Leader: Don Gettamy
Trip Participants: Gracia Coffin, Don Gettamy, Jan Studebaker, Cosima Leedom, Bill
Priedhorsky, Martin Staley, Mark Zander, and Leslie Champ.
Author:
Jan Studebaker
Photo Gallery: Jan Studebaker, click
here to view our
"Bull of the Woods / Gold Hill gallery
Cosima and I, and six
friends spent three wonderful days in and around the "Bull of the Woods" pasture
near New Mexico's famous Taos Ski Area. This area is part of the
"Columbine/Hondo Wilderness Study Area". Our accommodations consisted of a
Yurt designed for a maximum of 10 people. Thus, we ate and slept at close
to 11,000 feet.
The Yurt
was quit warm due to great insulation and a blazing wood stove. The
kitchen was very basic, but allowed us to create near gourmet quality food.
Don Gettamy was our highly competent chef, as well as our trip leader. The
rest of us took turns with kitchen help, and chores.
The
skiing was typical of high altitude New Mexico Spring skiing ....dense,
sometimes wet snow and ice, 50 mph winds, and beautiful New Mexico sunshine.
We had the entire area to ourselves; we saw no others except in the ski area
parking lot where we found the trailhead to the Yurt, and a steep two mile
ski/backpack.
Nearing the summit of Gold Hill
The
mountains above the Yurt were glorious. Gracia and Cosima played on
and around "Bull of the Woods Mountain", while Don, Bill, Martin, and I spent most of our time getting up and down 12,700 foot "Gold
Hill". Mark and Leslie alone braved the East face of Gold
Hill and telemarked to Goose Lake at 11, 600 feet, then bushwhacked back to the
Yurt.
We were
fortunate to have seen a herd of Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep near the top.
Unfortunately they stayed their distance, making photos rather non-spectacular.
The camp robbers at the Yurt were amusing as always!
