Look down - at Colorado's Black Canyon - and get a mountain high

by Helen Anders, Austin American-Statesman

MONTROSE, Colo. - In a state where we spend most of our time gazing up at the Rocky Mountains, it's nice to find a beautiful spot that requires looking down.

Black Canyon's rugged cliffs drop dramatically 2,000 feet to the Gunnison River, which from above looks like a harmless trickle but which contains Class V rapids that challenge the most experienced kayakers - of which, needless to say, I am not one.

Don't be afraid. The south rim of this park, part of Gunnison National Park in central Colorado, is friendly to the casual visitor, offering easy to moderate hikes as well as a good driving loop that allows nonhikers to grab the good views, too. It also offers a interpretive center - with its own sweeping view of the terrain - and numerous exquisitely clean restrooms.

It does not have food or gas, so deal with those either in Montrose, 15 miles to the west on U.S. 50, or Gunnison, about 60 miles east on the same road.

It took 2 million years for the Gunnison River to carve these spookily dark walls (hence the canyon's name), and any viewpoint within its 11,170 acres is pretty darn cool. I felt as if I were standing at the edge of the Earth, peering down into the abyss. It's the yin to the Rockies' yang, as though the mountains had been turned inside out.

South rim trails include several easy-to-moderate ones through the sagebrush and pines to great vantage points. We enjoyed one of these, running into a couple from Fort Worth as we trod gently downhill for about 20 minutes and then back up.

There are more strenuous hikes off the south rim, as well. The two-mile Oak Loop Flat trail doesn't go all the way down to the river but is nonetheless very steep and narrow in places, and signs warn hikers to take a lot of water.

Seasoned hikers often favor the north rim, where most of the trails are longer and more difficult. There are no maintained trails that go all the way down to the river, and these hikes are for the highly experienced only (once again, not me). You'll need a wilderness permit (free) and should take a lot of water and energy foods. The park folks warn that these inner canyon trails are steep and narrow, and the ravines are filled with poison ivy and bugs. A bit of good news, though: I'm told there's not a single poisonous snake in the canyon. It gets too cold at night (as low as 30 degrees in summer and well below zero in winter).

Kayakers, if you're highly experienced, book a trip with Scenic River Tours in Gunnison (scenicrivertours.com). Rafting? Don't even think about it. The twists and turns are too severe; the rapids too rapid.

For many of us, just gazing into the maw of this canyon, where the river drops 95 feet per mile, is quite sufficient. The seven-mile South Rim Drive offers a dozen well-marked overlooks, each with just a brief walk to a good place for photographs. On these easy walks, we ran into no poison ivy on the well-manicured trails. Mosquito repellent, sunscreen and a good hat, though, are good ideas. Days get very hot, and the sun is relentless.

Unfortunately, the day we visited was quite hazy, and according to the visitors center folks, that's not unusual. Haze, caused by both pollution and by dust and smoke carried from as far as thousands of miles away, is a constant blemish on Colorado's beauty these days. The state is working on a plan to reduce emissions in hopes that the situation might improve or, at least, not get any worse.

The fee for visiting Black Canyon is $15 per car. Because it's part of a national park, seniors who have a lifetime pass (available for $10 at any park) can get in free. More at nps.gov/blca/index.htm.