Rio Grande County and its neighbors comprise a hikers paradise. Hundreds of miles of little-used trails radiate out of Del Norte, South Fork, and Creede. From the King of Trails—the gorgeous Continental Divide Trail—to short little one-hour walks along babbling brooks, this Rocky Mountain enclave offers a wide choice of mapped routes into five wilderness areas and other parts of the National Forest and BLM lands. Forest Service and BLM lands are open to hikers and backpackers virtually anywhere.

For safety, follow clear trails and use a map and compass to help you. Altitudes range from 7,700 to 13,600 feet. Your body requires deep breathing and plenty of water to keep your muscles and brain supplied with oxygen. Even summer evenings can chill someone caught out without adequate clothing. Most of the trails in the area involve walking up valleys or slopes, then back down. None are level or paved. All trails in the Rocky Mountains contain rocks big and small. Wear good hiking boots.

The trails listed below give a sample of some favorite routes of the Silverthread hiking group. (Join us on Mondays at 8 or 9 a.m. at the South Fork Community Center, May-mid October, for 6-8 hour walks/or ages 10-80, without pets or radios, please).

If you go on your own, get more complete directions from the booklets suggested below. You can get maps of trail routes by copying sheets at the Rio Grande National Forest offices from their "Recreation Opportunity Guide." The South Fork Interpretive Center also has hiking suggestions and leaflets.

Tired hikers can make funny choices in finding their way home. Before you get confused, check for landmarks. Note the shapes and slopes of the mountains you can see from the trail. Look behind you regularly to see how things will look as you return to your vehicle. If you lose the trail, follow a stream or slope downward to a road, trail, or ranch. If you come to the top of cliffs, back up and find a different route down.

Local trail information available includes:

•Ikenberry, Donna. 1999. Hiking Colorado's Weminuche Wilderness.    Helena, MT: Falcon Press.

•Olofson, Jack 0. (ed.). 1996. Rio Grande National Forest, Trail Information. Hudson, CO: Outdoor Books & Maps.

•Travel Map, Rio Grande National Forest. Available in Forest Service offices in Monte Vista, Del Norte, Creede and the Silver Thread Visitors Center in South Fork.

Alberta Peak

From Wolf Creek Pass, follow the Continental Divide Trail south about three miles to the highest point of the Wolf Creek Ski Area. This offers stirring vistas in all directions. If you make car-swapping arrangements, you can continue on 5 miles to Silver Pass, eating lunch midway with your friends headed from there to Wolf Creek Pass.

Archuleta Lake (a wilderness trail)

From Big Meadows Lake, the trail climbs seven miles up South Fork Creek and Archuleta Creek, then below a "never-ending" ridge on the right to a sylvan glade of big spruce overlooking a sunny blue-green lake. You can make a shorter, gentler, enchanting hike by turning around at the 3-mile point where Archuleta Creek meets the South Fork.

If you go on to the lake, you may be tempted to spend the night in your tent, fishing for your breakfast, then doing a stretch of the Continental Divide Trail that passes by the West side of the lake. Be prepared for high altitude, cold nights, thunderstorms, and one of the most beautiful places in the Rockies. The 14-mile up-and-back requires most of the daylight hours, so an overnight will allow more time to appreciate the place.

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