Trip Report Lake City CO area
Lake City is the county seat and the only incorporated town in Hinsdale County. It is on State Highway 149 about 55 miles southwest of Gunnison. Historically Lake City began as a mining town that grew because of a toll road built by Otto Mears to service gold and silver mines in the San Juan Mountains. In 1875 it became the county seat.
A geologic history of great volcanic events resulted in the San Juan Range that grew from the many caldera which dominate the landscape. The beauty of the San Juan Range along with the San Miguel, and La Plata ranges is unquestioned.
I made the July 2014 trip with my friend, Steve, who is also a landscape enthusiast. He is a specialist in panorama photos.
We camped at the Woodlake Park RV where the sites were not jammed together.
The campground sits nestled in the trees south of Lake City.
After arriving early in the afternoon we took a recon run up Cinnamon Pass.
Cinnamon is the southern part of the Alpine Loop. "The Alpine Loop is generally considered to begin and end at Lake City. From there the route commonly followed is west over Cinnamon Pass to Animas Forks, and then returning east over Engineer Pass back to Lake City." High clearance vehicles are recommended."
The road follows the Lake Fork of the Gunnison up to alpine tundra.
The road passes over a stream of falls grinding it's way down Edith Mountain. We thought this was Rock Creek, but later found it is unnamed on the USGS map.
Steve made this vertical panorama shot higher up from the road.
From our parking place at the falls, the road narrows.
Lush green tundra is typical of the San Juan Mountains.
At timberline, you come to American Basin where aside road leads into it. The basin is well known for it's beauty.
We came at the recommended time for wildflowers, but the flowers missed the schedule.
Steve's pano of American Basin looking through the shoulders of the cirque scooped by the head if a glacier.
Looking east from the basin
Unfortunately, Fireweed like these were not out in American Basin.
The next day we headed south on Hwy 149 to North Clear Creek Falls.
North Clear Creek Falls
The rocks resisting erosion.
Coming down Slumgullion Pass To Lake City, Steve shot a nice pano of Lake San Cristobal. Lake San Cristobal was formed about 700 years ago when the Slumgullion Earthflow, a natural landslide, created a dam across the Lake Fork of the Gunnison River. Lake City got it's name because of the lake.
We started early in the morning to Take the Engineer Pass road up Henson Creek.
George Lee bought the 200 acre property in 1877 and called it Capitol City, and envisioned himself as Governor of Colorado.
The Henson Creek Valley part of the road before ascending high region of Engineer Pass.
This aspen grove would be a good fall scene.
Approaching the top of the pass.
Trees are victims of elevation, 11,952 feet at this road elevation.
Steve shot this pano off the summit of Engineer Pass at 12,800 feet elevation. Looking west to the Sneffles Range.
I last viewed this scene in 1983.
On the way back down to Lake City, Steve captured Maw and Paw Marmot watching us.
Looking north from Engineer across American Flats (12,300 feet) to the Uncompahgre Caldera and it's high peaks.
Mountains have long brought a flow of human emotions so deep as Edward Abby said they "lie closer to music than to words".
Miners cursed them. Katherine Lee Bates viewed the mountains from Pikes Peak (14,000 feet) in 1895 and conceived a poem that became the song
America The Beautiful.
Ron and Steve
Lake City is the county seat and the only incorporated town in Hinsdale County. It is on State Highway 149 about 55 miles southwest of Gunnison. Historically Lake City began as a mining town that grew because of a toll road built by Otto Mears to service gold and silver mines in the San Juan Mountains. In 1875 it became the county seat.
A geologic history of great volcanic events resulted in the San Juan Range that grew from the many caldera which dominate the landscape. The beauty of the San Juan Range along with the San Miguel, and La Plata ranges is unquestioned.
I made the July 2014 trip with my friend, Steve, who is also a landscape enthusiast. He is a specialist in panorama photos.
We camped at the Woodlake Park RV where the sites were not jammed together.
The campground sits nestled in the trees south of Lake City.
After arriving early in the afternoon we took a recon run up Cinnamon Pass.
Cinnamon is the southern part of the Alpine Loop. "The Alpine Loop is generally considered to begin and end at Lake City. From there the route commonly followed is west over Cinnamon Pass to Animas Forks, and then returning east over Engineer Pass back to Lake City." High clearance vehicles are recommended."
The road follows the Lake Fork of the Gunnison up to alpine tundra.
The road passes over a stream of falls grinding it's way down Edith Mountain. We thought this was Rock Creek, but later found it is unnamed on the USGS map.
Steve made this vertical panorama shot higher up from the road.
From our parking place at the falls, the road narrows.
Lush green tundra is typical of the San Juan Mountains.
At timberline, you come to American Basin where aside road leads into it. The basin is well known for it's beauty.
We came at the recommended time for wildflowers, but the flowers missed the schedule.
Steve's pano of American Basin looking through the shoulders of the cirque scooped by the head if a glacier.
Looking east from the basin
Unfortunately, Fireweed like these were not out in American Basin.
The next day we headed south on Hwy 149 to North Clear Creek Falls.
North Clear Creek Falls
The rocks resisting erosion.
Coming down Slumgullion Pass To Lake City, Steve shot a nice pano of Lake San Cristobal. Lake San Cristobal was formed about 700 years ago when the Slumgullion Earthflow, a natural landslide, created a dam across the Lake Fork of the Gunnison River. Lake City got it's name because of the lake.
We started early in the morning to Take the Engineer Pass road up Henson Creek.
George Lee bought the 200 acre property in 1877 and called it Capitol City, and envisioned himself as Governor of Colorado.
The Henson Creek Valley part of the road before ascending high region of Engineer Pass.
This aspen grove would be a good fall scene.
Approaching the top of the pass.
Trees are victims of elevation, 11,952 feet at this road elevation.
Steve shot this pano off the summit of Engineer Pass at 12,800 feet elevation. Looking west to the Sneffles Range.
I last viewed this scene in 1983.
On the way back down to Lake City, Steve captured Maw and Paw Marmot watching us.
Looking north from Engineer across American Flats (12,300 feet) to the Uncompahgre Caldera and it's high peaks.
Mountains have long brought a flow of human emotions so deep as Edward Abby said they "lie closer to music than to words".
Miners cursed them. Katherine Lee Bates viewed the mountains from Pikes Peak (14,000 feet) in 1895 and conceived a poem that became the song
America The Beautiful.
Ron and Steve
Thanks for sharing the photo's -- was flying home yesterday and picked out Lizard Head Pass and Lake City from the air, truly one of my favorite spots in all the US.
Looked like you had a great trip on the Alpine Loop.
BOL,
Looked like you had a great trip on the Alpine Loop.
BOL,
