Call of the West

I do believe the west is calling to me. I am thoroughly enjoying the beauty of this place, the wide open spaces, the mountains, the lakes, the wildlife, every bit of it. I wish I could post pictures so you can see a glimpse of what I am seeing every day, but alas, the downside of being here is a very slow internet connection and limited phone service. Trade offs.

Yesterday I walked to Colorado. Ok, it was only a four mile walk from where I parked my 4 Runner, but still I can say that I walked to Colorado. Most of my walks have been on roads; there aren't really any trails to hike, yet the hiking is limitless. I was off on Sunday and Monday, so I packed up my truck and set off to have an adventure. I drove up to see Costilla, the smaller more exclusive lodge on the property. Wow! It's beautiful. Made entirely of wood harvested from the property, it sleeps 16 and has it's own staff of five to take care of the guests. Just below Costilla in a field near the reservoir I saw the bison herd for the first time. I also saw four turkeys on my drive out.

From Costilla I drove up to the Glacier Lakes. Actually I parked two miles below the lakes and walked up to them. The last two miles is a very rough four wheel drive road that I didn't really feel ready to tackle, plus I wanted to hike. It was very much like a trail actually, only wider. I don't know if the lakes are actually snow fed, which a glacier lake would be, but they definitely have a different look and feel than the other lakes. It was cold up there, and the lakes were clearer and seemed barren compared to the others. The only wildlife I saw on this hike was a grouse. Just a single grouse, bigger than the ones I see in Virginia. When I got back down to my truck it wouldn't start. Great. What could possibly be wrong? I put a brand new battery in it in November when I got it. It didn't even try to start, not even a click, and I was far away from everything. So, I put it in neutral, took off the brake, turned the key on, and with the door open I gave it a push then jumped in and popped the clutch. Low and behold it worked! I was up and running. Or, down and running since I was heading down a mountain. Kind of a crazy thing to do considering the truck could have just as well knocked me over and continued down the mountain by itself. Although I had wanted to stop and have my lunch beside a small stream, I decided it best if I continued driving back to Costilla Lodge to figure out what was going on mechanically. Aaron, one of the guys who works at Costilla looked at the battery and one cable was completely loose. I should have known. I'm the one who installed the battery and I knew one cable wasn't very tight. It wasn't a problem though so I forgot to fix it. Forgot all about it. Apparently the rough roads caused it to loosen even more. I haven't had any more trouble since Aaron tightened the cable.

After doing a lot of driving around exploring, I drove down the "red road" (as it is called because it is actually red in color) to a place along Ricardo Creek I was told was a good spot to camp. And, it was! What a sweet spot alongside this babbling little brook. I pitched my tent, then set out a blanket to sit upon and read. While sitting there reading I was visited by a bear. She came down the hill on the other side of the creek I suppose to get a drink. She saw me and stared quizzically. I softly said "go away." I was glad to see her, but didn't feel like sharing my blanket. Still she just stared at me. I slowly stood up thinking that maybe I could get my camera, but as I rose she turned and ran back up the hill from where she came. I kind of thought I may see a bear since there were many signs in the area, ie: bear scat and recently upturned rocks. It was a special moment.

I didn't sleep well in my tent. Only because it takes me a few days to get used to it again. I only spent the one night out though, and boy did I sleep well last night back in my bed. When I left my campsite, I drove to another little traveled road where I parked and hiked to Colorado. It was about an eight mile hike, very easy because it was mostly flat, but I was tired from not sleeping well and decided to make a short day of it. I stopped at Merrick Lake and laid in the sun for a bit then had my lunch and headed back "home." There was a small, scroungy looking bear at Merrick Lake. I did get pictures of that one which I will post once I get to town and a "real" internet connection.

Animals I've see here so far:
Bison, Mule deer, three of which were big bucks with huge velvety antlers, turkey, grouse, lots of prairie dogs and chipmunks and squirrels, bear, fish jumping in the lakes, lots of birds of all kinds, including woodpeckers and ducks. I haven't seen any elk yet except for one dead in a field. I couldn't tell it was an elk (someone told me later). It was being consumed by vultures, crows and coyotes.

I'm heading down for a wonderful lunch now; the food here is exceptional!