| Main | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |

Southern Colorado

The San Juan's are prime elk habitat, and I saw lots of them every day, including this bull near West Ute Lake.

The Grenadier Range, which is distinctly different from the rest of the San Juan's in its granite composition.

Ute Lake

The trail above Rincon la Osa

Looking back, west, from Weminuche Pass.

He got one!

Moose near Squaw Pass. This was probably the most amazing wildlife encounter of the trip -- they let me get very close to them.

The cliff-lined East Fork of the Piedra River, which I descended down into in order to escape a blustery rain storm (35 degrees, pouring rain and sleet, 20 mph winds, no protective vegetation).

This was not a fun day -- I was very cold and very wet -- and heading downstream was very difficult. It was devastating when I realized I had to turn around and head back up because of a terminal cliff that I could not downclimb.

A day earlier, near this spot I attempted to ford the creek and was swept 30 feet downstream. It looks pretty easy right now, but it was frothy sediment-filled torrent the day before.

I was in tough shape (mentally, in particular) after my epic in the Weminuche.

A phenomenal stretch of trail north of Wolf Creek Pass.

| Main | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |