...Nature, who is superior to all style and ages, is now, with pensive face, composing her poem Autumn, with which no work no will be to be compared. —Thoreau
After two rather mind-numbing weeks at work, I was ready for for a backpacking trip.
One last chance to go backpacking before the snow sets in, the weather gets too cold for three-season style backpacking and where I get to backpack during my favorite season: AUTUMN!
Fall backpacking is my favorite time to backpack for several reasons. The crowds are a bit less, the weather is crisp, the insects are gone and the air seems to have a clear quality that does not happen during other times of the year.
For my trip this weekend, I chose the beautiful and seldom visited Lost Creek Wilderness.
The scenery is a-typical of what people think of in terms of Colorado hiking rather than jagged peaks, there are hoodoos, red rocks and granite outcroppings. There are also wide open meadows. A bit reminiscent of Yosemite Valley.
Add in the fact that most of the LCW is at a lower elevation than typical Colorado high country, and it makes a great early season backpacking trip and an equally wondeful late season backpack as well.
My original plan was to do a 23 mile loop. The possibility of impending bad weathero on Sunday and the inexperience of my friend Anna, made me modify the loop into a "lollipop" of
~15 miles instead.
It worked out well, rather than worry about mileage, everyone enjoyed the trip. It was a classic Fall backpack.
The aspens were blazing yellow. Leaves carpeted the trail. The weather indeed had the cool, crisp feel to the air. The views were so clear. At night, we had a campfire. We talked, laughed and enjoyed the company. As mentioned, the LCW sees realtively little people.
On a gorgeous fall weekend, we saw FOUR people!!!!
The trip ended at a bar and grill not far from the trail head. An hour after ending the trip, the snow started coming down. Talk about great timing!
It was simply an incredible weekend that was among my favorite trips this year for many reasons that came all together.