Today our friends took the day off, so we could do something
fun! They decided to take us to a couple of their favorite places to camp and
hike.
We enjoyed breakfast in Parachute, at Mama’s Restaurant. Linda
had eggs and sausage, Don had eggs, biscuits and gravy, I had ½ an order of “hot
mess” (egg, hash browns, biscuits and gravy) and Charlie had a cinnamon roll! Imagine
that, Charlie had a cinnamon roll.
Mama’s reminds me of Shelby’s in Livonia. They are only open
for lunch and dinner. Mama’s is in a former bank building. The old vault is their
freezer! Our waitress was Heather and she did an awesome job! The location of
the original teller’s area, is now the location of the kitchen, behind some
frosted glass. It is a very small place, but unique and memorable!
We drove through the White River National Forest. It is the
most visited national forest in the nation encompassing almost 2.5 million
acres. It boasts 11 ski resorts, 8 wilderness areas, 10 mountain peaks over
14,000 feet and 2,500 miles of trails. It provided us the opportunity to see
some of the Aspen’s leaves changing colors!
The road to the wilderness winds you down thirty miles of pristine national forest land or public land, all the while you follow the White River. Once you pass mile marker thirty something the pavement ends and the dirt begins.
Meadow Lake itself is located in the southwest Flat Tops,
and is a popular destination for fishing and boating. We enjoyed the views at Meadow
Lake while we enjoyed the picnic lunch that Don and Linda packed! The Picnic
Area provided an outstanding location for relaxed lunch in a scenic setting.
Great opportunity for a selfie!
Since it was first surveyed by Arthur Carhart for the
fledgling US Forest Service in 1919, Trappers Lake has always been regarded as
something “different,” or more accurately, “unique” to look at. These days, the
300-acre lake sitting at 9,600 feet remains renowned as the state’s top breeding
ground for native Colorado River cutthroat trout. But, abundance of feisty fish
aside, it was the postcard-perfect setting of the natural lake, surrounded by
soaring volcanic cliffs, that originally captured Carhart’s attention.
After viewing the spectacular scene, Carhart
completed the survey for a proposed private lakeside community, then convinced
his superiors in Denver that Trappers Lake was an irreplaceable resource that
should be preserved in its natural state for all the public to appreciate. The
agency ultimately agreed Trappers Lake should remain road less, and that the
many applications for home site permits should not be honored. It was an
unprecedented step, making Trappers something of a birthplace for the
wilderness idea.
The unprecedented notion led to establishment of the
Flat Tops Primitive Area in 1932, while Carhart went on to work with
conservationist Aldo Leopold and lay the foundation of the modern Wilderness
concept eventually adopted by Congress. The 235,000-acre Flat Tops Wilderness
Area was formally recognized in 1975 and is now the third-largest in Colorado.
In 2002, lightning sparked the Big Fish Fire, which
burned 22,056 acres in and near the Flat Tops Wilderness Area, including the
land around Trappers Lake.
The blaze also took out part of the historic lodge
near the lake’s northern tip. Nearby, the Lost Lakes Fire, also started by
lightning, consumed another 5,538 acres. The Forest Service let the Big Fish
Fire burn to clear up an old, decadent forest, but it must have been a major
“oops” moment for the agency when the fire jumped quickly in size, ignored the
wilderness boundary and consumed the old, main lodge, built in 1918.
It had been more than 16 years since wildfire ravaged
this area, but it looks like it could have been only a few years … time heals
slowly.
Millions of
snags are still standing, to be sure, but the forest floor is a nearly
impenetrable tangle of charred, toppled trees. With more than 22,000 acres that
succumbed to the momentous fires of 2002. We saw new spruce and clusters of
young aspen, some with flecks of gold and red appear around the lake as tiny
aspens suddenly claim prominence.
The lake, within the wilderness boundary, is at about
9,600 feet in elevation, but the true Flat Tops are above the Chinese Wall, an
imposing cliff band that loops around three-quarters of the lake. Three drainages
offer routes to the Flat Tops from the lake, via the Wall Lake, Trappers Lake
and Stillwater trails. All are worth hiking and afford the opportunity for an
all-day loop across the stunning plateau.
You know me … I had to do it … yes, I put my toes in the
water! It was not as cold as Linda and I thought it would be!
Our friends pointed out the Rio Blanco Ranch, nestled
in those dark green evergreens. The firefighters concentrated on saving this lodge during the fire in 2002. Originally, it was the homestead of Samuel
Homes in the late 1800’s. It was the Himes Ranch and home to the first hunting
lodge in the region. It welcomed many prominent guests, including Theodore Roosevelt.
Himes sold the ranch in the 1930’s to “The
101 Club,” a group of Los Angeles sportsmen.
They renamed it the Rio Blanco
Ranch. They held weekly dances and rodeos until the late 1940’s. Seventy years
later Rio Blanco remains a premier private hunting and fishing ranch in northwestern
Colorado. The ranches shareholders, form a board to decide on the introduction
of new members into the club as well as make overall decisions of the ranch
itself. The ranch holds true to its rustic elegance, unlike many other ranches.
Rio Blanco has no need for large manicured spaces or finely tuned lawns. The
pull here is the fishing and hunting. Trout inundate the White River as it
bends and winds in serpentine fashion through the ranch property. This coupled
with Rainbow Lake which teems with fish from every corner creates a fisherman's
paradise.
We drove back to Parachute and passed through Meeker.
Meeker is most famous for their greener pastures and the Meeker Massacre. The
greener pastures are remarkable, because the White River Valley gets less than
15 inches of rain a year, but has become some of the best agricultural land in
the state. Irrigation has transformed the dry sagebrush covered land into lush green
meadows. Thanks to this irrigation there are 4th and 5th
generation ranchers and farmers on their original homesteads, today.
The town is named for Nathan Meeker, the US Indian
Agent who was killed along with 11 other citizens by White River Ute Indians in
the 1879 Meeker Massacre. The site of the massacre, the former White River
Indian Agency, is located along State Highway 64 in the White River valley west
of town and is marked by a prominent sign. None of the buildings remain. After
the massacre and the ensuing conflict known as the Ute War, in 1880 the US
Congress passed legislation requiring the Ute population to relocate to
reservations in Utah. The US Army established a garrison on the current site of
the town, called the Camp at White River. The town was founded in 1883
following the removal of the troops. The White River Museum is located just
north of the Rio Blanco County Courthouse and housed in several original wooden
structures of the Army garrison.
The town emerged as a regional center for hunting by
the turn of the 20th century. Theodore Roosevelt once visited the town on a
mountain lion hunting trip and stayed in the historic Hotel Meeker opposite the
courthouse. The town is also a favorite summer destination and permanent
residence for many prominent Americans, including billionaire Henry Kravis,
former President and COO of Goldman Sachs Jon Winkelried, and comedian Daniel
Tosh.
We enjoyed watching the turkeys and had a steak dinner back at Don & Linda’s house.
What a spectacular day with awesome friends!
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