BACKYARD FIELD TRIP
#NOTVANLIFE
Most van-lifers head for the desert as the seasons change. But I wouldn't place myself in that category. For starters, it's a baywindow BUS not a van. And secondly, there's no need to hit the road for a weekend adventure in the fall if your backyard is the San Juan Mountains.
LEAF PEEPERS DELIGHT One stereotype traded for another I guess... Leaf Peeping is the name of the game in the San Juans come Autumn. Colorful groves of aspen mingling with pines provide a feast for the eyes.
LENTICULAR MOUNTAIN CLOUDS Engineer Mountain is an iconic peak in Southwest Colorado. Its summit is the perfect perch to look out on a vast sea of changing leaves. Some friends and I had planned a weekend hike for that very reason, yet we were forced to postpone after an early season snow storm blanketed its flanks. With warm weather forecasted the following week we had hopes of returning.
SUMMIT-BID SNACK BREAK The warmth of the southwest proved too much for the snow, allowing us to follow through with the original plan of summiting a week later. Griffin and Gabby couldn't resist soaking in some sun as we climbed above treeline. T-shirt weather, tasty snacks and mountain views at 12,000 feet make for an irresistible combination.
ONWARD AND UPWARD The hike became a bit more committed towards the top. We scrambled through loose talus rock, up the east spine. The moves are tame enough that no ropes are required, yet the exposure on either side is just enough to keep things spicy.
VIEW FROM THE TIP
Topping out just shy of 13,000 ft, the view beneath us was all we had hoped for. The week prior we were standing among the aspens, but this new perspective made it possible to see things on a macroscopic scale. Individual aspen trees are connected in their roots, making them the largest living organisms on earth. Looking down from this angle highlights the magnificence of nature not in its detail but rather in its grand scale. See that little white line running through the middle of the scene? That’s a highway...
LOOK WAAAAY OUT THERE
Looking to the southwest, Sleeping Ute Mountain is visible nearly 70 miles away. Ute Indians saw this mountain as sacred. The giant sleeps on his back, his head on the right, arms crossed over his chest and even toes at the far left.