Alpine Triangle

An Overview of the Alpine Triangle

Online Editors — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 11:16:20 -0400

In the high-country heart of southwest Colorado’s San Juan Mountains rests 180,000 acres of alpine habitat that has sheltered some of the best big game hunting and wild trout fishing in the southern Rockies for thousands of years.

The Alpine Triangle, named because it rests between three communities at it’s “corners”—Lake City, Ouray and Silverton—is a rare stretch of Bureau of Land Management real estate in the heart of traditional “forest” country. Not only does it shelter outstanding wild and native trout habitat, and prime big-game habitat for mule deer, elk and especially bighorn sheep, it’s home to a unique cultural heritage that is truly “old Colorado.”

Literally thousands of abandoned mines and old mining ghost towns dot the landscape, making it possible for visitors on foot or on motorized vehicle to catch a glimpse what Colorado was like over a century ago. The area is a recreational paradise, offering opportunities for motorized and nonmotorized access to some of the most scenic country in the West for hiking, fishing and hunting.

Our efforts on the Triangle are simple—we’d like to keep it just like it is. We’d like to cement in place the existing motorized access points and trails, and protect some of this world-class habitat that’s already managed as de facto wilderness today under the BLM wilderness study program as permanent wilderness. The fact that not much would change should we successfully create the Alpine Triangle National Conservation Area isn’t lost on sportsmen and women—the status quo, in this case, is the best management plan.

Unfortunately, the area isn’t without a threat—with mineral prices at record highs, there could be some interest in revisiting some of the mining practices in this area that historically hindered water quality downstream for many miles. Given that the Triangle is the source of the Lake Fork of the Gunnison, the Uncompahgre, and the Animas rivers, new mining activity would not only tarnish the fishing and hunting resources of the Triangle, but likely damage vital downstream water resources. Damage that’s taken a century to heal (and there are streams within the area that require more treatment to even host fish populations) could be replicated all over again.

Protecting this unique area as a National Conservation Area would prohibit new mining activity and protect, in perpetuity, the historical recreational uses this area is known for.

What’s in the Alpine Triangle
Fishing assets: Native Colorado River cutthroat trout, brown trout, brook trout, rainbow trout.
Hunting assets: Elk, deer, ruffed grouse, blue grouse, bighorn sheep.
Other: A reminder of a time gone by—thousands of abandoned mines dot the mountains and accessible ghost towns are within easy reach of those visiting.

Threats: The threat of new hard-rock mining in this area is very concerning, especially since the antiquated 1872 Mining Act is still in place. Henson Creek as it runs off Engineer Pass.

Best Wild Places: Exploring the Alpine Triangle (Day Three)

Online Editors — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 12:01:59 -0400

Editor-at-Large Kirk Deeter and photographer Kevin Cooley spent three days with Trout Unlimited exploring the Alpine Triangle, a rugged expanse of the San Juan Mountains in southwestern Colorado, so named because the region is loosely contained within the shape made by connecting the towns of Ouray, Lake City, and Silverton. TU wants Congress to declare the place a National Conservation area to protect its streams from mining expansion and new road development. Here's what they found on day three.

I learned a very important lesson at the start of our third day in the Alpine Triangle: We don’t have to move mountains to help trout streams recover from the effects of hard rock mining.

Moving west from Lake City toward the town of Ouray, we stopped along Henson Creek, where Tara Tafi, project manager and reclamation specialist for the Colorado Department of Natural Resources Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety, showed us around the Henson Creek Repository project.

Here’s a little “mine influence on trout water” primer: Many of the mines left behind tailing piles. Those tailing piles contain a number of things that are harmful to the river (acids, heavy metals, etc.) As the rains and snows fall over the tailings, the runoff mixes into the river, lowering pH levels (2-4). In low pH, metals are easily mobilized. When this happens, trout and the bugs they eat can’t survive in an essentially sterile environment. And this can last for generations.

On this Henson Creek site, the task of digging up and trucking away all the mine tailings was impractical. Instead, the Division of Reclamation used a new, innovative process of mixing lime and Portland Cement with the tailings to stabilize the materials. Now, they’re planting new vegetation over the site, so that a few years from now, a person who visits (or fishes) this area won’t see any more telltale signs of the project. Best of all, testing shows that the water samples from collection sites in the area are now more balanced.

It’s a small but important victory for what could become (and probably once was) an incredibly productive trout stream. Granted, this is a drop in the bucket; there are dozens of other sites in the region that could benefit from similar cleanup, and that will require millions of dollars to accomplish. But Tafi reminded us, “The 80-20 rule applies; 80 percent of the pollution comes from 20 percent of the sites.”

I just couldn’t help but leave this site feeling encouraged by what can be accomplished, but wondering why we don’t mobilize more to do away with leftover pollution that’s just sitting near closed and forgotten mines.

As we pushed west along the creek, we decided to get out and test the fishery the best way we knew how… by casting dry flies with light fly rods. Chris Hunt of Trout Unlimited fished together with our Scott fiberglass rods (Scott, from nearby Montrose, Colorado, www.scottflyrod.com has endorsed TU’s Alpine Triangle efforts). We traded shots on brook trout, and I stopped counting when we topped a dozen caught fish each. The biggest fish we caught was maybe 10 inches long, but the setting made it one of the best spots on the trip.

We wanted to make Ouray for lunch, so we pressed on, up and over Engineer Pass. At an elevation of 12,800 feet, it’s slightly higher than Cinnamon Pass, but the drive seemed easier… at least on the way up. Once we made the split away from Silverton and toward Ouray on the west side of the pass, we descended into the trees and canyons, and the driving got dicey. Many times we had to climb out of our vehicles and plot the best path for keeping all our wheels on the ground. Ty Churchwell actually bent the step bar on the side of his Xterra.

I never felt like I was in any physical danger, but it was a full adrenaline rush the whole way. My biggest concern (a very real one) was that one of us would blow out a tire, or get stuck on a rock, and we’d be stranded for hours (see first photo in this post). Fortunately, that didn’t happen, but it was a long, slow slug through the mountains. We made Ouray for lunch… at 4 p.m.

After we collected our nerves, we decided to cap off the day with (what else) some more fishing. So we headed to the town of Ridgway (where the John Wayne movie “True Grit” was filmed) to load up with flies from RIGS fly shop www.fishrigs.com. From there, owner and guide Tim Patterson took us down to Pa-Co-Chu-Puk Campground in Ridgway State Park, to fish the Uncompahgre River.

Using size #14 Adams flies, I was able to land a few sporty rainbow trout, the largest being about 16 inches long. An even better highlight for me was standing next to Dylan Looze as he made a perfect cast into a riffle, then hooked and landed his own first fly-caught rainbow trout ever.

Truth be told, I have fished the Uncompahgre often at Pa-Co-Chu-Puk, dating back to when the river first opened for fishing here, and I was not much older than Dylan (18). It’s funny how, in the fly fishing world, an angler can branch out and explore new places, sometimes all over the country… and yet eventually they find their way back to home waters.

As such, the Alpine Triangle was a very memorable adventure, involving my favorite wild place. It’s a place I’d invite all anglers (and hunters, and ATV-ers, and campers, etc.) to see and experience for themselves. Once you visit, a part of your soul will always stay connected here. --Deeter

Click here to see more photos from day three of our trip.

Exploring the Alpine Triangle: Day Three

Online Editors — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 12:00:10 -0400

Best Wild Places: Exploring the Alpine Triangle (Day Two)

Online Editors — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 12:04:39 -0400

After a restful night at the historic Wyman Hotel we all rolled out into the quiet streets of Silverton. The thing is, until the trainloads of tourists arrive in mid morning, Silverton almost feels like a movie set… an authentic western mountain town largely locked in time. San Juan County (of which Silverton is the county seat) is one of the most sparsely populated counties in the country, with approximately 500 full time residents.

It wasn’t always like this… in fact during the boom years of the frontier mining industry (in the late 1800s and early 1900s) Silverton was one of many thriving mountain communities that were collectively home to thousands of miners and their families. Some mining towns, replete with grocery stores, dance halls, saloons, brothels, churches, and more, sprung up on the mountainsides, often above tree line (Silverton itself sits at an elevation of 9318 feet). We paid a visit to Animas Forks on our way out of Silverton. Here, a ghost town of old buildings still sits near the narrow creek as a fading monument to a largely bygone era (see photo above).

The mining heritage of the region is an important historic attraction that gives the Alpine Triangle unique character. A lot of people come to this region every year to see the artifacts, and imagine just what life must have been like in the often harsh alpine climates in the high country. And yet, from an environmental perspective, the mines and the landscape are now experiencing a slow and tenuous reconciliation. The effects of mining are visible by way of tailing piles, and discolored heaps on the mountainsides, and along rivers. Runoff that pushes heavy metal residue into waterways still impacts the waters, in some cases decades after commercial mining operations have ceased.

Of course, recreation is now the lifeblood of the region, and among the most popular options is jeeping (or riding ATVs), up and over an elaborate lattice of established high mountain roads. Driving the fabled “Alpine Loop” is a 4x4 dram, and arguably the most scenic trips an off-roader can make. If you like getting off the beaten path, it’s worth making a special trip to drive the Alpine Loop. Trust me, you’ve never seen anything quite so spectacular from behind a steering wheel.

There are a few tricks to keep in mind. Some of the roads are easier to manage than others. Some, like Black Bear Pass, and Poughkeepsie Gulch are insane… and only for experts. There isn’t a color-coded road sign system to warn you off making a wrong turn, so be sure to get a detailed map and a briefing on what’s what from the jeep rental operator, or the Bureau of Land Management (www.co.blm.gov).

You definitely want to drive a vehicle with a nimble turn radius. Making multi-point turns on the gnarly switchbacks, with the vehicle perched above several hundred-foot dropoffs is not a lot of fun. Also keep in mind that the uphill-directed vehicle has right of way. It’s good to scout the long narrow climbs, wait for traffic to pass, or at least find a few pullover options.

The good news about the loop is that the main roads are well traveled by day, so if for whatever reason you do encounter problems, other drivers will be around and willing to help you.

On our trip to Lake City, we went over Cinnamon Pass, with a maximum road elevation of 12,620 feet. We made a point to stop in American Basin on the east side of the pass, to take in vast fields of vibrant wildflowers in peak bloom. While the air distance from Silverton to Lake City is just over 20 miles, it took us half the day to make the trip by land.

The other half of the day was dedicated to fly fishing. I was particularly excited about this stop, because it meant crossing another river off my “to-do” list: the Lake Fork of the Gunnison. We hooked up with guide Andy Bryant, manager of the Sportsman Outdoors & Fly Shop (www.lakecityflyshop.com) and headed downstream from San Lake San Cristobal.

The water was surprisingly low, warm (mid 60s) and crystal clear, but we were able to land a few nice brown trout on small stimulator dry flies. The Lake Fork is one of the prettiest rivers in the state, and definitely a rewarding challenge for anglers of all levels.

Perhaps the biggest thrill was watching three mule deer bucks—all 8-pointers in full velvet—cross the river right in front of us. If you’re looking for a hunter’s hotspot, the Lake City region is apparently the place for mule deer, black bear, and bighorn sheep. And, thanks largely to a trophy elk management plan in this area, bull elk that score 350 or higher don’t even turn many heads… at least not among the locals.

I’ve decided to return to Lake City, to jeep the roads, fish the Lake Fork of the Gunnison, and do some hunting. Often.

Click here to see more photos from day two of our trip.

Exploring the Alpine Triangle: Day Two

Online Editors — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 11:57:02 -0400

Best Wild Places: Exploring The Alpine Triangle

Online Editors — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 11:05:57 -0400

The “Alpine Triangle” is a rugged expanse of the San Juan Mountains in southwestern Colorado, so named by the Bureau of Land Management because the region is loosely contained within the shape made by connecting the towns of Ouray, Lake City, and Silverton.

I jumped at the opportunity to cover this story when the Field & Stream editors were divvying up the “Best Wild Places” assignments, because the region has been my home away from home for 25 years. It’s where many of my formative trout fishing adventures happened, and near where I still make an annual elk hunting camp. It is, without question, my favorite wild place on earth.

Yet, as familiar as I thought I was with the Alpine Triangle region, I had never experienced it from as many angles as I did on day one of the Trout Unlimited/Field & Stream adventure. We kicked off the tour with a full-on “Planes, Trains, & Automobiles” agenda…

It started with pilot Bruce Gordon of EcoFlight (www.ecoflight.info), flying me, TU backcountry coordinator Ty Churchwell, and photographers Kevin Cooley and Bridget Batch, from Durango up the Animas River valley and over the heart of the San Juans. Taking advantage of calm morning weather, we skimmed by 14,000-foot peaks, soaking a raptor’s perspective of one of the most jagged mountainscapes in the Lower 48.

After the fly-over, we embarked on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad (www.durangotrain.com) for a slow, rumbling climb up to the town of Silverton (see first photo in this post). This railroad was once the lifeline for the region during the frontier mining boom. Ironically, it still serves that role, only the “mother lode” is now money paid by tourists to take in the unique scenery that most people can only access via the railway. More adventurous types can arrange to have the train drop them off along its route; people can get out, hike, fish, even camp for a few days, and then have the train pick them up for the ride back downhill. Chicago Basin is a particularly beautiful stop, and the creeks that feed through that drainage are full of trout… nothing huge, but they eat dry flies every day.

As for the Animas River itself, I’ll say for the record that I think it is the most underrated trout river in the West. And when conditions are right and the hatches are “on,” the Animas is one of the top five rivers in Colorado. Most of the best action is found in the downstream stretches (e.g. right in Durango), and the hot fly pattern is often a flying ant dry fly. Brown trout 20-plus inches long are certainly possible.

The upstream sections of the Animas, however, while they have gorgeous plunge pools and swift runs, are still affected by the heavy metals from mines, and they don’t fish as well as they could. That’s part of why we’re here. The river has indeed been improved dramatically over the past few decades as mine impact has been mitigated, but this trip demonstrated there’s still a long way to go. Given the right cleansing and protection from dramatic new mining expansion, the Animas could become one of the top five freestone rivers in America, no question.

When we finally arrived in Silverton, we rented two jeeps. The Alpine Triangle is also home to some of the best off-highway vehicle routes (The Alpine Loop) in America. And as such, a wide range of outdoorsy interests are vested in the future of the Triangle—off-roaders, as well as hikers, campers, hunters, and anglers. What Trout Unlimited aspires to realize is making the Triangle a National Conservation Area (a congressionally-designated area managed by the Bureau of Land Management). If this happens, the area will effectively be locked in place, “as is” for generations, and protected from mining expansion and new road development that could further threaten some of the most fragile headwaters of major trout rivers in the country.

We ended our action-packed first day by experiencing one of those delicate headwaters, Cunningham Creek, firsthand with guide and co-owner of Duranglers fly shop (www.duranglers.com), John Flick. John put us on pools stacked with brook trout, and we traded shots… one guy made casts, while the rest of us soaked in the surroundings.

The highlight for all of us was watching TU intern Dylan Looze from Round Rock, Texas, hook his first ever trout on a fly rod. If you’re going to make a grand entrance into the sport of fly fishing for trout, I cannot think of a better time and place to do it…

By the time that day ended (it was 39 degrees and drizzling… in July), we’d all had enough. But we were only one-third of the way through the Triangle, and the next day would involve an “over-the-top” jeep adventure to Lake City…

Click here to see more photos from day one of our trip.

Exploring the Alpine Triangle: Day One

Online Editors — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 10:51:45 -0400