Cruces Basin Wilderness: Osha Canyon (July 29, 2007)

The Cruces Basin can be a tough place to get to. Not that it's far from anywhere (approximately 2.5 hours from Santa Fe), but the roads to the trailheads are washboard, muddy and downright rocky and abusive to any small truck or SUV.

But many people do visit this area with station wagons and other sorts of on-road vehicles.
More power to them - I have had tire issues 2 out of the 3 times I visited this spot and one time my electrical system shut down from the severe jolting from the trailhead spur road.

Well enough stories and warnings. If you do visit this area you will be rewarded with stunning views, beautiful streams and plenty of wildlife (cows too). The area is mostly 9000' plus in elevation and the aspen groves are thick.

Camping

Dispersed camping is available all along FR 87 as you head towards the wilderness boundary. There are many established sites with fire rings. Be prepared to find cow patties everywhere in the camping areas and cows, of course. There are bears - we've seen one rambling accross the meadows this last spring - so you may want to string up your food.

Hiking

The trailhead parking rests at the end of the road on the last flat area before the terrain falls away into the Beaver Creek watershed. Follow the trail down along Osha Creek to the bottom of the watershed.
Once down into the watershed of Beaver Creek you are on your own as far as trails go. There is a well worn path on the north side of Beaver Creek and presumably is a trail to Toltec Mesa, but I have only hiked bits of it.

You'll will notice an old vehicle path down the knoll at the entrance into the watershed as you hike up Beaver Creek. It is a blessing that this area has Wilderness status, as vehicle traffic would have destroyed it in no time.

If you are experienced in trailblazing and orienteering, then you'll love exploring this area. The rock formations (which appear to be metamorphic rock) are fun to climb on and provide many places to sit and view the watershed. If you happen to remain on any of the ridges for the afternoon, you will hear the whistle of the Cumbres-Toltec train as it travels through the Los Pinos river canyon on the north side of the wilderness.

Fishing

The streams are small but cut deep into the grassy meadows. Brookies are present, but best to use flies or catch grasshoppers in the meadows. Beaver Creek (at left) is a beautiful stream with lots of pools.

Getting There

Coming from Tres Piedras on Hwy 285 you will travel about 10 miles north pass the junction with Hwy 64 (the Taos Gorge Bridge road) to San Antonio Mountain (the highest free standing mountain in the lower 48) and take FR 87 to the west around the mountain to FR 572 (about 22 miles). FR 87 is one of the most scenic forest roads anywhere, as it goes through a large area of BLM rangeland with Pronghorn antelope and spectacular vistas of San Antonio Mountain. Take FR 572 about 2 miles to the Osha Canyon trailhead - if you make it to the cattle guard (about 300 yards), then you'll probably make it to the trailhead!

This is not the easiest access point - you can choose to just to park anywhere along FR 87 and just start hiking (as it follows the boundary), but because this puts you right into the heart of a great area I usually make the extra drive to this trailhead.

Related Areas

I heard on KSFR that the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance and the Bureau of Land Management are developing a National Conservation Bill for north-central New Mexico. The proposal, encompassing more that 303,000 acres of Taos and Rio Arriba Counties, also includes two new Wilderness areas totally about 24,000 acres: Ute Mountain and Rio San Antonio Gorge. This includes land around San Antonio Mountain and lands accross the highway over to the gorge. Visit the New Mexico Wild site and help get this area protected!

Files

This blog contains my recent hike (about 8 miles round trip) down through the watershed to one the highest points in the area and back. It is a trail blaze and I took only infrequent waypoints, it is a reference only. Enjoy!

National Geographic TOPO! Region
Waypoints and Route for Cruces Basin Hike
Size: 5kb File: crucesbasin2007728.tpo

Google Earth KML
Waypoints (Markers) for Cruces Basin Hike
Size: 3kb File: crucesbasin_osha.kml
(View online in Google Maps)

GPS Waypoint File (GPX\XML)
GPS Waypoint for Cruces Basin Hike
DATUM: WGS84
Coordinate System: UTM Zone 13N
Size: 3kb File: crucesbasin_osha.gpx

Weston Pass, Lake and Park County, CO

Pass Report, June 17, 2007.

I've visited this pass twice and both times it was not my destination when I set out for the weekend. But if you've traveled in Colorado enough in the summer you know that often by the time you reach your destination it's raining and thundering. Such is the case with my visits to Weston Pass. Driving accross South Park (the place not the town) headed towards Antero Reservoir you see at least four ranges including the Sawatch, Sangre De Cristo, Tenmile and the Mosquito Range of which the Weston Pass road crosses. This time, like the last time I crossed South Park, I can also see where the rain is developing a 100 miles in any direction, so I stop my vehicle an pick a range that I think will give me an semi-dry afternoon of hiking and fishing - which once again is Weston Pass. Not that it doesn't rain here - after all this is the "Mosquito" Range and bogs abound.

Like many pass roads in Colorado, Weston Pass is a wagon route that follows an old Ute trail. This one connects the South Platte valley to the Arkansas river valley near Leadville. The Forest Service has a nice historical description and brochure for this auto tour - go here to view it. As you drive along the road there are markers (signs in the shape of a wagon wheel) that correspond to the brochure.

The camping is great, the fishing is awesome (did I say that already?) and there are plenty of old mines and cabins to check out. At the top of the pass are the best preserved and there are two or three more just below the top of the pass on the east side.

The cabin just below the top of the pass is the most well preserved (see photo at right), as it lies frozen beneath 20 or more feet of snow many months of the year. This spot also has remnants of old vehicles (probably model A's or T's) lying nearby. It looks as if they used the engine to run a pump or something for the mine.

Oh, and one more thing, there is a 115kv electric transmission line running up the pass through stands of bristlecone pines and somewhat marring a timeless view of the peaks and the ponds at the top of the pass. I am generally a purist when it comes to exploring and I don't seek out places that excessively have the "mark of man", but don't let this stop you from exploring this area. It is truly one of the most interesting passes I've visited.

Camping is best below the pass, you'll want to choose a spot at least a quarter mile down either side of the pass. There are plenty of spots for dispersed camping - just follow the side roads to the north side of the road near the top of the pass. You can also camp at Weston Pass Campground near Rich Creek - there are some excellent beaver ponds for fishing near this C.G.

(I'm not sure why I included a shot of me here - hey look at that belly! I think more hiking instead of fishing is in order).

The fishing access is good above Rich Creek Trailhead to almost the top of the pass. If you decide to travel on to Leadville down the west side of the pass be prepared to take it slow - six ply sidewalls are recommended.

All Photos Copyright Paul Leonis 2007 - All Rights Reserved

Beaver Creek WSA, Near Canon City, CO

In the foothills of Pike's Peak amongst the pink granite and red sandstone is the Beaver Creek Wilderness Study Area (BLM).

This area is a spectacular mix of terrain that lies between the base of Pike's Peak and Table Mountain. While the lowest elevations in this area are fairly low and quite hot in the summer months, it can be a great place to visit in the winter months. Access is year round, This area borders a State Wildlife Management Area so to hike this area you need a habitat "stamp" to enter it. If you are not familiar with Colorado's licensing check out their website.

Beaver Creek Wilderness Study Area is definitely one of the richest wildlife habitats in the state. Like most areas in Colorado there are mountain lions roaming the area. Having been a resident of the Pikes Peak area, I can say that this generally holds true for most of the Front Range. There are bighorn sheep, mule deer, elk, black bear, beaver and bobcat and many raptors (bring your Nikons!), wild turkeys and grouse. You can find most ecological zones in this area that have Pinon, Juniper, Engelmann spruce, Ponderosa pine and Douglas fir. Perhaps the best part is the sandstone canyons - when I lived in the high country in CO, I would always head to this area for my desert sandstone fix.

This area also unique in terms of the fossil record. Most of the canyons surrounding Pikes Peak are extremely faulted and therefore expose may years geologic time. The layers range from Ordovician to Cretaceous-Jurassic - quite a range. But it's not necessary to know the age of the rocks to enjoy the area's rock. Along the dry riverbed fork that heads north from the parking area and gate, there are many beautiful pieces of chert to be found.

Getting there: From State Highway 50 from Pueblo or Penrose go 5 miles west to Phantom Canyon Road (Highway 67 - there is a light); go north on 67 approximately one mile to the first right (County Road 123) then east 1/4 mile to County Road 132; then north (left) on CR 132 approximately 10 miles to the trail head and the end of the road. This is a graded road, but it is open range, so be prepared to encounter cattle.

All Images Copyright Paul Leonis 2007 - All Rights Reserved

Pecos Wilderness Trail Report: Jack's Creek

June 3, 2007

Jack's Creek Campground is about the highest place you can camp in the Pecos River Canyon area. The elevation is around 9840' and the trailhead in the equestrian parking area gives an excellent view of the upper Pecos watershed above Cowles.

The stock trail is a nicer way to reach the meadows above the campground towards Round Mountain. Off in the meadows you can discover some of the largest iris fields anywhere in the Pecos, not to mention views rivaling Hamilton Mesa Trail. This year is especially good for the iris. The meadows are lumpy with depressions that often hide antlers of deer and elk. Most of the time I visit this area I see elk.

This road to this trailhead has often been closed due to washouts and repairs. It has been under repair for at least two years that I know of and this spring the trail was closed until June. Don't count on it being open at any given time you head up the Pecos River Canyon.

All Photos Copyright Paul Leonis 2007 - All Rights Reserved