Seniors Outdoors! Schedule
| Date & Location | Outing description | Difficulty info |
|---|---|---|
| Mon, Jan 20 - SR 9:00 am |
4-day X-C Ski Trip to Ward’s CabinDate Changed Day 1: Ski 9 miles to the Ward cabin in the aspens north of Mancos. It’s a gradual climb of 1,000 ft. mostly on Forest Service roads. Days 2 and 3: Ski around through the woods and meadows. Day 4: Depart by noon to return to vehicles. Note: Mattress and kitchen stuff provided. More details upon sign up. Limit 8, No Dogs, 4WD if roads are snowy, carpool fee $5. |
Hard |
| Wed, Jan 22
|
Snowshoe south of Andrews LakeConditions permitting, we will do a loop south of Andrews Lake, heading south first, then north on top of a ridge. Expect to spend about four hours on the trail. With deep snow, this trip will be classified as hard. Carpool $5 4WD if Hwy 550 is snowy.Limit 10 No dogs.This is a backcountry winter outing. SO! recommends that all participants carry appropriate gear (beacon, shovel and probe) and educate themselves about avalanche risks, conditions, and safety. |
Moderate/Hard |
| Wed, Jan 22
|
WW hike
|
Easy |
| Sat, Jan 25 |
Saturday SnowshoeAt the Rec Center meeting spot, snowshoe participants will divide into moderate and fast paced groups with their own separate leaders and carpools. RSVP to Clark Lagow (clagow@rmi.net) to get last minute changes. Specific details for these Saturday Snowshoe hikes (leader, destination, description, 4WD, etc.) will be e-mailed about 2-3 days in advance. Carpool $3-$8, depending on destination. Dogs OK. This is a backcountry winter outing. SO! recommends that all participants carry appropriate gear (avalanche beacon, shovel, and probe) and educated themselves about avalanche risks, conditions, and safety. |
Moderate to Hard 3+ miles 500-2000 ft |
| Mon, Jan 27 SRP 9:00 am |
X/C ski or skate Mesa Verde ParkIndefinitely Postponed due to Park Status The date for this outing will be flexible depending on snow conditions in the park. It is a bit of a drive, but when conditions are good, skiing the park trails is an experience to savor. We will likely follow the Cliff House loop, with occasional stops to admire the incredible views of cliff dwellings dusted with snow. Bring your camera! For more information, see https://www.nps.gov/meve/planyourvisit/crosscountryskiing.htm |
Moderate |
| Tue, Jan 28 |
LaPlata Canyon x-country – snow shoe outingNew outing Drive to the parking lot at the beginning of the canyon. You will have the option to cross country ski or snow shoe depending on the snow conditions. The route will either be along the road or the creek bed until it gets narrow, then traverse onto the road for a couple of miles. Good views, elevation gain and exercise. Return same route. Moderate Pace, Limit 2 well behaved dogs, carpool $2 |
Moderate |
| Wed, Jan 29
|
WW hike
|
Easy |
| Thu, Jan 30 |
Snowshoe South Side of Cascade CreekPark at Cascade Village and travel along south side of Cascade Creek, crossing creek if conditions permit. Expect to spend about four hours on the trail. This is a backcountry winter outing. SO! recommends that all participants educate themselves about avalanche risks, conditions, and safety and carry appropriate gear (avalanche beacon, shovel, and probe). |
Moderate |
| Sat, Feb 1 |
Saturday SnowshoeAt the Rec Center meeting spot, snowshoe participants will divide into moderate and fast paced groups with their own separate leaders and carpools. RSVP to Clark Lagow (clagow@rmi.net) to get last minute changes. Specific details for these Saturday Snowshoe hikes (leader, destination, description, 4WD, etc.) will be e-mailed about 2-3 days in advance. Carpool $3-$8, depending on destination. Dogs OK. This is a backcountry winter outing. SO! recommends that all participants carry appropriate gear (avalanche beacon, shovel, and probe) and educated themselves about avalanche risks, conditions, and safety. |
Moderate to Hard 3+ miles 500-2000 ft |
| Mon, Feb 3 Meet at the home of Steve Schnarch |
Snowshoe Falls Creek to Animas OverlookWe’ll snowshoe from the Falls Creek Valley to the Animas Overlook off Junction Creek Road. Our route begins with a short boot climb up through some slickrock, then we’ll put on snowshoes for the rest of the hike. From the Fairgrounds, take West 25th Street (Junction St.) for 2.8 miles. At the stop sign, turn right on County Road 205. Two miles from the turn (past Turtle Lake), go straight onto Falls Creek Circle. Steve’s house is the third driveway on the left. We’ll car shuttle about a half mile to the trail. Limit 12, 2 well-mannered dogs on approval. |
Moderate |
| Mon, Feb 3 RC 6:30 PM |
SO! Avalanche Awareness ClinicAvalanche Training Avalanche Awareness for the Recreationalist : Two-hour clinic for SO! outing leaders and participants in backcountry winter outings. |
Easy and possibly lifesaving |
| Wed, Feb 5
|
Snowshoe above Little Molas LakeOur destination will be the basin below West Turk. There may be some short steep sections, but mostly moderate terrain. Expect to spend about four hours on the trail.Carpool$5 4WD if Hwy 550 is snowy. Limit 10. No dogs.This is a backcountry winter outing. SO! recommends that all participants carry appropriate gear (beacon, shovel and probe) and educate themselves about avalanche risks, conditions, and safety. |
Moderate |
| Wed, Feb 5
|
WW hike
|
Easy |
| Sat, Feb 8 |
Saturday SnowshoeAt the Rec Center meeting spot, snowshoe participants will divide into moderate and fast paced groups with their own separate leaders and carpools. RSVP to Clark Lagow (clagow@rmi.net) to get last minute changes. Specific details for these Saturday Snowshoe hikes (leader, destination, description, 4WD, etc.) will be e-mailed about 2-3 days in advance. Carpool $3-$8, depending on destination. Dogs OK. This is a backcountry winter outing. SO! recommends that all participants carry appropriate gear (avalanche beacon, shovel, and probe) and educated themselves about avalanche risks, conditions, and safety. |
Moderate to Hard 3+ miles 500-2000 ft |
| Tue, Feb 11 RC 6:30 pm |
SO! Monthly Meeting: Fire History and historic patterns in pinon- juniper woodlands across Mesa Verde National Park and southwest ColoradoSpeaker: Lisa Floyd-Hanna While much is known about historical fire patterns in montane forests, relatively little attention has been paid to the ancient pinon-juniper woodlands. At Mesa Verde National Park, our research team developed methods to reconstruct historical fire and disturbance patterns, with work beginning in 1990. Our results were surprising initially because they show that fire patterns in these woodlands are very different from adjacent shrublands or ponderosa pine/mixed conifer forests which had frequent surface fires in the past. Rather, piñon -juniper woodlands have stand replacing crown fires, but with centuries separating these events. This allowed for the development of old-growth conditions; pinons of up to 600 years and much older junipers support hundreds of birds and mammals and many thousand insects, as well as a rich diversity of native plant species. Mesa Verde National Park has lost nearly half of these old-growth woodlands since the late 1980’s. We project that similar “persistent” pinon-juniper woodlands of the Colorado Plateau are especially imperiled by increasing drought and temperature conditions. Lisa Floyd-Hanna is a plant ecologist and Professor Emeritus at Prescott College in Prescott, AZ. She has BS, MS And PhD degrees in biology and her research focuses on fire history and fire effects in piñon-juniper and other arid southwestern ecosystems. She also studies the effects of disturbances such as climate-driven insect infestation on plant communities and threatened plant populations. Lisa is involved in many National Park Service and Forest Service projects in Mesa Verde National Park, Dinosaur National Monument and other locations across the Colorado Plateau. |
Easy |
| Wed, Feb 12
|
Cross Country Ski at Chicken CreekBeginner/Intermediate cross country ski. 5-10 miles depending on group consensus and ability. Location may change dependent on snow conditions. Carpool $5 Limit 15 No dogs. This is a backcountry winter outing. SO! recommends that all participants carry appropriate gear (beacon, shovel and probe) and educate themselves about avalanche risks, conditions, and safety. |
Easy/Moderate |
| Wed, Feb 12
|
WW hike
|
Easy |
| Fri, Feb 14 - RC 7:00 am |
3-day Nordic X-C ski and skate trip on Grand MesaDay 1 We will carpool to Cedaredge, eat lunch and then head to Grand Mesa for an afternoon skate ski or cross-country ski. With over 50 kilometers of trails, there are many options! Check into hotel in Cedaredge and eat dinner as a group in town. Day 2 Free breakfast at hotel. We will head up to the mesa again for skate skiing or cross-country skiing. Day 3 Pack up, load up and eat free breakfast at hotel. Head back to Grand Mesa for one last ski time on trails. Drive back to Durango mid- afternoon with an option to soak at the Ouray hot springs. Carpool TBD. Limit 14. Well-behaved dogs ok in dog friendly rooms with $25 fee. |
Flexible difficulty and pace. We will most likely divide into groups based on interest and ability |
| Sat, Feb 15 |
Saturday SnowshoeAt the Rec Center meeting spot, snowshoe participants will divide into moderate and fast paced groups with their own separate leaders and carpools. RSVP to Clark Lagow (clagow@rmi.net) to get last minute changes. Specific details for these Saturday Snowshoe hikes (leader, destination, description, 4WD, etc.) will be e-mailed about 2-3 days in advance. Carpool $3-$8, depending on destination. Dogs OK. This is a backcountry winter outing. SO! recommends that all participants carry appropriate gear (avalanche beacon, shovel, and probe) and educated themselves about avalanche risks, conditions, and safety. |
Moderate to Hard 3+ miles 500-2000 ft |
| Tue, Feb 18
|
Snowshoe to Baldy Mountain (9800 ft)Loop route leaving from trailhead above Durango Hills subdivision and gradual climb on road to top of Baldy Mountain and the radio towers. Wonderful 360 degree views of San Juans, La Platas and Wolf Creek. We will return on the Missionary Ridge trail, past Haflin Ck trail till we meet a social trail that follows a ridge and back to TH. Expect about five hours on trail. This is a backcountry winter outing. SO! recommends that all participants educate themselves about avalanche risks, conditions, and safety and carry appropriate gear (avalanche beacon, shovel, and probe). |
Moderate/Hard |
| Wed, Feb 19
|
WW hike
|
Easy |
| Thu, Feb 20 |
XC Ski from Red Mountain to IrontonThis will be a moderate XC ski from Red Mountain Pass on an old railroad grade to Ironton Park. We will park cars for shuttling. The entire route is downhill, probably on unbroken snow, with a short steep section near the end. This is a backcountry winter outing. SO! recommends that all participants educate themselves about avalanche risks, conditions, and safety and carry appropriate gear (avalanche beacon, shovel, and probe). |
Moderate |
| Sat, Feb 22 |
Saturday SnowshoeAt the Rec Center meeting spot, snowshoe participants will divide into moderate and fast paced groups with their own separate leaders and carpools. RSVP to Clark Lagow (clagow@rmi.net) to get last minute changes. Specific details for these Saturday Snowshoe hikes (leader, destination, description, 4WD, etc.) will be e-mailed about 2-3 days in advance. Carpool $3-$8, depending on destination. Dogs OK. This is a backcountry winter outing. SO! recommends that all participants carry appropriate gear (avalanche beacon, shovel, and probe) and educated themselves about avalanche risks, conditions, and safety. |
Moderate to Hard 3+ miles 500-2000 ft |
| Wed, Feb 26
|
WW hike
|
Easy |
| Sat, Feb 29 |
Saturday SnowshoeAt the Rec Center meeting spot, snowshoe participants will divide into moderate and fast paced groups with their own separate leaders and carpools. RSVP to Clark Lagow (clagow@rmi.net) to get last minute changes. Specific details for these Saturday Snowshoe hikes (leader, destination, description, 4WD, etc.) will be e-mailed about 2-3 days in advance. Carpool $3-$8, depending on destination. Dogs OK. This is a backcountry winter outing. SO! recommends that all participants carry appropriate gear (avalanche beacon, shovel, and probe) and educated themselves about avalanche risks, conditions, and safety. |
Moderate to Hard 3+ miles 500-2000 ft |
| Tue, Mar 3 RC 8:30 am |
Snowshoe up Vallecito/Fall CkWe’ll leave from Vallecito Ck TH and follow for short distance before following a social trail to Fall Ck. We’ll generally follow Fall Ck for several miles on the west side of the Vallecito drainage. Very pretty drainage surrounded by impressive mountains. This is a backcountry winter outing. SO! recommends that all participants educate themselves about avalanche risks, conditions, and safety and carry appropriate gear (avalanche beacon, shovel, and probe). Limit 12. No Dogs. Carpool fee $4. |
Moderate/Hard |
| Wed, Mar 4
|
WW hike
|
Easy |
| Sat, Mar 7 |
Saturday SnowshoeAt the Rec Center meeting spot, snowshoe participants will divide into moderate and fast paced groups with their own separate leaders and carpools. RSVP to Clark Lagow (clagow@rmi.net) to get last minute changes. Specific details for these Saturday Snowshoe hikes (leader, destination, description, 4WD, etc.) will be e-mailed about 2-3 days in advance. Carpool $3-$8, depending on destination. Dogs OK. This is a backcountry winter outing. SO! recommends that all participants carry appropriate gear (avalanche beacon, shovel, and probe) and educated themselves about avalanche risks, conditions, and safety. |
Moderate to Hard 3+ miles 500-2000 ft |
| Tue, Mar 10 Rec Center |
SO! Spring PotluckSO! Spring Potluck |
Easy & Fun |
| Wed, Mar 11 SRP 9:30 am |
WW hike
|
Easy |
Outings will meet and depart from the following locations:
- ACP: Animas City Park for some 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 most outings to the north. The Rec. Center is located at 2700 Main Ave. Please park in the south lot between Main and the ball fields.
- SRP: Santa Rita Park 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