Quartz Lake

Quartz Lake

On a September day in 1979, an event occurred that took wildlife experts and land managers by surprise: a bow hunter killed an attacking grizzly bear with a pocket knife. What was so unusual about this incident was that it took place in the South San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado. Because grizzlies were thought to have been extinct in the state for dozens of years this encounter rekindled the hope that they still lived in Colorado. While researchers have since scoured the South San Juans for signs that this unfortunate sow was not a loner, concrete evidence has yet to be discovered. Nevertheless, some experts do feel there is a good chance that a grizzly bear may eventually be spotted in some remote alpine basin or stand of timber. If hiking an area where such a legendary creature may still exist sounds intriguing, then Quartz Lake on the western slope of the South San Juan Wilderness is a good place to start.

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