Colorado is the state I chose to, once again, drive through as I return to Arizona. This time to explore areas outside of Colorado Springs, Salida, Durango and Cortez.
For starters, I had a Harvest Host night at a brewery in downtown Colorado Springs! Great beer, easy walking the downtown area and time spent chatting with a couple from State College, PA. They left early the next morning to complete the Manitou Incline. I wish I was in shape to even think of accomplishing that!
A great day for bicycling in Colorado Springs: started on the New Santa Fe Trail from the E. Woodmen/Edmondson Trailhead. Wow, the altitude and heat made for a shortened bike ride. Another day, I visited the Fountain Creek Nature Center and took a bicycle ride at the Fountain Creek Regional Park. Very nice trail and a well – done nature center … worth a visit. (I saw a red-headed, 2.5 foot long snake… still not sure what it was!)
Drove along the Arkansas River and watched people rafting. If I had one more day here, I would have signed up for a rafting trip. Two of my Salida friends were not available, but I did catch up with my friend in Poncha Springs! Great fun for a couple of days. Bicycled on a trail in Salida, cycled right in for lunch, and watched surfers on the “standing wave” downtown. Amazing balance to ride that wave!
My ride from Poncha Springs to Colorado City was through the San Isabel National Forest. It rained and hailed!! The few vehicles on the road were driving half the normal speed limit. Thank you! Crazy weather! Next day, beautiful!
I stayed at a KOA, Kampgrounds of America, for 2 nights and the day in-between was a “No Drive” day. I got distracted doing too many things in the morning, so by the time I got on my bicycle it was hot. Throwing in a lunch stop was enough motivation to at least do a few miles in this altitude. I’m getting better but the heat does not help me.
Couple of Harvest Host nights … Pagosa Springs area and then Cortez … with a drive through Durango. Interesting to see how this area has changed! We had a bicycle tour across southern Colorado decades ago. We cycled from Cortez to Alamosa. Beautiful country in Colorado and it still is. But the crowds of people, developed land, and overall congestion made me wonder where it was we cycled years ago!
Before arriving in the congestion and construction traffic of Pagosa Springs, I enjoyed a short hike to Treasure Falls.
My Harvest Host location was outside of Pagosa Springs at a ranch. I am parked in their pasture with the cows just over there, goats walking toward me, and a couple of killdeer squawking as if I am to close to their nest. A deer is running across the nearby hill. It is silent here, except for the wind that continues to blow and I see a distant plane. Will check out the stars in a few hours as this is the best open sky! Good night!
