September/October 2016
Silverton was the first place I stayed in Colorado so it seemed appropriate that it would be one of the last places I’d stay as my summer wrapped up.
Kelly and I wanted to see the aspen leaves turning so Silverton seemed like a great place to do it. We both love the area and were up for spending more time there.
Sultan Campground
Sultan Campground is literally right across Mineral Creek from where we stayed before.
Foliage
Wow! What can I say? We hit Silverton and the exact perfect time! Seeing the aspen leaves turn was something one needs to experience in person. Pictures don’t really do it justice, but I’ll try:
Snow
We got snowed on. That made Kelly happy. Me? Not so much. But it did look pretty. I guess.
Clear Lake – Take Two
Kelly’s friend Michael came up to stay a couple of nights right after it snowed. We then decided to try and drive up to Clear Lake (where we were stopped by a snow bank when we attempted the same trip the first time in Silverton). We made it farther, but were once again stopped by snow. Well, technically ice.
Michael didn’t feel comfortable going any farther (smart move!) so we hiked in the rest of the way. The light was incredibly flat since it was overcast. There was snow everywhere. And it was cold. What does one expect at 11,000+ thousand feet in Colorado at the end of summer? Well, I guess I wasn’t expecting it to snow that early!
Ice Lake Trail – Take Two
The first time in Silverton, Kelly and I hiked the Ice Lake Trail, but didn’t get very far since we had her dogs in tow. This time around we went quite a bit farther, but didn’t go all the way. We started too late. Oh well, maybe next time!
Highland Lake Mary Trail
One trail we did manage to hike in its entirety was the Highland Lake Mary Trail. The trailhead was down some gravel road, past a bunch of old mines. Um, yeah, that describes the majority of this part of Colorado.
Anyhow, we hiked it post-snow, so we did encounter a bit of the white stuff near the top. But the sun was out and it was a spectacular hike.
Trains
What’s a stop in Silverton without seeing the trains?
