Nature walks available at DMR
The San Juan Mountains Association, in partnership with San Juan National Forest and Durango Mountain Resort, is offering guided nature walks at DMR this summer. Walks take place from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesdays and Thursdays until Aug. 15.
Nature walks are free for all ages and registration is not required. To join a walk, meet outside Backcountry Experience at Durango Mountain Resort by 9:45 a.m.
There is also a self-guided nature walk anytime at the top of the mountain. This walk follows the Brush Rake loop trail, which is about 1½ miles. Brochures can be picked up at the DMR ticket office or can be downloaded from www.sjma.org.
For more information, call 385-1256.
Seniors Outdoors announces hikes
Seniors Outdoors will host these hikes:
A hard, 8 to 10-mile hike with 3,000-foot elevation gain to Snare Basins will take place Sunday. Dogs are welcome. To RSVP, email Dan Honig dhoning@animas.net.
A general meeting will take place Tuesday at Durango Community Recreation Center, 2700 Main Ave. A social will be held at 6:30 p.m. Bob Thompson will give a talk at 7 p.m. Thompson, a local geologist, photographer and glider pilot, will present “The Best of Two Worlds – San Juan Hiking Scenery from Both a Bird’s Eye Viewpoint and a Hiker’s Viewpoint.”
A moderate, six-mile hike with 1,350-foot elevation gain to the meadow below Engineer Mountain and then easy bushwhacking to see the crinoid fossils in the limestone cliffs will be held Tuesday. To RSVP, call Susan Beck-Brown at 375-0948 or email sbeckbrown@yahoo.com.
A challenging hike of more than 10 miles with 3,500-foot elevation gain to climb South Snowden Peak will take place Wednesday. No dogs are allowed. To RSVP, call Bob Thompson at 382-9271.
A moderate, four-mile hike on the lower Hermosa Creek Trail will be held Wednesday. Nonmembers should RSVP to Martha Wackley at 247-0967.
A moderate, four-mile hike up McMillan Peak with a 1,400-foot elevation gain will take place Thursday. The pace will be moderate and the wildflowers are usually abundant. Dogs are welcome. To RSVP, call Betsy Peterson at 259-5417 or email betsyp@bresnan.net.
A challenging hike of almost 10 miles with a 4,700-foot elevation gain up Red Cloud and Sunshine peaks will take place Thursday to July 12. If time and weather permit, the group also will climb Sun Dog en route. No dogs are allowed. To RSVP, call Rich Butler at 403-3185 or email rbbutler54@gmail.com.
A hard, four-mile hike with a 2,300-foot elevation gain to climb Storm Peak will take place July 13. This is a steep, off-trail hike with an exposed, loose, rocky ridge for the last 1,500 feet. No dogs are allowed. To RSVP, call Debra Van Winegarden at 769-7269 or email debra@vanwinegarden.com.
An easy, four-mile hike on the Hidden Valley trail near the Falls Creek Rock Shelter will take place July 13. There will an opportunity to learn about the Ancient Puebloans who lived in the valley. To RSVP, call Becky Rodefer at 247-4115 or email rodefer@hotmail.com.
An easy, two-mile, downhill walk with views, meadows and flowers from Little Molas to Andrews Lake will be held July 13. To RSVP, call Bob Powell at 385-8949 or email RobertLPowell@durango.net.
For more information, visit www.seniorsoutdoors.org.
Activities available for toddlers, preschoolers
Toddlers and preschoolers are invited to attend outdoor activities from 10 to 11 a.m. July 12, 19 and 26 at Denny Lake in Cortez.
Children will learn about local animals, explore, read books and more.
The program is free and is sponsored by San Juan Mountains Association, San Juan National Forest and Bureau of Land Management Tres Rios Field Office. Advance registration is encouraged but not necessary.
For more information, email gabi@sjma.org or call 759-1170.
Herald staff
