Full Season Schedule - Spring 2023
Date & Location | Outing description | Difficulty info |
---|---|---|
Fri, Mar 3 RC 9:00 am |
Friday
|
Moderate to Hard 3+ miles 500-2000 ft |
Fri, Mar 10 RC 9:00 am |
Friday
|
Moderate to Hard 3+ miles 500-2000 ft |
Wed, Mar 22 SRP 9:30 am |
WW hike
|
Easy Flat 5-7 miles Easy Pace |
Wed, Mar 29
|
WW hike
|
Easy Flat 5-7 miles Easy Pace |
Sat, Apr 1
|
Hike In De-Na-Zin Wilderness in New MexicoWe will spend the day wandering around an area in De-Na-Zin wilderness just enjoying the vistas, rocks, hoodoos, small arches and petrified trees. Much of the walking terrain will be pretty flat and sandy, but some scrambling is required. (The 600 vertical feet is mostly in two climbs up to a mesa.) Bring plenty of water. |
Moderate |
Mon, Apr 3
|
Monday Road Bike RideThis is a 16-mile bike ride from the Rec Center stopping at PJs and back. |
16 miles moderate pace |
Wed, Apr 5
|
WW hike
|
Easy |
Thu, Apr 6
|
Thursday Easy OutingsFriendly 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. |
Moderate |
Thu, Apr 6
|
Thursday Road Bike RideThis is a 28-mile bike ride from the Rec Center to Bakers Bridge and back, stopping at Bread. |
28 miles moderate pace |
Mon, Apr 10
|
Hike Smelter MountainWe will climb to the towers atop Smelter, gaining wonderful views of Durango, the La Platas and Lake Nighthorse. The hike is short but rated moderate because of the elevation gain. There is a bit of a scramble near the beginning. |
Moderate |
Mon, Apr 10
|
Monday Road Bike RideThis is a 16-mile bike ride from the Rec Center stopping at PJs and back. |
16 miles moderate pace |
Mon, Apr 10
|
SO! Board MeetingThe quarterly SO! Board meeting will be held at 5:00 pm, and include a potluck dinner. |
Easy |
Tue, Apr 11 |
SO! General MeetingAgenda: Speaker bio: Melanie Palmer has a background in Clinical Laboratory Science, a field she worked and taught in for 20 years. She had a subsequent career as a middle school teacher before moving to Durango with her husband Clark in 2006. Having lived in many different locations as the wife of a pilot, she found gardening here to be a unique challenge. She became a Colorado Master Gardener in 2012 and a Board member of Durango Botanic Gardens the same year, to establish a Docent program for the Gardens. Seeing a need for better plant signage and organized plant record keeping and reporting, she created the Curator function in 2017. She is the Captain of the Classics bed in the new Literary Garden. Speaker bio: Cathy Metz and her husband, Jim, moved to Durango in 1995 to pursue new careers in the southwest region. Cathy grew up in the military living all over the world and came to Colorado to attend Colorado State University, graduating with a bachelors degree in Psychology. She has a masters degree in Public Administration from the University of Colorado at Denver. Cathy served as the City of Durango Parks and Recreation Director for over 25 years, retiring in 2021. During her tenure with the city, the Parks and Recreation Department received the National Gold Medal Award by the National Recreation and Park Association, the highest honor of the profession. Since her retirement, Cathy completed the Colorado Master Gardener Program and joined the Durango Botanic Gardens Board of Directors in 2022. Her board responsibilities include community outreach, public education, and the development of new gardens. |
Fun and Educational |
Wed, Apr 12 |
WW hike
|
Moderate |
Thu, Apr 13 - TH 8:00 am |
Escalante Slickrock4/13 Drive to Escalante, Utah. |
Hard |
Thu, Apr 13
|
Thursday Easy OutingsFriendly 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. |
Moderate |
Thu, Apr 13
|
Thursday Road Bike RideThis is a 28-mile bike ride from the Rec Center to Bakers Bridge and back, stopping at Bread. |
28 miles moderate pace |
Mon, Apr 17
|
Monday Road Bike RideThis is a 16-mile bike ride from the Rec Center stopping at PJs and back. |
16 miles moderate pace |
Wed, Apr 19
|
WW hike
|
Easy |
Thu, Apr 20
|
Thursday Easy OutingsFriendly 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. |
Moderate |
Thu, Apr 20
|
Thursday Road Bike RideThis is a 28-mile bike ride from the Rec Center to Bakers Bridge and back, stopping at Bread. |
28 miles moderate pace |
Fri, Apr 21
|
Hike Raider RidgeThis is a moderate hike starting at the Skyline trail head to the extended ridge trail and returning Skyraider trail to Powerline. |
Moderate |
Sat, Apr 22
|
Highway Clean UpCome 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. |
Easy |
Sun, Apr 23 RC 9:00 am |
Lower Junction Creek LoopBrand new loop hike to Gudys Rest via both sides of Junction Creek. From the upper TH, we will hike an abandoned bike trail on the South rim of Junction Creek to connect to the CT just beyond Gudys Rest. From there we will hike down to Junction Creek via the CT, then hike up to the North rim of Junction Creek and follow a trail back to the TH where we started. |
Moderate |
Mon, Apr 24 -
|
Grand Staircase ExplorationThis will be a series of day hikes to highpoints in the Grand Staircase of the Escalante. Day 1 we will drive to our camping base between Boulder and Escalante, Utah (~7 hour drive). Days 2 4 will be slickrock hikes to Boulder Benchmark/Point 6,507, Phipps Arch via Old Sheffield Road TH, McGrath Point and perhaps Inselberg Pit (aka Cosmic Navel). Return on 04/28/23. |
Hard, Class 3 scrambling in spots. Elevation gain/loss ~ 1,850 ft/day |
Mon, Apr 24
|
Hike Animas MountainWe will take the lower route below the east rim unless it is closed as it was last fall. If closed, we will take the rim trail. Break for lunch at the summit. Great views of the Animas Valley, Durango, and the La Platas. |
Moderate |
Mon, Apr 24
|
Monday Road Bike RideThis is a 16-mile bike ride from the Rec Center stopping at PJs and back. |
16 miles moderate pace |
Tue, Apr 25 |
Hike Dry Fork LoopThis is a moderate hike on a well-defined trail at a gentle grade. Note though that the mileage puts this hike into the moderate plus category. The first part climbs 1154 feet over 4.2 miles up to a high point, 8180 feet on the Colorado Trail. Here we will have a sneak peek of a peak, Silver Mountain, and then head downhill to Gudys Rest. The return is by the Hoffheins Connection Trail to the TH. |
Moderate |
Wed, Apr 26
|
WW hike
|
Moderate |
Thu, Apr 27
|
Thursday Easy OutingsFriendly 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. |
Moderate |
Thu, Apr 27
|
Thursday Road Bike RideThis is a 28-mile bike ride from the Rec Center to Bakers Bridge and back, stopping at Bread. |
28 miles moderate pace |
Fri, Apr 28 RC 9:00 am |
Hike Falls Creek RidgeThis hike starts on CR 203 about 3 miles north of where it branches off from US 550. We will go up an old road easement, cross Falls Creek twice, and then go along the ridge south to a high point for lunch. |
Moderate |
Mon, May 1
|
Monday Road Bike RideThis is a 16-mile bike ride from the Rec Center stopping at PJs and back. |
16 miles moderate pace |
Wed, May 3
|
WW hike
|
Moderate |
Thu, May 4
|
Thursday Easy OutingsFriendly 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. |
Moderate |
Thu, May 4
|
Thursday Road Bike RideThis is a 28-mile bike ride from the Rec Center to Bakers Bridge and back, stopping at Bread. |
28 miles moderate pace |
Fri, May 5
|
Hike Prater RidgePrater Ridge is in Mesa Verde National Park next to the campground. We hike up to a plateau and then make a loop on the well-established trail. This is an interesting area that was hit by a wildfire about 20 years ago. On a clear day, the views stretch up to 100 miles. |
Moderate |
Mon, May 8
|
Monday Road Bike RideThis is a 16-mile bike ride from the Rec Center stopping at PJs and back. |
16 miles moderate pace |
Tue, May 9 |
SO! General MeetingMay 9, 2023 Agenda: |
Fun and Educational |
Wed, May 10
|
WW hike
|
Moderate |
Thu, May 11
|
Thursday Easy OutingsFriendly 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. |
Moderate |
Thu, May 11
|
Thursday Road Bike RideThis is a 28-mile bike ride from the Rec Center to Bakers Bridge and back, stopping at Bread. |
28 miles moderate pace |
Fri, May 12 |
Hike to Tacoma Power plantStarting at the Haviland Lake parking area, we go east and cross Elbert Creek. We then go down and old road and eventually down Sawmill Canyon. The power plant is down at the Animas River. We probably will not tour it, as it has not been running for some time. Lunch across the river, and then it is all uphill back to the start. |
Moderate |
Mon, May 15
|
Monday Road Bike RideThis is a 16-mile bike ride from the Rec Center stopping at PJs and back. |
16 miles moderate pace |
Tue, May 16 SRP 8:00 am |
Hike Starvation CreekNice loop hike on Starvation Creek with a side hike up and back on Old Gold Run trail. This trail is located off US160, west of Hesperus, east of Mancos Hill. |
Moderate |
Wed, May 17
|
WW hike
|
Moderate |
Thu, May 18
|
Thursday Road Bike RideThis is a 28-mile bike ride from the Rec Center to Bakers Bridge and back, stopping at Bread. |
28 miles moderate pace |
Thu, May 18
|
Thursday Easy OutingsFriendly 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. |
Moderate |
Sat, May 20 |
Hike Hermosa CkWe will start at the Hermosa Creek campground and hike Hermosa Creek trail to the intersection of Dutch Creek trail and then about a mile up Dutch Creek to a nice meadow for lunch and then return. Nice big tree hike and we will get to see how the forest is recovering after the 416 fire. |
Hard |
Mon, May 22
|
Monday Road Bike RideThis is a 16-mile bike ride from the Rec Center stopping at PJs and back. |
16 miles moderate pace |
Tue, May 23
|
Hike Haflin CreekThis is a hard out and back hike up the Haflin creek trail. |
Hard |
Wed, May 24
|
WW hike
|
Moderate |
Thu, May 25
|
Thursday Road Bike RideThis is a 28-mile bike ride from the Rec Center to Bakers Bridge and back, stopping at Bread. |
28 miles moderate pace |
Thu, May 25
|
Thursday Easy OutingsFriendly 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. |
Moderate |
Mon, May 29
|
Monday Road Bike RideThis is a 16-mile bike ride from the Rec Center stopping at PJs and back. |
16 miles moderate pace |
Mon, May 29 |
Hike Boyce Lake loopWe will go east on the Purgatory trail for a short distance and then turn north. We follow a user trail with some bushwhacking north and make a loop around Boyce Lake. |
Easy |
Wed, May 31
|
First Fork to Red Creek LoopClimb to Missionary Ridge via First Fork, then descend on the Red Creek Trail to our starting point. Expect creek crossings. |
Hard, Class 1 hiking on trail. ~9 miles |
Wed, May 31 TH 8:30 am (Twin Buttes parking lot behind the Speedway on 160 W) |
WW hike
|
Moderate |
Thu, Jun 1
|
Thursday Road Bike RideThis is a 28-mile bike ride from the Rec Center to Bakers Bridge and back, stopping at Bread. |
28 miles moderate pace |
Thu, Jun 1
|
Thursday Easy OutingsFriendly 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. |
Moderate |
Sat, Jun 3
|
Hike Cascade CreekWe will split into groups for moderate and brisk paced hikers. We will hike Cascade Creek at least as far as the third waterfall, but possibly to the seventh. It is 5 miles to the third waterfall, where the moderate group will get lunch and turn around. The trail peters out there, but continuing up further, and walking through a mucky marsh, will, after another 1.5 miles and 1000 feet vertical, bring one to a total of four more falls, including the tallest in the canyon. Extra credit if we go to the waterfall downstream of the road, which is arguably the prettiest of them all. |
Hard 10 miles and 1000 feet |
Mon, Jun 5
|
Monday Road Bike RideThis is a 16-mile bike ride from the Rec Center stopping at PJs and back. |
16 miles moderate pace |
Tue, Jun 6
|
Hike Wallace Lake LoopWe will start at Wallace Lake off Missionary Ridge and make a gradual climb on an old FS road for several miles to reach the high point. From there we will follow the Stevens Creek Trail down and return to the TH using the Wallace Lake connector trail. |
Moderate |
Wed, Jun 7
|
Climb Madden and Parrott Peaks
|
Hard |
Wed, Jun 7
|
WW hike
|
Moderate |
Thu, Jun 8
|
Thursday Road Bike RideThis is a 28-mile bike ride from the Rec Center to Bakers Bridge and back, stopping at Bread. |
28 miles moderate pace |
Thu, Jun 8
|
Thursday Easy OutingsFriendly 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. |
Moderate |
Fri, Jun 9
|
Hike Box Canyon (from Coyote Park)This hike is a through-hike on Box Canyon trail (and spur trail) on the SE side of the W. Mancos River. We will spot cars at the end of FR 331, before returning to the FR 329/331 intersection where we will start the hike. Hike about 2 miles on FR 329, then follow a trail down into the canyon. Cross Box Creek on a log, staying on the SE side of the W. Mancos River briefly before climbing out of the canyon. Hike through meadows and aspen forest enjoying wildflowers and views of the La Plata Mountains on the way. |
Hard |
Sun, Jun 11
|
Climb Diorite Peak (12,761 ft)Climb Diorite Peak from Tomahawk Basin. The length of this climb will depend on snow conditions. The climb starts at junction of La Plata Canyon Road and Tomahawk Basin Rd. There will be talus to cross and route finding as we might need to go off trail to avoid snow. This is a challenging climb – the pace will be kept moderate. The goal is Diorite Peak at 12,761 feet. |
Hard |
Mon, Jun 12
|
Monday Road Bike RideThis is a 16-mile bike ride from the Rec Center stopping at PJs and back. |
16 miles moderate pace |
Tue, Jun 13
|
Hike Jackson Ridge to Rush BasinThis is a hike from Echo Basin (10,600ft.) along the westside of the La Plata Mountains. The Jackson Ridge (12,200ft.) runs to the south of Mt. Hesperus, with excellent views of all the western La Plata peaks. Our route comes from just north of Helmet Peak, and eventually drops to a high shelf of Rush Basin, with a glacial lake for those interested in a quick dip. (sandals recommended). An easy traverse takes us back below the Jackson and a final ridge walk home. |
Moderate |
Thu, Jun 15
|
Thursday Road Bike RideThis is a 28-mile bike ride from the Rec Center to Bakers Bridge and back, stopping at Bread. |
28 miles moderate pace |
Fri, Jun 16
|
Hike Goulding Creek Trail to Jones CreekThis was a favorite club hike for many years, and now is an opportunity to see how the area is recovering from the 416 fire each year. We will hike the switchbacks up Goulding Creek (most of the elevation gain), follow the ridge south on the Pinkerton Flagstaff Trail and descend on the Jones Creek Trail to Hermosa Creek. Note that this hike requires a car shuttle, and thus no dogs allowed. |
Hard |
Mon, Jun 19 RC 8:00 am Fire Station at Florida Rd. CR 234 |
Hike Burnt Timber TailHike Burnt Timber Trail and Meadows This trail climbs steadily up through ponderosa, aspen and spruce forests for about 2.2 miles, at which point we will then climb up through meadows and drainages for about 1 mile to the top the ridge, where we will meet the Lime Mesa Trail. We will travel northeast on the Lime Mesa Trail until it meets up with the Burnt Timber Trail. We will then circle back to the Burnt Timber Creek crossing and retrace our route back down to the trailhead. |
Hard 10.5 miles 2,500 ft. |
Mon, Jun 19
|
Monday Road Bike RideThis is a 16-mile bike ride from the Rec Center stopping at PJs and back. |
16 miles moderate pace |
Wed, Jun 21 |
Climb Spud PeakOff-trail hike with low exposure class three scramble on summit ridge. Beautiful view of Animas valley from the summit. Expect loose rock and talus, lots of down trees on this hike. About four hours to complete. |
Moderate 4 miles |
Thu, Jun 22
|
Thursday Road Bike RideThis is a 28-mile bike ride from the Rec Center to Bakers Bridge and back, stopping at Bread. |
28 miles moderate pace |
Fri, Jun 23 |
Hike Crater Creek FallsA challenging on & off-trail hike. Starting at Andrews Lake, we take the Crater Lake trail for 3.5 miles. Then we go off-trail for about a mile, dropping 750 ft to the top of three 100 ft. waterfalls on Crater Creek. Our return route will depend on conditions, possibly hiking back up to return via the Crater Lake Trail, or preferably, an off-trail basically horizontal traverse across 4.5 miles of untouched pristine country, crossing three creeks and numerous small ridges. The bushwhack route is a little different each time. For experienced hikers. Plan on being out for a long day, lots of up and down, a few scratches, and a great time. Timing of the hike may be adjusted to catch the height of run-off. |
Hard |
Mon, Jun 26
|
Climb Blackhawk PeakBegin at Hotel Draw Road and CT intersection. Hike 4 miles north on CT to Blackhawk Pass. Climb off trail steeper terrain 700ft elevation to Summit with spectacular views. Retrace route back to vehicles. |
Hard: |
Mon, Jun 26
|
Monday Road Bike RideThis is a 16-mile bike ride from the Rec Center stopping at PJs and back. |
16 miles moderate pace |
Thu, Jun 29
|
Thursday Road Bike RideThis is a 28-mile bike ride from the Rec Center to Bakers Bridge and back, stopping at Bread. |
28 miles moderate pace |
Fri, Jun 30 RC 8:30 am |
Hike Sawmill Canyon to Animas RiverWe will hike Forebay Lake Trail to Sawmill Canyon Trail. Descend sawmill Canyon to the Animas River, then hike to the power plant. Possible side trip up Canyon Creek. (Additional .8 miles.) We will return back the same way. |
Moderate |
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