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Colorado Trip May 1975
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Colorado Trip May 1975 Click on thumbnails to view larger images. |
This is the trip we refer to as our "snowbound adventure." We didn't keep a journal on this one, so brief narratives are added to the thumbnails to give an idea of the surroundings and circumstances. Jenith was around 4 months' pregnant with our son... brother Todd and Domingo the dog came along... all crammed into our little blue Toyota coupe. Our hopes for backpacking overnight were dashed by a sudden snowstorm that added a whole new dimension to the experience. |
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We started out across western Kansas on I-70, camping gear and equipment tied to the top of our Toyota couple, plastic tarp cover flapping in the wind. Headed toward south central Colorado, around Buena Vista area. |
Enjoyed the always-exciting first glimpses of mountains on the horizon as we n eared our destination... stopped for the night at Clear Creek Reservoir (which was actually dried up to a great extent). |
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The day started out sunny, clear and beautiful. After a fairly lazy morning, we found our trailhead to North Cottonwood Creek, a Jeep road near Buena Vista. Along the way, we picked up a couple of local boys, Pat and Dan, who were going to do some "plunking" with their pistols, hunting small critters in the woods. |
At the top of the Jeep road there was a nice log cabin and a smaller "shelter" cabin nearby for hunters caught in stormy weather or an emergency situation, where Pat and Dan planned to spend the night. We parted ways and headed further on up, but were stopped by snowdrifts covering the trail. |
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With our original trail route blocked by snow, we decided to pitch camp across the bridge near the cabins. Got the tents up and walked back down the road a ways, where we watched the snowbank roll in over the top of the ridge across the creek. then enjoyed the hospitality of Dan and Pat, who invited us into their cabin for coffee and conversation. |
As the evening wore on, the snow continued to fall and it became apparent that our tent would not be sufficient shelter, sagging under the weight of the snow. Fortunately, Dan and Pat offered us a corner of their cabin for the night and we gratefully accepted. With the boys' hospitality, some canned chicken & dumplings, hot coffee and conversation, we were quite cozy. |
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By morning, it was truly a winter wonderland with almost 18 inches of snow on the ground! Domingo enjoyed frisking around and digging her nose in it. There came a point when it became clear we'd better get the heck outta there while the gettin' was still possible! |
With the help of our new acquaintances, we used the ice chest lid as a shovel to clear the snow from in front of the car, small batches at a time, and pushed the car along the narrow jeep road down the mountain. It was slow going! but the snowfall began to let up. |
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The further down the mountain we got, the lighter the snow became. By the time reached the end (beginning) of the jeep road, it was just a powdery dusting; then on the road it was just wet remnants of a much lighter snowfall. |
Headed east from Buena Vista toward Colorado Springs; then on to Woodland Park for the final overnight. Thirty years later, in 2005, we would explore the same area and rediscover the same cabin, virtually unchanged! But, that's another story... |
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All photos, copyright Jenith Hoover.