Above Breckenridge Colorado sits a beautiful mountain pass that is joy to hike to… French Pass. This pass sites between the mammoth peaks of Guyot and Bald Mountain. In July there is still snowfields at the pass which are cool playground for dogs and hikers. We are looking towards the french creek creek and the valley to the east of the pass.
Trail to Cathedral Spires
f you are visiting the southern Black Hills, Cathedral Spires is an area within Custer State Park that should definitely be on your itinerary. The trail is located within an area of Custer State Park known as the Needles. This photo is from the hike up to the spires.
Alpine Buttercups and Vasquez Peak
There are a plethora of very cool Alpine Buttercups in the meadows of the high alpine Rockies of Colorado. Their yellow petals liven up the slopes of the mountains in the Vasquez Peak Wilderness. How can any person not smile while walking through a meadow buttercup flowers?
Teig Among the Yellow Alpine Flowers
Teig figuring out the way to Rosalie Peak in the Mount Evans Wilderness. He not only a tracker of squirrels but also a pretty good trailblazer. He can follow almost any trail and still look cool in an alpine meadow of yellow flowers. We love hiking above treeline in the Front Range Rockies of Colorado.
2-Bar Ranch Corral
We had an enjoyable exploration through a ghost ranch in Northwest Colorado. I came across a story on the web by Jerry Spangler published in June of 1991 about this ranch that I am going to provide below that you might find interesting:
Everyone loves the courageous soul who, against all odds, stands up to an overwhelming opponent. And legends are made when the underdog wins.
Maybe that's why everyone in Brown's Park still loves Ann Bassett, a fiery young woman who spearheaded the turn-of-the-century resistance against Ora Haley, a wealthy and politically powerful cattle baron who used ruthless means to snuff out smaller cattle operations in northeastern Utah and northwestern Colorado.In the stuff of television Westerns, Bassett fought back. And won, earning herself the name "Queen of the Cattle Rustlers" in the process. She also carved herself a niche in Utah and Colorado history as one of the most colorful characters of the Wild West.
Born in 1874 (the first white child born in Brown's Park, Daggett County), Bassett was a willful character, a lifelong resident of the grassy paradise nestled in northeastern Utah and northwestern Colorado.
Brown's Park was home to Bassett, and she defended it with a passion bordering on obsessive. As American cattle operations reached monolithic proportions in the 1890s and early 1900s, smaller ranchers from Montana to Texas were intimidated into selling out.
But Bassett and other ranchers in Brown's Park refused to sell. And when Two-Bar Ranch cattle owned by cattle baron and millionaire Ora Haley pushed at the borders of Brown's Park, the more Bassett's herd and other local herds grew and prospered (albeit, some say, with altered brands).
To residents of Brown's Park, the appropriation of Ora Haley's livestock was not only a matter of survival, it was justified under the code of the Old West. Haley's cows were trespassing, leaving nothing but grass stubble in their wake.
Haley coveted the lush winter ranges in Brown's Park, and he apparently was willing to employ any and all measures to acquire them.
A push and shove relationship developed over the years, with the Two-Bar Ranch doing most of the pushing and shoving. An attempt to counter the threats of the Two-Bar Ranch resulted in the creation of the Brown's Park Cattlemen's Association.
Retaliatory actions by the Two-Bar Ranch in 1900 claimed the lives of two Brown's Park ranchers - some believe the victims of hired gun Tom Horn.
The violence disintegrated the Brown's Park Cattlemen's Association, and ranchers made no attempt to stop the encroachment of Two-Bar cattle. But spurred more by vengeance than common sense, Bassett single-handedly rode the boundary line between the Two-Bar operation and the Brown's Park ranches.
She had a reputation for chasing trespassing cattle until they died of exhaustion, or herding them into the Green River where they would drown. Sometimes she just shot them outright.
Gunmen hired by the Two-Bar Ranch tried to kill her but failed. It was a classic case of the little guy fighting the big guy.
The feud continued year after year with charges and counter charges. In August 1913, Bassett went on trial in Craig, Colo., for rustling Two-Bar beef. As Diana Allen Kouris describes in her book "The Romantic and Notorious History of Brown's Park".
"The town of Craig was overflowing with spectators. Most of them supported the lovely cowgirl who had taken on the rich and powerful Ora Haley. The courtroom was packed with onlookers when Ann's lawyer smoothly turned things against Ora Haley. On the stand he duped Haley into admitting that he had almost double the amount of cattle on the range than were registered with The county assessor. After eight hours of deliberation, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty. Whoops, cheers and applause roared from within the courtroom. `Hurray for victory' flashed across the Craig movie screen. Guns were fired into the air, and a brass band paraded down the street. The large crowd lit several bonfires and danced on Main Street with Ann all night."
A Denver newspaper reporter dubbed Bassett the "Queen of the Cattle Rustlers," a colorful and appropriate title by Brown's Park standards. From the moment of her acquittal, she was known as "Queen Ann."
Soon after the trial, Ora Haley ceased his cattle operations in Brown's Park. Bassett and her father even lived awhile at a Two-Bar Ranch headquarters on the Green River.
When new rumors arose that Bassett had taken up cattle rusTling, nobody in the area really cared. She had single-handedly taken on the cattle barons and won - and that warranted loyalty.
Ann Bassett suffered a heart attack in Leeds, Washington County, in 1953. She never recovered.
Resting by Lost Creek
Teig resting by Lost Creek on our hike into the Colorado’s Lost Creek Wilderness on Wigwam Trail. This wilderness is a fantastic area to explore and is relatively quiet compared to the other Front Range mountain areas near Denver. Lost Creek is also great to cool off in on warm summer days on the trail.
Doorway to History in Alamo Canyon
This is the abandoned historic house in Alamo Canyon set in the Ajo Range in southern Arizona. There is a great trail to this location and is one of the gems in the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. I really love sauntering in this region during the mid winter months.
Looking Over the Front Range from Chief Mountain
What do you do when you have summited Chief Mountain above Squaw Pass in Colorado? You look out and over the surrounding Front Range hills and valleys and take in the rugged beauty of Colorado.
Traildog Exploring Sand Wash Basin
Sand Wash Basin is located 45 miles west of Craig, Colorado. A herd of approximately 450 wild horses freely roam this area and are protected by the BLM. Teig was up on a point, as night approached, searching the horizon for them as a western storm was coming towards us. A quick retreat to our camp was in short order.
Traildog's Winter Fantasy
A saunter to the top of Mount Falcon with a heavy spring snow is exactly what Teig dreams about…. Luckily we got a great big snow in Colorado!
Winter at Beautiful Redrocks
Sauntering through RedRocks in Morrison, Colorado. If you get a chance, hit the area when there is snowstorm happening. Crowds will not be found and the serene red formations with snow makes for a wonderland for hiking. Teig absolutely loves winter in Colorado’s Front Range.
Shake It Off on South Peak
Spending time exploring South Peak above Twin Lakes in central Colorado. We found small ponds left from snow melt, not uncommon for alpine elevations above 12,000 feet. Teig enjoyed a quick dip before continuing with our hike on these beautiful ridges.
Traildog Scouting the Snow Covered Mountain Trail
Teig and I get excited about exploring the Front Range Mountains of Colorado after a spring snow storm. On this afternoon we were up on Mount Falcon outside of Morrison Colorado. We saunter the trails and explore nature in this serene scene. On these days there are very few others out on the trails. I highly recommend it.
Proud in the Winterscape
Teig is looking stately in the heavy snow on Mount Falcon outside of Morrison Colorado. This photo reminds me what a fantastic Traildog Teig is and how much experience he has in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. He has logged more miles than many hikers and has summited 24 Fourteeners in this beautiful state.
Winter Fun on Morrison Slide Trail
What is better than the bright sun shining on a snow covered Redrocks trail after a huge snowstorm? I think you can tell how Teig feels about that. He was enjoying the run through the snow and I was thoroughly enjoying the views of Denver towards the east. We had the whole trail to ourselves and was playing and having fun every second!
Teig on Trail at Redrocks during Snowstorm
A snow storm came into the Front Range and Teig and I hit the trails at RedRocks in Morrison Colorado. We had a ton of fun as the snow came down and the beautiful red rock faces were all around us.
A View of the Colorado Flatirons
Teig looking at the fantastic views from South Table Mountain outside of Golden, Colorado. A great hike near sunset with the views of the Front Range and the Flatirons to the north.
Teig on Mountain Trestle
Teig posing on railroad historic trestle tracks high in the Colorado Rockies. This old abandoned trestle is near Corona Pass and is uber cool to hike. My traildog loved the snow and the hike too!
Traildog at Kinston Peak Snow Field
A day of hiking to Kingston Peak, Teig and I stopped over at the snow field below the summit to play a bit. He loves the snow and there was abundant amounts on this summer day in the Front Range mountains of Colorado.
Traildog at Kinston Peak Snow Field
Traildog in Mountain Fog
Teig and I were exploring the tree line below Kingston Peak in the Front Range Mountains of Colorado. The low clouds were moving up the slope to us and soon engulfed the ridge in it’s cool mist. The experience was calm and pleasant. I do love changes in weather when you are hiking in the mountains.
Traildog in Mountain Fog