Rick and Noreen

                      What this heck is this out here in the middle of nowhere on a mountaintop!? We came across this hut on a previous trip over Bolam Pass. It seemed out of place in the middle of the forest where there aren't any cabins for miles.    This is how we learned about the "San Juan Hut Systems"...   Game on!    We called and booked our 5-day/4-night, 29 mile trek across the Sneffels Wilderness - so named for the 14,158' signature peak Mt. Sneffels (which Rick wants to climb).  Below is a map of the traverse. The starting point and where the outfitters dropped us off is on the left, Alder Creek trailhead. We left our vehicle at trail's end.  Taken from a book: A picture of the traverse from nearby Ridgway, Colorado. We began on the far right and ended on the far left. Unlike this picture, there was very little snow left on the peaks. As soon as our outfitter dropped us off things ...

The trip to this lovely lake was a recommendation via a friend and, (of course) we took full advantage. We planned a 3-day/2-night stay. The (mirror) lake rests at the base of Lone Cone Mountain (12,618'), the highest westernmost peak in the San Juan mountain range. Noreen took great delight in viewing this peak as it is quite picturesque.  The kind storekeeper briefed us on the popular fishing and activity of the local hummingbirds (plentiful for both). There are RV sites with electric and water, as well as primitive tent sites with just a fire pit.    The lake is located 40 miles from Priest Gulch, and took a mere hour to travel...{Keep in mind, the highways, alpine and forest roads, passes, etc, have extremely scenic views}. We set camp and enjoyed sitting with a cool drink while absorbing the view. We also could hear cattle lowing on the opposite hillsides (the entire stay) which, was quite comforting.  Afternoon thunderstorms kept things damp while we enjoyed an...