Hiking Thread

[NorCalVol67]

And we went up to Hetch Hetchy for the first time and it is beautiful as well. All of the waterfalls in Yosemite were raging thanks to our huge winter.

 

[Volosaurus rex]

Have you, per chance, ever summited Mount Whitney?

 

[Smallvol#1]

OK, Rex, here is my tentative itinerary. Colorado Springs (not been in years, check out AF Academy, Garden of Gods, etc.), Great Sand Dunes, over Monarch Pass to Ouray (probably just drive by Gunnison, I love it, but we've been there several times), drive to Arches, over to Great Basin, back to Zion (may or may not go to Bryce...trying to check roads entering/exiting from west). Home via Denver, which means the car will hang a left and drive itself to RMNP; it's been known to do that before. Time frame of~4 weeks. Did a video of the Ouray-Silverton drive and decided I just wasn't up to it. Getting over the Pass and down to Ouray will probably stretch my limits . Hoping to do side roads out of Ouray to Arches. If it looks too steep, we'll just head north and get back on interstate.

 

[NorCalVol67]

Have you, per chance, ever summited Mount Whitney?

I have not, but it certainly is something I intend to do. Have you hiked to the summit?

 

[Ulysees E. McGill]

OK, Rex, here is my tentative itinerary. Colorado Springs (not been in years, check out AF Academy, Garden of Gods, etc.), Great Sand Dunes, over Monarch Pass to Ouray (probably just drive by Gunnison, I love it, but we've been there several times), drive to Arches, over to Great Basin, back to Zion (may or may not go to Bryce...trying to check roads entering/exiting from west). Home via Denver, which means the car will hang a left and drive itself to RMNP; it's been known to do that before. Time frame of~4 weeks. Did a video of the Ouray-Silverton drive and decided I just wasn't up to it. Getting over the Pass and down to Ouray will probably stretch my limits . Hoping to do side roads out of Ouray to Arches. If it looks too steep, we'll just head north and get back on interstate.

That sounds amazing.

 

[Smallvol#1]

That sounds amazing.

There are some beautiful parks out there few people seem to know about. Black Canyon of the Gunnison is one of my favorites, also Lassen Volcanic. Great Sand Dunes is an eye opener😀, and I want to return to Big Bend. Those are national, but the Minnesota state park system is exceptional and Custer State Park, just outside Mt. Rushmore, beats a lot of the national ones (imo). There's a few 👎 IMO. There is a bicycle park in Ohio...old canal system, that was awful. The bicyclists were so rude and aggressive. Believe me we were staying as far on the edge of the walkways as we could. Very glad to get out of there. I don't like caves...that's just me, although must admit Carlsbad was nice. I hated Channel Island; dirtiest place I've ever been. Also the access was hellacious. Think that has been improved, but it will never be verified by me! Ain't going back:blink:. Congaree is not bad and is close. Nothing beats the Smokies though...jmo again. After that Yellowstone - hands down, Crater Lake, and Yosemite in the spring when there's water!

 

[Volosaurus rex]

OK, Rex, here is my tentative itinerary. Colorado Springs (not been in years, check out AF Academy, Garden of Gods, etc.), Great Sand Dunes, over Monarch Pass to Ouray (probably just drive by Gunnison, I love it, but we've been there several times), drive to Arches, over to Great Basin, back to Zion (may or may not go to Bryce...trying to check roads entering/exiting from west). Home via Denver, which means the car will hang a left and drive itself to RMNP; it's been known to do that before. Time frame of~4 weeks. Did a video of the Ouray-Silverton drive and decided I just wasn't up to it. Getting over the Pass and down to Ouray will probably stretch my limits . Hoping to do side roads out of Ouray to Arches. If it looks too steep, we'll just head north and get back on interstate.

So, then, are you taking I-25 south to, roughly, Canon City, then US 50 west all the way to Montrose and, from there, US 550 to Ouray?

I don’t believe that I have traveled the portion of US 50 that crosses Monarch Pass, so I can’t offer any observations on that portion of your itinerary. Do yourself a favor, though. If you make it to Ouray, you will pass through Ridgway anyway. From Ridgway, take State Route 62 west to the Dallas Divide and, if time permits, poke around on Ouray Country Roads 5, 7 and 9, all of which travel south into various portions of the Sneffels Range. In terms of natural beauty, the Sneffels Range is, in my opinion, the crown jewel of the San Juan Range, which, in turn, is the crown jewel of the Colorado Rockies. Furthermore, I don’t believe that any of the roads that I cited should activate your fear of heights.

Incidentally, last year, when we visited the Dallas Divide area for the last time, two parties who approached the Divide from the west observed a large herd of elk, estimated at 50-70, a couple of miles west of the divide around sunset.

By the way, the orange sandstone formations of Garden of the Gods are somewhat reminiscent of Bryce Canyon, so they should be really spectacular at sunrise or sunset.

P.S. Have you ever taken the cog railway (http://www.cograilway.com/) to the top of Pikes Peak? It certainly is highly recommended, but I would not do it on my first day in Colorado, due to the dramatic elevation gain.

 

[Volosaurus rex]

I have not, but it certainly is something I intend to do. Have you hiked to the summit?

No, I have not either. The only significant time that I spent in the Sierras was on my first trip out west, back in 1976. I still hope to make it back to Muir's Range of Light again, ideally in fall, to see the eastern part of the range and the adjacent White Mountains, with their ancient bristlecone pine groves. The allure of the Northern Rockies is so strong, however, that I don't know if I will ever be able to talk myself into a trip that does not focus on that strong-heart country.

 

[NorCalVol67]

No, I have not either. The only significant time that I spent in the Sierras was on my first trip out west, back in 1976. I still hope to make it back to Muir's Range of Light again, ideally in fall, to see the eastern part of the range and the adjacent White Mountains, with their ancient bristlecone pine groves. The allure of the Northern Rockies is so strong, however, that I don't know if I will ever be able to talk myself into a trip that does not focus on that strong-heart country.

I understand your dedication to the Rockies. The Tetons were my backyard for 8 years and they never ceased to amaze and always awed no matter how much time I spent hiking, climbing or simply gawking. Doing a hike for the 6th time was just as special and spectacular as the first time. Words cannot do justice to the feeling of standing on top of The Grand and soaking in the 360 degree views.

I should have spent more time in the Absaroka's and Wind River Range, but the Tetons always pulled me in.

 

[Volosaurus rex]

Glacier is my holy land. As far removed as it is from any major population center, you can experience a degree of solitude there that is very hard to find anywhere else in the lower 48. My brief experience with the Sierras suggested that, comparatively speaking, they are a friendlier or, perhaps I should say, slightly more forgiving land, from a climatic standpoint, than the northern Rockies.

Out of curiosity, should I ever be able to talk myself into a fall foliage excursion to the eastern Sierras/White Mountain area, when does the fall color there typically peak?

Have you ever visited the Sawtooth Mountains near Stanley, Idaho? They are a slightly lower, but far less heavily visited, version of the Tetons. Like that majestic range, the Sawtooths are a fault-block range, so they rise utterly without foothills.

 

[Smallvol#1]

So, then, are you taking I-25 south to, roughly, Canon City, then US 50 west all the way to Montrose and, from there, US 550 to Ouray?
yes. We'll drop down just past Salida to GSD.

I don’t believe that I have traveled the portion of US 50 that crosses Monarch Pass, This is a beautiful drive. I got to the summit just fine last time, so I hope I can again.so I can’t offer any observations on that portion of your itinerary. Do yourself a favor, though. If you make it to Ouray, you will pass through Ridgway anyway. From Ridgway, take State Route 62 west to the Dallas Divide Is that the San Juan Parkway? We want to drive that route from Ouray to Arches. Have you driven it? Not a lot of drop offs? I'd much rather drive cross country than go back up to the interstate...just don't want to be scared to death though!and, if time permits, poke around on Ouray Country Roads 5, 7 and 9, all of which travel south into various portions of the Sneffels Range. In terms of natural beauty, the Sneffels Range is, in my opinion, the crown jewel of the San Juan Range, which, in turn, is the crown jewel of the Colorado Rockies. Furthermore, I don’t believe that any of the roads that I cited should activate your fear of heights.

Incidentally, last year, when we visited the Dallas Divide area for the last time, two parties who approached the Divide We stayed at the very edge of the Grand Tetons a couple of years ago during rutting season. Every evening the elk came out into the fields around where we were staying, very impressive.from the west observed a large herd of elk, estimated at 50-70, a couple of miles west of the divide around sunset.

By the way, the orange sandstone formations of Garden of the Gods are somewhat reminiscent of Bryce Canyon, so they should be really spectacular at sunrise or sunset.Not been there for several years, but TO will want time to get some photographs, we're planning on taking an extra day there so he can get his pics.

P.S. Have you ever taken the cog railway (http://www.cograilway.com/) to the top of Pikes Peak? We drove to the top of Pikes Peak a few years ago. TO and daughter got ill on top. Did not bother me one bit...I told them I had hyperventilated all the way up and was used to lack of oxygen. That said, there is no way I will EVER go up there again. TO wanted me to ride the cog railway down, but I declined. Told him we would just all go off that mountain together, if they went, I was going with them.It certainly is highly recommended, but I would not do it on my first day in Colorado, due to the dramatic elevation gain.

Just trying to figure best way to access GSD, might drive south from Co. Springs and loop around to come in from west. We've used both routes, if TO can remember which we liked best, we'll do that. Otherwise we'll just go west and then drop south. I'll tell him to take some extra pics for me to post for you to see.

 

[NorCalVol67]

I have not spent time in the Sawtooths, but as you alluded to, they are magnificent from a distance. Most of my excursions in Idaho outside of the Tetons consisted of biking in Sun Valley and rock climbing in City of Rocks.

 

[Volosaurus rex]

Just trying to figure best way to access GSD, might drive south from Co. Springs and loop around to come in from west. We've used both routes, if TO can remember which we liked best, we'll do that. Otherwise we'll just go west and then drop south. I'll tell him to take some extra pics for me to post for you to see.

Portions of US 550 from Ouray to Ridgway, Colorado State Route 62 from Ridgway to Placerville and Colorado State Route 145 from Placerville southeast toward Telluride are all considered part of the San Juan Skyway (https://www.telluride.com/blog/san-juan-skyway-must-do). None of these highways, or Ouray County Roads 5, 7 and 9 should be problematic. They all provide sweeping, panoramic views but do not present steep drop-offs. At Placerville, Colorado State Route 145 turns west toward Utah. Colorado State Route 90, Utah State Route 46 and US 191 will eventually take you to Arches NP. I cannot comment on the route from Placerville to Arches.

By the way, as you drive south from Montrose to Ridgway (and ultimately Ouray), stop at the visitor center for Ridgway State Park, which is perhaps 5-6 miles north of Ridgway proper. Their staff should be able to answer most any questions you have about the roads in the San Juan area, particularly the Sneffels Range. Of course, the Ouray visitor center should also be able to help you in that regard.

What time of year did you say that you will be going? Incidentally, have you ever traversed the Snowy Range Highway in southeastern Wyoming? It crosses the Medicine Bow Mountains (http://www.travelwyoming.com/listing/centennial/snowy-range-scenic-byway; http://enjoyyourparks.com/Snowy-Range-Scenic-Byway-WY.html; and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcwbXoCapRk), is a short drive that encompasses only 29 miles, is rather lightly traveled and climbs to almost 11,000 feet. I don't remember it being particularly nerve-wracking, but you, of course, would be the best judge of that.

 

[Smallvol#1]

Rex, do you know Alamosa? TO said last time we dropped south from El Ranchero to GSD. I wanted to do that again; I remember the first time I saw the distant dunes from the the road and it was memorable. But TO has a wild hair about seeing Alamosa, but he also says doesn't know why...just heard about it.

Right now I am thinking after GSD up to Salida for night, then over to Ouray for a few days, leave Ouray and take the San Juan Pky to visit Ridgeway, how much time do you suggest? Then at Placerville head out for Arches for a few days before GBNP.

TO got Basecamp reinstalled on his computer today, so I hope we can run some routes tomorrow. Looking at a map the drive does not look bad. Need elevations and a virtual drive. First time we went to Arches, we went through an absolute dead zone, nothing!, we had done the virtual drive though (and I took lots of water, food, etc. in case we had to hike out, I think the farthest we got in was maybe a 30-35 mile walk out and with water and boots I figured we could always get out.)

TO wants to see the color so September or October of next year. Makes it rough with football. We were at Crater Lake during the Florida game last year...finally got radio with just a few minutes left in the game and I couldn't even tell who was ahead. We've been in that area of Wyoming several times, don't remember Snowy River. Dubois is where I thought I might lose my nephew, bit hard by the western bug.

 

[TnMountaineer]

Rex, do you know Alamosa? TO said last time we dropped south from El Ranchero to GSD. I wanted to do that again; I remember the first time I saw the distant dunes from the the road and it was memorable. But TO has a wild hair about seeing Alamosa, but he also says doesn't know why...just heard about it.

Right now I am thinking after GSD up to Salida for night, then over to Ouray for a few days, leave Ouray and take the San Juan Pky to visit Ridgeway, how much time do you suggest? Then at Placerville head out for Arches for a few days before GBNP.

TO got Basecamp reinstalled on his computer today, so I hope we can run some routes tomorrow. Looking at a map the drive does not look bad. Need elevations and a virtual drive. First time we went to Arches, we went through an absolute dead zone, nothing!, we had done the virtual drive though (and I took lots of water, food, etc. in case we had to hike out, I think the farthest we got in was maybe a 30-35 mile walk out and with water and boots I figured we could always get out.)

TO wants to see the color so September or October of next year. Makes it rough with football. We were at Crater Lake during the Florida game last year...finally got radio with just a few minutes left in the game and I couldn't even tell who was ahead. We've been in that area of Wyoming several times, don't remember Snowy River. Dubois is where I thought I might lose my nephew, bit hard by the western bug.

Absolutely nothing special about Alamosa. There is the UFO watchtower north of town. Also, Colorado Gators Reptile Park.

 

[Volosaurus rex]

Rex, do you know Alamosa? TO said last time we dropped south from El Ranchero to GSD. I wanted to do that again; I remember the first time I saw the distant dunes from the the road and it was memorable. But TO has a wild hair about seeing Alamosa, but he also says doesn't know why...just heard about it.

Right now I am thinking after GSD up to Salida for night, then over to Ouray for a few days, leave Ouray and take the San Juan Pky to visit Ridgeway, how much time do you suggest? Then at Placerville head out for Arches for a few days before GBNP.

TO got Basecamp reinstalled on his computer today, so I hope we can run some routes tomorrow. Looking at a map the drive does not look bad. Need elevations and a virtual drive. First time we went to Arches, we went through an absolute dead zone, nothing!, we had done the virtual drive though (and I took lots of water, food, etc. in case we had to hike out, I think the farthest we got in was maybe a 30-35 mile walk out and with water and boots I figured we could always get out.)

TO wants to see the color so September or October of next year. Makes it rough with football. We were at Crater Lake during the Florida game last year...finally got radio with just a few minutes left in the game and I couldn't even tell who was ahead. We've been in that area of Wyoming several times, don't remember Snowy River. Dubois is where I thought I might lose my nephew, bit hard by the western bug.

I don’t remember if I have been through Alamosa, but it is on US 160, which crosses the southernmost portion of the San Juan range in Colorado at Wolf Creek Pass (10,814 feet) en route to Durango. If memory serves me correctly, I did traverse Wolf Creek Pass in, I believe, 1978, so my memories of that specific experience are a little bit fuzzy. As a hardcore Tennessee football fan for 50 years now, I fully understand the conflicting and almost equally powerful gravitational pull of the pigskin season and time spent in the high country. In recent years, however, I have become a connoisseur of fall foliage excursions to the Rockies. In my humble opinion, it is a truly holy time, one during which almighty God demonstrates his supreme mastery of the artistic process. Predicting when, where and to what degree peak color will occur is very tricky. The Maroon Bells, near Aspen, tend to peak around September 23-25. The entire San Juan Range, given its location in southwestern Colorado, tends to peak in early October. In 2007, we left Ouray on October 5 and the Dallas Divide area was still nowhere near peak color. When my brother asked my recommendation last year for the best time there for fall color, I told him that, based on my previous experience and information that I had amassed on the area, October 4-10 should give us a good chance of catching peak color somewhere. In many of the areas that we visited in the San Juans, most of the aspen had already dropped their leaves, due to early storms, but cottonwoods and scrub oak were still putting on a fantastic show.

I fully understand the allure of “bagging” national parks and have done plenty of that myself. I am now most attracted, however, to rugged alpine wilderness areas and, strangely enough, many of those regions never received National Park Service designation. As you have observed, many national parks cannot hold a proverbial candle to the awe-inspiring natural beauty that you will behold, for example, in the San Juans, particularly the Sneffels Range. James Kay, one of the foremost landscape photographers in the country, said that, if he had to choose a single destination for fall foliage photography in the Rocky Mountain West, it would be the area within a 15-20 mile radius of Telluride. If you would like a single image as evidence that Kay is correct, I would submit this one for your consideration: http://www.mountainphotography.com/photo/sneffels-range-autumn/?gallery=san-juan-mountains. The jagged, highest peak in the center is Mount Sneffels, in all of its resplendent glory.

With respect to more specific recommendations, I would say, first and foremost, you will not regret carving out as much time as possible for this ultra-rugged portion of the San Juans. By Colorado standards, this is very sparsely populated country and simply does not receive the publicity or visitation that sites located along the Front Range do. It could be argued that the only mountain range in Colorado that rivals the San Juans, in terms of sheer, craggy peaks, is the Gore Range, located near Vail and Silverthorne. The latter range is so steep that virtually no trails actually cross the Divide; they simply terminate at high alpine lakes.

For the purposes of orienting yourself to the targets that I would consider highest on the lengthy must-see list of San Juan attractions, I will repeat the following paragraph from a previous post on the matter: “Take a look at this map: https://www.telluride.com/blog/san-juan-skyway-must-do. If you conceptualize towns along the San Juan Skyway as being oriented to the hands of a clock, Ridgway assumes the position of 12:00, roughly; Ouray and Silverton correspond, respectively, with 1:00 and 2:00. Durango, of course, occupies the 6:00 position, while Rico, Telluride and Placerville are located at 9:00, 10:00 and 11:00, respectively. Viewed in this context, the most spectacular portions of the San Juan Skyway are, in my opinion, found between the 9:00 and 1:00 positions. The section from Durango Mountain Resort north to Molas Pass via US 550 is also very pretty. Much of that route passes through aspen forests, so it is absolutely gorgeous in fall, but, to the best of my recollection, still has relatively few of the precipitous drop-offs that would give you serious problems.”

For links that I posted regarding potential destinations in the Ridgway/Telluride/Sneffels Range area, along with the Lizard Head Wilderness, which is a bit farther south of Telluride, go back and look at post numbers 519, 521, 524, and 526 in this thread. Youtube videos, some of which are cited there, can be very helpful in visualizing just how spectacular the fall “gold” rush really is in the San Juan Range. Given the fact that you still have plenty of time to continue fine-tuning your itinerary, I would suggest that you order, if you don’t already possess them, used copies of the Scenic Driving series for Colorado, Utah, and any other states relevant to your current interests, from Amazon.com (e.g. https://www.amazon.com/Scenic-Drivi...66496&sr=1-1&keywords=scenic+driving+colorado). Trails Illustrated maps, particularly no. 141 (Telluride, Ouray, Silverton, Lake City), are richly detailed cartographic masterpieces that will help immensely in route-planning. See http://www.natgeomaps.com/telluride-silverton-ouray-lake-city.

TO will want to be aware that the Dallas Divide is the signature photographic vista in this area. It is a great location to shoot sunrise or sunset images, although you will probably be accompanied, at those times, by a fair number of fellow photographers. Dallas Divide is also a great place for star gazing. We did that once in 2007 and were amazed to then see the only bull elk we witnessed on the entire trip; he was contentedly grazing just a few short feet from the shoulder of the road.

Finally, gather all of the info you can on Ouray County Roads 5, 7 and 9, all of which travel south from the Dallas Divide area on Colorado State Route 62, to various portions of the Sneffels Range. These roads, as well as the Last Dollar Road, all provide extraordinary opportunities for fall foliage photography and truly should be savored, weather permitting, of course.

 

[Smallvol#1]

Rex, I don't know whether to allow TO to see your post as a fount of information or to hide it in fear not getting home until winter!

We had never missed a home game until the last few years even when we lived in SC, were hiking to complete our map for the 900 Mile Club, or visiting every NP in the Lower 48. Our first big miss was the Bama game a @3 of years ago, one of my best friends got married that day and on top of that TO was Best Man (groom is VaTech fan and the bride doesn't follow football:yikes:, was very surprised so many venues were available that weekend:rofl. Then last year TO was determined to cross Glacier on GTTSR. We had been snowed out a couple of years ago and he wanted COLOR! Sooooo, I may forgive him in a few years.

Pulling the maps out. Thank you so much for all the info! And you too TNMt for the Alamosa info.

 

[Toujours Pret]

Walsenburg to Durango is a great ride. Alamosa is a fuel stop, not much else. The San Luis Valley is pretty in a high desert kind of way, but the nice spots are on either end of it.

 

[Volosaurus rex]

Rex, I don't know whether to allow TO to see your post as a fount of information or to hide it in fear not getting home until winter!

We had never missed a home game until the last few years even when we lived in SC, were hiking to complete our map for the 900 Mile Club, or visiting every NP in the Lower 48. Our first big miss was the Bama game a @3 of years ago, one of my best friends got married that day and on top of that TO was Best Man (groom is VaTech fan and the bride doesn't follow football:yikes:, was very surprised so many venues were available that weekend:rofl. Then last year TO was determined to cross Glacier on GTTSR. We had been snowed out a couple of years ago and he wanted COLOR! Sooooo, I may forgive him in a few years.

Pulling the maps out. Thank you so much for all the info! And you too TNMt for the Alamosa info.

I know exactly what you mean, but I agree with TO on this point. I have committed the heresy of missing more than a few wars with the Reptilian Horde, as well as the great comeback victory vs. LSU in 2005, because of my fall-foliage pilgrimages to the Rockies. Big Orange football exerts a powerful pull on the heartstrings, but, for those of us who are prone to this spiritual form of Rocky Mountain fever, the fall “gold rush” sings an even deeper siren song to the soul.

Of one thing, you may rest assured, however. Although the San Juans in the fall are, in my opinion, the very best that Colorado has to offer, they still can’t compete with the spiritually powerful landscape of Glacier at that time of the year. And I don’t use those words lightly. Based on the relative proximity of plush accommodations, restaurants and shopping facilities to many wilderness areas in Colorado, residents of that state appear to like their creature comforts a bit more than Montanans. Solitude can be more readily found in the San Juans than in areas along the Front Range, but it still is not nearly as easily achieved as in Glacier.

Whether you choose the Tetons, Glacier, the Sawtooth Mountains in Idaho, the Absarokas-Beartooths in Wyoming and Montana, the Wind River Range, or the San Juans in Colorado, the fall “gold rush” is special in many respects. To quote Elizabeth Browning, “Let me count the ways”:

1. The kids are back in school, and visitation to the high country is way down. You feel like you have the parks all to yourselves.

2. It is the rutting season for elk. One of the signature sounds of wilderness, you will never forget the sound of an elk bugling, once you have heard it. If you ever go back to Glacier in the fall, be sure to spend a night or two at St. Mary KOA. You are almost guaranteed to have elk serenading you there every evening at dusk.

3. The weather admittedly can be unpredictable, even dicey, at times. We drove through a heavy, wet snow of perhaps 3-4 inches on our way to the much-published, picture-book image of Maroon Lake at the foot of the Maroon Bells early last October. However, if you’re lucky enough to be there when color is still abundant, but immediately after a recent snowfall, that, quite simply, is as good as it gets for a landscape photographer. Your composition will be tiered, based on color. The brilliant gold of the aspen contrasts dramatically with the dark green of conifers at higher altitudes, the white snow-capped peaks and the extraordinary blue of Rocky Mountain skies, the depths of which are never more apparent than after the immediate passage of a cold front.

In any event, you should experience crisp, cool conditions, but, as you are undoubtedly aware, go equipped with clothing suitable for a wide range of temperatures and climatic conditions.

4. The fall color, of course, is the real attraction. I would challenge any self-proclaimed agnostic or atheist to go and behold natural beauty on the order of magnitude that we are discussing here. If, after doing so, he/she still maintains that position, I would say simply to them, “I’m sorry for you. You are spiritually tone-deaf.”

One final recommendation, at least for this post. If you make it to Durango, take the Durango & Silverton Railroad (http://www.durangotrain.com/). A round trip is expensive and it will pretty much take all day, but it truly constitutes a step back in time to the late 19th century and provides access to portions of the San Juans that you simply would not see otherwise, short of backpacking. Let TO have the window seat, so he can photograph the dramatic views of the Animas River gorge. Do a Youtube search for videos shot of/from this train, so you can assess whether it would excessively trigger your fear of heights. Incidentally, they now employ freelance photographers who will take digital photographs of passengers on the train, if they are interested. Superb 8 x 10 color prints are professionally processed during the lunch stop at Silverton and packaged, as part of a nice portfolio, with previously generated stock images of the train. They would provide a really nice memento of your trip.

 

[volsarelife1]

I've not traveled much to hike, but hiking in Big South Fork is my favorite place. Love the woods there.

 

[Volosaurus rex]

For anyone who might ever be interested in visiting Glacier National Park, I stumbled across a message board devoted exclusively to topics pertaining to Glacier: http://www.glacier.nationalparkschat.com/phpBB3/. One lengthy thread consists of a retired local’s many trips to Glacier over the course of the calendar year beginning with spring 2017 and concluding with the end of winter 2018. It is already chockful of great photos, so interested people will be able to visually witness the seasonal transformation of Glacier through time. See http://www.glacier.nationalparkschat.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=9396. For landscape photographers, here is the link to the section devoted to the most impressive “targets of opportunity” there: http://www.glacier.nationalparkschat.com/phpBB3/viewforum.php?f=4.

For an outstanding, but extremely lengthy, FAQ section on Glacier, with lots of really good recommendations on hiking trails in the park, see http://www.glacier.nationalparkschat.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=580.

 

[Smallvol#1]

I've not traveled much to hike, but hiking in Big South Fork is my favorite place. Love the woods there.

Never been there, but my BIL and nephew both loved it. They spent a lot of his "formative" years on trails, and, after the Smokies, I believe that was their favorite place.

Note:He's fully formed now and a great young man😂😍.

 

[Smallvol#1]

For anyone who might ever be interested in visiting Glacier National Park, I stumbled across a message board devoted exclusively to topics pertaining to Glacier: http://www.glacier.nationalparkschat.com/phpBB3/. One lengthy thread consists of a retired local’s many trips to Glacier over the course of the calendar year beginning with spring 2017 and concluding with the end of winter 2018. It is already chockful of great photos, so interested people will be able to visually witness the seasonal transformation of Glacier through time. See http://www.glacier.nationalparkschat.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=9396. For landscape photographers, here is the link to the section devoted to the most impressive “targets of opportunity” there: http://www.glacier.nationalparkschat.com/phpBB3/viewforum.php?f=4.

For an outstanding, but extremely lengthy, FAQ section on Glacier, with lots of really good recommendations on hiking trails in the park, see http://www.glacier.nationalparkschat.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=580.

This one I will NOT let TO see!

 

[Volosaurus rex]

Ulysses, these images may interest you: http://www.shumwayphotography.com/Yellowstone/YNP-GTNP-Sept17-20-2010/i-JFB2LsZ and http://www.shumwayphotography.com/Yellowstone/YNP-GTNP-Sept17-20-2010/i-qs4XZ9M. They were taken in 2010, during precisely the portion of September that you will be in the Tetons this fall.

 

[Ulysees E. McGill]

Ulysses, these images may interest you: http://www.shumwayphotography.com/Yellowstone/YNP-GTNP-Sept17-20-2010/i-JFB2LsZ and http://www.shumwayphotography.com/Yellowstone/YNP-GTNP-Sept17-20-2010/i-qs4XZ9M. They were taken in 2010, during precisely the portion of September that you will be in the Tetons this fall.

Thanks rex..those are beautiful, but after perusing that site a bit, I do hope that we don't have a ton of forest fires going on and shutting down sites...That would suck.