Approaching the San Juans

I arrived in Salida, Colorado on Saturday the 26th, and I have been staying here at the Simple Hostel. The weather for the last week has been cold and snowy, but it looks like the weather will be nice for the next few days until Wednesday and Thursday, when a small system moves through the area. This means that I will be attempting to hike the CDT through the San Juans here in Colorado.

This is a big deal, since one never knows what to expect for weather in the San Juans. I have had people tell me that it can dump 6-feet of snow in a day there, or it can be sunny and dry there until November. One does not know what to expect, but I figure that it's worth a shot. I have purchased some additional clothing, so that I can get through the snow, and bear the colder days, if they do come.

I am also approaching the end of Colorado. I figure that I have another 10-12 days here. I have loved hiking in this, my native state. I have appreciated the great and beautiful scenery, the history, and the people here. I will say that I have been disappointed with all the development (roads, powerlines, houses, mines, etc.) here in the mountains, and the environmental devastation wrought by mining. Some of the creeks up here in the mountains have been poisoned by mines, making some of the rivers uninhabitable to fish and other wildlife. Frankly, I have to be careful which creeks I draw water from, so that I am not ingesting chemicals and toxins. I think Colorado has a lot of challenges before it to clean up its rivers for all who depend on them for water and recreation.