Bailey is a small unincorporated town approximately 38 miles southwest of Denver along US Highway 285 in Park County. This is a mountainous area and offers a couple small businesses, restaurants and churches. There is a river flowing through Bailey, The North Fork South Platte where you find fly fishing as a sport. Many of the inhabitants live outside the town on small and large plots of land with homes. The homes are nestled among the forested areas which include a variety of high elevation vegetation, mainly aspen and pine trees.
There are public lands throughout the region and somewhat accessible for camping, hiking and other outdoor activities. There are roadside parking spaces along US Highway 285 up to Pagosa Springs where people will park for a day and hike the rocky mountain trails. The most spectacular area is Wolf Creek wilderness and Wolf Creek Pass. During warmer seasons the pass is quite safe, although serpentine roads and steep cliffs line the passages. It is also a beautiful place in the colder months, and along with that comes snow and ice. During winter months motorists are required to have studded snow tires and/or chains in order to cross the pass.
The visit to Bailey and the surrounding area was approximately 4 weeks throughout both summer and winter periods. I briefly stayed with a family while there. There was not much to do except stay inside and keep warm by the fire. it was often snowing during the winter months and brisk cool in the summer months.
Everyday would find animals venturing through the yard or campsite. There were bears, elk, mule deer, bobcats, fox, coyote, rabbits, and an assortment of mountain birds. At night the howl of coyotes were a regular company as were the occasional owl. Bald eagles were a common sight as they hunted the wooded and stream areas. Observing the variety of wildlife through a thick pine and aspen forest was quite an experience.
As I traveled this region independently, this was a place to remain aware and conscious of the environment at all times. It was important to store food in as tightly sealed containers as possible and several yards from the tent and other inhabited structures to deter bears and other wildlife from interruption during the dark hours. Sometimes that meant anytime from 4:00pm to 7:00am, when the sun would set and rise, being extremely dark and cold – even during the summer months. Needless to say, this was another experience where being a solo traveler had advantages and disadvantages. This is an area where an experienced outdoors person with multiple skills including survival and first aid were of great importance. Hunting and fishing skills, along with other outdoor skills such as fire building and camping were a necessity. Fortunately, this trek was traveled alone and there was no need for concern about the skills of a traveling partner.