Santa Ysabel West

This trail (just west of the town of SY, on the 78) is my favorite of the two, but it is also a bit maddening! The trail is only open Friday thru Monday, and then only if it isn't/hasn't been raining anytime recently (presumably because of erosion concerns, but the trail is just old roads! So I don't get it...). And since this has been an El Nino winter, and we've had plenty of storms, the trail's hardly been open at all!! And I'm sure they'll wonder why so many people enter the trails illegally, when the preserves are closed...!!!! But I was good and went while it was open, which meant squeezing it in at the end of a Sunday afternoon, trying to beat the early winter darkness AND the rains predicted for Monday! Senny and I made it, although we couldn't do the whole 6+ miles and did end up back at the trailhead after sunset.

A lovely view from the top of one of the many hills. There is a lot of up and down on this hike!

Senny takes a drink.

I liked this stream view in B&W.

An example of some of the up/down stuff!

Storm is coming!!!

View looking east into the valley just north of the town of Santa Ysabel.

Senny wistfully scoping the hills for deer... (notice the hair blobs coming out on her shoulder. Yes, it IS winter! And yes, she IS shedding!!! We must've been keeping it too warm in the yurt! She and Ouray are still shedding like crazy)

Seneca "logs" in another hike...

The big bonus for ending a hike in semi-darkness...