San Juan In-State Outing
by Karen Hickey
Heavy rain, limited water supplies, smoke from the Norwood fire, and a visiting bear failed to dampen the spirits of CMCers on this year’s San Juan In-State Outing at Woods Lake southwest of Telluride. Directed by outing expert John Clay, the annual event included nearly forty hikers on each of two week-long hikes, July 1320 and 2027, 2002.
Rain didn’t halt the hikers, the water supply lasted, the smoke improved steadily, and the bear didn’t appear until the last day as camp cook Mibby Lewis was preparing turkey soup. He was a bit timid, and ran off when staffers made noise.
A, B, and C level hikers set off to explore the area each day, fortified by Mibby’s gourmet cooking. The A’s headed to Alta Lake and Hope Lake (nicknamed Hopeless Lake, as it contained no water), explored Wilson Mesa and Lizard Head trails, and trekked to the saddle below Mt. Whipple and up part of Lone Cone. The B’s continued beyond this to saddles and summits, hiked to Bilk and Blaine Basins, and made the Elk Creek circle above Woods Lake. The C’s tackled 12,000- and 13,000-foot peaks, hiked to upper Blue Lakes, and both weeks’ groups made valiant attempts on 14,000-foot Wilson Peak, turning back only after facing impossible weather conditions. The second week, the C’s discovered a huge blowdown involving hundreds of aspen in the Alder Creek area.
It wasn’t all hiking, though. Almost everyone took a day off, making a trip to Telluride to ride the gondola and visit galleries, or to Ridgway and Ouray to soak in the hot springs, or to Dolores for antique shopping and the railroad museum, or to Norwood to survey the fire. Other popular activities for the day off included the showers, swimming, getting a massage, and hitting the pubs in Telluride.
Enjoyable camp activities included sun showers and happy hours, board games, reading, and gathering in the evening by the fireless campfire—a propane lantern. During the first week there was singing, storytelling, sharing stories from daily hikes, and a talent show, with kids in the camp crew the highlight. Small prizes were given for most sociable (talkative) hiker, most cheerful hiker, fastest hiker, best legs on a hiker, and most patient leader. The leader prize was for skill in herding cats (?). The second week’s activities included a photography program, storytelling, and stargazing.
Wildflowers were at their peak during the two weeks, and many campers shared their knowledge by identifying the mountain beauties. A few anglers tried their luck at fishing, and birders sighted a few new air dwellers. Many photographers captured glimpses of the phenomenal scenery and immortalized their fellow hikers in action.
Campers came from such diverse places as Massachusetts, New Jersey, Virginia, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, New Mexico, and Florida as well as Colorado.
Spending a week on an outing is like living in an isolated little microcosm, far from the stresses and events of the world. Campers become consumed with finding and maintaining a workable tent site, keeping dry, keeping clean, challenging their hiking skills, enjoying the natural world, connecting with other campers, and spending their free time. One of the highlights of each day is always Mibby’s unbelievable cooking, which included such delicacies as Cornish hen, mahi mahi, trout almondine, a Mexican night, an Italian night, roast turkey, and barbequed ribs. All of Mibby’s food was prepared in a field kitchen (tent) equipped with propane-powered ovens, grills and lanterns, and without electricity or running water.
Campers on an outing quickly develop bonds with each other. A spirit of caring, sharing, and helping prevailed throughout the week. Fourwheelers readily volunteered their vehicles when there was rough terrain to tackle. Two campers discovered the benefits of having skilled mechanics in their midst when their cars refused to run. Campers loaned each other gear and helped out with the little problems that always seem to emerge. Hikers looked out for each other on hikes, and many people made new friends. It was a great week. P