Into the south San Juans

After my trip last October in the south San Juans, I immediately felt they’d be the kind of mountains Joan and I liked to travel together – rolling tundra walks, not crowded, and sublime scenery. And no “Ten Minutes of  Terror.”

With a more extended weekend available, we decided to spend three days in these mountains, not far from Moab.

As usual, we had a quick camp before and enjoyed a scrumptious meal cooked on our tailgate, along with some cold drinks and a quiet evening.

The following day, we went to a lightly used trail that appeared to have been fire-damaged in recent years, but had undergone some very recent trailwork, as indicated by the fresh cuts along the trail.

As we approached the cusp of timberline, we found a suitable spot to pitch our shelter and get out of the coming rain.

The more we use the Gossamer Gear “The Two”, the more we like it.

After a restful night listening to the rain on our shelter, we made our way to the alpine tundra in the clear blue sky.

The top of our climb promised everything we enjoy about this area, and Joan readily agreed with my initial assessment that she, too, would love this area.

We made our way through the tundra, enjoying the views, and found a place to put our gear on the dry cycle.

The trail continued to draw us on with its scenery and expansive views into the heart of the mountains.

The clouds started rolling in, providing great views that made us rethink our route for the day.

We continued and decided to go down an upcoming pass, join a dirt road, and make a shorter loop instead.

The rains came just as we started our descent down to treeline. The quiet road seemed more of a trail with pleasant views, calm, and easy tread.

Not long before our truck, we got out of the rain at the roof of a historical USFS cabin.

We ended up camping another night, but the shorter loop allowed us to have time in the morning to see the Chimney Rock National Monument.

An important archeoastronomical site at the edge of the Chacoan world, we last visited about five years ago.

Since our last visit, the site has undergone significant expansion, featuring a fantastic visitor center, interesting displays, and new interpretive signs.

However, the archaeological sites speak for themselves, offering views that extend ninety miles to Chaco, with its potential as a site for setting signal fires.

The 800+ year-old structures where the edge of the Rockies meets the edge of the Colorado Plateau always make for a memorable visit.

And, of course, the Chimney and Companion rock themselves, and the 18.6 Lunar standstill cycle that occurs here makes it clear, for the importance of this sight.

We made our way back home, enjoyed a great burger and a full draft beer at the aptly named Stateline Restaurant on the CO/UT border (but, very importantly, on the Colorado side of the border!), and concluded an excellent weekend in the San Juan Mountains.