Wilderness Wild

[under H2O hunter]

How much do you enjoy wilderness areas? Which ones are your favorite and why?

[Elkduds]

Holy Cross is big and high up, is very busy due to its proximity to Vail/Minturn and the popularity of Mt of Holy Cross as 14er ascent. Snowmass/Maroon Bells is full of hikers all the time. Big Blue is remote, wild, great elk habitat. Lost Creek is smallish, close to Denver, still has good elk hunting in limited draw unit. West Elk Wilderness is huge, diverse, heavily hunted, not as high as some others. Raggeds is another rugged one w great elk hunting. Buffalo Peaks is smaller, lower, gets hiked a lot, is in GMU 49-limited draw. South San Juan is huge, a good place to get away from it all. Flattops is big also, not entirely flat on top, and heavily hunted. Sangre De Cristo is narrow in width, super steep and high up. Each of these is a great place to spend a week or 3. I have lots of favorites, couldn't pick one.

[under H2O hunter]

Thanks for answering Elkdud. I was starting to think no one around here has ever been in a wilderness area. I am not looking for hunting rather I want to know more about the wilderness areas and why they are special to others. I appreciate your willingness to answer. Maybe a few more people will share their experiences in nature.

[Elkduds]

Wilderness was the first place I felt in charge of myself and my circumstances, when I was a teen. I spent a lot of time backpacking in the 1970s, the Indian Peaks above Boulder were a short drive from my home in Northglenn. I could go anywhere, if I was willing to scramble to it. The intricacy of nature gets obvious when you spend days just being there. @ first the high lakes drew me for fishing. Then, seeing what the topo map showed over the hill became the magnet. In those days you could drink from springs and runoff from snowfields in CO. The taste of the water, the intensity of the sun, the smell of an elk wallow- all senses get heightened. Equipment improved, I found pals that were up for longer trips, I expanded to other wilderness areas. Every trailhead has a unique launch into wilderness. leave the truck, the crowds, the noise, the pace of work or school in the parking lot. Each step you take up the trail releases you from those burdens, and you see with fresh eyes: each tree and meadow, falling waters, trembling aspen, cliffs glistening with rain beneath a rainbow. Boots scuff, pack creaks, you hear your breathing as you climb. Raptors soar, and you imagine the view through their eyes. Every sensation, every experience intensifies. A front range upslope storm pushed thunderstorms up from below us as we straddled the Continental Divide. We couldn't outclimb it, the storm caught us from below. The wind reeked of ozone, everything metal vibrated and buzzed. Bolts struck around us, the thunder was simultaneous. We dropped packs, ice axes, everything metal; and ran a thousand vertical feet down below the storm, crackling as much with adrenaline as from St. Elmo's Fire. Nothing else I ever experienced has matched the intensity, the aliveness of that afternoon. That is why I need wilderness. It feeds my soul, and reminds me how it feels to be truly, completely alive.

Thanks for asking. Have a great Christmas!

[Indian Summer]

The thing I lie about wilderness is knowing that I'm not going to ear a dirt bike in there. The Selway-Bitterroot has some wicked rocky crags and is beautiful country. Unfortunately the elk hunting isn't so good. The Anaconda-Pintlar wilderness isn't steep or rugged at all. Not really all that big either. I'm not sure why they decided to set it aside as wilderness but I'm glad they added it to the list of places where motorized vehicles can't go.

So I'd say the peace and quiet is what I like. I like working hard to get a spot somewhere up high and wondering if the last soul to ever stand on this spot was a native American Indian or one of the members of the Lewis & Clark party.