The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep. – Robert Frost
On this exciting trip, trekkers will explore the scenic and historic Alpine Loop that traverses through the heart of the San Juan Mountains as well as have the opportunity to hike some of the remote, hidden gems that remain off the radar to others. You may choose our full support option, and of course the trek includes hot savory meals. Day one has us leave Durango and travel to Silverton over Coal Bank Pass and Molas Pass via the famed Million Dollar Highway. In Silverton is where the real fun begins: we will tour the award-winning Mining Heritage Center and the Mayflower Mill, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. After these tours we make our way up into Arrastra Gulch, where mining in the San Juan Mountains began. We then will pass the historic ghost towns of Howardsville, Eureka, and Animas Forks.
Our ascent up Engineer Pass will be a breathtaking experience! For our first night we camp in Schaffer Gulch. Day two begins with visiting the newly historically preserved Golcondo Boarding House before hiking up Gravel Mountain, which sits at 13,577’ and offers unbelievable panoramic views of the San Juan Mountains. After descending Gravel Mountain, we drive past several more ghost towns along the way to Lake City. We will stop briefly in Lake City and then continue on the Alpine Loop, passing beautiful Lake Cristobal and the Lake Fork of the Gunnison River, until we reach our second campsite near the Cooper Lake Trailhead. On day three we hike up to the crystalline, alpine waters of Cooper Lake where we will eat lunch and do some fishing if so inclined. After descending from Cooper Lake we return to Durango over Cinnamon Pass, having completed a revitalizing trek through the Alpine Loop.
TREK: Customizable ~ 3 days
WHEN: Summer 2016 – Contact us for availability
RIGS: My Gear $175/day/person
P&C Gear $215/day/person
Fully Supported $255/day/person
DISCOUNT: 20% off subsequent trekkers of the same rig option
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