2013 July: La Garita Wilderness area (The plan and approach)

Welcome good wilderness travelers. I've just come back from a wonderful trip in the La Garita Wilderness Area. Later posts will cover the trip in some detail but here I just want to point out how to get to this place if you are ever interested. Be forewarned - the spruce beetle kill has devastated huge tracts of spruce/fir forest. In the section of La Garita (Northeast, by Half Moon Pass) we visited, all large Englemann spruce and sub-alpine fir trees are dead. I don't know how long, but eventually this land will be difficult and dangerous to travel due to the deadfall that is inevitable and the heightened probability of wildfire due to the excessive dry lumber. I don't think anyone is coming in to clear the stuff out. In these forests younger and smaller trees seemed to have survived so there is hope. My thinking is I am glad to have done this; in ten years this place might be impassable. However, there seems to be some folks who really love the place and I suspect they might work hard to access their favorite places.

On the road again...Dirt road (either FR 804 or FR 787) heading towards the La Garita

We live up north so to get here we drove south on Highway 285, all the way to Saguache. I recommend going here in the morning, stopping in town and eating some chow at the Saguache 4th Street Diner. The food here is excellent and you're about 1.5 to 2 hours from the trailhead so load up on the carbos!

When leaving, from 285 take 114 west, and drive about 25-30 miles. When you go over the Continental Divide you've less than 7 miles to make a left on FR 804(?), or Co Rd 17 GG. Take this about 7 miles, at stop sign, T intersection, turn left, and go about 1.5 miles and turn right on FR 787, Co Rd 17 FF, go about 23 miles until you arrive at the La Garita trailhead. You'll climb up and over the Continental Divide again, only this time it's on a dirt road and very narrow. However, the road conditions are great, even a car can travel upon this road. You'll pass through Stove Pipe campground and when you see this place you'll be about 12 miles away.

Go ahead and look at the road maps.  It's a very scenic and inspiring 30 miles to get to the trail.