Yankee Boy: just dandy

By Dan Blackburn

Aug. 19, 2007 12 AM PT

The way to Yankee Boy Basin is not a drive for the weak-kneed. The gravel road quickly turns to dirt and is slick with mud after the frequent afternoon thun- derheads roll through. The closer you get to the basin, the narrower it gets, winding through sharp turns and under rock overhangs. Then too, there was the mountain lion.

But we came to this remote basin in southwestern Colorado near Ouray in search of wildflowers and waterfalls -- things in short supply this year in California -- and a few steep drop-offs, a rough ride and a big cat weren’t going to turn us back.

Gloria Cortes, my companion, and I had heard from fellow writers and photographers about nature’s splendid display of wildflowers in Yankee Boy Basin in the heart of Colorado’s San Juan Mountains. Every summer, hundreds of visitors come here for the blooms, the happy result of a combination of the right geography and weather.

Yankee Boy is a large bowl surrounded by 13,000-foot peaks. In winter, avalanches off the surrounding peaks can bury it in 20 feet or more of snow. As summer approaches, the snow melts, and the soil in the basin gets saturated. Add to this frequent afternoon thundershowers in July and a warm sun, and the flowering conditions become ideal.

Usually, blossoms start appearing in early July and reach their peak late in the month, stretching into early August. But don’t worry; they don’t stop then.

Basins at higher elevations, such as Governor, Silver and Sidney, pick up where Yankee Boy leaves off. Wildflower season in the San Juans can extend to late August in fields scattered with columbine (Colorado’s state flower), larkspur, Queen Anne’s lace, monkshood, asters, paintbrush and many more.

Most wildflower hounds usually base themselves in and around the town of Ouray, which once thrived on hard-rock mining of gold and silver. Nowadays, the townsfolk cater to tourists like us.

Because driving would take too long, in late July we flew from Los Angeles to Denver and took a short-hop flight to Durango. There, we rented a four-wheel-drive that had room for our camping gear and other items and enough ground clearance to get us to the flowery heights.

We arrived late in the day at the Amphitheater Campground, which sits in a glacial bowl several hundred feet above Ouray in Uncompahgre National Forest. A few years ago, the U.S. Forest Service spent several million dollars upgrading the campground, and it was money well spent. It’s one of the best in which we’ve pitched a tent in our years of camping and backpacking.

Our tent, fire ring and table were surrounded by head-high bushes that provided privacy. Drinking water and a clean bathroom were only steps away. Hummingbirds buzzed near our tent, and chipmunks did a Chip-and-Dale routine in and around the bushes.

The next morning, we took a two-minute walk for a striking view of Ouray and the surrounding mountains. Then, back on the trail, we almost literally stumbled across a pair of young male deer, their antlers still shrouded in velvet. This was the first of several wildlife encounters.

Back in our car, we were on our way to Yankee Boy Basin. At the turnoff to the basin, a large sign suggested a side trip to Box Canyon Falls, and we took it.

A suspension bridge took us into a darkened canyon carved by a thundering 285-foot waterfall whose roar echoed off the rock walls. Our ears still ringing, we returned to the car and began the trek over gravel and dirt to Yankee Boy Basin.

JUST LIKE OFF-ROADING

A four-wheel-drive with good ground clearance is crucial. You’ll do a fair amount of driving, and although the distances are not great, the condition of the roads makes for slow going. Some of the other wildflower basins in the area have even more challenging roads, and we had to turn back trying to reach one.

Some people take the easier option into the basin, and sign up with one of the jeep tour companies in town. One of the oldest is San Juan Jeep Tours. Owner Gregg Pieper has a boundless enthusiasm for the high country of the San Juans and Yankee Boy.

“People are genuinely surprised that all of these varieties of flowers grow naturally in this one area,” he said. Pieper repeated what a master gardener who took a tour of Yankee Boy told him: “This is like the Garden of Eden!”

As the dirt track lifted us above 11,000 feet, clumps of flowers -- asters, red paintbrush, cow parsnips and others -- began to appear. Around every bend, we saw more and more wildflowers in an increasing variety of hues, shapes and sizes. Soon, the basin itself spread out before us like a master’s canvas splattered with dots of color. The scene took our breath away.

“Magical.” That’s what Branson Reynolds, a zoologist turned photographer who has been leading photo tours here for 17 years, says about Yankee Boy. Visitors “go home with a feeling for what the land is about, that they have a sense of connection with the beauty that they see,” he said.

In truth, the remarkable display of wildflowers is only part of the area’s allure. The basin also boasts some excellent waterfalls, including, supposedly, the one that appears on the label of Colorado-based Coors Beer.

Every now and then, couples get married in front of one of them, and pose for photos beside the falls and out among the flowers.

The popularity of the basin can make it seem crowded, but Yankee Boy is so large -- more than 6,000 acres, says Warren Barker, a U.S. Forest Service ranger in the area -- that, unless you walk into the middle of a tour group, the number of visitors is not a problem.

Nor do the crowds seem to scare away the local wildlife. One afternoon while we paused for lunch, an adult bighorn male, with a fully curled set of horns, appeared among the flowers. Our cameras were several yards away in the car, and by the time we scooped them up, the bighorn was long gone.

We missed another stunning photo op when we visited Porphyry Basin early one morning, a few miles from Yankee Boy above Red Mountain Pass. Although a mix of dirt and gravel, the road leading there is in better condition.

But we took our time, stopping to watch the sun rise over Red Mountain and catch its reflection in the waters of Crystal Lake and beside Red Mountain Creek, whose water shimmers like gold. Its golden hues come not from gold but from less costly minerals.

As we paused there for photographs, I noticed movement on a far hillside. We looked again, and confirmed, that, yes, we were seeing a mountain lion strolling across an open field toward a stand of trees.

Once again, we were unprepared. Our telephoto lenses were in the car, and we missed the shot.

And twice, pine martens, which are large members of the weasel family, eluded our cameras as we were driving in and out of the basin. Both times, they were near the road, moving rapidly across the slope.

BUT WAIT, IT GETS PRETTIER

Porphyry Basin was the unexpected find of our trip. Barker, the ranger who spends much of his time riding an all-terrain vehicle patrolling the basins, had tipped us off to it. It rivaled Yankee Boy.

The waterfalls were higher, longer and narrower. It didn’t have as many varieties of wildflowers as Yankee Boy, but what was there was blooming in profusion.

In Yankee Boy, Porphyry and other basins, much of the land is privately owned because of claims staked by miners; even now some of the mines are active. Many miners allow visitors on their properties, but they must be careful.

“We love to have people come here,” Barker said. “Travel lightly. Leave any artifacts where they are. And don’t pick the wildflowers.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

Planning this trip

THE BEST WAY

From LAX, US Airways, Delta and United have connecting service (change of plane) to Durango. Restricted round-trip fares begin at $381.

The San Juan Skyway from Durango to Ouray includes the aptly named Million Dollar Highway, which is stunningly scenic but challenging because of its many hairpin turns.

WHERE TO STAY

The Ouray Chamber Resort Assn., https://www.ouraycolorado.com , has a list of the area’s many hotels and motels.

The 4J+1+1 RV Park, 790 Oak St., Ouray; (970) 325-4418, https://www.ouraycolorado.com/rv4j . On the river about two blocks from Main Street. Playground, laundry and Wi-Fi access. Rates $20 to $26 per night for two people.

Amphitheater Campground, where we stayed, has 35 sites at an elevation of 8,400 feet. It’s managed by the U.S. Forest Service, and reservations can be made through (877) 444-6777 or https://www.recreation.gov . A campsite is $16 a night.

WHERE TO EAT

Ouray offers a variety of eating places, from ice cream parlors to expensive steakhouses, some of which serve elk and buffalo meat.

Maggie’s Kitchen, 1700 N. Main St., Ouray; (970) 325-0259, in the Timber Ridge Campground on the north end of town. The Denver Post says it has the best burgers on the western slope of the Rockies. We tried them and found them outstanding. Burgers $8 to $10.

Historic Western Hotel & Saloon Restaurant, 210 7th Ave., Ouray; (970) 325 4645, https://www.historicwesternhotel.com . Offers more formal dining (but not a lot more) and many historic trappings. The trout is excellent. Like other local restaurants, elk also is on the menu. Reservations are a good idea. Entrees $12 to $25.

TO LEARN MORE

Colorado Tourism Office, 1625 Broadway, Suite 1700, Denver, CO 80202; (800) 265-6723 , https://www.colorado.com .

The Ouray Chamber Resort Assn., https://www.ouraycolorado.com , provides a helpful guide to lodgings, restaurants, shops, jeep tours and more.

I recommend these maps for hikers: “Trails Illustrated Map of the Telluride, Silverton, Ouray, Lake City” area from National Geographic for $9.95, and the excellent “Hiking Trails of Ouray County” ($7) by the Ouray Trail Group, https://www.ouraytrails.org .

“Wildflowers of Colorado Field Guide” by Don Mammoser with Stan Tekiela, published by Adventure Publications; available for $11.53 at Amazon.com.