Beautiful Day Hike

Beautiful summer visit to southern Colorado!  Oddly enough, I was headed for Wyoming but a predicted heat wave had me look for alternatives and southern Colorado was predicted to be 10-15 degrees cooler. 100 miles hiked and 1000 miles driven over 9 days.  I explored four different mountain ranges: Wet Mountains, Sangre de Cristo, San Juan Mountains and the Spanish Peaks.  Some wildfire smoke moved in the last two days of the trip, but overall the weather was sunny, dry, and pleasantly warm. View to the east looking down from Lobo Overlook.  Wolf Creek Pass, Rio Grande NF, near South Fork, CO.

Greenhorn Mountain looms. San Isabel NF, near Rye, CO.

West Spanish Peak in the center. San Isabel, NF. Near Cuchara, CO. 

Hiking at Wolf Creek ski area. Near South Fork, CO. 

South Fork of the Rio Grande River. Rio Grande NF, near South Fork, CO. 

Walker Draw got in the way! Rio Grande NF, near South Fork, CO.   

From Lobo Overlook. Near South Fork, CO. 

Short drive from South Fork to trailhead. Rio Grande NF. Views of Sentinel Peak? 

Unique BLM area between La Garita and Del Norte.

Have to save climb to top for another day. Rio Grande NF, near La Garita, CO.

Crestone Needle and Humboldt peaks at center and right. Sangre de Cristo Wilderness, San Isabel NF, near Westcliffe, CO.

Mild evening. Just outside Westcliffe, CO. 

Fantastic shoulder trail in the Sangre de Cristos. Views across the valley to the Wet Mountains. From Horn Creek trailhead, San Isabel NF. Near Westcliffe, CO. 

Venable trail to lakes. San Isabel NF, near Westcliffe, CO.

View from Wet Mountains foothills, near Westcliffe, CO. 

About 10K'. View of St Charles Peak and Greenhorn Peaks in the distance. Wet Mountains, San Isabel NF, near Westcliffe, CO.