Dave Wood - the Man, the Road, the Trail by Anne Janik

Leigh Robertson, Ecologist, takes a group of Montrose Fourth Graders on a guided walk along the Dave Wood Interpretive Trail. The students are exploring and discovering many of nature's surprises on the Uncompahgre Plateau.

The name Dave Wood is often mentioned in conversation around town, mostly in the context of directions to access to the Uncompahgre National Forest.  Dave Wood Road is one of the closest access point to the forest from Montrose. We are lucky to be able to access these public lands within 40 minutes of town for a quick nature get away to recharge and reset ourselves. However, there is more to the name- Dave Wood. Here is a brief history of the man, the area as well as a guide to a fun interpretive hike to help you observe the nuances of the area's ecology.

Who was Dave Wood?
Dave Wood was a freighter in southwestern Colorado. He started his business in 1881 in Gunnison, when the Durango & Rio Grande Railroad made him their "forwarding and commission merchant." Wood freighted supplies west to construction gangs and newly-settled towns from the railroad's end-of-the-line. When the D&RG built its narrow gauge line through the Black Canyon and over Cerro Summit into Montrose, Wood took his business to that town. Montrose would be his largest and most permanent base, and for five years he was the exclusive agent for all freight going to Ouray, Telluride, and Rico. The D&RG extension, built from Montrose to Ouray in 1887, forced Wood to again move his base of operations. From his new location at Ridgway, he did a large freighting business into Telluride and Norwood. The completion of the Rio Grande Southern in 1891 ended Wood's operations. Built in 1882, the famous Dave Wood Road between Montrose and Telluride, via Horsefly Mesa, ran on the west side of the Uncompahgre River parallel with the present highway from Montrose to Ouray, and is today identified by a U. S. Forest Service marker.

Who were the first inhabitants of the Uncompahgre Plateau?
Long before Dave Wood set foot on the plateau, about 10,000 years before the early explorers investigated the area; the Paleo Indians roamed the plateau hunting herds of wildlife without bows and arrows! They travelled in groups of 10-20, found shelter in rock overhangs and caves, and subsisted on the abundant natural resources of the area. The Ute tribes were descendants of these early native peoples.

Dave Wood Interpretive Trail
The area encompasses about 3200 acres of typical habitats of the Uncompahgre Plateau. To the careful observer, there is evidence of multiple ecosystems, traces of past life that swam in an ancient sea, plants that actually communicate with each other, and traces of history that shaped our lives. A very informative guide is available to help you explore and understand these ecosystems.

The trail meanders through a montane forest.  The word montane means mountain. These forests occur between 5,500-9,000 feet elevation. Not surprisingly, the major feature of this zone is trees! Ponderosa pines dominate in this forest along with Rocky Mountain juniper. At higher elevations, lodgepole pine and spruce become more common. Other trees and shrubs in the montane forest include aspens, mountain mahogany and serviceberry. The guide will help you decipher the difference between a ponderosa pine and Douglas firs, coniferous and deciduous trees, mountain and western bluebirds and more. This is a landscape forged by wind and fire and as you hike along the trail, you will observe signs of those forces shaping the forest.  Pines have evolved to take advantage of periodic fires. The guide described details of plant and animal adaptations that allow species to thrive here.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you walk along the trail.  Look and listen for the sounds of nature. Ask yourself questions about the forest such as describing what it looks like, pointing out living and nonliving parts of the forest, or thinking about how the forest helps us. Engage your sense of wonder, dig deep for bits of forgotten knowledge, and test your connections to new nature knowledge you may have read or observed recently.  Take a closer look at the layers of this forest: the canopy, the understory and the forest floor. Pick a layer and check it out more closely. Look for living and non–living items in your layer. Draw it in your journal. How is your item connected to the forest?  (Example: a leaf is connected to a tree, but also shelters a ladybug, and will soon become a part of the nutrient rich soil.)

Be an observant hiker and discover your forest- there are surprises everywhere!  You may learn a few new fun facts about the forest as well as refresh some of the nature knowledge you haven’t thought about in a while.  You can download the guide from the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forest website under highlights (https://www.fs.usda.gov/gmug). The website  also provides links to more information about the Paleo Indians of the area, Dave Wood and details about the ecology of the plateau.   

Directions from Montrose: 
From Townsend and Main in Montrose head west on Main,
Left onto CO Highway 90,
0.4 miles stay right on Oak Grove (Hwy 90),
0.25 miles turn left onto Dave Wood Road/6250 Road.
Continue on Dave Wood Road for about 8 miles.
The interpretive trail is the first part of the Simms Mesa/Dave Wood Trail. The trailhead is on the east side (parking area) at the forest boundary. The Simms Mesa/Dave Wood Trail is designated for horses and hikers only; across the road, Forest Service Route #536 is open to motorized travel (OHVs and snowmobiles).