January 25 and 26, 2009
Richard Stevens:
Sunday, Rich Trissel and I drove around Summit County searching for Rosy Finches and other mountain birds.
Afterwards we spent about 3 hours searching unsuccessfully for White-tailed Ptarmigan on Loveland Pass (Clear Creek). Conditions were not good. Winds were 40+ mph and visibility was less than 20 yards most of our stay.
We headed back to Denver but ran into what would have been stop and go traffic for 32 miles. So instead, we decided to see how far up Guanella Pass (Clear Creek) we could get in a passenger car.
We got to within 12-15 feet of the Guanella Pass campgrounds. Our passenger car would go no farther on the slippery snow. We debated on whether to hike to the top of the pass, see Ptarmigan, and then return to Denver.
However since our car was facing the wrong direction, we fortunately decided to turn the car around instead (since we would be returning to Georgetown in the dark). We had to back up 2 to 2.5 miles before finding a turnaround and gave up our quest for Ptarmigan.
Once back at Georgetown traffic on I70 was still stopped so we got a room at the Motel 6! On the way to dinner we stopped at several businesses before we found someone to take us up to the road block near the campgrounds on Guanella Pass the next day.
By the way, it was Mike of Mad Mike's Sports Shop. Great guy, great sales on winter clothes.
Monday, we rented snowshoes and Mike took us up in 30 minutes to the road block. He ent back skiing at Loveland Pass, giving us 4 hours to search for Ptarmigan.
Conditions were beautiful with little wind and temperatures I found out later were 14 degrees warmer than Denver (which got up to 6 inches of snow in 12 degree temps).
It took about 2 hours to snow shoe to the top of Guanella Pass and another hour to get back down. Anyone wanting hints on where to find the Ptarmigan once up there just write me:
Birdertoo (at) hotmail.com
Richard Stevens:
Sunday, Rich Trissel and I drove around Summit County searching for Rosy Finches and other mountain birds.
Afterwards we spent about 3 hours searching unsuccessfully for White-tailed Ptarmigan on Loveland Pass (Clear Creek). Conditions were not good. Winds were 40+ mph and visibility was less than 20 yards most of our stay.
We headed back to Denver but ran into what would have been stop and go traffic for 32 miles. So instead, we decided to see how far up Guanella Pass (Clear Creek) we could get in a passenger car.
We got to within 12-15 feet of the Guanella Pass campgrounds. Our passenger car would go no farther on the slippery snow. We debated on whether to hike to the top of the pass, see Ptarmigan, and then return to Denver.
However since our car was facing the wrong direction, we fortunately decided to turn the car around instead (since we would be returning to Georgetown in the dark). We had to back up 2 to 2.5 miles before finding a turnaround and gave up our quest for Ptarmigan.
Once back at Georgetown traffic on I70 was still stopped so we got a room at the Motel 6! On the way to dinner we stopped at several businesses before we found someone to take us up to the road block near the campgrounds on Guanella Pass the next day.
By the way, it was Mike of Mad Mike's Sports Shop. Great guy, great sales on winter clothes.
Monday, we rented snowshoes and Mike took us up in 30 minutes to the road block. He ent back skiing at Loveland Pass, giving us 4 hours to search for Ptarmigan.
Conditions were beautiful with little wind and temperatures I found out later were 14 degrees warmer than Denver (which got up to 6 inches of snow in 12 degree temps).
It took about 2 hours to snow shoe to the top of Guanella Pass and another hour to get back down. Anyone wanting hints on where to find the Ptarmigan once up there just write me:
Birdertoo (at) hotmail.com
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