What would you do if 500 Comanche under the direction of the Spanish Governor had you and 299 other men trapped in a valley for a month with no way out and no food ? Spain was supposedly allied with France but in reality they did not like each other too much. Not much on the record about this since the gold mining is a secretive business and attacking your “ally” is not something to brag about. Thus goes the story. After 3 years of mining with the permission of the Yuta eventually the Spanish locals caught on and attacked with their Comanche allies. ( BTW, the Spanish did the same thing to the Texans for years paid indians to wreck havoc on new settlements. Spain did not much care for the French but they hated the Anglos even more. Just ask Santana – no not Miguel.) Faced with starvation the French had to make a run for it. They knew they could not make it out with the gold so they stashed it somewhere in these hills. They route they chose was to the north across the Rio Bravo (Grande) over Poncha Pass and towards the Nepestle (Arkansas) River. By the time they made it their numbers had been decimated and only about 30 men remained alive. Once on the Nepestle they built canoes (some of the Frenchmen were French Canadian) and tried there luck floating the river towards in hopes of reaching New Orleans. Along the way all but two were killed. Of the two that survived one went totally crazy and the other spent years recovering in France. The gold … ? Well his grandson organized another expedition back to the New World 40 years later or so the story goes.
My plan was to go north on the morning of day three (yesterday).
I wanted to not only ride some of the possible route these Frenchmen took but also one Juan Bautista de Anza took in 1779 when he raided the Comanche in Manitou Springs.
It was a beautiful day. My extra chair and I enjoyed the sunrise and moonset. Wish you were here.
I packed up my stuff, loaded the bike into the van and headed to Del Norte as in Rio Bravo del Norte.
As you can see, little was known about the course of the river or what lie above Santa Fe back then.
I unloaded, my clunker van fit in perfectly.
Current day Del Norte, Colorado is a small town where the biggest thing going are the constant speeding tickets given to just about everybody driving through – so watch out.
Its not a sleepy place, but it certainly has a living-in-the-past feel.
Do they still sell drugs ?
Do they still make McColloch chainsaws ?
The prettiest building in Del Norte is part of the Catholic Church.
The RR once went through here, but that was back when we actually mined things.
Now the train station is the Town Hall
The life source and reason for the whole place in the first place is this
El Rio Bravo del Norte, it continues to give life and water to a region that otherwise looks like a desert.
(Looks can be decieving though as the San Luis Valley has a vast reservoir of trapped water under its surface. That is another story though. One that is sure to play out again and again as development continues.)
I rode north, past the airport and into the dry volcanic hills. (looking south back at Del Norte, Bennet Peak, and Poison Mtn.)
I was headed to La Ventana, a landmark referenced in early diaries and logs.
The riding was superb, fast sweeping sandy corners through a warm paradise of sparce Juniper and Pinion trees.
The warmth, speed and smooth sweepers were refreshing after the rocky cold rides of the last two days.
La Ventana (The Window) is a natural arch in a thin volcanic dyke.
Eagle Rock towered above.
Crossing the ridge I descended into Little Garita Creek an oasis in this dry land.
Riding up the creek the road turned to single track which would take me to the base of Boot Mountain.
This single track trail had nary a track on it. My adrenaline was pumping as I headed
into the unknown once again.
It was narrow, barely a tire width in places and often it clung to steep slopes above the creek where
if alone I dropped the bike off the trail I would be screwed.
My mind imagined how great an area this would be way back. The tribe could winter in the dry relatively warmer valley below and hunt in the deep forests above. If things got too cold just head over to one of the many hot springs.
The trail got narrower an steeper as it ascended.
What me worry ?!
and finally the narrow canyon broke out into a sub alpine valley, even had a cabin in it but they accessed from above, nothing but single track coming through where I just came.
My goal 4000 feet above. The first time I rode this area was in a National Enduro back in 1988 – the Boot Hill National, won I think by Randy Hawkins.
Boot Mountain
Look at the size of that dam. Was the Army Corps of Engineers here ?
Imagine the size of the critter that made that damn. I guess calling them “industrious” is an understatement.
Boot Hill ? (not for me, at least not yet anyways)
They always look harder than they are. I kept telling myself that.
On top of Boot Mountain. Looking east you can see Music Pass, Medano Pass, Mosca Pass, the Sand Dunes and Mt. Blanca.
Somewhere on Music Pass is Spanish Cave- another mysterious piece of Colorado history worth checking out
(a red maltese cross at the entrance, skeletons, shackles & Spanish armor all found within).
You should all know those peaks by now. Looking NNE that’s Ouray on the right next to Chipeta his squaw.
looking WNW into the La Garita Wilderness Area and Halfmoon Pass
Looking west at Mesa Mountain on today’s menu.
Bennett Peak to the south
Hey, there’s the Timberline Trail on the Sawatch Range
NNW there is Mt Sopris above Carbondale
Hey look its our favorite Hayden Pass over the Sangre de Cristo Range, Carnero Pass in the foreground.
L to R – Another shot of Chipeta, Ouray and Antora Peaks
I could see half the state from up here !!!
Back in December of 1848 a crazy John C. Fremont lead his group of explorers up Boot and Mesa Mountains. Why would the guy do this ? Well read his history and judge for yourself. Obviously he loved the American West but he was nuts IMO. Started a lot of trouble and killed plenty of innocent Amerindians too. My ride was to take me close to where Freemont and his men spent the winter of 1848 / 49 starving high in the Colorado Rockies.
Headed down Boot Mountain towards Bowers Peak and Mesa Mtn. This was likely the very same route Fremont took in December.
The Bowers Peak cut off.
I did a quick single track down and back along Bowers Creek to the FS road 2500 feet below to check it out.
Once back above treeline I continued on my way to Mesa Mountain.
This shot is looking back E at Boot Mountain where I had been. Also visible is Mosca Pass north of Mount Blanca in bground.
This is looking north down to Stone Cellar
More than likely I was on the same route Fremont took up Mesa Mtn. as it was the most direct.
Off to the right of the scree field is Uncompahgre Peak and the San Juans.
Ten of Fremont’s men died during his adventure.
My adrenaline was pumping but I am more at ease in the open spaces and high altitudes above treeline than I am in the deep dark narrow canyons below. Its the trolls.
Mmmmm, snow cones enroute !
Yep that’s the route, see it ? Just follow the piles of rocks !
Sharp right into oblivion.
Yep the way up Mesa Mtn was kick ass !!!
Looking behind from where I just came
Years ago I had been up Mesa twice earlier in the season from another direction. Even though I looked I never could find the route I was on today. I think it remains snowed in until quite late. Besides that the tracks are not very visible since it is over pure rock.
Those would make a great walk way at the new house, anybody want to help get some down… maybe this coming December ?
Little posts mark the way otherwise it would be easy to lose the route.
What me worry ?
The route goes right through those rocks.
These two are for Geek.
After that I made my 525 take a nap, it did not want to but I insisted.
Hey, there’s Hayden Pass again.
I on the other hand had some pretzels and a Coco Mex made in Thailand – thank you BV Beemer.
More cobblestone road
It was time to follow the route Fremont might have taken down Embargo Creek. He was hoping to make it to Taos but got a bit delayed. 
Again it was “single track” trail. As I crossed the creek there was heavy stench of carion, BEAR crossed my mind so I kept moving.
This is the junction of Rincon and Embargo Creeks. Freemont stayed the winter about a quarter of a mile up Rincon from here.
Descending any and all these high peaks leads into tight narrow dark canyons, Embargo Creek proved no different.
looking down the steep to the creek
Volcanic rocks spyres and the warm colors of fall lay below.
Dense forest clogged the canyons
Imagine this in December with 10 feet of snow and 25 men… starvation becomes a reality.
Talus slopes and aspen trees
Ya gotta love those narrow gates
Once back on the FS roads I made like a blur and headed to Del Norte.
Looking NW up Embargo Creek from where I had come. So easy to descend today but so hard in 1849 !
Ahead lay Bennett Peak
By the time it reaches the valley, modern Ag has sucked Embargo Creek dry.
Those are 800 pounders out there, each one is the size of a car.
I hope you enjoyed my little jaunt through some of Colorado’s history. Today was just an 80 miler but what great miles they were !
Did I find any gold you ask ?
Well I’d be a fool if I told you now wouldn’t I ?
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I hope you enjoyed Steve’s Adventure through the French Gold country of Colorado. If you liked the Guest Blogger idea, please leave me feedback and I may get more Guest Bloggers to contribute in the future.
