Colorado in October

Kent and I just returned from a fun trip through Southwest Colorado, We covered 1343 miles by car and about 9 miles on foot. The fall colors were spectacular and the days warm and sunny, unlike anything we expected for October! We discovered new lakes and waterfalls, along our journey as well as, on our hikes. We really enjoyed our stay in Pagosa Springs which was the highlight of our trip. Hope you enjoy our web album .

Stopped to stretch at Spotted Wolf Canyon in the San Rafael Swell in Utah

Colorful cliffs near Moab, Utah

The Famous Hole in the Rock tourist trap

Jeannine & I in Ridgway, Colorado

After dinner at the True Grit Cafe in Ridgway

We traveled around and crossed over Blue Mesa Reservoir

Looking towards the San Juan Mountains

Lake City, Colorado

Lake City's quaint downtown

Lake City has over 200 buildings in the National Historic Register

The town deer were curious about us

Lake San Cristobal formed by the Slumguillon Earthflow

Uncompaghre Peak 14,309 ft.

Along the Silver Thread Byway

Here we were able to view the Slumgullion Earthflow - it still moves 20 ft. a year

North Clear Creek Falls

Creede has a unique underground Fire Station that is 139 ft. long and has enough tunnels for about six vehicles . . . interesting!

Creede had some fun shops

Snow tunnel

Below Wolf Creek Pass

Along the East Fork Road

Ahhh . . . we're almost to Pagosa Springs!

Wyndham Pagosa Teal Landing Condo units, where we stayed

View of Village Lake from the condo

Nice accommodations!

Lake Pagosa with 12,640 Pagosa Peak in the background

Aspens along the road to the Opal Lake Trailhead

Aspens leaves along the trail

Blanco Basin area

Opal Lake 9,220 ft.

Opal Lake is named for its opalescent color

Opal Lake in the South San Juan Wilderness

Heading back down the trail

Awesome fall colors

Weminuche Wilderness

On the trail to the falls

Falls Creek Falls

A pretty sight

Pretty blue rocks we found near the Falls

Fourmile Falls

Traces of snow from 2 weeks ago

Looking back towards the valley where we hiked to the falls

North Eastern Arizona

Pagosa Springs and Platoro, Colorado

Kent and I spent the first week of August in Southwestern Colorado. It was great to revisit one of our favorite spots--Pagosa Springs. If you've never soaked in the hot springs, you ought to give it a try, there are 23 mineral pools!  We traveled over 125 miles of gravel roads through the South San Juan Wilderness & Rio Grande N. F. to Platoro, an old historic mining community. We stayed in a rustic log cabin for 3 nights complete with warm water and a kitchenette. It was a nice place to stay. The area provides hiking and fishing opportunities galore! We definitely plan to return someday and explore more of this beautiful high country. I love to take pictures along the way and use web albums as a travel journal, they bring back a lot of memories. Hope you enjoy a peek at our Colorado adventure!

On the way to Colorado storm clouds were all around us, but not over us!

We visited an art gallery in Mancos

We drove around Vallecito Reservoir

We saw a rainbow after dinner

Our cozy cabin in Pagosa Springs

Driving up Hwy 160 towards Wolf Creek Pass

Foliage along the trail to Treasure Falls

Treasure Falls

The beginning of our 125 miles of gravel roads

What's left of Summitville ghost town, a gold mining area

The old remnants and the new modern gold mine . . . there's still gold in these hills!!

Looking towards Elwood Pass

South San Juan Wilderness

So many flowers . . .

Mountains in every direction

Colorful flowers . . .

Leaning sign, a sign of heavy winter snows

Lookout Mountain

A cute doe just enjoying the day

More flowers . . .

Where we drop down into the Platoro Valley

Looking towards Platoro as a storm approaches

We have arrived and the rain has gone away!!

The lodge where all the locals hang out

Our home sweet home for 3 days

Day 1 Adams Fork hiking and fishing

Starting up the trail

This snowshoe hare blends in well with his surroundings

We hiked 4.5 miles roundtrip

Summer monsoons bring colorful mushrooms

Waterfall along the trail

Arrow points the way to the creek . . . 

Adams Fork Creek, where we fished

Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout

Pretty fish and fun to catch!

Score 1 to 1

More mushrooms

Coming down the trail looking towards Platoro Reservoir

Day 2 Bear Lake Trail

Yes, we hiked clear up to 11,600 ft. before dropping into Bear Lake

Saddle Creek flows along the beginning of the trail

Views from the meadows up on the trail to the valley below

Crossing a meadow

Approaching Bear Lake

Colorado Blue Columbine, what sight!

Bear Lake 11,500 ft. elevation

We made it!!

The wildflowers were a sight to see!

Such a pretty high mountain lake

Awesome colors!

Another view of the lake

Wow!

Aerial view of the Bear Lake Trail

This guy and his buddy packed enough stuff for a month, it's obvious they've never backpacked before . . . the other guy had a cooler on wheels!

Saddle Creek

Another Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout

Coming back to Platoro after a day of hiking and fishing

The next morning . . . mist rises in the valley

Conejos River flows through the valley, Skyline Lodge in the distance

Day 3 hike and fish along the South Fork Trail

Heading towards the South Fork of the Conejos River

Over the bridge . . .

and through the aspens

One of the few Brook trout Kent caught

Brookie

Kent likes to get wet sometimes . . .

Looking towards South Fork

The Springs Resort where we stayed and soaked in the hot springs

The Hot Springs at Pagosa . . . ahhhh!!  23 of them to be exact!!!

Our last morning in Pagosa Springs

We were almost to Kanab, Utah when this guy following us went off the road, over corrected and flipped his boat.  Thankfully he was okay.  We called 911.