2019 Summer Guide

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Page 26 2019 Summer Guide World Journal Tour the Scenic Highway of Legends The Ten Essentials of backcountry hiking: How to stay safe when you’re out in the mountains by ruth orr aBoVe treeline near you — Everyone knows that Colorado’s mountains are beautiful, and some of the best views in the state are above treeline. However, going out into the wilderness, especially into the back country, has its risks. If you’re not prepared, you could get into a lot of trouble. the “10 essentials” are things that everyone venturing into the back country needs to bring/do in order to be safe and prepared in the event of an emergency. The list includes: • Water. You get dehydrated really quickly at high elevations, so take way more than you think you need. If your head starts to hurt, that’s a good sign you need to drink more water! •nutrition (extra food) and make sure it’s actually nutritious! Sugary snacks won’t tide you over. •insulation (extra in case of having to stay out overnight). Try to bring something waterproof in case of rain. Don’t go with something dark or camo– the brighter your color scheme, the easier you’ll be to spot. •navigation (map and compass). Try to figure out where you’re going in advance so you don’t end up lost. Look for landmarks on the trail so you can keep an eye out for them when you’re actually on it. If you have a SAT phone, or can rent/borrow one, take it along. As you hike, turn and look back often so the trail looks familiar to you going both ways. •illumination (headlamp with extra batteries). The stronger the beam the better. It will help you see, and can be used to signal for help if you get lost. Know the code for SOS! •First aid kit. Bandaids are a good start, but make sure your kit includes material to wrap twisted ankles, disinfectant wipes, moleskin, and painkillers. Bandanas can make excellent impromptu slings. You should also carry a loud whistle in your kit. •Fire (waterproof matches and fire starter). Fire is extremely useful, for keeping yourself warm, keeping animals away, and for signaling to rescuers where you are. •repair kit (knife or leatherman, sewing kit, etc.). If your gear breaks down on the trail, be able to fix it! •emergency Shelter (space blanket, bivy sack, tarp). If you’re not carrying a tent, make sure you have something you can put together to keep yourself warm and dry if weather conditions go bad. •tell people where you’re going! Don’t set off on your own without telling someone your plan and how long you think you’ll be out. If you get lost, that will help rescuers figure out where and when to start looking. When you’re up in the mountains, especially above treeline, pay attention to the weather. It can change really quickly, and you can get into real danger if you get caught out in it. Lightning will usually strike the tallest thing around, so it’s best to get off the mountain before afternoon thunderstorms roll in. If you do get caught out in a storm, don’t panic. Try to move downhill, but if the storm is on top of you, it may be best to wait it out rather than make yourself a target by standing up. To minimize the chance of being hit by lightning, crouch low and space out from fellow hikers. Try to balance on the balls of your feet; the less of you that touches the ground, the better, and wrap your arms around your knees. If you cannot squat and balance on the balls of your feet, sit down, preferably on an insulated object like a foam pad or soft pack full of clothes, ball up and wrap your arms around your knees. In both cases, keep your feet together to remove potential for current to flow in one foot and out the other. Don’t touch metallic objects like backpacks with metal frames. Hiding under a tree won’t help you either, if the tree is struck the electricity may jump to you. how Search and rescue responds to emergenciesnot so fast Few people really understand how Search And Rescue (SAR) responds to emergencies. The first rule of a rescuer is “don’t become a victim,” so the SAR team will not put themselves in a situation that presents unreasonable risk. If you’re out in bad weather, you’re going to be there until it’s safe for someone to come fetch you. Many of the calls for help come late in the day, which means the SAR team will spend the afternoon and evening assembling and preparing for the rescue, but will not be able to begin operations until the following morning. Be prepared to spend a night (or two, in rare circumstances) in the mountains waiting for assistance. In case something goes wrong, you get hurt, or even just lost, follow the STOP rule: Stop– As soon as you realise you may be lost, stop, stay calm and stay put. If you keep going you are likely to get even more lost. Sit down, drink some water, and eat something. think– How did you get to where you are? What landmarks should you be able to see? Were you heading North or West? Where were you when you were last sure you knew where you were? observe– What can you see? Where on the map is it? Where is the sun in the sky? Roughly how long until sunset? What does the weather Numbered Route Details on pages 18-21 look like it is going to be? What supplies do you have? How long will they last? plan– Never move until you have a plan. Based on your thinking and observations, come up with some possible plans and then act on the best one. Check for phone coverage. If you have some then you can call for help. They may be able to explain how to get home or they may come to get you. Use your whistle to try and attract attention. Three blasts is the universal signal for help. If you have any bright items get them out and hang them on trees around you or spread them on the ground in a clearing. The colors will make it easier for a rescuer to find you. If you are confident enough you may wish to try and retrace your steps to find the path you were on earlier. Sometimes your best plan is to stay put. If you are truly lost, and can’t remember how to get back, don’t try. Find a sheltered spot for the evening, under a tree or behind a boulder out of the wind. Don’t sleep next to the water, the sound may keep you from hearing a rescuer and vice versa. Layer on as much as you can, and start a small fire. You don’t need a huge blaze to alert people to where you are, and if it gets out of hand you could get yourself into an even more dangerous situation. Most importantly, stay calm. Panicking will only make it more likely you’ll be hurt. Help will come. If done right, backcountry hiking can be an incredibly beautiful and rewarding expereience. With proper planning and safety gear, you should be good to go. Always check the weather before you head out, and make smart choices while on the mountain. Stay safe and happy hiking!
World Journal 2019 Summer Guide page 27 Scenic Highway of Legends colorado highway 12 Scenic Byway The Scenic Highway of Legends (Hwy. 12) provides something for everyone: great opportunities to hike, fish, picnic, shop, golf are found along the way. Drive the entire 80-mile loop around the Spanish Peaks in a half-day, or make stops along the way to fill the day. See route map on page 23. 1. Mile Marker 70 – Trinidad. Spanish for “trinity” Trinidad was first settled in 1859 along the Mountain Route of the Santa Fe Trail. George Simpson, a scout, trader, explorer and early Trinidad resident is credited with saving the town from a Ute Indian attack. Simpson climbed a sandstone bluff on the north side of town and taunted the Indians until they followed him out of town. He spent days hiding in caves atop the bluff, keeping the Utes busy. It is said the Simpson died in St. Louis, but his wishes were to be buried atop the bluff north of Trinidad. His body was shipped back to Trinidad and was buried on the bluff now known as Simpson’s Rest. 2. Mile Marker 67 – Trinidad Lake State Park. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed construction of the dam on the Purgatoire River in 1977. The river was named many years ago after Spanish conquistadors explored the area in 1594. The leaders of the expedition, Juan Hermana and Francisco Bonilla argued resulting in Hermana slaying Bonilla. The priest who had accompanied the expedition refused to follow a murderer and returned to Mexico. Hermana and the rest of the group continued on – but were never seen alive again. Their bones and armor were found along the river bank, possible victims of an indian attack. Since they died without the benefit of a priest, and thus last rites, they were said to be in Purgatory ad the river was named “El Rio de Las Animas Perdidas en Purgatorio” or The River of Souls Lost in Purgatory. 3. Mile Marker 63 – Cokedale. The arc of the coke ovens is a vivid reminder of the coal industry and its history in Huerfano and Las Animas counties. Coke, which is coal with the moisture, sulphur and phosphorous removed, was the preferred fuel when smelting iron because it burned with intense heat and was free of foreign substances. The American Smelting and Refining Company began building the mining camp of Cokedale in 1907 and closed in 1947. 4. Mile Marker 55 – Segundo. The mining town of Segundo was built in the early 1900’s. At the time, Segundo was the largest coal processing plant west of Chicago – with 800 coke ovens. A number of mines were opened by the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company in the early 1900’s. The names of these mining and coking camps, Primero, Segundo, Tercio, Cuatro, Quinto and Sexto were named in the order they were built. 5. Mile Marker 50.8 Cordova Plaza The Cordova Chapel, built in 1871, still sits south of the highway. It was still in use in the 1940s. It’s an example of a plaza where local families would spread out along the river forming familyoriented villages called plazas. 6. Mile Marker 49 – Weston. The town of Weston was originally named Los Sisneros, after Juan Sisneros, a rancher who settled here in the 1880’s. The name was changed in 1889 after the first post office was established with a new postmaster named Bert Weston. 7. Mile Marker 42 – Vigil. Juan Vigil and his family founded Vigil in the early 1860’s. The town of Vigil was incorporated and had a post office from 1890 until the early 1920’s. Across the highway is the “House on a Bridge.” The bridge was part of the original road between Stonewall and Trinidad. 8. Mile Marker 41 – New Elk Mine. This mining site is one of the more recent ones to be developed. It was first opened in 1946 and called Apache Prospect. Five years later it was purchased by CF & I and renamed the Allen Mine. In 1991 it was purchased by Basin resources, Inc. and renamed the New Elk, in 2008 it was purchased by Canadian based Cline Mining Corp. The New Elk site was a processing plant, where the coal was washed and prepared for shipping. The large pipe crossing above Highway 12 at Mile 29.4 carried refuse from the washed coal to a dumpsite. 9. Mile Marker 38 – Stonewall. The large rock wall rising 250 feet above Stonewall is part of the Dakota Sandstone Formation, created millions of years ago. Once lying at the bottom of the ocean, it was pushed vertical at the time the mountains were formed. #7. Mile Marker 42 – House on a Bridge Just off Highway 12 in Vigil you can still see the “House on a Bridge”. The old bridge linked Stonewall and Trinidad. In the early 1800s, Spain and Mexico granted ownership of thousands of acres to individuals who promised to colonize it. In 1841, Beaubien and Miranda were awarded a grant of 1,700,000 acres. Later, the grant was inherited by Lucian Maxwell, and became known as the Maxwell Land Grant. In the 1880s, Maxwell Grant representatives claimed that the Stonewall Valley was part of the grant, and that settlers in the area must pay for their homesteads or leave. They sent armed guards into the valley. Contending the boundary markers had been moved north by Grant representatives, the settlers vowed not to leave without a fight. Richard Russell, one of Stonewall’s earliest settlers, went under a white flag to the Stonewall Hotel to confront the Grant deputies. Armed settlers surrounded the hotel, and in the confusion, Russell was shot and later died. Despite pleas from the settlers, the U.S. government upheld the Maxwell Land Grant claims, and the settlers found themselves paying for property on which they had lived for years. 10. Mile Marker 33 – Monument Lake. In the center of the lake a rock formation used to rise 15 feet above the water (it collapsed in 1999) and was the namesake. The monument is said to represent two Indian chiefs. At the time of the volcanoes, the water disappeared from the mountains. The Indians started to die of thirst. A chief from the northern tribes traveled south to find water. At the same time a chief from the southern tribes traveled north. When they met they hugged in friendship. Then, realizing that neither one had found water, they began to cry. Their tears formed a lake at their feet. Suddenly one of the volcanoes blew smoke and lava into the air. The two chiefs, still hugging, were covered by lava and turned to stone. The lake remained, encircling the chiefs. Their tears had caused the volcanoes to stop and the water to return and flow forever for their people. 11. Mile Marker 29 - North Lake. Constructed in 1907, North Lake was created to supply water to the City of Trinidad. The lake is home to four species of trout: Cutthroat, Rainbow, Kokanee and Brown. 12. Mile Marker 22 – Cucharas Pass. Long before the road appeared, Native Americans gathered at the top of Cuchara Pass to share stories of brave deeds. Each warrior would make up a dance telling of his bravery and the winner was given a large feather to wear as he repeated his dance. As he circled the fire, he would begin to rise until he was high as the top of the trees. Then he and the rising spiral of his dance would be turned into a spruce tree. As the years passed, a forest of spruce trees was formed.
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