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Filed By: Richard Bryant (Escondido, CA)
Length of Time: 14 days
Difficulty: Moderate
Number of People Encountered: 0-10 ppl
Recommend to a Friend: Highly
Report: Even though it has been 32 years ago I have to say this backpack trip along with 2 others here (each 14 days) were the most memorable moments out of all other pack trips in my life. If GOD ever kissed the earth this would be where his lips touched. Mass valleys of multicolored wildflowers drowning in fresh mist of wild pine fragrance. Waterfalls nestled in the side of huge rock cliffs. Creeks and small rivers running in every direction. Wildlife galore (watch for bears). There is something great and exciting around every bend. It is not uncommon to wake up in the mornings at Ute Lakes and see the clouds are just below your feet, which leaves you and the peak your on, sitting on top of the clouds like an island in the sky yet with clear blue skies and sunshine overhead. Looking across the sea of clouds you see other peak islands. What a feeling of solitude!! Man oh man, when you peek over the other side of the Continental Divide (just up from Ute Lakes) you can see Black Lake. 32 years later I am planning the same old route from Sky High Ranch Area (Not using their bridge) but hiking all the way over to Black Lake this time. Our packs weighed 55lbs each. All food was dried (add hot water) type. Discovery: 1st trip; packed for 3 meals per day; hiked 10-12 hours a day; came back home with more then half of leftover food. 2nd trip: packed for 1.5 meals per day; hiked 5 hours per day; were almost out of food halfway through trip (thank goodness for the great fishing). 3rd trip we got it straight (3 meals a day/5 hours hiking). When you take it easy hiking, you seem to get a huge craving for food and unfortunately this gives you the extra time to eat it. WHAT A TRIP!!! I would certainly suggest this over Yosemite any day.
Conditions: Daily - short morning showers and short evening showers but not a bother so much. A few good steep traverses. Shady most the way up with beautiful open valleys on occasions. Paths were mostly visible and cleared off (have a good map and compass on hand). At times fallen trees across paths. Horse flies were a bother along with some mosquitoes. Strange ice on the Continental Divide peaks (close to Ute Lakes). It was like snow cone ice. Matter of fact on our 2nd and 3rd trips we took some very concentrated fruit powder and made us some. Eating snow cones off the continental Divide along with that view is one special treat of a life time.
Water Availability: While hiking we only had a metal cups tied to us with a short rope. There were underground water springs almost anytime we had the urge for water. We never did treated the water and it was always delicious and mighty cold. We used thin plastic collapsible 1 gallon water containers for the camp sites. As everything else on these trips to this place, the water situation was a dream come true because you didn't have to carry it and all that was available is about the best tasting water in the world.
Recommended Clothing: Long blue jeans, tee-shirt, long sleeve shirt and a poncho worked out great. Get a good poncho, extra big to go right over your backpack too. It's like being under a moving tent and wont get you all binned up. Even though the daily showers are short lived they do stop and go while alive. So the sun is coming and going with the showers. Under the right conditions (no shade) it will get hot and stuffy under the poncho when the sun peeks out. It is a hassle to take off the poncho between these short periods sunshine. So with a long sleeve shirt you can role up the sleeves while under the poncho then back down when it rains again and things cool off. This combo makes for a good easy switch for all conditions. If it rains those spurts of dogs and cats you can find a dry spot around a tree and sit and pull your head down with your body and it is just like being in a tent. And if you were thinking ahead you will have a little treat staring at you from your shirt pocket. It's a fun moment and they never last long. Good fitting hiking boots and thick socks.
Suggested Accessories: Took a good fishing pole. A few little tools and extra parts for the fishing real plus extra line. Plenty of trout lures and salmon eggs. Needed a darn good walking stick to get across the Rio Grande River. Look for the widest place to cross due to water current is less. Had some good flashlights and extra batteries. We each took 12" hunting knives for chopping wood etc. Your normal boy scout cook ware and utensil sets. Light weight Tent for two. We each had good goose down sleeping bags (highly recommended to keep you warm and cozy). They are very light weight and can fit in a coffee can. We had extra rope for tying up our food high in the trees from the bears. We did have a bear visit us one night. Sucker managed to open the Salmon eggs and clean them out.

Visitor Information:

Divide Ranger Station, 13308 West US Highway 160, P.O. Box 40 , Del Norte, CO, 81132, Phone: 719-657-3321, TTY: 719-657-6038