Momentous Adventures-Molas, Nebo and Purgatory Traverse (Part 1)

Ahhh, the San Juan Mountains of Colorado are a sight for sore eyes. It’s been a while since I have been in the big mountains and I was hungry for an adventure in them. This 65 horseshoe route has a bit of everything that make the Rockies great, rugged mountains, subalpine basins, rocky creeks, Aspen stands and plenty of unique critters around. Start this trip out at Molas Pass near Silverton and head through the meadows as you head on down to the Animus River. Here cross the bridge and the train tracks before making a left following Elk Creek upstream on the Colorado Trail. This rocky trail sticks close to the Creek as it makes its way up to some beaver ponds where Electric Peak appears your right shoulder signifying the beginning of Vestal Basin. A way trail jets off on a bouldery moraine up to the surely amazing Basin above. We were going to camp here but the sights were slanted and just ok. We headed up a half a mile into the upper basin where great spots are located close to the stream and the views are astounding. Set up and soak in the scenery as dusk creeps in. Enjoy your dinner with a sip of bourbon while a deer graze in the open meadows. The alpenglow peaks as you are fading out for a fantastic night’s rest when the temperature are optimal for sleeping. I soaked in the scene before retiring for the night.

Wake up to a sweet, cool morning. Get down your food bags and saddle up with a nice cup of tea and grits as the day settles in. When you have everything wrapped up, take off up the trail on your way to the Continental Divide. We were pacing ourselves while we were accumulating to the elevation along the way. Enjoy Elk Creek as it steeply descends in a rocky slot canyon. Begin climbing out of the subalpine zone and into the rock. The way gets more cliffy and steep as you  hug the edge of the Canyon. When the trail starts leveling off, peep out the amazing basin opening up on your left. This would surely be an unforgettable camping setting with its various sized tarns peppered about. The last installment of the climb is past this last flat expanse to the right out of sight. When you do cue up with the last bit up to the Continental Divide, the scene is layered out in front of you. The Divide stretches across far from sight in both directions like a headwall of the high basins of the watersheds it crosses . It is truly an amazing sight to see and fills the human spirit with wonder to all that see it. The meadowy way switchbacks to the top where it meets the CDT at the top of the world with great views in every direction, make a left on it. Follow it on the Divide for a little while before dropping down to the right to another basin with some old mining structures. Soon you meet up with a Forest Service road where  flat spots and water can be found. It was raining pretty hard on us, so we bunkered down here in a pocket meadow before it got harder. But the best thing about thunderstorms is that they pass through quickly. We were out of the tents and having dinner before to long as the day came to a close. If you’ve got some more juice and the weather doesn’t suck , head up the road to Kite Lake. Or if the skies are favorable, make a right on the CDT and head over to Eldorado Lake where you’re best camp in the area surely lyes.

Get up in the morning as the storm clears off the mountains. Enjoy the morning while the peaks, one by one reveal themselves to you. Start your slow climb up to higher ground at Hunchback Pass at 12,400 some odd feet where the views are surely memorable. This climb is more short and sweet than to the Divide the day before. First a higher basin nd then another more narrow one before tackling the Pass. From this vantage point, Hunchback Mtn and the awesome White Dome that you have been seeing all the way from Elk Creek reveals itself in her finest angle yet. This is an interval moment for me. Where I connect the places I have seen before on a given trip and where I am presently helps me understand the lay of the land. Connecting the dots, so to speak. Drop off the Pass into a surprisingly straight shot basin that leads you down to the intersection with Nebo Creek. Now, it’s time to take a deep breath and get some lunch before heading up to my favorite Pass of the trip, Nebo Pass! This climb gets it on all business like, leading you higher into this rocky expanses of the upper basin. Looking back from near the Pass becomes unforgettable as you take a moment or two to soak in sea of mountains that stretch out in all directions. Which your mind completely blown, drop over the Nebo as the scenery somehow gets better. A new collection of peaks surrounded you as you mosey past a tarn in this alpine wonderland. As the way levels off, the vast West Ute Valley opens up to you to the left. Start up a short climb up to West Ute Lake where great camps await to left on the top of a small butte above the Lake. Now is the time to soak in the goodness as night falls. Wow, life is so good to me.

Getting up near Hunchback Pass

Hi buddy