worthen, who at 10 yrs. is a real bellydance pro. This year Zoe danced solo (last year her Mom did a duo with her) and held the audience spellbound with her exotic costume & dance routine. She is breathtakingly beautiful, and at this young age, already has the ability to use her eyes as well as her movement to enchant her viewers.

We've enjoyed several fish frys in the canopied area behind the clubhouse, traditionally a potluck event, sometimes with homemade ice cream dessert, but always with lots and lots of good food and good company.

One day before some of the folks had to go back in time for Texas school opening in August, two carloads of the ladies went to Freemons Ranch for lunch. Freemons is known for their great hamburgers, onion rings, and ice cream; their reputation is well deserved. Needless to say, we made a dent in their inventory! That's me standing at the back, in red.

Complicated Rooflines, Victorian Architecture, Historic Houses

It seems like almost everything in Lake City is for sale, including this beautiful old Victorian which sits on the main street, Gunnison Avenue, aka Highway 149 or Silver Thread Scenic Byway.

Chimneys, turrets, gables, complicated rooflines, unusual shingling....all the hallmarks of Victorian architecture can be seen here.

The town was founded in 1875 as a supply center for the thousands of miners who flooded the San Juan Mountains. At the height of the Victorian Era, Lake City boomed for the quarter century before the silver crash of 1893.

This house was built in 1892, in the midst of the mining boom.

The plaque in front of the house identifies it as one of the local historic homes.

Another Victorian just down the street is now commercially active and is also for sale, if memory serves me right.

Yes, there's the realtor's sign posted on the porch columns.

Now, for a change of pace...this is a brand new home, actually slightly still under construction. Use of bay windows, gables, and a quite complicated roofline maintains the spirit of the architecture used in many of the town's original buildings.

Many of the newest homes in the area reflect the log cabin style that was also a strong influence in the town's early days.

Cabins and virtual mansions sit side by side, most on very small lots, a few on what must be 3-4 combined lots.

With 96% of the County in government ownership, land is very precious, and large lots are an unusual luxury. Many homes are constructed in this long, narrow style, fitting onto narrow, half-block deep lots.

Here again is a newer home, with a quite complicated roofline.

This little, narrow home is so picturesque with its multicolored entry gable and lace window curtains.

Intricate, yes?

A beautifully maintained home, colorful as well.

These narrow homes remind me of what I've read about in New Orleans, called "shotgun houses", the idea being that you can shoot a shotgun through the front door and the shot flies right out the back door.

This is where Mary Nettleton & husband Ed and their dogs, including Mary's blind person's assistant black Laborador, live. It's a mellow shade of yellow that highlights the trim and some of the shingle siding. The sign on the front fence says "St. Bernard crossing." Needless to say, that's one of the dogs.

One of the very few brick homes we see. It intrigues me, looks like a small church or chapel, has medieval-looking window shutters on this side and a porch & columns right out of a southern plantation on another side.

This historic home is reminiscent of many of the farm homes familiar to me in the Midwest.

Very functional and plain.

For sheer bold color, this bright orange takes the prize!

Fly Fishing

Well, no, this doesn't have to do with fly fishing, but it is a lovely specimen seen when we were checking out places to fish. While photographing this beauty I didn't realize I was walking through a mess of what Missourians call "sticktights"...tiny burrs the size of a flea that stick to socks, shoelaces, pants, shoes, anything that comes their way, very opportunistic little nuisances! I found myself picking them out of shoelaces a whole week later.

Ed & Carol Hovasse are here in a rented cabin (quite a nice one, I might add), and in anticipation of their arrival on Aug. 15 we scouted out some additional fly fishing venues. E did try his luck, with no success, in an area the guys had fished last year, on Cebolla Creek in the Powderhorn Valley. Aside from mosquitoes, it's a nice place to just BE.

This bluebird waited, somewhat impatiently, for us to vacate the area of his nest so he could continue his feeding duties.

Ed & Ed are out fishing as I write this, in one of the many "catch & release" trout waters in the vicinity.

Despite the rain, they'll have fun. For eating, we fish at Lake San Cristobal which is regularly stocked. Recently Joe, the RV Pk Manager, took Ed & Ed out in his boat to fish at the "honey hole" where the larger trout hang out on the bottom, 28' below the surface. They had a great time, got their limit.

Yesterday Edmund & I fished at the lake for a while, he caught his limit of 4, I didn't get a bite. We traded places and still he caught another & I had no bites! As we were leaving (rain started) I asked E to pull my line up while I gathered up gear. Lo & behold, there was a fish on the line when he began reeling it in! The line broke in some weeds, luckily, I might have conked him one if he'd caught yet another fish & I got none.
We brought his catch home, cleaned them, later cooked them on the grill on a soaked, steaming, smoking cedar plank. Delicious!

Fence crossovers are typically used to provide access to fishing areas on public lands adjacent to roads; several are found along the Silver Thread Scenic Byway (Highway 149) and these fishing spots are heavily used throughout the season.

This elbow turn in the Lake Fork River is reached by climbing over a fence crossover and appears enticing; further examination of the rocky route from the road level to the river convinces us that we ain't mountain goats and have no business trying this descent!

ATV rides have provided much pleasure this summer; here is a "guys group ride" (meaning fast & furious)...Edmund is third from the right, green shirt. Note that one rider brought his Jack Russell terrier along. "Keeper" is an experienced rider, loves it!

Here Edmund puts our new ATV with power steering onto the trailer...yes, it's a cap on his head now, but during all our rides we do wear helmets, both of us, no matter how hot & uncomfortable they are (and they ARE).

Here we're just showing off that new, bright, shiny, no-dirt-yet ATV, riding around the RV Park. That's me in the white hair & big belly! It's all a matter of lighting (oh, yeah?)