Full Season Schedule - Fall 2023

Date & Location	Outing description	Difficulty info
Fri, Sep 1 7:00 am TH 7:00 am	Two-hour hike Animas City Mtn Join for a short walk in town. We will be done by 9:00 am. Meet at the 32nd Street trailhead. Dogs ok. RSVP Stephanie Weber, steph4100@gmail.com	Moderate 4 miles 800 ft Moderate pace
Mon, Sep 4 9:00 am RC 9:00 am	Monday Road Bike Ride This is a 16-mile bike ride from the Fairgrounds stopping at PJs and back. Contact Ride Leader: John Martin at mudpatch22@gmail.com Click here for additional details	16 miles moderate pace
Tue, Sep 5 7:00 am ACP 7:00 am	Hike Ajax Ridge Starting at Red Mountain Pass, we will hike the Black Bear Pass road over the pass and much of the way to Telluride. Before the really scary part for jeepers, we turn uphill and climb Ajax Mountain. Then hike east along the ridge dividing Imogene Pass from Black Bear Pass until nearing Trico Peak. The route then descends to Black Bear Pass Road, over the pass, and back to the cars. Carpool $10, dogs ok. RSVP Chris Blackshear, chris.blackshear@gmail.com	Most challenging 14 miles 4000 ft brisk pace
Wed, Sep 6 7:30 am 7:30 am from Cattleguard parking LP Canyon.	Climb Lewis Mountain and circumnavigate Columbus Basin Date Change This is an advanced hike/climb along the ridges that circumnavigate Columbus Basin. Lewis Peak summit. Exposure, all above tree line, some route finding. Excellent views. Only a good weather window will allow this outing to happen so dates will be flexible. No dogs. Experienced hikers that do not mind some exposure only. Carpool $5, starting from the cattleguard parking. RSVP Carolyn Wilber car123lyn@gmail.com (970)799-1426	Most challenging 6 miles or so. 2000 ft Moderately brisk pace
Wed, Sep 6 7:30 am SRP 7:30 am	Climb Deadwood (12,285) and Silver Mountains (12,496) Rescheduled As Silver Mountain dominates the Durango skyline, it is a very satisfying mountain to climb and perch on. We will ford the La Plata River at the La Plata City campground and endure several miles of arduous, interminable switchbacks on an unmaintained jeep road, before breaking out onto a very open and scenic trail up and across Deadwood Mt. to Silver. This is a long, steep hike with significant elevation gain, wonderful views in every direction, and no scary exposure. Limit 15. Dogs OK. Carpool $5. RSVP to Leader Harding Cure at hardingcure@gmail.com or 602-369-4273.	Most Challenging 10.1 miles 4,500 ft. Gain Moderate Pace
Wed, Sep 6 8:00 am Fire Station off Co Rd 243 8:00am	WW hike Shearer Creek Trail In and out moderate hike along Shearer Ck. Many stream crossings, varied terrain. Crossing private property for 2 miles. Carpool $2. Two dogs ok but must be leashed on PP, include in RSVP. Limit 15. RSVP Lorie Hansen Lmhansen39@gmail.com About Wednesday Wanderers	Moderate 3-3.5 miles ~600 ft Moderate pace
Thu, Sep 7 9:00 am RC 9:00 am	Thursday Road Bike Ride This is a 28-mile bike ride from the Fairgrounds to Bakers Bridge and back, stopping at Bread. Contact Ride Leaders: Rick Boebel, Pat Lyon, Daniel Saum, and Rodger Steeper at ThursdayBikers@seniorsoutdoors.org Click here for additional details	28 miles moderate pace
Fri, Sep 8 7:00 am TH 7:00 am	Two-hour hike Horse Gulch Join for a short walk in town. We will be done by 9:00 am. Meet at the 8th Avenue trailhead. Dogs ok. RSVP Stephanie Weber, steph4100@gmail.com	Moderate 4 miles 800 ft Moderate pace
Sat, Sep 9 7:00 am ACP 7:00 am	Hike Spencer Basin Verde Lakes loop Starting from the Highland Mary Lakes TH, the route climbs to Spencer Basin. We exit the basin and cross the tundra with great views. Nearing the overlook of Elk Creek, we will descend to Verde Lakes and then decide whether to go back via Highland Mary Lakes or the Continental Divide Trail. Carpool $10, dogs ok. RSVP Chris Blackshear, chris.blackshear@gmail.com	Hard, 10 miles 3000 ft Moderately brisk pace
Mon, Sep 11 9:00 am RC 9:00 am	Monday Road Bike Ride This is a 16-mile bike ride from the Fairgrounds stopping at PJs and back. Contact Ride Leader: John Martin at mudpatch22@gmail.com Click here for additional details	16 miles moderate pace
Tue, Sep 12 7:00 am Fairgrounds 7:00 am	Hike Ajax Ridge Starting at Red Mountain Pass, we will hike the Black Bear Pass Road over the pass and climb up to the ridge by Trico Peak. Then hike west along the ridge dividing Imogene Pass from Black Bear Pass until Ajax Mountain. The route then descends to Black Bear Pass Road, which we will walk back to the pass and then back to the cars. If we have good 4x4s we can drive to the pass and cut down the walking by two hours. Carpool $11. Dogs ok. RSVP Chris Blackshear, chris.blackshear@gmail.com	Most challenging 14 miles 4000 ft brisk pace
Tue, Sep 12 5:00 pm 5:00 pm Chris Park	SO! Fall Social Come and join your fellow members at the SO! Fall PotLuck Social from 5:00 to 7:30 PM at Chris Park. Attendees are asked to bring either a homemade main dish, appetizer, side dish/salad or dessert according to their last name. Please refer to the related email for details. Remember to bring your own table service (plates, utensils and glassware). SO! will have ice tea and lemonade available but you may bring your own preferred beverage. No RSVP needed. Sorry, no dogs allowed.
Wed, Sep 13 8:30 am RC 8:30 am Purg 9:00 am	WW hike Upper Hermosa Email address correction This out and back hike begins behind Purg at the upper TH of the Hermosa Trail. We will hike downhill along the lovely Hermosa Creek to just beyond the edge of the burn area from the 416 fire. A small SUV or higher clearance is needed to ford a creek near the TH. Well behaved dogs ok, include in RSVP. Carpool $7. Limit 18. RSVP Chris Wiehage cwiehage22@gmail.com About Wednesday Wanderers	Moderate 7 miles 500 ft. Moderately Easy pace
Thu, Sep 14 9:00 am RC 9:00 am	Thursday Road Bike Ride This is a 28-mile bike ride from the Fairgrounds to Bakers Bridge and back, stopping at Bread. Contact Ride Leaders: Rick Boebel, Pat Lyon, Daniel Saum, and Rodger Steeper at ThursdayBikers@seniorsoutdoors.org Click here for additional details	28 miles moderate pace
Thu, Sep 14 9:30 am Fairgrounds 9:30am. Parking lot between ballfields and Main Ave.	Thursday Easy Outings Friendly dogs and hikers welcome. Destination will be announced at the parking lot. Whenever possible, the group may return by the original route or a slightly more challenging route for those who choose to go the Extra Mile. Carpool varies by destination, approx. $5. Do not RSVP. Contact Ted Keller if you need more specific info or you wish to meet at the trailhead. Text preferred to 970 759-7207. These outings are limited to members and approved guests who are fully vaccinated and boosted. About Wednesday Wanderers	Moderate +/- 3 miles at lower altitudes near Durango Easy Pace
Fri, Sep 15 7:00 am TH 7:00 am	Two-hour hike Smelter Mtn Join for a short walk in town. We will be done by 9:00 am. Meet at the trailhead off of Highway 210. A Colorado Parks and Wildlife permit is required. Dogs ok. RSVP Stephanie Weber, steph4100@gmail.com	Moderate 4 miles 800 ft Moderate pace
Mon, Sep 18 7:00 am RC 7:00 am TC 7:10 am PURG 7:30 am	Hike Ice Lake and Island Lake Date change from Sept 11 We will hike up the Ice Lakes Trail to the stunning Ice Lake Basin. From there we will make a loop to Island Lake and return. Carpool $10. Limit 12. Dogs OK RSVP Kevin Conroy 630 200 5222 57ales@gmail.com	Hard 7.5 miles 2700 ft gain Moderate Pace
Mon, Sep 18 9:00 am RC 9:00 am	Monday Road Bike Ride This is a 16-mile bike ride from the Rec Center stopping at PJs and back. Contact Ride Leader: John Martin at mudpatch22@gmail.com Click here for additional details	16 miles moderate pace
Wed, Sep 20 7:00 am Fairgrounds 7:00 am TC 7:10 am	Climb Arrow BM and Peak 12,936 Feet Follow the Whitehead Trail around gorgeous Whitehead Gulch to the remote Arrow BM destination, taking in Peak 12,936 on the return. Best view of the Grenadiers without actually climbing them. Carpool $10. 4WD HC. Limit 10. No dogs. Hunting season wear blaze orange. RSVP Tomas Ward tom@thward.net. Co-leader Debra Van Winegarden.	Most Challenging 11 miles 2200 ft Moderately Brisk Pace
Wed, Sep 20 8:30 am Fairgrounds 8:30 am	WW hike Cascade Creek Trail This trail begins at the Forest Service Center by the TH for Larkspur Lane (Engineer Mountain Trail) and meanders through aspen groves and meadows until it meets up with Cascade Creek Rd. near the gate. We will then proceed past the gate to a break spot along the creek. Return is by the same route. Well behaved dogs ok, include in RSVP. Limit 15. Carpool $5. RSVP Tricia Bayless (970) 799-4535 tbayless@bresnan.net About Wednesday Wanderers	Moderate 5 mi. 300 ft. Moderately easy pace
Thu, Sep 21 8:00 am RC 8:00 am PURG 8:30 am	Nature Hike North Cascade Creek Margaret Mayer has been a hike leader and naturalist for AMC, Wilderness Ventures, School of Field Studies, NPS and others. Bring field guides and enjoy nature hikes with gentle ups and downs. We will start at a high meadow accessed by a little road off of 550 just north of Cascade Creek. It parallels the Cascade Creek road on a higher terrace, contouring through aspen groves and meadow to join the Cascade Creek road which shortly comes to the Cascade Creek trail. Round trip approx 4 miles but can be longer if the group wishes to continue along the trail to the falls (8 mile RT) Carpool $5. Limit 12. 2 well behaved dogs ok (Please include in RSVP). RSVP Margaret Mayer 505 728 2057 mmayer4823@gmail.com	Easy 4.5 miles Minimal gain Easy pace
Thu, Sep 21 9:00 am RC 9:00 am	Thursday Road Bike Ride This is a 28-mile bike ride from the Rec Center to Bakers Bridge and back, stopping at Bread. Contact Ride Leaders: Rick Boebel, Pat Lyon, Daniel Saum, and Rodger Steeper at ThursdayBikers@seniorsoutdoors.org Click here for additional details	28 miles moderate pace
Thu, Sep 21 9:30 am Fairgrounds 9:30am. Parking lot between ballfields and Main Ave.	Thursday Easy Outings Friendly dogs and hikers welcome. Destination will be announced at the parking lot. Whenever possible, the group may return by the original route or a slightly more challenging route for those who choose to go the Extra Mile. Carpool varies by destination, approx. $5. Do not RSVP. Contact Ted Keller if you need more specific info or you wish to meet at the trailhead. Text preferred to 970 759-7207. These outings are limited to members and approved guests who are fully vaccinated and boosted. About Wednesday Wanderers	Moderate +/- 3 miles at lower altitudes near Durango Easy Pace
Fri, Sep 22 8:00 am RC 8:00 am Purg 8:30 am	Hike Spirit Gulch This hike starts near the Idarado mine on Red Mountain Pass. It then follows a series of old roads thru three gulches at elevations of 10,000 to 12,000 feet past several old mines. Expect great views and nice fall colors on the aspens. This is a thru hike, and hopefully we will come out to US 550 and a shuttle car about 2 miles north of where we started. No limit. Dogs OK. Carpool $10. RSVP Clark Lagow, clagow@rmi.net. No RSVP required unless meeting at Purg.	Moderate 6.7 miles 1470 ft up 1970 ft down Moderately easy pace
Sat, Sep 23 9:00 am Hermosa Gas Station 9:00 am	Highway Cleanup Come join other SO! members as we clean up our two stretches of Highway 550. We will meet at the Hermosa gas station (Speedway) lot and head straight out. No coffee and donuts this time. Bring work gloves and orange vest if you have one. If you do not have a vest, we have several. RSVP Betsey Butler ejbutler12@gmail.com or 609-532-6948	Easy 2 miles Easy pace
Mon, Sep 25 9:00 am RC 9:00 am	Monday Road Bike Ride This is a 16-mile bike ride from the Rec Center stopping at PJs and back. Contact Ride Leader: John Martin at mudpatch22@gmail.com Click here for additional details	16 miles moderate pace
Tue, Sep 26 8:00 am RC 8:00 am TC 8:15 am	Hike Castle Rock An annual favorite for fall colors. Beginning at the Needles Store, we will hike the Elbert Creek trail climbing steadily through the aspens to the cabin and then up to Castle Rock with commanding views of Electra Lake, Spud Mountain and the Twilights. Carpool $5. Limit 10. 2 well behaved dogs OK. Hunting season wear blaze orange. RSVP: Judy Mack tupelo16@gmail.com	Moderate 1650 ft gain Moderately Brisk Pace
Wed, Sep 27 8:30 am Fairgrounds 8:30 am Purg 9:00 am	WW hike Molas Trail to Elk Park Overlook This hike begins near Molas Lake and drops down to a nice viewpoint with great views of the Animas River and surrounding peaks and probably great fall colors. Well behaved dogs ok, include in RSVP. Limit 15. Carpool $8. Hunting season wear blaze orange. RSVP Chris Wiehage cwiehage22@gmail.com About Wednesday Wanderers	Moderate 4 miles 400 ft. Moderately easy pace
Thu, Sep 28 9:00 am RC 9:00 am	Thursday Road Bike Ride This is a 28-mile bike ride from the Rec Center to Bakers Bridge and back, stopping at Bread. Contact Ride Leaders: Rick Boebel, Pat Lyon, Daniel Saum, and Rodger Steeper at ThursdayBikers@seniorsoutdoors.org Click here for additional details	28 miles moderate pace
Thu, Sep 28 9:30 am Fairgrounds 9:30am. Parking lot between ballfields and Main Ave.	Thursday Easy Outings Friendly dogs and hikers welcome. Destination will be announced at the parking lot. Whenever possible, the group may return by the original route or a slightly more challenging route for those who choose to go the Extra Mile. Carpool varies by destination, approx. $5. Do not RSVP. Contact Ted Keller if you need more specific info or you wish to meet at the trailhead. Text preferred to 970 759-7207. These outings are limited to members and approved guests who are fully vaccinated and boosted. About Wednesday Wanderers	Moderate +/- 3 miles at lower altitudes near Durango Easy Pace
Fri, Sep 29 8:00 am SRP 8:00 am	Hike and cookout to the Ward cabin After leaving the cars at the cabin in the aspens, we will begin the hike at Transfer Campground. The easy/moderate 4 mile hike is along various wooded trails and roads, and open meadow, with little elevation gain. The Wards will supply: Hot dogs and veggie dogs and fixings, buns, and lemonade. Anything else is potluck! Note: We can use a fire tender who is maybe unable to do the hike. Carpool $8. Carpooling is encouraged because of the shuttle. Limit 15. Dogs: One OK (RSVP). Leader: La Donna Ward, Co-leader: Travis Ward. Hunting season wear blaze orange. RSVP to La Donna at: tlgward@gmail.com	Moderate 4 miles 400 ft Moderately easy pace
Mon, Oct 2 10:00 am RC 10:00 am	Monday Road Bike Ride This is a 16-mile bike ride from the Rec Center stopping at PJs and back. Contact Ride Leader: John Martin at mudpatch22@gmail.com Click here for additional details	16 miles moderate pace
Wed, Oct 4 8:30 am RC 8:30 am Purg 9:00 am	WW hike Grassy Creek We will start where the gravel ends on the Relay Creek Road, (FS 580) hiking from there up an abandoned logging road that climbs through the upper Grassy Creek drainage. When the road tops out on a ridge coming down from Graysill Ridge, we will scramble up the ridge a short distance and stop with views of the upper Hermosa drainage, Hermosa Peak, and Blackhawk Mtn. HC desirable, approximately 15 miles of FS gravel roads. Carpool $8. No dogs. Limit 12. Hunting season wear blaze orange. RSVP Bob Kuhnert (970) 799-0692 rkuhnert55@gmail.com About Wednesday Wanderers	Moderate 6 miles 1000 ft. Moderate pace
Thu, Oct 5 9:30 am Fairgrounds 9:30am. Parking lot between ballfields and Main Ave.	Thursday Easy Outings Friendly dogs and hikers welcome. Destination will be announced at the parking lot. Whenever possible, the group may return by the original route or a slightly more challenging route for those who choose to go the Extra Mile. Carpool varies by destination, approx. $5. Do not RSVP. Contact Ted Keller if you need more specific info or you wish to meet at the trailhead. Text preferred to 970 759-7207. These outings are limited to members and approved guests who are fully vaccinated and boosted. About Wednesday Wanderers	Moderate +/- 3 miles at lower altitudes near Durango Easy Pace
Thu, Oct 5 10:00 am RC 10:00 am	Thursday Road Bike Ride This is a 28-mile bike ride from the Rec Center to Bakers Bridge and back, stopping at Bread. Contact Ride Leaders: Rick Boebel, Pat Lyon, Daniel Saum, and Rodger Steeper at ThursdayBikers@seniorsoutdoors.org Click here for additional details	28 miles moderate pace
Fri, Oct 6 7:00 am RC 7:00 am TC 7:15 am PURG 7:30 am	Hike Spencer Basin to Highland Mary Lakes Date changed from Oct 2 From the Cunningham Gulch parking area we will hike into Spencer Basin. From there we will attain the ridge to the Southeast and ascend to the Sugarloaf summit. Excellent views from Sugarloaf. We will then make our way off trail down to the Highland Mary Lakes and complete the loop back to our cars. Carpool $11. 4WD/HC. Limit 15. Dogs OK with leader approval. Hunting season wear blaze orange. RSVP Kevin Conroy 630-200-5222 57ales@gmail.com	Hard due to elevation gain and some off trail 7.7 miles 2470 ft gain Moderate Pace
Fri, Oct 6 8:00 am RC 8:00 am TC 8:10 am	Hike Stevens Creek This is a fall color hike and should be beautiful aspen and an abundance of orange gambel oak. A short shuttle hike starting at Wallace Lk on Missionary Ridge. We will follow an old Forest Service road to Stevens Ck trail then descend to the Missionary Ridge connector and back to MR road. Carpool $5. Limit 10. Two well behaved dogs OK. RSVP to Chuck Rancatti chuck.rancatti@gmail.com	Moderate About 4.5 miles 500 ft. gain Moderate pace
Mon, Oct 9 8:00 am RC 8:00 am TC 8:15 am TH 8:30 am	Hike Purgatory Flats to Animas River We will descend from the trailhead across from Purgatory to the flats along Cascade Creek. The trail continues up and down along Cascade Canyon until the final descent to the Animas. We will have lunch along the river and if we time it right, we can wave at the train as it passes. Return the same route and ascend back to the trailhead. Carpool $5. Limit 15. Dogs OK with leader approval. Hunting season – wear blaze orange. RSVP Kevin Conroy 630-200-5222 57ales@gmail.com	Moderate 8.8 miles 1500 ft gain Moderate Pace
Mon, Oct 9 10:00 am RC 10:00 am	Monday Road Bike Ride This is a 16-mile bike ride from the Rec Center stopping at PJs and back. Contact Ride Leader: John Martin at mudpatch22@gmail.com Click here for additional details	16 miles moderate pace
Tue, Oct 10 5:50 pm RC 5:50 pm RC 6:20pm	SO Monthly Meeting Agenda: 5:50-6:20 PM: Social half hour with refreshments. 6:20-7:40 PM: Meeting and presentation. Presentation title: Great communities build great trails; Great trails build great communities. Speaker: Mary Monroe with Durango Trails Presentation summary: On the hikes, runs or mountain bike rides you enjoyed this year, did you notice the hundreds of downed trees that were removed from trails ranging from the Colorado Trail to Dry Fork, Hoffheins to Engineer Mountain and Pass Trail, and many others in the area? Did you appreciate the trail work done in Horse Gulch, Overend, Dalla, Twin Buttes, The Colorado Trail, Engineer Mountain, and Missionary Ridge? Did you enjoy the new trails built on Animas Mountain? Maybe new trail signage helped you find your way, or you learned something new through the stewardship and educational campaigns, social media messages, newsletter stories, and other information that makes our community aware of what is going on in our nearby trail networks. Durango Trails tackled these and many other projects during the 2022 season, as it has every season for the last 30 years. We cannot do this work alone; it takes great communities to build great trails! Speaker bio: Mary Monroe brings a wealth of knowledge in strategic planning and marketing plus a love of trails to the Durango Trails organization. Mary and her family all participate faithfully in trail work, and enjoy nordic skiing, hiking 14ers, trail running and mountain biking. Marys favorite trails are looped networks where every memory of trail work speaks to her. Please note: Our September 12th picnic was pretty much a washout. The few hearty souls who showed up contributed $60 and a few items to our charity partner the Volunteers of America, Durango Community Shelter and Safehouse. We would like to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to contribute, so we are asking that you bring your donations to the October meeting. The shelter could use men’s or women’s shoes in various sizes, or twin-size comforters. The safehouse could use ear buds (headphones), water bottles, pocket size note pads, baby carriers, art supplies (water colors, paper, colored pencils), or disposable Tupperware. If you wish to make a check donation, make the check to Volunteers of America Colorado and note on the check Durango shelter or safehouse. Hope to see you on the 10^th. If you have any questions, please feel free to call me. Tim Rose 312-953-8004
Wed, Oct 11 8:00 am Fairgrounds 8:00 am Vallecito Community Center 8:45 am	WW hike Freeman Park and Endlich Mesa Trail Our hike begins at the Vallecito Community Center up the little-known start of the Endlich Mesa Trail. The trail climbs steeply for a short distance then moderates with switchbacks through new growth Aspen. The colors should be lovely during October. Although the Endlich Mesa Trail goes on forever, we will plan to hike 5 to 6 miles total with a stop at Freeman Park, a pleasant meadow, for lunch or snacks before returning. There is a $5/car parking fee at the Vallecito Community Center. Carpool $5 plus a share of the parking fee. Two well behaved leashed dogs okay. Please note when RSVP. Limit 15. RSVP Pam Cissik – pamcissik@gmail.com. Co-leader Larry Mills About Wednesday Wanderers	Moderate 5-6 miles 1000 ft. Moderately easy pace
Thu, Oct 12 9:30 am Fairgrounds 9:30 am. Parking lot between ballfields and Main Ave.	Thursday Easy Outings Friendly dogs and hikers welcome. Destination will be announced at the parking lot. Whenever possible, the group may return by the original route or a slightly more challenging route for those who choose to go the Extra Mile. Carpool varies by destination, approx. $5. Do not RSVP. Contact Ted Keller if you need more specific info or you wish to meet at the trailhead. Text preferred to 970 759-7207. These outings are limited to members and approved guests who are fully vaccinated and boosted. About Wednesday Wanderers	Moderate +/- 3 miles at lower altitudes near Durango Easy Pace
Thu, Oct 12 10:00 am RC 10:00 am	Thursday Road Bike Ride This is a 28-mile bike ride from the Rec Center to Bakers Bridge and back, stopping at Bread. Contact Ride Leaders: Rick Boebel, Pat Lyon, Daniel Saum, and Rodger Steeper at ThursdayBikers@seniorsoutdoors.org Click here for additional details	28 miles moderate pace
Thu, Oct 12 5:00 pm 5:00 pm Home of Clark Lagow	SO! Board Meeting The quarterly SO! Board meeting will be held at 5:00 pm, and include a potluck dinner. RSVP: clagow@rmi.net	Easy
Fri, Oct 13 - Sun, Oct 15 RC 7:30 am	Car Camp Butler Wash Drive to Butler Wash via Bluff and set up camp. We will climb Comb Ridge, and visit various canyons to see petroglyphs, pictographs, and ruins. On 10/14 we will witness the solar eclipse from the top of Comb Ridge. Make sure you bring eclipse glasses. Exit at the north end on UT-95. Butler Wash has a $5/pp daily fee. There are some portajohns there, which we will try to camp near. Dogs need to be kept out of the ruins. Carpool $TBD. Dogs OK. 4WD helpful. RSVP Chris Blackshear, chris.blackshear@gmail.com	Moderate distance and moderate pace, varies by day
Fri, Oct 13 9:00 am RC 9:00 am	Loop hike of lower Junction Creek Starting at the upper CT TH, we will hike a trail that parallels the N rim of Junction Ck. Then we will descend to the bottom of Junction Ck near the bridge and hike up to Gudys Rest. From GR we will hike a short distance on the Hoffheims Trail, then hike an abandoned mtn bike trail that parallels the S rim of Junction Ck. At the end of that trail, we descend into Junction Ck again, cross the creek, and hike a short distance to our cars. Carpool $2. No limit. Dogs OK. Hunting season – wear blaze orange. RSVP Will Rietveld willjanet@bresnan.net	Moderate Approx 6 miles 1500 ft gain Moderate Pace
Mon, Oct 16 10:00 am RC 10:00 am	Monday Road Bike Ride This is a 16-mile bike ride from the Rec Center stopping at PJs and back. Contact Ride Leader: John Martin at mudpatch22@gmail.com Click here for additional details	16 miles moderate pace
Tue, Oct 17 8:30 am RC 8:15 am Fire Station @ CR234 and Florida Rd 8:30 am	Hike Red Creek- First Fork Loop We will hike up Red Creek trail, follow Missionary Ridge Trail west to its intersection with First Fork, which returns to the trailhead. Nice views from Missionary Ridge. The intent is to catch Fall colors at their peak, but with the dry summer my expectations are not high! The pace will be moderate. Carpool $2. Limit 12. No dogs. Hunting season – wear blaze orange. RSVP Charlie Berglund 247 9747 chasberglund@msn.com	Hard 10 miles 2000 ft gain Moderate Pace
Wed, Oct 18 8:30 am Twin Buttes TH 8:30 am Twin Buttes TH parking lot behind the Speedway on 160 W	WW hike Hoffheins Connection This is an in and out hike with mostly gradual elevation gain as the trail heads north towards the Colorado Trail and Gudys Rest, with views of Perrins Peak, Barnroof Point and the La Platas. Well mannered dogs ok, include in RSVP. Limit 15. Carpool $2. RSVP Lindie Ivie (505) 690-4903 iviedgo@gmail.com. Co-leader Joe Ivie. About Wednesday Wanderers	Moderate 4.5 miles 700 ft. Moderately easy pace
Thu, Oct 19 9:30 am Fairgrounds 9:30am. Parking lot between ballfields and Main Ave.	Thursday Easy Outings Friendly dogs and hikers welcome. Destination will be announced at the parking lot. Whenever possible, the group may return by the original route or a slightly more challenging route for those who choose to go the Extra Mile. Carpool varies by destination, approx. $5. Do not RSVP. Contact Ted Keller if you need more specific info or you wish to meet at the trailhead. Text preferred to 970 759-7207. These outings are limited to members and approved guests who are fully vaccinated and boosted. About Wednesday Wanderers	Moderate +/- 3 miles at lower altitudes near Durango Easy Pace
Thu, Oct 19 10:00 am RC 10:00 am	Thursday Road Bike Ride This is a 28-mile bike ride from the Rec Center to Bakers Bridge and back, stopping at Bread. Contact Ride Leaders: Rick Boebel, Pat Lyon, Daniel Saum, and Rodger Steeper at ThursdayBikers@seniorsoutdoors.org Click here for additional details	28 miles moderate pace
Mon, Oct 23 10:00 am RC 10:00 am	Monday Road Bike Ride This is a 16-mile bike ride from the Rec Center stopping at PJs and back. Contact Ride Leader: John Martin at mudpatch22@gmail.com Click here for additional details	16 miles moderate pace
Wed, Oct 25 8:00 am SRP 8:00 am	WW hike Chimney Rock Starting from the parking area on HWY 151, we will hike up the closed road to explore a Great Kiva, a multi-family dwelling and a Chacoan style Great House Pueblo, continuing to the Chimney Rock lookout area. The hike will be guided by Hunter McCleary, former docent at Chimney Rock NM. No dogs. Carpool $11. Limit 14. RSVP Lorraine McCleary (703) 403-9073 lorrainemccleary@gmail.com About Wednesday Wanderers	Moderate 6.5 miles 1300 ft. Moderate pace
Thu, Oct 26 9:30 am Fairgrounds 9:30am. Parking lot between ballfields and Main Ave.	Thursday Easy Outings Friendly dogs and hikers welcome. Destination will be announced at the parking lot. Whenever possible, the group may return by the original route or a slightly more challenging route for those who choose to go the Extra Mile. Carpool varies by destination, approx. $5. Do not RSVP. Contact Ted Keller if you need more specific info or you wish to meet at the trailhead. Text preferred to 970 759-7207. These outings are limited to members and approved guests who are fully vaccinated and boosted. About Wednesday Wanderers	Moderate +/- 3 miles at lower altitudes near Durango Easy Pace
Thu, Oct 26 10:00 am RC 10:00 am	Thursday Road Bike Ride This is a 28-mile bike ride from the Rec Center to Bakers Bridge and back, stopping at Bread. Contact Ride Leaders: Rick Boebel, Pat Lyon, Daniel Saum, and Rodger Steeper at ThursdayBikers@seniorsoutdoors.org Click here for additional details	28 miles moderate pace
Sun, Oct 29 8:00 am RC 8:00 am	Hike to Ice Lake This is an annual hike/snowshoe to Ice Lake around Halloween. With luck, it will be unfrozen but surrounded by snow. We will try for Island Lake if conditions allow. Have snowshoes or traction devices. Carpool $10. Dogs OK. Hunting season wear blaze orange. RSVP Chris Blackshear, chris.blackshear@gmail.com	Hard 7 miles 2700 feet, Moderately brisk pace
Mon, Oct 30 10:00 am RC 10:00 am	Monday Road Bike Ride This is a 16-mile bike ride from the Rec Center stopping at PJs and back. Contact Ride Leader: John Martin at mudpatch22@gmail.com Click here for additional details	16 miles moderate pace
Tue, Oct 31 8:00 am RC 8:00 am Purg 8:30am	West Turkshead Pk (12,865 ft.) Starting at the turn-off to Little Molas Lake, we climb up to the high valley at the top of Molas Creek. Exiting out the back of the valley we emerge onto high tundra, with a final 350 ft on grassy slopes to the top. Depending on conditions, this hike may require micro-spikes or even snowshoes. Limit 10. 2 well-behaved dogs on approval. Carpool $8. Hunting season wear blaze orange. RSVP Steve Schnarch 970 749-4478 or ssalivedgo@gmail.com This outing is limited to members and approved guests who are fully vaccinated and boosted.	Hard 5.5 miles 2100 ft. Moderate Pace
Wed, Nov 1 9:30 am SRP 9:30 am	WW hike Animas River Trail Every Wednesday through the winter join Eric to walk the River Trail from Santa Rita Park to Home Depot and back. Participants may turn back earlier or go further, if desired. Enjoy wildlife, river views and walking companions. No RSVP required. Dogs must be on leash per city ordinance. For more information contact Eric Pahlke at 247-1130 or ehpahlke@gmail.com About Wednesday Wanderers	Easy 5-7 miles Flat Easy Pace
Thu, Nov 2 9:30 am Fairgrounds 9:30am. Parking lot between ballfields and Main Ave.	Thursday Easy Outings Friendly dogs and hikers welcome. Destination will be announced at the parking lot. Whenever possible, the group may return by the original route or a slightly more challenging route for those who choose to go the Extra Mile. Carpool varies by destination, approx. $5. Do not RSVP. Contact Ted Keller if you need more specific info or you wish to meet at the trailhead. Text preferred to 970 759-7207. These outings are limited to members and approved guests who are fully vaccinated and boosted. About Wednesday Wanderers	Moderate +/- 3 miles at lower altitudes near Durango Easy Pace
Thu, Nov 2 10:00 am RC 10:00 am	Thursday Road Bike Ride This is a 28-mile bike ride from the Rec Center to Bakers Bridge and back, stopping at Bread. Contact Ride Leaders: Rick Boebel, Pat Lyon, Daniel Saum, and Rodger Steeper at ThursdayBikers@seniorsoutdoors.org Click here for additional details	28 miles moderate pace
Fri, Nov 3 8:30 am SRP 8:30 am	Hike Sand Canyon Sand Canyon is always nice in the spring or fall. We will do a loop and go by several ruins. There will be an option to meet an hour earlier and have breakfast at ABC before doing the hike. Limit 15 per group. No dogs. Carpool $10. RSVP to Clark Lagow clagow@rmi.net	Moderate 5.2 miles 500 ft Moderately easy pace
Mon, Nov 6 10:00 am RC 10:00 am	Monday Road Bike Ride This is a 16-mile bike ride from the Rec Center stopping at PJs and back. Contact Ride Leader: John Martin at mudpatch22@gmail.com Click here for additional details	16 miles moderate pace
Wed, Nov 8 9:30 am SRP 9:30 am	WW hike Animas River Trail Every Wednesday through the winter join Eric to walk the River Trail from Santa Rita Park to Home Depot and back. Participants may turn back earlier or go further, if desired. Enjoy wildlife, river views and walking companions. No RSVP required. Dogs must be on leash per city ordinance. For more information contact Eric Pahlke at 247-1130 or ehpahlke@gmail.com About Wednesday Wanderers	Easy 5-7 miles Flat Easy Pace
Thu, Nov 9 9:30 am Fairgrounds 9:30am. Parking lot between ballfields and Main Ave.	Thursday Easy Outings Friendly dogs and hikers welcome. Destination will be announced at the parking lot. Whenever possible, the group may return by the original route or a slightly more challenging route for those who choose to go the Extra Mile. Carpool varies by destination, approx. $5. Do not RSVP. Contact Ted Keller if you need more specific info or you wish to meet at the trailhead. Text preferred to 970 759-7207. These outings are limited to members and approved guests who are fully vaccinated and boosted. About Wednesday Wanderers	Moderate +/- 3 miles at lower altitudes near Durango Easy Pace
Thu, Nov 9 10:00 am RC 10:00 am	Thursday Road Bike Ride This is a 28-mile bike ride from the Rec Center to Bakers Bridge and back, stopping at Bread. Contact Ride Leaders: Rick Boebel, Pat Lyon, Daniel Saum, and Rodger Steeper at ThursdayBikers@seniorsoutdoors.org Click here for additional details	28 miles moderate pace
Tue, Nov 14 5:50 pm RC 5:50 pm RC 6:20 pm	SO Monthly Meeting Agenda: 5:50-6:20 PM: Social half hour with refreshments. 6:20-7:40 PM: Meeting and presentation. Presentation title: Rail travel in Colombia and no scheduled passenger trains??!! Speaker: Steve Cossey Presentation summary: Over the past ten years I have discovered that rail travel in Colombia is possible, even without any scheduled passenger trains in the entire country. It is possible using a system of informal rail travel called loosely “moto-rodillos”. I have travelled over 500 km (311 miles) though beautiful countryside, towns and villages and seen areas where no “normal” tourist goes. At one time, the Colombian rail system was about 3500 km (2175 miles) long. I met one guy from Medellin (Carlos Mario Lopez) who has actually hiked all 3500 km of the railway right-of-way in Colombia! All types of rail transport exist, ranging from buses converted to rail travel to simple wooden platforms pushed by a pole (think gondola in Venice) and all types of home-made transportation in-between. These abandoned railways are used to transport people and goods, such as cheese, milk, seafood etc. One may travel as a single passenger or may rent the entire moto-rodillo for your group of up to 8 people. Top speed is about 25 mph and you are in contact with nature and wildlife throughout the journey. Everyone you meet on the journey is friendly and engaging, and there is always somewhere to grab a drink or some food. The presentation shows you some of the scenery, architecture, culture and people we met along the way on these numerous trips in Colombia from the Magdalena River to the savanna near Bogota. Lodging is taken in small towns can be obtained for less than $15 a night and meals are around $3 each, so what’s to stop you going? Speaker bio: Steve Cossey is a consulting geologist and chief geoscientist at Cossey and Associates Inc. geoconsulting based in Durango. He moved here in October 2003 and shared office space with Jeff Brame for 14 years in downtown Durango. He still does some consulting projects with companies in Houston and Uruguay and other “fun” geology projects in Mexico. Until he was 21 years old, Steve lived in England where his school was right next to the London-Edinburgh railway line which was still operated by steam locomotives before August 1968. Many breaks and lunchtimes were spent leaning on the fence watching the fastest steam trains in the world speed their way to Scotland. Thus began his love of trains and the main reason for moving to Durango. Steve began taking steam train trips around the world in 2006 and regrets not starting sooner! He has restored a steam engine in Colombia and enjoys hiking, easy bike rides and exploring, especially off the beaten-track places.
Wed, Nov 15 9:30 am SRP 9:30 am	WW hike Animas River Trail Every Wednesday through the winter join Eric to walk the River Trail from Santa Rita Park to Home Depot and back. Participants may turn back earlier or go further, if desired. Enjoy wildlife, river views and walking companions. No RSVP required. Dogs must be on leash per city ordinance. For more information contact Eric Pahlke at 247-1130 or ehpahlke@gmail.com About Wednesday Wanderers	Easy 5-7 miles Flat Easy Pace
Thu, Nov 16 9:30 am Fairgrounds 9:30am. Parking lot between ballfields and Main Ave.	Thursday Easy Outings Friendly dogs and hikers welcome. Destination will be announced at the parking lot. Whenever possible, the group may return by the original route or a slightly more challenging route for those who choose to go the Extra Mile. Carpool varies by destination, approx. $5. Do not RSVP. Contact Ted Keller if you need more specific info or you wish to meet at the trailhead. Text preferred to 970 759-7207. These outings are limited to members and approved guests who are fully vaccinated and boosted. About Wednesday Wanderers	Moderate +/- 3 miles at lower altitudes near Durango Easy Pace
Fri, Nov 17 9:00 am Ella Vita Cul de sac 9:00 am	Hike Overend Park and the Hogsback We will explore our own in-town Overend Park trail system. Our route will include going up and over the Hogsback. This is a loop route and we will finish with a stop at the Conroys for a tasty treat. Limit 12. Dogs OK with Leader approval. RSVP Kevin Conroy 630-200-5222 57ales@gmail.com	Moderate 7 miles 1600 ft. Moderate Pace
Sun, Nov 19 7:30 am RC 7:30 am	Hike Bisti Badlands Get an early start for the 2-hour drive to Bisti. We will hike around the incredible formations of Bisti. Bisti has a group limit of eight so if more are coming, we will be in two groups. Carpool $14. Limit 16. Dogs OK. RSVP Chris Blackshear, chris.blackshear@gmail.com	Moderate 6-8 miles Flat Moderate pace
Wed, Nov 22 9:30 am SRP 9:30 am	WW hike Animas River Trail Every Wednesday through the winter join Eric to walk the River Trail from Santa Rita Park to Home Depot and back. Participants may turn back earlier or go further, if desired. Enjoy wildlife, river views and walking companions. No RSVP required. Dogs must be on leash per city ordinance. For more information contact Eric Pahlke at 247-1130 or ehpahlke@gmail.com About Wednesday Wanderers	Easy 5-7 miles Flat Easy Pace
Fri, Nov 24 9:00 am Big Canyon Parking lot next to Kia dealership 9:00 am for Moderately brisk group. Carbon Junction Trailhead for the Moderately easy group	Hike to Pautsky Point Walk Off The Turkey. The moderately brisk group will hike up Big Canyon trail until we are above Horse Gulch, then up to Pautsky Point. Return via South Rim Trail for a nice loop hike. John Montle will lead the moderately easy group and will start at the Carbon Junction trailhead and follow that trail to Pautsky Point and back. If the stars align, both groups should arrive at Pautsky Pt at about the same time and enjoy the view and lunch together. No limits. Two well behaved dogs OK. RSVP to Chuck Rancatti chuck.rancatti@gmail.com	Moderate 8 miles 1300 ft. gain Moderately brisk pace or Moderate 6-7 miles About 900 ft. gain Moderately easy pace
Wed, Nov 29 9:30 am SRP 9:30 am	WW hike Animas River Trail Every Wednesday through the winter join Eric to walk the River Trail from Santa Rita Park to Home Depot and back. Participants may turn back earlier or go further, if desired. Enjoy wildlife, river views and walking companions. No RSVP required. Dogs must be on leash per city ordinance. For more information contact Eric Pahlke at 247-1130 or ehpahlke@gmail.com About Wednesday Wanderers	Easy 5-7 miles Flat Easy Pace
Fri, Dec 1 9:00 am RC 9:00 Purg 9:30	Weekly Snowshoes We plan to resume our tradition of having a weekly snowshoe outing. However, this year the outing will be on any day of the week. We will consider weather, avalanche danger, and parking issues to select what we think will be the best day to do the outing. An email will be sent to members of this subgroup each week 2-3 days in advance. This email will announce what snowshoe we will be doing that week and Specific details (leader, destination, description, 4WD, etc.). We will split up into several groups depending on the desired pace of the participants. Carpool $5-$10, depending on destination. Dogs OK if well behaved. This is a backcountry winter outing. While we will strive to avoid avalanche danger, all participants should educate themselves about avalanche risks, conditions, and safety. To sign up for this subgroup, send an email to Snowshoeing@seniorsoutdoors.org. IF YOU WERE ON THE EMAIL LIST LAST YEAR, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SIGN UP AGAIN.	Moderate to Hard 3+ miles 500-2000 ft
Mon, Dec 4 8:00 am RC 8:00am Purg 8:30 am	Pass creek Trail to Coal Creek Trail From the top of Coal Bank Pass we head up to the base of Engineer Mt., then cross over the top of Coal Creek and descend on the Coal Creek Trail to waiting shuttle vehicles. Depending on conditions, this hike may require micro-spikes or snowshoes. Limit 10. 2 well-behaved dogs on approval. Carpool $7. RSVP Steve Schnarch 970 749-4478 ssalivedgo@gmail.com This outing is limited to members and approved guests who are fully vaccinated and boosted.	Moderate to Hard, depending on snow. 6.25 miles 1300 ft. Moderate pace.
Wed, Dec 6 9:30 am SRP 9:30 am	WW hike Animas River Trail Every Wednesday through the winter join Eric to walk the River Trail from Santa Rita Park to Home Depot and back. Participants may turn back earlier or go further, if desired. Enjoy wildlife, river views and walking companions. No RSVP required. Dogs must be on leash per city ordinance. For more information contact Eric Pahlke at 247-1130 or ehpahlke@gmail.com About Wednesday Wanderers	Easy 5-7 miles Flat Easy Pace
Fri, Dec 8 9:00 am RC 9:00 Purg 9:30	Weekly Snowshoes We plan to resume our tradition of having a weekly snowshoe outing. However, this year the outing will be on any day of the week. We will consider weather, avalanche danger, and parking issues to select what we think will be the best day to do the outing. An email will be sent to members of this subgroup each week 2-3 days in advance. This email will announce what snowshoe we will be doing that week and Specific details (leader, destination, description, 4WD, etc.). We will split up into several groups depending on the desired pace of the participants. Carpool $5-$10, depending on destination. Dogs OK if well behaved. This is a backcountry winter outing. While we will strive to avoid avalanche danger, all participants should educate themselves about avalanche risks, conditions, and safety. To sign up for this subgroup, send an email to Snowshoeing@seniorsoutdoors.org. IF YOU WERE ON THE EMAIL LIST LAST YEAR, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SIGN UP AGAIN.	Moderate to Hard 3+ miles 500-2000 ft
Wed, Dec 13 9:30 am SRP 9:30 am	WW hike Animas River Trail Every Wednesday through the winter join Eric to walk the River Trail from Santa Rita Park to Home Depot and back. Participants may turn back earlier or go further, if desired. Enjoy wildlife, river views and walking companions. No RSVP required. Dogs must be on leash per city ordinance. For more information contact Eric Pahlke at 247-1130 or ehpahlke@gmail.com About Wednesday Wanderers	Easy 5-7 miles Flat Easy Pace
Fri, Dec 15 9:00 am RC 9:00 Purg 9:30	Weekly Snowshoes We plan to resume our tradition of having a weekly snowshoe outing. However, this year the outing will be on any day of the week. We will consider weather, avalanche danger, and parking issues to select what we think will be the best day to do the outing. An email will be sent to members of this subgroup each week 2-3 days in advance. This email will announce what snowshoe we will be doing that week and Specific details (leader, destination, description, 4WD, etc.). We will split up into several groups depending on the desired pace of the participants. Carpool $5-$10, depending on destination. Dogs OK if well behaved. This is a backcountry winter outing. While we will strive to avoid avalanche danger, all participants should educate themselves about avalanche risks, conditions, and safety. To sign up for this subgroup, send an email to Snowshoeing@seniorsoutdoors.org. IF YOU WERE ON THE EMAIL LIST LAST YEAR, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SIGN UP AGAIN.	Moderate to Hard 3+ miles 500-2000 ft

Date & Location

Outing description

Fri, Sep 1
7:00 am

TH 7:00 am

Two-hour hike Animas City Mtn

Join for a short walk in town. We will be done by 9:00 am. Meet at the 32nd Street trailhead.
Dogs ok. RSVP Stephanie Weber, steph4100@gmail.com

Moderate
4 miles
800 ft
Moderate pace

Mon, Sep 4
9:00 am

RC 9:00 am

Monday Road Bike Ride

This is a 16-mile bike ride from the Fairgrounds stopping at PJs and back.
Contact Ride Leader: John Martin at mudpatch22@gmail.com

Click here for additional details

16 miles
moderate pace

Tue, Sep 5
7:00 am

ACP 7:00 am

Starting at Red Mountain Pass, we will hike the Black Bear Pass road over the pass and much of the way to Telluride. Before the really scary part for jeepers, we turn uphill and climb Ajax Mountain. Then hike east along the ridge dividing Imogene Pass from Black Bear Pass until nearing Trico Peak. The route then descends to Black Bear Pass Road, over the pass, and back to the cars.
Carpool $10, dogs ok. RSVP Chris Blackshear, chris.blackshear@gmail.com

Most challenging
14 miles
4000 ft
brisk pace

Wed, Sep 6
7:30 am

7:30 am from Cattleguard parking LP Canyon.

Climb Lewis Mountain and circumnavigate Columbus Basin

Date Change

This is an advanced hike/climb along the ridges that circumnavigate Columbus Basin. Lewis Peak summit. Exposure, all above tree line, some route finding. Excellent views. Only a good weather window will allow this outing to happen so dates will be flexible. No dogs. Experienced hikers that do not mind some exposure only.
Carpool $5, starting from the cattleguard parking. RSVP Carolyn Wilber car123lyn@gmail.com (970)799-1426

Most challenging
6 miles or so.
2000 ft
Moderately brisk pace

Wed, Sep 6
7:30 am

SRP 7:30 am

Climb Deadwood (12,285) and Silver Mountains (12,496)

Rescheduled

As Silver Mountain dominates the Durango skyline, it is a very satisfying mountain to climb and perch on. We will ford the La Plata River at the La Plata City campground and endure several miles of arduous, interminable switchbacks on an unmaintained jeep road, before breaking out onto a very open and scenic trail up and across Deadwood Mt. to Silver. This is a long, steep hike with significant elevation gain, wonderful views in every direction, and no scary exposure. Limit 15. Dogs OK. Carpool $5. RSVP to Leader Harding Cure at hardingcure@gmail.com or 602-369-4273.

Most Challenging
10.1 miles
4,500 ft. Gain
Moderate Pace

Wed, Sep 6
8:00 am

Fire Station off Co Rd 243 8:00am

WW hike Shearer Creek Trail

In and out moderate hike along Shearer Ck. Many stream crossings, varied terrain. Crossing private property for 2 miles. Carpool $2. Two dogs ok but must be leashed on PP, include in RSVP. Limit 15. RSVP Lorie Hansen Lmhansen39@gmail.com

About Wednesday Wanderers

Moderate
3-3.5 miles
~600 ft
Moderate pace

Thu, Sep 7
9:00 am

RC 9:00 am

Thursday Road Bike Ride

This is a 28-mile bike ride from the Fairgrounds to Bakers Bridge and back, stopping at Bread.
Contact Ride Leaders: Rick Boebel, Pat Lyon, Daniel Saum, and Rodger Steeper at ThursdayBikers@seniorsoutdoors.org

Click here for additional details

28 miles
moderate pace

Fri, Sep 8
7:00 am

TH 7:00 am

Two-hour hike Horse Gulch

Join for a short walk in town. We will be done by 9:00 am. Meet at the 8th Avenue trailhead.
Dogs ok. RSVP Stephanie Weber, steph4100@gmail.com

Moderate
4 miles
800 ft
Moderate pace

Sat, Sep 9
7:00 am

ACP 7:00 am

Hike Spencer Basin Verde Lakes loop

Starting from the Highland Mary Lakes TH, the route climbs to Spencer Basin. We exit the basin and cross the tundra with great views. Nearing the overlook of Elk Creek, we will descend to Verde Lakes and then decide whether to go back via Highland Mary Lakes or the Continental Divide Trail.
Carpool $10, dogs ok. RSVP Chris Blackshear, chris.blackshear@gmail.com

Hard, 10 miles
3000 ft
Moderately brisk pace

Mon, Sep 11
9:00 am

RC 9:00 am

Monday Road Bike Ride

This is a 16-mile bike ride from the Fairgrounds stopping at PJs and back.
Contact Ride Leader: John Martin at mudpatch22@gmail.com

Click here for additional details

16 miles
moderate pace

Tue, Sep 12
7:00 am

Fairgrounds 7:00 am

Hike Ajax Ridge

Starting at Red Mountain Pass, we will hike the Black Bear Pass Road over the pass and climb up to the ridge by Trico Peak. Then hike west along the ridge dividing Imogene Pass from Black Bear Pass until Ajax Mountain. The route then descends to Black Bear Pass Road, which we will walk back to the pass and then back to the cars. If we have good 4x4s we can drive to the pass and cut down the walking by two hours.
Carpool $11. Dogs ok.
RSVP Chris Blackshear, chris.blackshear@gmail.com

Most challenging
14 miles
4000 ft
brisk pace

Tue, Sep 12
5:00 pm

5:00 pm Chris Park

SO! Fall Social

Come and join your fellow members at the SO! Fall PotLuck Social from 5:00 to 7:30 PM at Chris Park. Attendees are asked to bring either a homemade main dish, appetizer, side dish/salad or dessert according to their last name. Please refer to the related email for details. Remember to bring your own table service (plates, utensils and glassware). SO! will have ice tea and lemonade available but you may bring your own preferred beverage. No RSVP needed. Sorry, no dogs allowed.

Wed, Sep 13
8:30 am

RC 8:30 am
Purg 9:00 am

WW hike Upper Hermosa

Email address correction

This out and back hike begins behind Purg at the upper TH of the Hermosa Trail. We will hike downhill along the lovely Hermosa Creek to just beyond the edge of the burn area from the 416 fire. A small SUV or higher clearance is needed to ford a creek near the TH.
Well behaved dogs ok, include in RSVP. Carpool $7. Limit 18. RSVP Chris Wiehage cwiehage22@gmail.com

About Wednesday Wanderers

Moderate
7 miles
500 ft.
Moderately Easy pace

Thu, Sep 14
9:00 am

RC 9:00 am

Thursday Road Bike Ride

Click here for additional details

28 miles
moderate pace

Thu, Sep 14
9:30 am

Fairgrounds 9:30am. Parking lot between ballfields and Main Ave.

Thursday Easy Outings

Friendly dogs and hikers welcome. Destination will be announced at the parking lot. Whenever possible, the group may return by the original route or a slightly more challenging route for those who choose to go the Extra Mile. Carpool varies by destination, approx. $5.
Do not RSVP. Contact Ted Keller if you need more specific info or you wish to meet at the trailhead. Text preferred to 970 759-7207.
These outings are limited to members and approved guests who are fully vaccinated and boosted.

About Wednesday Wanderers

Moderate +/- 3 miles at lower altitudes near Durango
Easy Pace

Fri, Sep 15
7:00 am

TH 7:00 am

Two-hour hike Smelter Mtn

Join for a short walk in town. We will be done by 9:00 am. Meet at the trailhead off of Highway 210. A Colorado Parks and Wildlife permit is required.
Dogs ok. RSVP Stephanie Weber, steph4100@gmail.com

Moderate
4 miles
800 ft
Moderate pace

Mon, Sep 18
7:00 am

RC 7:00 am
TC 7:10 am
PURG 7:30 am

Hike Ice Lake and Island Lake

Date change from Sept 11

We will hike up the Ice Lakes Trail to the stunning Ice Lake Basin. From there we will make a loop to Island Lake and return.
Carpool $10. Limit 12. Dogs OK
RSVP Kevin Conroy 630 200 5222 57ales@gmail.com

Hard
7.5 miles
2700 ft gain
Moderate Pace

Mon, Sep 18
9:00 am

RC 9:00 am

Monday Road Bike Ride

This is a 16-mile bike ride from the Rec Center stopping at PJs and back.
Contact Ride Leader: John Martin at mudpatch22@gmail.com

Click here for additional details

16 miles moderate pace

Wed, Sep 20
7:00 am

Fairgrounds 7:00 am
TC 7:10 am

Climb Arrow BM and Peak 12,936 Feet

Follow the Whitehead Trail around gorgeous Whitehead Gulch to the remote Arrow BM destination, taking in Peak 12,936 on the return. Best view of the Grenadiers without actually climbing them.
Carpool $10. 4WD HC. Limit 10. No dogs. Hunting season wear blaze orange.
RSVP Tomas Ward tom@thward.net. Co-leader Debra Van Winegarden.

Most Challenging
11 miles
2200 ft
Moderately Brisk Pace

Wed, Sep 20
8:30 am

Fairgrounds 8:30 am

WW hike
Cascade Creek Trail

This trail begins at the Forest Service Center by the TH for Larkspur Lane (Engineer Mountain Trail) and meanders through aspen groves and meadows until it meets up with Cascade Creek Rd. near the gate. We will then proceed past the gate to a break spot along the creek. Return is by the same route.
Well behaved dogs ok, include in RSVP. Limit 15. Carpool $5.
RSVP Tricia Bayless (970) 799-4535 tbayless@bresnan.net

About Wednesday Wanderers

Moderate
5 mi.
300 ft.
Moderately easy pace

Thu, Sep 21
8:00 am

RC 8:00 am
PURG 8:30 am

Nature Hike North Cascade Creek

Margaret Mayer has been a hike leader and naturalist for AMC, Wilderness Ventures, School of Field Studies, NPS and others. Bring field guides and enjoy nature hikes with gentle ups and downs.
We will start at a high meadow accessed by a little road off of 550 just north of Cascade Creek. It parallels the Cascade Creek road on a higher terrace, contouring through aspen groves and meadow to join the Cascade Creek road which shortly comes to the Cascade Creek trail. Round trip approx 4 miles but can be longer if the group wishes to continue along the trail to the falls (8 mile RT)
Carpool $5. Limit 12. 2 well behaved dogs ok (Please include in RSVP).
RSVP Margaret Mayer 505 728 2057 mmayer4823@gmail.com

Easy
4.5 miles
Minimal gain
Easy pace

Thu, Sep 21
9:00 am

RC 9:00 am

Thursday Road Bike Ride

This is a 28-mile bike ride from the Rec Center to Bakers Bridge and back, stopping at Bread.
Contact Ride Leaders: Rick Boebel, Pat Lyon, Daniel Saum, and Rodger Steeper at ThursdayBikers@seniorsoutdoors.org

Click here for additional details

28 miles moderate pace

Thu, Sep 21
9:30 am

Fairgrounds 9:30am. Parking lot between ballfields and Main Ave.

Thursday Easy Outings

About Wednesday Wanderers

Moderate +/- 3 miles at lower altitudes near Durango
Easy Pace

Fri, Sep 22
8:00 am

RC 8:00 am
Purg 8:30 am

Hike Spirit Gulch

This hike starts near the Idarado mine on Red Mountain Pass. It then follows a series of old roads thru three gulches at elevations of 10,000 to 12,000 feet past several old mines. Expect great views and nice fall colors on the aspens. This is a thru hike, and hopefully we will come out to US 550 and a shuttle car about 2 miles north of where we started.
No limit. Dogs OK. Carpool $10.
RSVP Clark Lagow, clagow@rmi.net. No RSVP required unless meeting at Purg.

Moderate
6.7 miles
1470 ft up 1970 ft down
Moderately easy pace

Sat, Sep 23
9:00 am

Hermosa Gas Station 9:00 am

Highway Cleanup

Come join other SO! members as we clean up our two stretches of Highway 550. We will meet at the Hermosa gas station (Speedway) lot and head straight out. No coffee and donuts this time. Bring work gloves and orange vest if you have one. If you do not have a vest, we have several.
RSVP Betsey Butler ejbutler12@gmail.com or 609-532-6948

Easy
2 miles
Easy pace

Mon, Sep 25
9:00 am

RC 9:00 am

Monday Road Bike Ride

This is a 16-mile bike ride from the Rec Center stopping at PJs and back.
Contact Ride Leader: John Martin at mudpatch22@gmail.com

Click here for additional details

16 miles moderate pace

Tue, Sep 26
8:00 am

RC 8:00 am
TC 8:15 am

Hike Castle Rock

An annual favorite for fall colors. Beginning at the Needles Store, we will hike the Elbert Creek trail climbing steadily through the aspens to the cabin and then up to Castle Rock with commanding views of Electra Lake, Spud Mountain and the Twilights.
Carpool $5. Limit 10. 2 well behaved dogs OK. Hunting season wear blaze orange.
RSVP: Judy Mack tupelo16@gmail.com

Moderate
1650 ft gain
Moderately Brisk Pace

Wed, Sep 27
8:30 am

Fairgrounds 8:30 am
Purg 9:00 am

WW hike
Molas Trail to Elk Park Overlook

This hike begins near Molas Lake and drops down to a nice viewpoint with great views of the Animas River and surrounding peaks and probably great fall colors.
Well behaved dogs ok, include in RSVP. Limit 15. Carpool $8. Hunting season wear blaze orange.
RSVP Chris Wiehage cwiehage22@gmail.com

About Wednesday Wanderers

Moderate
4 miles
400 ft.
Moderately easy pace

Thu, Sep 28
9:00 am

RC 9:00 am

Thursday Road Bike Ride

Click here for additional details

28 miles moderate pace

Thu, Sep 28
9:30 am

Fairgrounds 9:30am. Parking lot between ballfields and Main Ave.

Thursday Easy Outings

About Wednesday Wanderers

Moderate +/- 3 miles at lower altitudes near Durango
Easy Pace

Fri, Sep 29
8:00 am

SRP 8:00 am

Hike and cookout to the Ward cabin

After leaving the cars at the cabin in the aspens, we will begin the hike at Transfer Campground. The easy/moderate 4 mile hike is along various wooded trails and roads, and open meadow, with little elevation gain.
The Wards will supply: Hot dogs and veggie dogs and fixings, buns, and lemonade. Anything else is potluck!
Note: We can use a fire tender who is maybe unable to do the hike.
Carpool $8. Carpooling is encouraged because of the shuttle. Limit 15. Dogs: One OK (RSVP). Leader: La Donna Ward, Co-leader: Travis Ward. Hunting season wear blaze orange.
RSVP to La Donna at: tlgward@gmail.com

Moderate
4 miles
400 ft
Moderately easy pace

Mon, Oct 2
10:00 am

RC 10:00 am

Monday Road Bike Ride

This is a 16-mile bike ride from the Rec Center stopping at PJs and back.
Contact Ride Leader: John Martin at mudpatch22@gmail.com

Click here for additional details

16 miles moderate pace

Wed, Oct 4
8:30 am

RC 8:30 am
Purg 9:00 am

WW hike
Grassy Creek

We will start where the gravel ends on the Relay Creek Road, (FS 580) hiking from there up an abandoned logging road that climbs through the upper Grassy Creek drainage. When the road tops out on a ridge coming down from Graysill Ridge, we will scramble up the ridge a short distance and stop with views of the upper Hermosa drainage, Hermosa Peak, and Blackhawk Mtn.
HC desirable, approximately 15 miles of FS gravel roads. Carpool $8. No dogs. Limit 12. Hunting season wear blaze orange.
RSVP Bob Kuhnert (970) 799-0692 rkuhnert55@gmail.com

About Wednesday Wanderers

Moderate
6 miles
1000 ft.
Moderate pace

Thu, Oct 5
9:30 am

Fairgrounds 9:30am. Parking lot between ballfields and Main Ave.

Thursday Easy Outings

About Wednesday Wanderers

Moderate +/- 3 miles at lower altitudes near Durango
Easy Pace

Thu, Oct 5
10:00 am

RC 10:00 am

Thursday Road Bike Ride

Click here for additional details

28 miles moderate pace

Fri, Oct 6
7:00 am

RC 7:00 am
TC 7:15 am
PURG 7:30 am

Hike Spencer Basin to Highland Mary Lakes

Date changed from Oct 2

From the Cunningham Gulch parking area we will hike into Spencer Basin. From there we will attain the ridge to the Southeast and ascend to the Sugarloaf summit. Excellent views from Sugarloaf. We will then make our way off trail down to the Highland Mary Lakes and complete the loop back to our cars.
Carpool $11. 4WD/HC. Limit 15. Dogs OK with leader approval. Hunting season wear blaze orange.
RSVP Kevin Conroy 630-200-5222 57ales@gmail.com

Hard due to elevation gain and some off trail
7.7 miles
2470 ft gain
Moderate Pace

Fri, Oct 6
8:00 am

RC 8:00 am
TC 8:10 am

Hike Stevens Creek

This is a fall color hike and should be beautiful aspen and an abundance of orange gambel oak. A short shuttle hike starting at Wallace Lk on Missionary Ridge. We will follow an old Forest Service road to Stevens Ck trail then descend to the Missionary Ridge connector and back to MR road.
Carpool $5. Limit 10. Two well behaved dogs OK.
RSVP to Chuck Rancatti chuck.rancatti@gmail.com

Moderate
About 4.5 miles
500 ft. gain
Moderate pace

Mon, Oct 9
8:00 am

RC 8:00 am
TC 8:15 am
TH 8:30 am

Hike Purgatory Flats to Animas River

We will descend from the trailhead across from Purgatory to the flats along Cascade Creek. The trail continues up and down along Cascade Canyon until the final descent to the Animas. We will have lunch along the river and if we time it right, we can wave at the train as it passes. Return the same route and ascend back to the trailhead.
Carpool $5. Limit 15. Dogs OK with leader approval. Hunting season – wear blaze orange.
RSVP Kevin Conroy 630-200-5222 57ales@gmail.com

Moderate
8.8 miles
1500 ft gain
Moderate Pace

Mon, Oct 9
10:00 am

RC 10:00 am

Monday Road Bike Ride

This is a 16-mile bike ride from the Rec Center stopping at PJs and back.
Contact Ride Leader: John Martin at mudpatch22@gmail.com

Click here for additional details

16 miles moderate pace

Tue, Oct 10
5:50 pm

RC 5:50 pm RC 6:20pm

SO Monthly Meeting

Agenda:
5:50-6:20 PM: Social half hour with refreshments.
6:20-7:40 PM: Meeting and presentation.
Presentation title: Great communities build great trails; Great trails build great communities.
Speaker: Mary Monroe with Durango Trails
Presentation summary: On the hikes, runs or mountain bike rides you enjoyed this year, did you notice the hundreds of downed trees that were removed from trails ranging from the Colorado Trail to Dry Fork, Hoffheins to Engineer Mountain and Pass Trail, and many others in the area?
Did you appreciate the trail work done in Horse Gulch, Overend, Dalla, Twin Buttes, The Colorado Trail, Engineer Mountain, and Missionary Ridge? Did you enjoy the new trails built on Animas Mountain?
Maybe new trail signage helped you find your way, or you learned something new through the stewardship and educational campaigns, social media messages, newsletter stories, and other information that makes our community aware of what is going on in our nearby trail networks.
Durango Trails tackled these and many other projects during the 2022 season, as it has every season for the last 30 years. We cannot do this work alone; it takes great communities to build great trails!
Speaker bio: Mary Monroe brings a wealth of knowledge in strategic planning and marketing plus a love of trails to the Durango Trails organization. Mary and her family all participate faithfully in trail work, and enjoy nordic skiing, hiking 14ers, trail running and mountain biking. Marys favorite trails are looped networks where every memory of trail work speaks to her.

Please note:
Our September 12th picnic was pretty much a washout. The few hearty souls who showed up contributed $60 and a few items to our charity partner the Volunteers of America, Durango Community Shelter and Safehouse. We would like to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to contribute, so we are asking that you bring your donations to the October meeting. The shelter could use men’s or women’s shoes in various sizes, or twin-size comforters. The safehouse could use ear buds (headphones), water bottles, pocket size note pads, baby carriers, art supplies (water colors, paper, colored pencils), or disposable Tupperware. If you wish to make a check donation, make the check to Volunteers of America Colorado and note on the check Durango shelter or safehouse. Hope to see you on the 10^th.
If you have any questions, please feel free to call me.

Tim Rose
312-953-8004

Wed, Oct 11
8:00 am

Fairgrounds 8:00 am
Vallecito Community Center 8:45 am

WW hike Freeman Park and Endlich Mesa Trail

Our hike begins at the Vallecito Community Center up the little-known start of the Endlich Mesa Trail. The trail climbs steeply for a short distance then moderates with switchbacks through new growth Aspen. The colors should be lovely during October. Although the Endlich Mesa Trail goes on forever, we will plan to hike 5 to 6 miles total with a stop at Freeman Park, a pleasant meadow, for lunch or snacks before returning. There is a $5/car parking fee at the Vallecito Community Center.
Carpool $5 plus a share of the parking fee. Two well behaved leashed dogs okay. Please note when RSVP. Limit 15.
RSVP Pam Cissik – pamcissik@gmail.com. Co-leader Larry Mills

About Wednesday Wanderers

Moderate
5-6 miles
1000 ft.
Moderately easy pace

Thu, Oct 12
9:30 am

Fairgrounds 9:30 am. Parking lot between ballfields and Main Ave.

Thursday Easy Outings

About Wednesday Wanderers

Moderate +/- 3 miles at lower altitudes near Durango
Easy Pace

Thu, Oct 12
10:00 am

RC 10:00 am

Thursday Road Bike Ride

Click here for additional details

28 miles moderate pace

Thu, Oct 12
5:00 pm

5:00 pm Home of Clark Lagow

SO! Board Meeting

The quarterly SO! Board meeting will be held at 5:00 pm, and include a potluck dinner.
RSVP: clagow@rmi.net

Easy

Fri, Oct 13 -
Sun, Oct 15

RC 7:30 am

Car Camp Butler Wash

Drive to Butler Wash via Bluff and set up camp. We will climb Comb Ridge, and visit various canyons to see petroglyphs, pictographs, and ruins. On 10/14 we will witness the solar eclipse from the top of Comb Ridge. Make sure you bring eclipse glasses. Exit at the north end on UT-95.
Butler Wash has a $5/pp daily fee. There are some portajohns there, which we will try to camp near. Dogs need to be kept out of the ruins.
Carpool $TBD. Dogs OK. 4WD helpful.
RSVP Chris Blackshear, chris.blackshear@gmail.com

Moderate distance and moderate pace, varies by day

Fri, Oct 13
9:00 am

RC 9:00 am

This is an annual hike/snowshoe to Ice Lake around Halloween. With luck, it will be unfrozen but surrounded by snow. We will try for Island Lake if conditions allow. Have snowshoes or traction devices.
Carpool $10. Dogs OK. Hunting season wear blaze orange.
RSVP Chris Blackshear, chris.blackshear@gmail.com

Hard
7 miles
2700 feet,
Moderately brisk pace

Mon, Oct 30
10:00 am

RC 10:00 am

Monday Road Bike Ride

This is a 16-mile bike ride from the Rec Center stopping at PJs and back.
Contact Ride Leader: John Martin at mudpatch22@gmail.com

Click here for additional details

16 miles moderate pace

Tue, Oct 31
8:00 am

RC 8:00 am
Purg 8:30am

West Turkshead Pk (12,865 ft.)

Starting at the turn-off to Little Molas Lake, we climb up to the high valley at the top of Molas Creek. Exiting out the back of the valley we emerge onto high tundra, with a final 350 ft on grassy slopes to the top. Depending on conditions, this hike may require micro-spikes or even snowshoes.
Limit 10. 2 well-behaved dogs on approval. Carpool $8. Hunting season wear blaze orange.
RSVP Steve Schnarch 970 749-4478 or ssalivedgo@gmail.com
This outing is limited to members and approved guests who are fully vaccinated and boosted.

Hard
5.5 miles
2100 ft.
Moderate Pace

Wed, Nov 1
9:30 am

SRP 9:30 am

WW hike
Animas River Trail

Every Wednesday through the winter join Eric to walk the River Trail from Santa Rita Park to Home Depot and back. Participants may turn back earlier or go further, if desired. Enjoy wildlife, river views and walking companions. No RSVP required. Dogs must be on leash per city ordinance. For more information contact Eric Pahlke at 247-1130 or ehpahlke@gmail.com

About Wednesday Wanderers

Easy
5-7 miles
Flat
Easy Pace

Thu, Nov 2
9:30 am

Fairgrounds 9:30am. Parking lot between ballfields and Main Ave.

Thursday Easy Outings

About Wednesday Wanderers

Moderate +/- 3 miles at lower altitudes near Durango
Easy Pace

Thu, Nov 2
10:00 am

RC 10:00 am

Thursday Road Bike Ride

Click here for additional details

28 miles moderate pace

Fri, Nov 3
8:30 am

SRP 8:30 am

Hike Sand Canyon

Sand Canyon is always nice in the spring or fall. We will do a loop and go by several ruins. There will be an option to meet an hour earlier and have breakfast at ABC before doing the hike.
Limit 15 per group. No dogs. Carpool $10.
RSVP to Clark Lagow clagow@rmi.net

Moderate
5.2 miles
500 ft
Moderately easy pace

Mon, Nov 6
10:00 am

RC 10:00 am

Monday Road Bike Ride

This is a 16-mile bike ride from the Rec Center stopping at PJs and back.
Contact Ride Leader: John Martin at mudpatch22@gmail.com

Click here for additional details

16 miles moderate pace

Wed, Nov 8
9:30 am

SRP 9:30 am

WW hike
Animas River Trail

About Wednesday Wanderers

Easy
5-7 miles
Flat
Easy Pace

Thu, Nov 9
9:30 am

Fairgrounds 9:30am. Parking lot between ballfields and Main Ave.

Thursday Easy Outings

About Wednesday Wanderers

Moderate +/- 3 miles at lower altitudes near Durango
Easy Pace

Thu, Nov 9
10:00 am

RC 10:00 am

Thursday Road Bike Ride

Click here for additional details

28 miles moderate pace

Tue, Nov 14
5:50 pm

RC 5:50 pm RC 6:20 pm

SO Monthly Meeting

Agenda:
5:50-6:20 PM: Social half hour with refreshments.
6:20-7:40 PM: Meeting and presentation.
Presentation title: Rail travel in Colombia and no scheduled passenger trains??!!
Speaker: Steve Cossey
Presentation summary: Over the past ten years I have discovered that rail travel in Colombia is possible, even without any scheduled passenger trains in the entire country. It is possible using a system of informal rail travel called loosely “moto-rodillos”. I have travelled over 500 km (311 miles) though beautiful countryside, towns and villages and seen areas where no “normal” tourist goes. At one time, the Colombian rail system was about 3500 km (2175 miles) long. I met one guy from Medellin (Carlos Mario Lopez) who has actually hiked all 3500 km of the railway right-of-way in Colombia! All types of rail transport exist, ranging from buses converted to rail travel to simple wooden platforms pushed by a pole (think gondola in Venice) and all types of home-made transportation in-between. These abandoned railways are used to transport people and goods, such as cheese, milk, seafood etc. One may travel as a single passenger or may rent the entire moto-rodillo for your group of up to 8 people. Top speed is about 25 mph and you are in contact with nature and wildlife throughout the journey. Everyone you meet on the journey is friendly and engaging, and there is always somewhere to grab a drink or some food. The presentation shows you some of the scenery, architecture, culture and people we met along the way on these numerous trips in Colombia from the Magdalena River to the savanna near Bogota. Lodging is taken in small towns can be obtained for less than $15 a night and meals are around $3 each, so what’s to stop you going?

Speaker bio: Steve Cossey is a consulting geologist and chief geoscientist at Cossey and Associates Inc. geoconsulting based in Durango. He moved here in October 2003 and shared office space with Jeff Brame for 14 years in downtown Durango. He still does some consulting projects with companies in Houston and Uruguay and other “fun” geology projects in Mexico. Until he was 21 years old, Steve lived in England where his school was right next to the London-Edinburgh railway line which was still operated by steam locomotives before August 1968. Many breaks and lunchtimes were spent leaning on the fence watching the fastest steam trains in the world speed their way to Scotland. Thus began his love of trains and the main reason for moving to Durango. Steve began taking steam train trips around the world in 2006 and regrets not starting sooner! He has restored a steam engine in Colombia and enjoys hiking, easy bike rides and exploring, especially off the beaten-track places.

Wed, Nov 15
9:30 am

SRP 9:30 am

WW hike
Animas River Trail

About Wednesday Wanderers

Easy
5-7 miles
Flat
Easy Pace

Thu, Nov 16
9:30 am

Fairgrounds 9:30am. Parking lot between ballfields and Main Ave.

Thursday Easy Outings

About Wednesday Wanderers

Moderate +/- 3 miles at lower altitudes near Durango
Easy Pace

Fri, Nov 17
9:00 am

Ella Vita Cul de sac 9:00 am

Hike Overend Park and the Hogsback

We will explore our own in-town Overend Park trail system. Our route will include going up and over the Hogsback. This is a loop route and we will finish with a stop at the Conroys for a tasty treat.
Limit 12. Dogs OK with Leader approval.
RSVP Kevin Conroy 630-200-5222 57ales@gmail.com

Moderate
7 miles
1600 ft.
Moderate Pace

Sun, Nov 19
7:30 am

RC 7:30 am

Hike Bisti Badlands

Get an early start for the 2-hour drive to Bisti. We will hike around the incredible formations of Bisti. Bisti has a group limit of eight so if more are coming, we will be in two groups.
Carpool $14. Limit 16. Dogs OK.
RSVP Chris Blackshear, chris.blackshear@gmail.com

Moderate
6-8 miles
Flat
Moderate pace

Wed, Nov 22
9:30 am

SRP 9:30 am

WW hike
Animas River Trail

About Wednesday Wanderers

Easy
5-7 miles
Flat
Easy Pace

Fri, Nov 24
9:00 am

Big Canyon Parking lot next to Kia dealership 9:00 am for Moderately brisk group. Carbon Junction Trailhead for the Moderately easy group

Hike to Pautsky Point

Walk Off The Turkey. The moderately brisk group will hike up Big Canyon trail until we are above Horse Gulch, then up to Pautsky Point. Return via South Rim Trail for a nice loop hike. John Montle will lead the moderately easy group and will start at the Carbon Junction trailhead and follow that trail to Pautsky Point and back. If the stars align, both groups should arrive at Pautsky Pt at about the same time and enjoy the view and lunch together.
No limits. Two well behaved dogs OK.
RSVP to Chuck Rancatti chuck.rancatti@gmail.com

Moderate
8 miles
1300 ft. gain
Moderately brisk pace
or
Moderate
6-7 miles
About 900 ft. gain
Moderately easy pace

Wed, Nov 29
9:30 am

SRP 9:30 am

WW hike
Animas River Trail

About Wednesday Wanderers

Easy
5-7 miles
Flat
Easy Pace

Fri, Dec 1
9:00 am

RC 9:00
Purg 9:30

Weekly
Snowshoes

We plan to resume our tradition of having a weekly snowshoe outing. However, this year the outing will be on any day of the week. We will consider weather, avalanche danger, and parking issues to select what we think will be the best day to do the outing. An email will be sent to members of this subgroup each week 2-3 days in advance. This email will announce what snowshoe we will be doing that week and Specific details (leader, destination, description, 4WD, etc.). We will split up into several groups depending on the desired pace of the participants. Carpool $5-$10, depending on destination. Dogs OK if well behaved. This is a backcountry winter outing. While we will strive to avoid avalanche danger, all participants should educate themselves about avalanche risks, conditions, and safety. To sign up for this subgroup, send an email to Snowshoeing@seniorsoutdoors.org. IF YOU WERE ON THE EMAIL LIST LAST YEAR, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SIGN UP AGAIN.

Moderate to Hard
3+ miles
500-2000 ft

Mon, Dec 4
8:00 am

RC 8:00am Purg 8:30 am

Pass creek Trail to Coal Creek Trail

From the top of Coal Bank Pass we head up to the base of Engineer Mt., then cross over the top of Coal Creek and descend on the Coal Creek Trail to waiting shuttle vehicles. Depending on conditions, this hike may require micro-spikes or snowshoes.
Limit 10. 2 well-behaved dogs on approval. Carpool $7.
RSVP Steve Schnarch 970 749-4478 ssalivedgo@gmail.com
This outing is limited to members and approved guests who are fully vaccinated and boosted.

Moderate to Hard, depending on snow.
6.25 miles
1300 ft.
Moderate pace.

Wed, Dec 6
9:30 am

SRP 9:30 am

WW hike
Animas River Trail

About Wednesday Wanderers

Easy
5-7 miles
Flat
Easy Pace

Fri, Dec 8
9:00 am

RC 9:00
Purg 9:30

Weekly
Snowshoes

Moderate to Hard
3+ miles
500-2000 ft

Wed, Dec 13
9:30 am

SRP 9:30 am

WW hike
Animas River Trail

About Wednesday Wanderers

Easy
5-7 miles
Flat
Easy Pace

Fri, Dec 15
9:00 am

RC 9:00
Purg 9:30

Weekly
Snowshoes

Moderate to Hard
3+ miles
500-2000 ft

Outings will meet and depart from the following locations:

ACP: Animas City Park for outings to the north or out Florida Rd. The park (a narrow grassy area) is located on E. 2nd Ave. immediately north of 32nd (just north and east of North City Market). Note that it is on the WEST side of the river, so coming from Main Ave., you do NOT cross the bridge! Meeting area is on 2nd Ave just after turning north off 32nd St.
PURG: Purgatory Resort – at entrance, unless otherwise specified
RC: Durango Community Recreation Center for overnight trips and some other outings. The Rec. Center is located at 2700 Main Ave. Please park in the lot closest to Main.
SRP: Santa Rita Park (Durango Visitor Center) for outings to the south or either way on Hwy. 160. The park is located at the intersection of Hwy 160-550 & Santa Rita Drive, 1 mile South of the Doubletree Hotel. We gather behind the Santa Rita Park Sign.
TAM: Tamarron – parking lot at Tamarron Resort
TC: Trimble Crossing – west side of parking lot at Trimble Crossing in front of the hardware store
TH: At the trailhead or other location for some outings

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