Playing In Nature’s Paradise – Pagosa Springs, CO

Gorgeous Wolf Creek Pass

If you folks think we’ve been wasting away the past few days by playing and frolicking around in the forest you would be…errmm well…correct.

Truth be said pooch, the cats and us have been reveling in our newfound paradise of lush trees and rugged mountains ever since we arrived in Colorado. The area of the San Juan Forest and Pagosa Springs is simply an outdoor lovers dream, and when you ask the locals about the thing to do you’ll always get the same answer “get out there!”. So being well-trained humans that’s exactly what we’ve done.

Up high on the trail near West Fork Campground

I’ll start by putting it in perspective. Pagosa Springs sits in a gorgeous high-mountain valley at ~7,000 feet surrounded by rugged mountains and three million acres of San Juan National Forest and Weminuche Wilderness, the latter of which is Colorado’s largest at about a half million acres.  Within this natural haven lies everything imaginable from fish-rich streams to lakes, ice caves, hiking trails, backpacking, mountain bike rides and 4×4 backcountry roads. It’s so very huge that you could easily lose yourself for several months (without meeting a soul) and still be left with several years of outdoor activities to go.

Driving on Hwy 160

A short drive opens us the landscape even more. Wolf Creek Pass lies just to the North of town on Hwy 160 with a base elevation of ~10,350 feet. It boasts “The Most Snow in Colorado” at an average of 400 inches (mostly powder, don’t you know) and is a winter skiers paradise. In summer it hosts the famous Continental Divide Trail, at 3,100 miles long the highest, wildest and arguably most difficult of the “big three walks” in the US. Start at Wolf Creek Pass and you can take a leisurely 19-mile hike to Elwood Pass or, if you’re feeling motivated, a stimulating 76-mile stroll to New Mexico.

The pretty (and perhaps rich?) Treasure Falls

And the fun doesn’t end there. The area abounds with tall tales and Indian history. The healing hot springs of Pagosa were thought to be a gift from the gods and became the center of a deadly battle between Utes and Navajos in 1867.  More riches are in the hills, and according to legend in the late 1700′s a massive treasure of gold was buried and lost somewhere around Treasure Mountain.  

We’ve been hiking and driving our way through the trails and the scenery, including a short jaunt on Treasure Mountain (you never know, after all). It’s been days of “ooooh” and “aaaaah” kind of moments sprinkled by gorgeous mountain weather and even {{gasp}} some light rain. Although we’ve failed to discover the hidden millions, we’ve managed to find a treasure-trove of natural beauty and that, my friends, is utterly priceless.

Snow still lingers on the rugged and crazy Continental Divide Trail by Wolf Creek Pass

Just another piece of gorgeous scenery for the taking

First Steps in Colorado – San Juan Forest, CO

First steps in the lush green of Colorado!

Well folks we’ve made it to Colorado! We took our first steps late yesterday afternoon dropping our jacks in a beautiful forest valley just north of Pagosa Springs, releasing our feet onto the glorious green floor and refreshing our senses with the fabulous chill of the San Juan River running only 20 feet away.

This is truly a special place. The Colorado Rockies blow me away every time I see them, and as we walked the river I was stunned by the towering beauty of the mountains around me. It’s amazing that a mere 80 miles of driving can take you from a semi-arid lake area to the lush green of a deep mountain forest. Yet here we are only a few hours apart in an environment so different we might as well be a world away.

Morning mist in the valley

Last year we spent six weeks right in the heart of the Rockies. This year we’ll be spending a month or so exploring the southern and southwestern reaches of the state. I have no doubt we’ll be just as enamoured. Colorado has a special vibe that speaks to the primal nature in all of us. It’s got the soul of a sweetheart with an outer fringe of the rough and wild. Just the way I like my mountains…and my men  

The hills are calling, the streams are singing and we’re more than ready to answer their call. Bring it on, Colorado!

Afternoon by the mountains

The view 20 feet from our campsite at West Fork

SP Campground Review – Heron Lake State Park, Los Ojos, NM

The very pretty Heron Lake

A nice, spacious State Park within walking distance of Heron Lake in North-Central New Mexico.

Link to campground here: Heron Lake State Park, NM
Link to map location here: Heron Lake State Park, NM

1. Site Quality = 4/5
   Heron Lake has ~6 separate camping areas dotted around Heron Lake. The electric hookups are in Willow Creek/Blanco area of which Blanco is the newer and (by far) more spacious campground.
   -> In Blanco the sites are very large (several could easily fit 2 big-rigs), very flat gravel with great separation, 30Amp/water, picnic table and fire-pit. There are both pull-throughs and back-ins with varying levels of shade.
   -> Willow Creek has a similar set-up, but campsites are much closer together with less privacy. Willow does have 4 full hookup sites. 
   My main ding is that there are no real views of the lake from either Blanco or Willow Creek.
   -> Outside of these two there are ~5 other primitive and non-hookup camping areas dotted around the lake. Most are very tight, more uneven and not suitable for big-rigs. The only area we thought accessible was Ponderosa Campground (non-hookup) which had limited shade/privacy, but did boast more open roads/sites and full views of the water.
2.  Facilities = 3.5/5
   Good facilities. Flush toilets and showers, all spacious and kept decently clean. Only ding is that (like all the state parks here) they have that timer button on the shower. All campgrounds have access to the lake via either trails or boat ramp. Picnic and fishing opportunities. On-site dump station.
3. Location = 3/5
   The campground here is nicely located next to Heron Lake, but is a tad longer drive from town (~15 miles to Chama) and the associated sights. Another slight ding is the lake area right near the campground is covered in very large slate blocks making walking along the shore a little more adventurous. However there is plenty of opportunity to fish and hike on-site including the pretty Rio Chama trail.
4. Pet Friendliness = 5/5
   Good doggie-spot. Lots of hiking right from the campground as well as short 10-min walk to the lake to splash and play.

Overall Rating = 3.9
BONUS ALERT = Spacious camping within walking distance of Heron Lake!

Summary: Heron Lake is a fairly large State Park with ~7 separate campgrounds dotted around Heron Reservoir. It’s a slightly unusual lake in that portions of the shoreline are covered in large slate blocks. However it’s set beautifully with lots of hiking and areas to fish. The electric hookup sites (Willow/Blanco) are spacious and pretty, especially the newer Blanco section. Neither of these have views of the lake, but it’s a short 10-min walk away. Many opportunities for non-hookup and primitive camping around other areas of the lake. You are ~15 miles from Chama and the associated sights. The campsite does seem popular and fills up with families in the week-end, but still manages to feel natural and relaxed. Overall a decent location in a good setting. It doesn’t make the top of our New Mexico stay, but it’s a lovely area and we’d certainly stay again.

 Extra Info:  Decent 3G connection from Blanco. Sites cost $18/night (full hookup – 4 sites in Willow Creek only), $14/night for 30Amp electric/water and $10/night (no hookups). Camping fees can be covered with New Mexico Annual Camping Permit. 60 sites in electric (Willow/Blanco) area with ~250 developed sites overall. Approx. 75% of sites in Willow/Blanco are reservable, with reminder first-come-first-serve. On-site dump station.

Extra, Extra Info – Railroad Buff? If you’re a true railroad buff and would like to be right next to the action, the private Rio Chama RV Park is right in town and walking distance to the Cumbres & Toltec Railroad. It gets good reviews.

View of our extremely spacious and private site in Blanco (non-reservation site #60). Easily space for 2 "beasts" in here.

Typical back-in site in Blanco (reservation site #43 shown)

View of one of the large pull-throughs (#54). These guys actually parked 2 rigs in here, although I'm not sure it's technically allowed?

View down campground loop in Blanco showing lovely separation (site #55 on right and #57 in background on left)

Another view down Blanco. Site #38 on right, #39 on left.

View of on-site facilities

Vision of a Mountain Railroad – Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad NM, CO

One of the many different locomotives still in use on the Cumbres and Toltec Railroad

Like all great projects they claimed it couldn’t be done. Yet in the end all it took was a man, a vision, some industrial ingenuity and the fortitude to make it happen. It was the early 1870′s and prospectors in hunt of gold and precious metals had flooded out west, most making the perilous journey over the Colorado mountains by wagon. Seeing the opportunity William Jackson Palmer founded a new company the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad. His dream was the vision of a connection from Denver to El Paso, Texas and he was a man at the forefront of his time.

The terminus and narrow-gauge (3-foot) tracks at Chama, NM

What gave Palmer the edge was the idea of using narrow-gauge tracks. In the midst of a massive mining boom Palmer drove 3-foot gauge tracks (compared to the standard 4-foot 8 ½ inches) deeper, higher and over more rugged terrain than any other constructor. He built an extensive network of lines into small mountain mining towns in Southern Colorado and by 1890 boasted the largest narrow-gauge railroad line in North America. With competition rife and the advent of larger locomotives however, Palmer was eventually forced to convert most of his tracks to standard gauge, but because of an interesting twist (the Sherman Act of 1893) a precious few remained.

The scenic stop at Cumbres Pass (elev. 10,015 feet)

The Cumbres and Toltec Railroad encompasses the modern living history of one of these remaining line. Built in 1880 as Rio Grande’s San Juan Extension, serving the silver mining district of the San Juan mountains, it is the longest (64 miles long) and highest (peaking at 10,015 feet) coal-fired, steam operated narrow-gauge railroad in North America.

And…IT…IS…COOooooL!

Historic shot of a rotary snowplow at work. Drifts sometimes reached 20-feet at Cumbres Pass.

Now, normally I’m not the type to get wound up in a tizzy about railroads, but this thing has been so beautifully preserved by such a passionate group of people that it is positively electrifying. The southern terminal at Chama, NM is gorgeously set at the base of the San Juan Mountains and supports a small museum, original terminus building, 1899 machine shop, tool sheds, coal tipple, stock yards and over 100 historic freight and maintenance-of-way cars including the original Rio Grande steam locomotives.

One of the genius rotary snow plows on display

There are contraptions I’ve never seen or imagined including the genius rotary snow-plow, massive machines that cleared snow drifts over the high passes in winter. Groups of passionate volunteers (Friends of Cumbres and Toltec) are on-hand to answer questions and support the railroad, while cars and the orignal railroad yards are open for self-guided visits. You can then either take a ride on the train or follow the tracks by car on the fabulously scenic Hwy 17 to Antonito, CO.

One of the many train rides open on the Cumbres and Toltec Railroad (map from http://www.cumbrestoltec.com)

Whether you’re a rail enthusiast or just an interested tourist, no doubt this is a touch of industrial history worth seeing. It’s the story of a man’s vision preserved  and transformed into a fascinating collection of artifacts. And, you can still get on and take the ride….cool, indeed!

The restored telegraph office at Chama terminus in New Mexico

The car inspectors house at Cumbres Pass (elev. 10,015 feet).

Following the tracks along scenic Hwy 17

Last Few Days of Enchantment – Lake Heron, NM

Mine....all mine....!

We’re nearing the end of our time here in New Mexico. What started off as a potential 2-week trip with the idea that ”we’ll just make a couple of stops” turned into a tremendous 2-month exploration of a fascinating and diverse place.  I’m not exaggerating when I say that New Mexico has blown us away. It’s a hidden gem and seems so under-visited that you can easily find remote and relaxing spots almost everywhere. We’ve camped without reservations and without a fixed timeframe, a luxury we don’t always have with a “beast” our size. 

At the beginning of our time here, I sat overlooking the sunset at Brantley Lake and declared myself ready to be enchanted. There’s no doubt the travel gods heard me and gave us a better ride than we could ever have imagined.

Definitely the only nutters out here

We’ve got a few more days in the very quaint and cute area of Chama in North-Central New Mexico before we go. Yet again we’re next to a gorgeous lake (Heron Lake) and have established ourselves firmly as the only nutters who are actually walking and swimming in it. You can’t blame the Cuban-boy -> if anything Mr.Florida man should be shunning these chilly waters. Then again perhaps the Danish girl is rubbing off on him, or pooch is getting really good at goading him on, or it’s just the magic of New Mexico bathing his soul.

There’s no doubt the enchantment of this place has weaved its way into our hearts. New Mexico has made its mark and we’ll most definitely have to come back for more.

So, you coming in or what?

Just another beautiful, deserted lake