Early Deep Winter
Running in shorts on Thanksgiving Day yielded soon to Old Man Winter over the course of the last weekend in November. From virtually no snowpack, to several feet deep is often the way the 'Old Boy' makes himself known. I was on my way 'down river' (the Rio Grande) from Alamosa to New Mexico for the Holiday when I stopped by Ojo Caliente Hot Springs, a prominent lodging, restaurant, and hot springs resort 90 minutes south of Alamosa on Highway 285.
The bonus for me is the Trail System to the west of the springs with the trailheads for several trails a few yards from the main springs and parking lots. The place was packed that morning and though windy, it was warm enough to run in shorts. I picked the Posi Trail, which, though little remains, was a large Indian village over 700 years ago. Why? The hot springs provided life giving warm water and the Rio Ojo Caliente continues to flow by the ruin as it did then. The land and climate were suitable for growing crops. Life was good for those villagers. Pot shards, reminders of their culture, are scattered everywhere! Pick up, examine and replace.
In Search of - Path Finding Adventures
Amazing how many places and physical features in the West are named after John Fremont and Kit Carson. Cities, towns, streets, rivers, peaks, counties, schools, National Forests, even a ghost town, and probably other things I have missed!
Recently, Outside Magazine had an article that adventures in nature, considered 'outdoor therapy,' are as good for mental health as they are for our physical well-being. For me it was a 'duh' moment for I have always felt that way, hence my level of excitement and butterflies when I think of an adventure with a purpose.
MY EMBARGO CREEK ADVENTURE
Cruising Crestone and Crestone Brewery
The town of Crestone is the 'Outer Limits' of the San Luis Valley in a good way. Resting on the perimeter in the north part of the valley, 38 miles north of Alamosa, and 12 miles east of Highway 17, the town is easily accessible. During festivals and special events, Crestone is busy. Other times, like the day before Halloween, late October being considered off season as the calendar flows into the dark and chilly days of winter, Crestone is pleasantly peaceful. I took advantage of the perfect weather to go for a run up North Crestone Trail 744. I normally go up the Willow Lake Trail but it is good to change things up. I parked near the Crestone Art Museum in town on a quiet Sunday afternoon in perfect weather, no wind, with temperatures in the low 60s. Soft clouds filtered the low angle of the autumn sunlight. Alder Street going north will put you on the Camino de Crestone which will lead you up to the trailhead. Signs in town are lacking to point trail seekers in the right direction. I had to ask a gentleman out for a stroll.
Hiking and Biking in the SLV
Hear ye, hear ye, one and all, it is still Fall, as evidenced by the color still available on several trails in the San Luis Valley and along rivers, streams, and hillsides. September's full dress of colors, and our festivals celebrating such, are over, but it does not mean the trails close! Colors dull down in the aspen trees, but there are still plenty of good reasons to get out and hike or bike. This year the aspens, due to a late dry summer, showed more oranges and reds beyond the golds they usually give us. It has been an excellent color season! What about now into late October and early November? If an early winter storm with ripping winds holds off, colors will remain for a month or more. A few renegade aspens and cottonwoods hold their brilliant yellows, so bright in the sunshine that they look as if they are drawing additional power by being directly plugged into the Earth.
Healthy Trends for Healthy Living in the SLV
With all the outdoor adventures to be found in the San Luis Valley, it's nice to know there are several healthy filling stations to fuel our fun. My super sustenance for my insanity, running up the steepest gnarliest trails I can find, is not about super sizing, or super foods that get hyped in the media, like 'zing zing berries.' No such berry of course, but they would be rare and cost big dollars. Not to worry, because zing zing berries do everything for us, cure our ails, give us 12 hours of energy and provide motivation to clean our houses! I am referring to normal super foods that are nutritious and have always been available to us if we source them properly. How much is our health worth? Seems as though we all have a different price tag...
12 Hours of Penitence Rides Again
The mountain bike trails in Penitente Canyon are intense, beautiful, unforgiving, joyous and full of pleasures and perils for riders who are intermediate level to off the scale crazy, skilled and phenomenal. High praises to all riders who take these trails on for serious fun and adventure. Oh, and for a good cause too.
So... Attention all mountain bikers who need a supreme riding challenge fix on Saturday October 8 in the very place to which I have just made reference!
Presto Pesto!
The bounty of harvest season allows, for those of us who like to play in the kitchen, or those who want to learn the skills of cooking, to become mad food scientists! Eating fresh garden vegetables are about the nutrition they provide, the flavors we can ignite within them, while preparation allows for us to cook vegetables in ways that are magically wonderful. Like any other science experiment, creating new flavors involves trial and error. Requirements? Come to the kitchen with a few basic skills, a willing to learn, and not be afraid!
Wheeler Geologic Area Pyroclastic Breccia!
At a time when birthdays come with mixed feelings, I decided to visit a place where things were older than me. Way older! The Wheeler Geologic Area foot the bill by 26 - 40 million years. And I learned a new term - Pyroclastic breccia! So, my birthday was good!
The area is not easily accessible but if a day trip to a unique place fits into your adventure schedule then your experience to the WGA will be memorable.
Poncha Pass Pondering
Having driven over Poncha Pass many times, I often wondered why I had never gotten off the beaten asphalt path of Highway 285, and stopped for a hike or a run. One explanation is that there are no brown Forest Service Access signs inviting me, and all of us, into the San Isabel National Forest! I pulled off at the gravel road a few hundred yards on the San Luis Valley side of the summit last Spring and though it looks like there were once information signs for the access road and the Poncha Pass Loop as it is called, they are no longer there. I parked and started running up the road but ran into mud, ice and deep snow, and though entertaining, I had to abort the mission that day after about a mile...
More Articles ...
- A Potpourri of Pleasures in the SLV
- Boyd Community Garden
- Del Norte Trail Showcase
- May Day Play Day in Canyon De Penitente
- Journey to the Oldest Town in Colorado
- Migration of a Traveler
- Observing the Sandhill Cranes
- Take a Break, It's Spring!
- San Luis Valley: Gateway and Pathway
- Spring Has Sprung! Alamosa Open Space Trails
- Fremont Haunt 2016
- Rio Frio Ice Fest 2016
- Here We Go! Rio Frio!
- A Winter Playground in the San Luis Valley
- ART, SCIENCE, HISTORY AND HARMONY AT THE GREAT SAND DUNES
- New Tales and Old Trails
- Food from the Heart of the Valley
- Penitente Canyon- No Excuses Now
- 5 Outrageous Farm Visits in the San Luis Valley
- A Strange Sight in Colorado