Some South Fork, Colorado, Scenes

South Fork is a typical mountain tourist town. It has rafting, fishing, four-wheeling, overpriced restaurants, and an "only" grocery - gas station complex that has you at its mercy. There is someone nearby who will sell you your dream cabin where the deer will wander through the yard and a bear will meet you at your garbage can. All that is balanced by beautiful scenery and a chance to get out in the "outback."

If you are a railroad "fan," as I am, there are a few relatively unique items of interest. First, a couple of open-end observation cars.

Late 19th, early 20th century box car and cattle car.

The water tower that the town "rehabbed."

In the architecture category, The Spruce Lodge was built as a boarding house in 1926. It is on the National Register of Historic Places.

"Come to the Church in the Wildwood."

Forest Service Road 345

If nothing else is important just go into the mountains.

Monte Vista Wildlife Refuge

If you want wildlife you go early or late in the day, not 10-11 am. If it is a wetlands area the spring or fall migratory period is best, not mid summer. Unfortunately, sometime we have no control over these things. (Part of the delay was streets in Monte Vista, Colorado, closed off for the Sky-High Rodeo weekend, oldest pro rodeo started in 1919.)

American Coot

Swainson's Hawk

Even is wildlife is limited the landscape makes it well worthwhile.

Mesa Verde National Park

So, the sun rises at, or on, Mesa Verde. Does it qualify as a WOW! park? For, in you face wows, it ain't Yellowstone, Yosemite, Zion, or Glacier, but for vistas and prehistory it can qualify.

Large and small, simple and complex, early and late period, it has it all. Pit houses and towers give you a beginning to end look at a thousand year society and the cultural changes that the environment and human relations required.

I found an added plus in the Park's headquarters complex. We were too early for the tour that has been added due to the NPS's 100th anniversary. I find the architecture appealing as it is not only functional but aesthetically fits the landscape.

Museum

Post Office

All the canyon views you need.

Special Note: There are two "mesas" in the park. The photos here are from Chapin Mesa. The other, Wetherill Mesa, has many nice sites that, due to space limitations for vehicles, were accessable by a "tram" that ran around the loop and allowed you to visit the sites and eventually get back to the parking lot. The tram is gone. Now you have to hike or bike the loop which the NPS says was what the park visitors wanted. I wonder if their survey included seniors that find 90+ degree temperatures the perfect environment for hiking and biking?

The tram was operated by the park concessionaire, Aramark, who operate the campground (where your NPS pass does not get you 1/2 price camping as is true with government operated campgrounds) and the restaurants/cafeterias where you can get a couple of cookies for 3 bucks. Aramark does run van tours but I don't know if their vehicles are allowed on the loop. If you are going to visit Mesa Verde, bring some donuts.

Mountain Ute Tribal Park

On Saturday, 9 o'clock (am), our caravan set off led by our guide Ricky. The Ute Tribal Park is only accessable to non-tribal members with a guided tour. Although Ricky had missionary zeal in relating his version of the one-true-way (Native American Version) it worked well as we traveled down the canyon looking at aspects of a couple of thousand years of history.

Having done interpretation tours I can be critical of other poor devils having to do the job. Ricky was good. He was comfortable with the subject within his own mind, that of a traditional Indian, never trying to be an objective anthropologist which would, I have no doubt, brought down the wrath of the "old ones."

The canyon had its own beauty. Again, I felt comfortable as I could deal with the environment. It is not a WOW! place. It was manageable.

The "timeline" was fascinating. An ancient Puebloan site followed by a relatively recent Ute occupation Our guide went back much further to former worlds that precede this one, the fourth, post flood. My mistaken childhood, could not get me past thousands of pottery shards and the writing on the wall.

Puebloan probably before 1200 AD

Ute late 19th early-20th Century

It is good to collect special places, don't you think? Of course you may have to put up with some of the locals make rude noises.

Revisiting Hovenweep

Hovenweep is one of those little-known national parks. We stopped there two years ago and for some reason were drawn back. It is 40+ miles from Cortez, Colorado, regardless of the route you chose. Both drives have there own personalities. The northern route takes you through farm land and the southern through the rocky McElmo Canyon. We went in by the northern and were greeted. . . .


The Hovenweep site is a bit different than others as the ruins are concentrated in a relatively small area and are in good condition, at least for ruins. The Twin Towers. (Not the Two Towers of Middle Earth, a future destination.)

Eroded Boulder House.

Hovenweep Castle.

Square Tower is in the Canyon. Speculation is it protected a spring.

There are living creatures at the site and park rangers too.

Rock Squirrel

Leopard Lizard

Taos Valley RV Park

Taos Valley RV Park is OK. Fast Wifi, convenient to town and as a base camp for exploring. The reason I am posting this is to give an idea of what you see in the morning.

Sangre de Cristo Mountains

There are many "small" mountain ranges that project an individual personality. The Sangre de Cristo is of this ilk. Roughly, it is north of I-40 and west of I-25 east of Santa Fe and Taos. Where it is not a WOW like Rocky Mountain National Park, it has all the component parts of natural beauty and history to make a half day visit worthwhile.

It has vistas

It has babbling brooks

It has the little thing

Did I mention vistas?

Alpine meadows (elevation c.8500 feet)

Quaint little towns not in Ohio

They have a convention and no one shows up?

OK, I get up early to go to the convention, unarmed, and no one is there. What happened?

I even checked the bar, after all it is a convention.

I'll remember this when I vote, both times, in the Fall.

Ranchos de Taos

We were in Taos two years ago but did not visit Ranchos de Taos. It is a relatively small courtyard surrounding San Francisco de Asis Church. Built in the late 18th-century, the church has not been restored making it the oldest "original" in the state. There is a restaurant, gift shops, Andy's Saloon (closed, devistating), residences, and ruins.

Church Gift Shop

a fixer-upper

Below is the rear of the church. You will see much art work in the galleries of Taos using this

as a subject due, I believe, to the shadow patterns. It was, it is said, a favorite of Georgia O'Keeffe and Ansel Adams.