[Cdt-l] Cumbres northwards question

Fri Jun 5 18:04:20 CDT 2009

Another option is as you you walk from cumbres pass toward the NF campground (about halfway) you will have a logging/NF road on the left. If you follow it and always go to the left (uphill) you will be able to either work around the blowdowns or end up at the logging operations area and be able to pick up the CDT on the ridgeline above the blow downs. I've sorta got lost/misplaced in this area and followed a bunch of old logging roads once when I lost the trail. All in all the CDT is on the highest point and the alternate trail is at the bottom.  The ridge route is prettier the lower route is easier (if the snow has melted enough out of the trees). 

The logging operation is working on removing the thousands of dead trees killed by the beetles. 

If you can make it through it is certainly worth the effort.  

Chris 
-----Original Message-----
From: Brian Dickson <briansolar1 at yahoo.co.uk>
To:  <cdt-l at backcountry.net>

Sent: 6/5/2009 4:56:24 PM
Subject: [Cdt-l] Cumbres northwards question

Thanks Chris and Melanie for the information. I spoke to the forestry office at Pagosa who put me on to the Rio Grande rangers at 719-274-8971. I didn't get a huge amount of info from them other than logging may still be going on at the Cumbres north CDT so take the alternative (as described by Chris). Thats good info Chris, we are going for that route tomorrow and its good to know about the 'bail-out' options. 

San Gabriel has gone through as well as Yeti so it is possible -it just might well be hard work. However the scenery looks great to Wolf Creek Pass. Martina and I have been climbing/mountaineering around the world now for 20 years or so, so I guess experience won't be a problem for us- it doesn't mean it won't be hard though! We are taking our ice axes, boots and extra food but aren't carrying crampons.

The Cooknbooks cafe in Chama is excellent by the way. Smoothies, greek feta salads, nice fresh food all round. It made a change from the burritos we have been eating in town up til now. Its beside the Chama Valley Supermarket and worth a visit.

Brian

--- On Fri, 5/6/09, Melanie Simmerman <jennylind50 at yahoo.com> wrote:

From: Melanie Simmerman <jennylind50 at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Cdt-l] Fw: Trail Report from Chama NM and Cumbres northwards question- correction!
To: "Brian Dickson" <briansolar1 at yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Friday, 5 June, 2009, 8:05 PM

Brian and Martina
Check with rangers in Chama about the route north from Cumbres Pass. Yeti is the only hiker so far who has gotten through to Pagosa and he is a very experienced mountaineer - and he had lots of trouble. Also, the trail north of Cumbres Pass was closed last year due to severe blowdowns and the forest service had organized a re-route. Plus for Yeti snow was deep. He had crampons. He is road walking north from Pagosa. 

I think Ellie is going to try to get through according to her journal entry in Chama (6/1), but have not seen any note from her yet that she made it via the trail.

If you do attempt the San Juan route, be careful and hike safely. Have a good rest. Try Carlotta's cafe in Chama -- good coffee and breakfasts.
Melanie (In Salida)

--- On Fri, 6/5/09, Brian Dickson <briansolar1 at yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

> From: Brian Dickson <briansolar1 at yahoo.co.uk>
> Subject: [Cdt-l] Fw: Trail Report from Chama NM and Cumbres northwards question- correction!
> To: cdt-l at backcountry.net
> Date: Friday, June 5, 2009, 12:12 PM
> Sorry
> for those interested it should have been that the purple
> route zigs out the valley on the right - not left
> brian
> 
> North of Ghost ranch on Jonathan Ley's NM6 map we
> failed to find the
> split at point 7 but just continued on the jeep track north
> (the solid
> purple line) along the meadow in the valley.  The
> purple line route
> then zig zags out of the valley on the RIGHT on a faded
> jeep route which
> is pretty easy to follow- you just need to watch out for
> when it splits
> from the valley as there is a stock trail that continues on
> the valley
> floor.
> 
> --- On Fri, 5/6/09, Brian Dickson
> <briansolar1 at yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
> 
> From: Brian Dickson <briansolar1 at yahoo.co.uk>
> Subject: [Cdt-l] Trail Report from Chama NM and Cumbres
> northwards question
> To: cdt-l at backcountry.net
> Date: Friday, 5 June, 2009, 5:05 PM
> 
> Brian and Martina along with Ted and Richard
> made it to Cumbres Pass Colorado yesterday and are taking a
> rest day in the pleasant village of Chama NM.
> 
> We have had thunderstorms and slightly cold weather for a
> couple of weeks now and there was no shortage of
>  water from Ghost Ranch to Cumbres.  The walking has
> been nice and mellow with good views north to the snowy
> Colorado hills.
> 
> Some trail notes.....
> 
> North of Ghost ranch on Jonathan Ley's NM6 map we
> failed to find the split at point 7 but just continued on
> the jeep track north (the solid purple line) along the
> meadow in the valley.  The purple line route then zig
> zags out of the valley on the left on a faded jeep route
> which is pretty easy to follow- you just need to watch out
> for when it splits from the valley as there is a stock trail
> that continues on the valley
>  floor.
> 
> We took the new trail on NM4 that skirts the Vallecitos
> area to the south. Its nice and varied if somewhat minimally
> signed (at least at the start). If you get to a meadow just
> keep walking to the far side and look for ribbon or old jeep
> trail there.  It has good water at the Rio Vallecitos -
> almost too good as it was a thigh deep crossing on quite a
> fast flow! There has been a log put in for crossing the
> river but it looked like it had been turned over by a flood
> and neither martina or I were up to the  'trapeze
> like' balance act  required to cross on the log so
> waded instead.
> 
> The Placer Creek & Long Canyon area on NM3 was
> particularly nice scenery. We met some gold panners between
> the 2.
> 
> We reached the split point south of the Colorado border
> between old and new trails to Cumbres Pass and had lunch
> there (to shelter from the hail) on NM1. There is a single
> bendy CDT post to the left NB just as marked on
>  Jonathans map. The trail was very faint (it took a few
> attempts to find) so we decided to do the shorter older
> route to the border especially as it was also thundery and
> wet.
> 
> Next steps to Pagosa Springs...
> It seems that many hikers are road walking to pagosa from
> Chama and then to Creede. I think Yeti has hiked to pagosa
> then road walked and we met Mike yesterday in town, leaving
> with a large rucksack to hike the trail to Pagosa. We are
> going for the trail too as the scenery north looks great
> with lakes, mountains and glaciation. We are going to take a
> bit extra food to counter a slower pace over the snow. 
> 
> I am still trying to work out whether it will be better
> north of Cumbres pass to hike the closed trail onto the
> ridge or take the lower  reroute to the east. I spoke
> to Mr D yesterday who tried the later and returned to town
> as there was more snow to the east lower in the valley trees
> than up on the summits. He also was
>  suffering from Giardia like symptoms so that couldn't
> have helped. I will try to get the Cumbres quadrangle map
> and speak to the Pagosa forestry people today to decide. 
> 
> Any views on this or anyone who has done this section would
> be appreciated?
> 
> We still hold out hopes of hiking the whole San Juans so a
> slow pace might help us with that to let the snow melt some
> more although I note on Postholers site that Wolf Creek Pass
> has a 70-80% normal snow level which is good news.
> 
> Thanks for reading and happy hiking!
> Hope to update the blog with pictures later today
> 
> 
> Brian and Martina from
>  Scotland
> www.aweewalk.blogspot.com
> 
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