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8/1/2020 (San Juans "Rona" road trip, day 6 of 9)
This one is brutal. Maybe I got tired after consecutive days of big hikes, but Mt Sneffels demands respect because --
1. Altitude: It's a 14er.
2. Steepness: About 1,500' elevation gain in the last half mile.
3. Terrain: Besides the class 3 "V" Notch, the steep couloir in the last half mile is filled with boulders and scree, and is largely trail-less and slippery.
Like many hikes in the San Juans, Mt Sneffels has a 2WD trailhead and a 4WD trailhead (and many in between depending on the capabilities of your vehicle). I parked mine at the lowest level of course (Governor Basin Rd spur), which added about 6 miles to the round trip. Hiking on Yankee Boy Basin Road was no fun, as I inevitably sucked a lot of dust and smoke when the Jeeps went by.
Off-roading is a niche sport in the San Juans. Hundreds of miles of dirt roads crisscrossing the mountains, relics from the mining days, are now used for commercial recreation. One can rent a Jeep/OHV/UTV and roam around, or join a Jeep tour. To hikers in the San Juans though, a good Jeep is essential as it makes many 13ers and 14ers suddenly attainable.
San Juans "Rona" Road Trip Playlist: [ Ссылка ]
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx San Juans "Rona" Road Trip xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I wanted to escape from the oven called Las Vegas, but the virus thing gave me worries. Flying was out of the question. I loaded up my car with food, water, and a sleeping bag, and hit the road for 9 days with Colorado's San Juan Mountains in mind. Lots of driving. But the hikes were worth it, especially I got to try via ferrata in America for the first time. Here's the itinerary --
Day 1 (7/27/2020, Mon)
- drive: LV to Page, AZ
- visit Toadstool Hoodoos and The New Wave
- overnight at Beehive Campground, Page, AZ
Day 2 (7/28/2020, Tue)
- drive to Durango, CO
- visit Shiprock, NM and Durango, CO
- overnight at Engineer Mountain TH
Day 3 (7/29/2020, Wed)
- hike Engineer Mountain (12,968', class 2-3)
- visit Silverton, CO
- overnight at Ice Lake TH at South Mineral Campground
Day 4 (7/30/2020, Thu)
- hike Ice Lake, Island Lake, to Grant Swamp Pass (12,900')
- overnight at Ice Lake TH at South Mineral Campground
Day 5 (7/31/2020, Fri)
- drive Hwy 550 ("Million Dollar Hwy") to Ouray, CO
- Ouray via ferrata
- drive Camp Bird Rd + Yankee Boy Basin Rd
- overnight at Mt Sneffels 2WD TH
Day 6 (8/1/2020, Sat)
- hike Mt Sneffels (14,158', class 3)
- overnight at Ouray
Day 7 (8/2/2020, Sun)
- drive to Telluride, CO
- Telluride via ferrata
- visit Telluride gondola and Mountain Village
- overnight at Telluride
Day 8 (8/3/2020, Mon)
- long drive to Cedar City, UT
- overnight at Cedar City
Day 9 (8/4/2020, Tue)
- drive to Las Vegas
9-day total miles driven = 1428 (38.33 gallon gas)
