Imogene and Yankee Boy Basin - June 2013

[Jackie]

We just got back from Ouray a couple days ago and had a blast! We tried Imogene and Yankee Boy Basin as far as we could but we got stopped out by snow on both of them.

We also enjoyed the hot springs pools, hiking the box canyon and some old mines and we went horseback riding (which is ENTIRELY worth it's own thread - but I won't go there). I'll just say we didn't die, so it's all good!

[Tom]

Looks like a kick. I've gotta get.back that way someday soon.

[Jackie]

Yeah - maybe wait until July if you want to get some trails done. There was still a lot of snow, but the views are to die for.

[Chris]

Jackie previously posted:

[Jim]

Nice pix. The southwest is on my ToDo list.

What's the deal with the horseback riding?

[Jackie]

Long story short - the lady who runs the joint had a bad fall the night before our ride. She let one of her part-time stable boys (who couldn't be more than 20 yrs old and no experience leading a trail) and a friend (who was about 50 but was about as crippled as you can get without needing a chair) lead us on a trail. I told them up front that we were new at this and did not want to run the horses. I should have been more specific! We ended up running, jumpimg (AHH!) and doing river crossings that were pretty deep IMHO. Then we got lost!

It was an adventure and we tipped them out well. We promised not to tell the "boss" a thing! (But I have bruises like you can't believe...) That was just the short story...

[Jim]

[Heather]

Jackie previously posted:

[Jackie]

Heather - those "guides" were complete knuckleheads. But we had fun and lived through it. One jump my horse decided to do almost took my face off on a tree branch as we were coming up out of the river on one pass. I was fortunate to have ducked in time and it only scraped the top of my head. Annika lost her hat on that one. The branch took it, but she held on for dear life. Britton's horse was much more sensible and stayed clear of the tree in that spot. but there were moments..............

I still hurt...

My arms are bruised and I have saddle-butt.

[Patrolman]

Looks like you had a good time! No surprise that the trails were still snowed in. Black Bear is usually the last to open due to rocks falling, and that can be as late as Aug 1st. It is a short window of a month or more to hit some of those trails, but they are some of the best there are!

[Paul]

Awesome Jackie!!!! Your pics are beautiful.

[xaza]

What a good time! It's my knees that always hurt after I ride, looks like a great area to see the sight from horseback. Thanks for the pics!

[Rick]

good times and lasting memories for sure

[glacierpaul]

Thanks for the report Jackie! Your horse adventure sounds a lot like mine was, only then I was 9. I bet if I had been an adult I would have been injured, running thru the trees.... Love the plow Jeep!

[carpenle]

What is that paper thing you are looking at in the picture? LOL looks like a great time.

[Jackie]

That is Britton looking at a topo map.

[Funrover]

Very cool!

[Rob]

Jackie previously posted:

[Jackie]

Rob previously posted:

[Rob]

Jackie previously posted: