Alpine Loop and Ouray Area - 7/22 - 7/26/15

I am stealing this from another site, but really loved the idea, a tune to read to.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cR9E7MZ0n_U

Headed down to Ouray to finally knock the Alpine Loop and other Ouray area trails off the hit list. Joined by @Squeaky Penguin @teamhypoxia @Night Eagle @Flboarder @09blacktaco. We ended up running close to 200 miles of dirt over 5 days, and experienced some of the greatest scenery CO has to offer.

Day 1 had us meeting up from different parts of the state down in Ouray, the mountain dwellers headed down ahead of the flat landers and secured a great campsite at the start of Poughkeepsie off of Mineral Creek for us and had a nice fire going by the time we arrived, right above the triple waterfall. Tequila and talk of the trip began.

Day 2 plan was Black Bear>Imogene, Governor Basin>Yankee Boy time permitting

Aired down for the trip down Mineral to the highway, quite bumpy heading up the prior night at highway pressure, and up to the start of Black Bear. The climb began right away and scenery was outstanding all the way to Telluride, stopping many times along the way for photo ops, the infamous switchbacks weren't as sketchy or scary as they have been made out to be, really just the one super tight turn.

 

Here are a few of my picks from the first day of wheeling...


Woke up to this girl in camp. Low light made it hard to get good pictures, but she wasn't shy at all.


Back down Mineral to the highway




On Black Bear looking down


and on the other side looking down into Telluride




the tightest turn


Bridal Veil falls




Heading up Imogene, looking back at Blackbear. You can just make out the switchbacks we had come down to the left of Bridal Veil.


Old mining remains on Imogene




Weather station/Radio tower (?) at the top of Imogene


The view on the other side


And a return to camp for the 1st use of the EAF grill

 

Great pictures! One day I'll make the trip to the San Juans.

 

Here are my Day 1 pics

Everybody preparing to head out for Black Bear


Start of Black Bear








Right before the switch backs


Probably the tightest turn ever




Part way up Imogene








Top of Imogene

 

The rest of Imogene:

 

Day 3 plan was Poughkeepsie Gulch>California Pass>Placer Gulch>Picanye Gulch>Cinnamon Pass

We were camped right at the base of Poughkeepsie already, so it made sense to start off day 3 headed up the gulch. We packed up our home for the past two nights and began the climb up the gulch in a light drizzle, not exactly what we were hoping for as we were headed to by far the most difficult trail and obstacle in the area. Found a few optional lines on the way up that gave a few challenges, and approached The Wall. A group of crawlers that we passed on the way up had missed the turn to The Wall and were headed back, so we let them play through.

The rain stopped as we all made our way to the base, and @09blacktaco was first up, but the obstacle was still fairly wet. Starting up on the left line, and gradually working futher and further left, Matt would be the only one to make it up unassisted. The rain started up again and an already hard obstacle (the crawlers took many many runs at it to finally get up) and the rest of us ended up pulling a line a get winched up (me with no winch). Revenge will be had.

 

Love this report.

 

MOAR!

 

Black bear is still one way right?

 

two way up to the falls on the telluride side...one way from ouray to that point (99% of the trail)

 

This weekend (once a year) is Black bear backwards. (registered event)

 

Thanks!

Incoming!

Couldn't you go to the top of the switchbacks and turnaround?

 

Continuing past The Wall, more great terrain with more fun rock walls and chutes and different lines, really just a fantastic trail, I would spend a day doing laps up the Wall and down the bypass and back up. On up to Lake Como for lunch, then up California Pass where we encountered quite the cluster fuck and a bunch of bitchy whiny folks, but the great view wouldn't let them detract from awesomeness.

 

BTW, here is a great map of the area:

http://www.blm.gov/style/medialib/blm/co/field_offices/gunnison_field_office/documents/recreation_documents.Par.72370.File.dat/Alpine Loop Brochure.pdf

 

Awesome sauce!

 

only to the top of the bottom switch back...

it's either to the bottom of the falls or to the hike to the power station...i forget exactly how far up you can go

 

poughkeepsie was definitely a good time...i wish it didn't downpour after we were done (well after woody was done) spotting the wall that day...we ended up heading back down from the wall and back tracked to mineral creek to save on time and the fact we were in the clouds even at the wall..

i've been cali to corkscrew before, but now have a gap between the wall and the intersection of those trails...

 

The plan was to run up Cinnamon and find a place to camp either off of Cinnamon or on the way up Engineer, but it was still early so we tacked on the gulches which make a longer loop to Animas Forks instead of straight down Cali. This was a great loop to add, and passes a well preserved mining operation that you could explore, but we did not in the interest of time.

 

Thats a bummer, that was really one of my favorite sections of the whole trip. We'll just have to head back down there, darn

 

that lower pass looks like an interesting area to check out too....stony pass...i think there's kite lake down there too that looks nice