We camped at Aspen Glade campground 14 miles west of Antonito, CO. This is a forest camp with no facilities, well there were “way down potties” as our daughter Angie called them when she was about 6 years old. They are nicer, but still no electricity, water or sewer at the sites.
One day we drove west or following the
Conejos River. All along the way the river ran though the valley making great pictures. We drove about 6 miles west of a fork in the road on a gravel road toward Platoro. It became so washboard that we turned around and headed back. Not long after we saw a truck parked on the wrong side of the road and we realized he was
stocking the river. Look close at the pictures and see if you can find at least four nice size trout in the air. We stopped to watch and were a little surprised at their method of stocking and the size of the trout. Some were as big as 8 pounds.
As we visited with the owner of the operation we learned a two mile stretch of the river was leased to a
fishing club and their dues went to stocking this part of the river. While we were there several fish landed on the road and this
one was temporarily delayed getting into the water.
Aspen Glade campground is full of
Ponderosa pines and makes great campsites. There was a family of at lease 18 taking up three sites so they could celebrate the grandparents 50th anniversary. This family had been coming here every year since grandmother was 8 years old.
We met other groups camped there but one that stood out was the
Street family group from Belton/Temple area. Most were grew up in Kress, Texas. For you Texas high school girls basketball fans, Kress is near Nazreth, THE small school powerhouse of Texas. They enjoyed camping and fishing together for several years. One wife doesn’t do camping so her husband comes alone, another husband was closing on their house so she and her daughter came. One couple and daughter completed the group. They were really roughing it in tents and hammocks. The men had lots of luck fishing and the women found other entertainment in the area.
We seemed to pop in each night as they were cooking on the open flame of the campfire. As you can see from their photo by the river they were a lot of fun.
When our battery ran low after a week of roughing it we moved on to the Alamosa area. The suburban needed an oil change and Fred had been worried about the condition of the vehicle after the catalytic converter was replaced so we made an appointment with the Chevy house in Alamosa.
While we waited for suburban appointment, we decided to see what was in this desert area. Were we surprised! This is the San Luis Valley of Colorado fed by the Rio Grand on the surface. The valley runs about 80 miles north to south and 50 miles east to west. It is actually a very fertile valley, when irrigated. Fortunately there is a huge aquifer underneath.
Two mountain ranges follow it north to south on either side. The Sangre de Ctisro on the east and the San Juan mountains on the West.
Two mountain ranges follow it north to south on either side. The Sangre de Ctisro on the east and the San Juan mountains on the West.
We decided to explore and drive up to the Great Sand Dunes National Park, but by accident we heard about the
Zapata Falls.
This was new territory and a surprise to Olivia. We had never heard about it. We turned off the highway 10 miles north of highway 160 on to a very rough winding and steep gravel road.
There were signs telling of a campground and we decided they really wanted to camp there if they brought any rig up that 3.2 mile and 1200‘ rising road. They have to have a good transmission and good tires to make it.
After reaching the parking lot, we started
straight up the rocky path. It rose 300'.
This better be good we thought and asked others coming down. We were both looking forward to the cool water.
Finally, we arrived and the
trees added to the water to make an oasis on the dry mountain. A nice gentleman took our picture as we sat in the shade and again in front of the water. Had we been educated we would have worn better shoes and carried a walking stick to be able to
This was a great experience and a big surprise to both of us. Try it sometime!
What a view. It was amazing to see the San Luis valley from the parking lot We felt like we were on top of Mt Blanc, not just its foothills.
As we approached the Great Sand Dunes we were surprised to find they were
not part of the mountains in the background.
how the winds had dropped the sand over the years in this recess in the mountains.
Later Fred enjoyed
showing off on the sand as others
played in the drying Medano river that runs along one side of the dunes.
The next day we visited with the Chevrolet house for the oil change and were told the suburban was in good shape. All diagnostics were fine. Great News!
We had been staying at Blanco RV park in the tiny town of Blanco. Since our next reservations started on Friday we had the day to kill in this town.
First we drove five miles east to Fort Garland to see what was going on there. We found the visitor center, a tourist trap with turquoise, and a couple of junk shops. One vendor was selling rock pipes! Rocks of all shapes with two connecting holes drilled in them. Colorado's new marijuana laws are spawning new small businesses.
Back in Blanco we drove north of town where they have parceled off land into 5 acres plots and people have everything from nice homes, farms, to trailers. Everyone is happy and the sand roads are very smooth.
Back in Blanco we dropped into several stores including an art store and
Red Rock Convenience store. It is owned by a man from Bavaria, who was quite interesting. His small store was packed with all kinds of goodies including some delicious tomatoes. He had bought them from the Amish close to Antonito. We decided to go back for supper.
Fred asked him if he had goods from 20 countries. He said probably more. It was an interesting assortment!
When we first arrived at the RV park Fred noticed a
small chicken—just older than a fryer. He even bought some bird feed for it. We can’t decide if it is a rooster or hen. He struts like a rooster. So far his crows are not quite rooster crows.
He is sleeping in a tree next to a camp spot and drinks from a leaking water spout. Olivia has offered to get Fred a chicken when we get home. Fred says, “he would prefer a fried chicken dinner.”
We moved over to La Veta CO where Muddie & Cecil had stayed many times. Now the campground is called Lucy’s after I love Lucy. Formally, it was Mary's. There are about 40 sites and they are fairly close together. They assigned us a spot in the sun and started telling us what was going on the next day. We thought it was hot here. The temperatures were in the low 80s. We met some neighbors and planned for Saturday.
We woke up early and left to go to the farmer’s market and United Methodist Women’s craft and bake sale. Olivia was impressed with their
UMW t-shirts. They have a very active UMW with at least 25 members present. Not bad for this small town - less than 1,000.
When
we arrived back at the campground we realized there was a better spot across
the way, so we asked and they gave us permission to move, so we
scurried around and moved across the road. It has more shade and will be
more comfortable to us. Thanks Fred for moving Olivia.
After the move we made a salad and carried our plates, silverware, drinks and chairs along with our dish to their
fried fish lunch, Three couples had been fishing for about a month and shared the fish with the
whole campground. There were at least
40 attending. It was a nice way for us to get acquainted with others.
First United Methodist Church of LaVeta. It was nice to see the UMW ladies we had met the day before. Their pastor had been ready to retire and had bought a house in Pueblo, when their District Superintendent said, “We need you in LaVeta.” So he answered the call. We enjoyed his sermon as he was entertaining as well as inspiring. We look forward to hearing him again next week.
Sunday July 27 we attended the
We explored Indian Creek road south of town. It started out as a good road, then progressively deteriorated. We finally gave up and came home to a relaxing day.
Monday, July 28 was house cleaning day! Ugh! Our favorite day. Haha! Where is Ranell our cleaning lady when we need her. Then we drove in to Walsenburg to find some of Fred’s favorite push button cappuccino. Success! Olivia browsed an antique store hunting for turquoise only finding a few pieces. Not long after we were back in the trailer our neighbor invited us to her birthday party with cake & ice cream. While enjoying the party it started raining and we moved inside their rig. About an hour later the rain slacked off and all went home. At 9 PM it was still raining.
Enough! But rain was in the forecast for the rest of the week. With the rain came lower temperatures - now the high is about 70.
Tuesday. July 29 was an adventure day. We headed out on the Scenic Highway of Legends. This is Colorado Hwy 12. It starts just north of La Veta where it leaves Hwy 160. The Spanish Peaks are prime examples of “stocks” formed by once molten rock. Their dikes are made of igneous material that forced its way into seams in the sedimentary rock, which later eroded and left these walls of hard rock 1-100 feet wide, up to 100 feet high, and as long as 14 miles. Native Americans believed that battling giants had thrown up these walls as fortifications. Leaving La Veta on the south end of town our first stop was
Profile Rock. It is one of the many dikes that radiate from the Spanish Peaks. With a sharp eye, we saw the profiles of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson (or, some say Martha Washington or an Indian). There is also a train on a trestle, now crumbling away, and a rearing horse.
The town of
Dakota Dukes store and Dog Bark Restaurant. The town reminded us of Red River before all the years of Texas influence.
Then
we ventured off the highway into Cuchara River Recreation Area. This
road winds along the river, then continues through nine switchbacks and a
forest of Aspens to
Blue Lake, past Blue Lake the road continues through evergreens until it reaches
We followed the Highway of Legends on south and over Cuchara Pass. Passing North and Monument Lakes.
Before reaching Trinidad we saw the
Coke ovens of Cokedale. Coke is coal with moisture, sulfur and phosphorous removed. It was the preferred fuel when smelting iron because it burned with intense heat and was free of foreign substances.
The town of Cokedale remains the most significant example of an intact coal camp in Colorado and named after the rows of nearby coke ovens. By 1909 with a population of 1500, it was a thriving community with three nearby mines and 350 coke ovens in operation. The coke ovens were used to dry and purify the coal from the mines.
The impurities (primarily slate) released from the coal in the washery were transported by steel buckets to the nearby “slag piles,” surrounding the town. Sometimes these impurities formed gas pockets underneath which would occasionally burn and develop a crust on top.
Legend has it there are still fires burning underneath, which on a cold day cause steam to rise from the hills, giving them the appearance of being on fire.
We were impressed with the current organization of this little “ghost” town. The gravel streets even had
paved curb and gutter drainage. Too bad the streets below didn’t have the drainage they needed to receive this system.
Cokedale had a very common fire control method. Fire hoses were stored on carts which would be rolled with manpower to any scene. Surprisingly, this method is still used by the residents today.
Continuing on east we were reminded of the reason for the naming of the Purgatory River. Here it is said, The Indians massacred hundreds of Spanish troops. Without a priest to administer last rites, the soldiers were doomed to Purgatory. The name El Rio de las Animas Perdidas en Purgatorio—River of Souls Lost in Purgatory—derives from this incident. The river is now called simply the Purgatory or the Purgatorie. It flows from the mountains through Trinidad beside its companion river walk.
As we approached La Veta we again saw the
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The rest of the week was spent being lazy in and around the campground. It rained everyday at least once making it hard to get in our walk. Temperatures remain nice with highs around 70. On Thursday, Olivia enjoyed the ladies Bible study at the UMC. We have both read a lot.
Saturday, August 2 with Winnie & Doug and Bobbie & Denise we headed out for a full day of fun. Starting in Walsenburg for their street fair, we enjoyed the booths and watching the children playing in a "Walk on Water"
bubble. We enjoyed the great food, entertainment and artisan booths.
After sampling Walsenburg's fair, we visited the Catholic church garage sale, then headed off to the
Gardner United Methodist Church's annual Chuck-wagon dinner. Gardner's population is less then 100. This was the 72th year guaranteed to satisfy the hungriest cowpoke to hold this dinner.
We made sure to pick out delicious pie selection of
desserts immediately, made by United Methodist women! After going through the
plank tables on fresh cut hay bales. We decided their event date was dictated by the availibility fresh corn and hay. Their
pavilion, next to the church, looked new.
After eating we enjoyed watching the cooks
boiling the corn for exactly five minutes then removing them from the huge pots. The smaller pot was for boiling huge teabags.
We also enjoyed watching their
technique of buttering the corn. The pan had started out full of sticks of butter and now was melted way down.
As we left with 1.5 hrs to go in their event, they had already served over 275 people.
We look forward to hearing from YOU, so email us at
olivia@bobheck.com or fredharrington@yahoo.com
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