More Roads, Sand and History

Volume III, the Rio Grande and North Platte River Basins

So, you were hiking onto Fossil Ridge above the Lamar Valley of Yellowstone National Park looking for wolves and grizzlies (along with bison, coyotes, deer, elk, marmots and moose) and now it’s time to beat feet to Leadville. It’s impossible to go wrong! Through Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Jackson, Green River and Flaming Gorge takes you to last month’s discussion of Dinosaur NM and US 40. Either route through Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Dubois, Lander or Yellowstone, Cody, Thermopolis, Riverton and Lander takes you to Rawlins. At Rawlins, (MAP) you can go east on I-80 to WY 130/230 through Saratoga and CO 125 to Walden and then west on CO 14 to Muddy Pass (8772 ft) or you can go west on I-80 to WY 789 and CO 13 to US 40 at Craig. The roads east of Rawlins that go south into Colorado are pretty and actually go directly to Leadville. In addition, you follow the North Platte River nearly to its headwaters.

At Dinosaur, get out the last issue for ways to get to I-70 and US 50. You can also go east to Craig and pick up CO 13 to Meeker and, again, see last issue’s discussion of Meeker south. This section of US 40 roughly parallels the Yampa River all the way to Rabbit Ears Pass (9426 ft). North of Maybell are waystations of the Outlaw Trail that ran from Hole-in-the Wall, Wyoming to Mexico. Along Powder Wash Creek, a tributary of the Little Snake River, and Brown’s Hole were two of the hideouts for Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch along with the Hole-in-the-Wall gang. Continuing east of Craig on US 40 through Steamboat Springs you get some choices. A lovely drive through historic Colorado coal country follows CO 131 (the turnoff is just a couple of miles east of the ski area) through Oak Creek, Phippsburg, Yampa, Toponas (mentioned prominently in the railroading songs of U Utah Phillips, the Golden Voice of the Great Southwest) and Bond and connects with I-70/US 6 at Wolcott (see last issue to get to Leadville). If you came down CO 14 from Walden, you can reach this route from CO 134 to Toponas or continue on US 40 to Kremmling and CO 9 which follows the Blue River to Dillon, I-70 west to Copper Mountain and CO 91 to Fremont Pass (11318 ft) and Leadville.

If you are coming to Colorado from the west, see the March/April issue. If you are on or east of I-25, see the January/February Issue.

If you chose the more direct route out of Durango, (MAP) US 160 east, you will find an early start may help with the traffic over Wolf Creek Pass (10850 ft). On Memorial Day weekend a couple of years ago Cheri and I rode our motorcycles over Wolf Creek pass before 8 am and nearly froze our fingers off. When we got to Pagosa Springs and stopped to get some coffee, it was amazing to see all the people walking around in shortswhile we were so cold. Altitude can change the temperature in a hurry. In Pagosa Springs, you will again find the San Juan River draining the West Side of the Continental Divide of the San Juan Mountains. Continue over Wolf Creek Pass and along the South Fork to its junction with the Rio Grande at the town of South Fork. Note the turnoff for the old mining town of Creede, Slumgullion Pass, Lake City and US 50. Continue east on US 160 into the San Luis Valley. This high, mountain valley is the home of much of the Colorado agricultural community and was first discovered by outsiders in the early 1600s when the Spanish explored the area from their outposts in what is now New Mexico. The town of San Luis lays claim to the title of earliest settlement in Colorado, dating from the 1620s. There are a number of old missions in the Valley, both in New Mexico and Colorado. There is another tourist train (the Cumbres & Toltec RR) that goes from Chama, New Mexico to Conejos, Colorado. This is a lovely trip through quite different country than the Durango & Silverton RR. Other attractions in the south end of the Valley include Jack Dempsey’s birthplace in Manassa (anybody remember the Manassa Mauler?) and the Stations of the Cross hike up the hill behind the Catholic Church in San Luis.

If you’re heading directly to Leadville from Wolf Creek Pass, turn off of US 160 at Del Norte on CO 112 where the Rio Grande Canal (agricultural diversion) departs from the Rio Grande River that you have followed down from South Fork. Notice the little town of La Garita on your map just west of US 285 and north of CO 112. If you’re into rock climbing a remote little canyon, Penitente Canyon, lies just southwest of La Garita on a bumpy, gravel road. Nice, short technical climbs are on this little piece of BLM land.

If you find yourself in Alamosa, head North on CO 17 and check out the new National Park on the East Side of the San Luis Valley, The Great Sand Dunes. These huge dunes lie at the foot of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Wind funnels through Medano and Music passes and drops sand picked up on the west side of the Valley in the La Garita and San Juan Mountains. Again, a don’t miss site. If you’re lucky, Medano Creek will be flowing right in front of the dunes. Just past the Visitor’s Center, on the opposite side of the road (East) is a Nature Trail about two miles long that is worth the effort. When you leave and head north on CO 17, it will be hard to pass up the Alligator Farm.

CO 17 and US 285 meet at the north end of the valley just south of Villa Grove and there is a nice approach to Poncha Pass (9010 ft) on the way to Leadville. Just after Poncha Springs, continue north on US 285 and you will soon be alongside the Arkansas River. Follow the river to Leadville (see January/February issue). Stop at the Hotel Delaware and come in. See you in Leadville.