
Bowie & Dio in the San Juans
Hey everybody! Sorry for the trickle of posts lately. I’ve been working hard and playing hard. After turning in a half-dozen stories for the August issue of EARTH magazine, I headed into the mountains, climbing three 11,000, 12,000 and 13,000-foot peaks back-to-back-to-back. Today, I handed in a Travels in Geology feature for EARTH on White Sands, New Mexico and I’m off again! It’s summer in southern Colorado and the mountains are calling! Stay tuned for posts and pix!

The San Antonio Dome in northern New Mexico is an epically big hill: 10, 908 feet. Notice the tiny vertebrae on the fencepost.

Sheepherder Arborglyphs on the Summit of San Antonio

Old kerosene lantern I found on the way up San Antonio.

Into the San Juan Wilderness!

Trail #813 aka the Continental Divide Trail

Treasure: An old boot I found stuffed in a cairn marking the Continental Divide Trail

Happy Hiker in the San Juans! One of my favorite places on Earth. I love how enormously bear-like Bowie looks in this photo. 12 years old and still a mountain dog!

Snowmelt along the CDT

Happy Snowday Dogs!

Summit Peak on the left (which I climbed in 2011) and Montezuma Peak on the right from the Unicorn

West Spanish Peak! Hard to believe there’s a trail up there…

Up and Up West Spanish Peak. The last 1/2 mile gained more than 2,000 feet of elevation! Whew!

Nearing the Summit! Dio beat me up, of course.

West Spanish Peak summit shot with my new mountaineering friend Richard. We both camped at the trailhead the night before this climb and decided to team up for the summit. Richard is training to climb Mount Rainier in July!

Summit shot! 13,625 feet!

Following Richard down the summit ridgeline. Crazy windy!
If you really miss me, check through the archives! I’ve written over 400 posts and somehow I doubt you’ve memorized all of them… 😉
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About theblondecoyote
Mary Caperton Morton is a freelance science and travel writer with degrees in biology and geology and a master’s in science writing. A regular contributor to EARTH magazine, where her favorite beat is the Travels in Geology column, she has also written for the anthologies Best Women's Travel Writing 2010 and Best Travel Writing 2011. Mary is currently based in western Colorado. When she’s not at the computer she can usually be found outside -- hiking, skiing, climbing mountains and taking photographs. Visit her website at www.marycapertonmorton.com.
Good to have you back again … but you seem very happy with your “work” and it’s hard to say fairer than that.
The boot-in-the-cairn was a good find, wonder what stories that one could tell?
Wonderful pictures!
You guys are living the life…..g☺☺d for you. Photos are amazing
beautiful and congrats on the feature!
Great photos! Everyone ought to get a little altitude now and again.
Oh, I think I’ve read most of them….You are so much fun to follow..along with your furry friends…Thanks…
David
Would like to follow your trail sometime with my canine buddy. Ever any problems for the dogs’ paws on those rocks?
Awesome pics.
Love the photos! We have not explored the San Juans much at all, but we would like to someday. Sounds like you have done some great hiking since we saw you in Santa Fe. I’m doing some great sorting and packing:) Looking forward to exploring the Bitterroot-Selway before the end of summer. Happy hiking to you! Carol
Go further, go further. I´m loving the piczures an the story really much.
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