Treasure Valley, Colorado

It's troo, I'll share locations on request, but this one is so high up and so far off the beaten path I figure most of you'll just enjoy the photos. It's on the one side-road that goes west a few miles south of Platoro. I forget the Forest Number, but if you search on Treasure Creek (Conejos County) you'll find it.

The profusion of the state flower was overwhelming!! But you can see pictures of them anywhere.

Photos just don't do it. When I came around the bend and saw the view below I stopped, got out, and spent the rest of the afternoon walking. I kept expecting Heidi to show up at any moment. Treasure Creek flows through on the far left side. 

This magnificent specimen was its sole representative.

Lookout Mountain and Lake De Nolda in the afternoon light. (Friggin rain!!!)

It gets wild in the upper altitudes!!

The Road to Monte Vista - Pt II

The monsoons are in full swing with (maybe) three hours in the morning when you might see the sun. Forest Road 105 leaves off Forest Road 250 a few miles south of Platoro. I spent a couple of days exploring, but could easily stay weeks...if it weren't for the rain. 

The road soon rises above 10,000 feet and (finally) levels off at the junction to Tobacco Lake where I DIDN't check altitude but guess it to be close to 11,000.  

Monsoon at  >10,000 feet

The trail to Bear Lake takes you into the San Juan Wilderness. The aspen are dying en masse...supposedly due to the li'l gals shown below. They was the only wildlife I seen.

Other than the disfigurement, the leaves of the shrubs didn't appear to be suffering from their case of the carbuncles. (Time to start shopping for a camera that focuses).

Pausing to inhale the aroma of vanilla from a Jeffrey(?) Pine, I noticed a splotch of white in the brush; someone had tossed a bottle of gelled alcohol and yerz trooly, Lucky Herrmann, had found it. Back at camp I celebrated the tradition of stockpiling more than enough wood, but even after shredding the underbark (scout manual page 237, para 2) I couldn't get it going. It was then I remembered....FIRE STARTER!! What a concept!! 

I've never been big on fires; their romantic effects not withstanding, on my own, once the tater's done, so'm I. And with this kind of wet, youse either gotta be a duck or from Portland to stand around.



It's less than a mile past Saddle Creek to this view. Time for lunch!

It's a Rigorous Life - Cebolla Mesa

Boy howdy, this leisure-living is rigorous!! 

I arrived in Taos Monday afternoon in search of a new bow string. I thought I'd lost mine (more on this later), but as luck would have it, the archery shop was closed. 

I grabbed a Taos Visitors Guide and went looking for a place to camp. The road to the D.H. Lawrence Ranch crosses National Forest so I took it. I don't need to remind you that I AM Lucky Herrmann, but as I drove along noting the various side roads I cogitated on the hand-lettered, cardboard sign that had said the Ranch was open from 10 - 4. It's owned by the University of New Mexico and when I worked there one of the perqs was to rent it. I'd never had the time and was interested in seeing it.  

As luck would have it, this was the first day in four years the Ranch was open. Mr. Medina, in charge of bringing it back online, regaled me with its history and how his grandfather had killed huge rattlers on the west side of The Gorge when hauling water to his homestead. As I was leaving he suggested Cebolla Mesa for camping. This is my third night. 

It's a bonafide campground -- there's a pit toilet and a picnic table or two -- but the sites aren't designated; there're several dirt tracks from which to choose. The area is steppe bounded by juniper-pinon, many are on the brink...of The Gorge that is.

The string turned up; it had fallen behind the driver's seat and finally got bored (I guess) and crawled out from under some luggage.

By now I'd broken my arrows so went back into town. At the Taos Hunting Co. I was lucky enough to get Roy's assistance. He spent the better part of an hour explaining the differences -- fletch type & length (of fletch), point weight, shaft materials. I bought a package of twelve and waited while he assembled them. I also got some much-needed how-to advice. Thanks Roy!

Then on to Brodsky Bookstore where Willie Stark graciously stood (he was busy napping when I arrived) for his portrait. 

A bookstore MUST!!  ---  The cat.

Not now; I'm busy.

Well, alright, since it's you.

I hear yer mudder callin'.

Back at Cebolla Mesa, I perused the Visitors Guide and wrote up a calendar of events. After a bit I decided it was all too much, packed up and...headed to the highway (last phrase taken from Steppenwolf's: Born to be Wild). Outside San Luis, Colorado I got to looking at the distances to public land and decided to go SW about 100 miles where I could then take the high road to Platoro. It was the best decision I've made in weeks.

Whim! It makes the going great!