June 30-July 1 2014 Big South, Colorado

We moved west and up river to Big South Campground.  It is at about 8,600 feet in elevation. In the high 70’s during the day and low 40’s at night. Much cooler than the front range at lower elevations have been.

We are at the you are here place. To the right of this map is Fort Collins, to the left is Steamboat, to the south  is Rocky Mountain National Park.  We got this great campsite, it is completely private behind the bus and right on the river. The Big South is the headwaters of the Poudre River. The  Poudre is the only river in Colorado that is classified as Wild and Scenic.

The next day we hiked up the Big South. Lots and lots of wildflowers, thru aspen groves and beside the river. It was a nicely built trail.

John has kayaked this river half a dozen times. He and two of his friends did the first decent of it in the early 80’s. It is about 10 miles of  a class IV-IV+ river. We walked off trail along the river so John could show me all the rapids. Looked suicidal to me, but I am a wimp in a kayak. Ferns and greenery growing in a crack in a rock.

Some of the crazy stuff my husband has run on the Big South. The second photo is a rapid called Slideways. The fall on the left of the photo is about a 10 foot drop.

John walking thru a GREEN lodge pole pine grove. The pine beetles have devastated the lodgepoles in Colorado, but there are still enough left be to beautiful. Looking down that drop on Slideways.

Parts of the river are peaceful. Here is a river birch and some cool foam designs on the river.

Lots of wildflowers on the way back. We hiked about 8 miles round trip. 700 vertical.

blue mist penstamens, tiger swallowtails, asters, pearly everlastings , Indian paintbrush, columbines (Colorado’s state flower), heart leafed bitter cress, close up of the blue mist penstamens.

service berry, twisted stalk-I love that the flower is under the leaf, plant disease on a rocky mountain maple leaf, a bug rolling in ecstasy in this wild rose, wintergreen  getting ready to bloom, not sure what this dotted flower is, looks like a pussy toes, flamingo looking colors on a rock, coral root orchid.

wild raspberry, viola, don’t know these two, wild honey suckle, false Solomon's seal, heart leafed arnica, rosy pussy toes.

chiming bells, columbine bud, white and yellow sulfur flower, whiskbroom parsley, bright wild rose, new needles, elk droppings –my boot is in there for size comparison.

The first two are green gentian-the stalk and a close up of the flowers , a white violet, a moth with what looks like eggs on a branch, the moths have caterpillars not eggs, so don’t know where they came from, coral root orchid and a beautiful white flower.

Since it was such a wet year this year the mosquitos and biting flies are terrible. I wanted to sit out and read in the evening, so I had to cover every inch of skin to go out. John laughs when I wear this mosquito netting hat, but it works!