Sangre De Christo Mts., Weston, CO area

I'm going to be in the Weston - Trinidad area in mid Augest. Anyone know of some trails up the Sangre De Christo peaks?

I'm looking to take a small group of Geology students high as possible (yes safely) up and down the hill

I'd appretiate any kick in the right direction.

Also, a good place for a front end alignment afterword.

Thanks!

urbanXJ said:

I'm going to be in the Weston - Trinidad area in mid Augest. Anyone know of some trails up the Sangre De Christo peaks?

I'm looking to take a small group of Geology students high as possible (yes safely) up and down the hill

I'd appretiate any kick in the right direction.

Also, a good place for a front end alignment afterword.

Thanks!

Click to expand...

Everyone is getting ready for and heading off to CO Fest. So expect a week for a good response. Or ya might get lucky and someone could pop in real quick..............:cheers:

Medano Pass.

Fred

Unless you have a really tricked out rig, Blanca peak is probably not going to work. I have never run it but I have seen the pictures-- It could be an awesome hike once you got to the tough stuff though. Farther North, Medano pass is a fun trail that takes you to the back door of the Great Sand Dune National park. The pass peaks out below tree line so if Alpine vistas are your goal, this is not for you. Also the last water crossing can be a little tricky.

Farther north near Westcliff there is a road called Hermit pass. From the East side it is driveable by a stock xj above tree line. You will be driving on embeded boulders the whole way up so it is slow and steady. There is a stream running along the road in some sections. It turns into a foot path just before the top of the pass. The West side is a walking trail. When I did it there was a snow blockage about 1/4 mile from the top but it was a good run. I didn't hike farther than that. There is a small lake near the peak.

Farther North than this is Hayden Pass. The east side is steep with loose dirt in sections. There is a shelf at the top with about a 900' very steep drop on the side. The West side is very steep embeded, jaged rock. Your sidewalls will get lots of love on this part. If you want to kill a day, take Medano to the dune then head North up the West side of the Sangre De Christo's. (Be sure to stop at the Aligator farm--no kidding!) and then take Hayden back East. If a Jumping off point for a hike above tree line is your goal then Hermit is probably better. These are all a pretty good hoof from Weston/Trinidad but they should be worth the drive. Not sure on the alignment shop but there is a great Pizza place in Silvercliff.

Do some research on the "Caverno de Oro" (cave of gold). It's a cave near timberline whose entrance is marked by a Maltese cross on a rock. Legend has it that the cave used to be full of gold. Spanish conquistadors used local Indians as slaves to mine the cave. The cave goes on and on. Other legends about the cave include a story of an explorer who, nearly 100 years ago was exploring the deep recesses of the cave and came across a large solid oak door. Chained to the door was a skeleton – still in a Spanish conquistador suit. No word on what was on the other side. Gold is still said to be hidden somewhere in the cave - not that your class would be interested or anything. :laugh3:


-oh, and visit the sand dunes if you have time - Medano creek is a neat place to cool off.

Contact the Geology instuctors at Adams State College in Alamosa. Under their auspices I wheeled the Sangre de Cristos via the Vermijo Park Ranch, Raton to Amalia, and later Taylor Ranch, San Luis to Whiskey Pass and return. Whiskey Pass was the site of an abortive depression era highway tunnel that was supposed to connect San Luis to Trinidad. Fourteener Culebra Peak has been accessible to hikers through Taylor Ranch.
Learned a lot of Geology, saw vast elk herds, 37 varieties of columbine, collected phonolite samples, etc. That was ~20 years ago, and both ranches have changed ownership, so there may be changes in access now.
Showing up unannounced at the guarded gates of either will almost certainly result in denial of access. I have heard that although there are roads on the Maxwell Land Grant land on the eastern slope, near Stonewall, hiking is the only permitted way of exploring.

Thanks Everyone!

we'll be doing some exploring now.

I'm actually a former president of the Geosociety at the University of Houston. It's a student org. promoting geoscience in the real world (outside).

We sure appretiate the reply's. I'll let ya'll know how it goes.

urbanXJ said:

I'll let ya'll know how it goes.

Click to expand...

Pictures! We like pictures!:thumbup:

Gold, we like GOLD! =)