Favorite: Heart of the Weminuche Wilderness

I have spent considerable time in the Weminuche, but to get to the heart requies hours of effort and rugged terrain to cross. Deep in the Grenadiers or a thousand feet above Ruby Lake is a special place few can access. This is part of the allure.

How can one choose a favorite place, especially when one has had the good fortune of seeing so many beautiful places? The late Richard Vance, who taught school with Terry, had the greatest answer I have ever heard. When asked to name his favorite place, Richard answered, "Above timberline." Well, I agree to an extent. I traveled and climbed many places and realized not all tundra is equal. For me, my favorite place is deep within the San Juan Mountains. I know part of that is prejuducial; I was born and raised nearby. But part of the reason is simply the beauty. I have never seen the abundance or variety of flowers at alpine elevations anywhere else in the world.

Leaving Beartown and crossing the Continental Divide, I thought it could not be any better. The view of Vestal's famous Wham Ridge, Arrow, and the rest of the Grenadiers look fake. It could just not be. Velvet green slopes, emerald lakes. Flowers to die for--- king's crown, columbine, alpine-forget-me-not, old man of the mountain, paintbrush, arnica, blue bell, sky pilot, aster, primrose, moss campion, lupine and alpine lily engulf the backpacker with a waist high rainbow. Acres as far as the eye can see shoot forth nature's best. The higher the elevation, the lower the flower for wind's sake. But that does not diminish the potency. The blue and white alpine-foget-me-not must struggle at 13,000 feet, but you would not know it. It looks vibrant yet delicate. Lack of roads, sheer peaks, sparkling lakes, and the greenest greens form a cradle for trophy flowers.

Entering from the southwest, the backpacker must endure six hours of slight trail, dozens of downed timber, raging streams, route finding difficulties, 4000 feet of vertical gain with up to 70 pounds of gear, and lightning threats just to enter camp above timberline! Who would do such a thing? The beauty of Noname and Ruby Basin has a way of teasing backpackers into coming back. A year later all that is remembered is the pleasure. But the pain keeps out the others. Let's keep it that way, even when the day comes that I can't visit it anymore. It is nice knowing it will remain wild. It is my vision of heaven.

Imagine the most beautiful mountains and basins. Add in more rugged country, delete all roads, realize you and your mates are the only ones here for the week and you have the heart of the Weminuche Wilderness.

Weminuche Pilgrimages:

1988 Chicago Basin-Windom and Sunlight Peaks with Terry, Chris, Penny, Babs, with the Colorado Mountain Club

1988 Beartown to Molas Lake on the Colorado Trail with Terry, Steve, Julie, Pablo, others

1989 Chicago Basin-Eolus Peak with Terry, Steve, Pablo

1992 Hunchback Pass and a week of Peak Bagging with Terry, Dennis, Bill, Penny

1995 Rio Grande Pyramid

1996 Elk Park-The classics The Wham Ridge, Arrow, and the Trinities with Jim and Dennis

1997 Beartown to Molas Lake leading backpackers on the Colorado Trail with Terry and many others

1999 Noname Creek-A week of peak bagging including Jagged with Bill, Babs, Jim, and Penny

2002 Ruby- A week of peak bagging including Peak 15, Animas, Moniter with Jim, Bill, Penny, and Babs

2002 Pigeon and many others with Steve, Dennis, and Marlyn

2003 Ten day backpack with Steve, Lynn, and Penny. 24 peaks

2005 Peaks in the Rio Grande Pyramid area. Terry, Steve, Lynn, Summit

2006 New York Basin with Steve

2007 One of only day trips...Whitehead group out of Silverton

2008 Twilight group with Steve

2009 Electric group with Terry, Lynn, Summit

2012 Stoney Pass with Terry 12ers

2016 Near Molas Pass 12ers with Terry

2018 Beartown 12ers with Terry

2020 Mt. Lobo 12ers with Erik

2021 12ers with Craig

2024 12ers with Erik

2023 Near Chief Mountain 12ers with Terry

2024 Mt. Hope 12ers with Terry and Erik and Chicago Basin with Vanessa and Kelly

Photo by Peter Stabolepszy