Hunt for Basin Creek Waterfall

Monday we were torn on what to do.  We had visited Mesa Verde National Park a couple of times, been to other main attractions and thought we would visit a couple of state parks.  However, the ones we chose were closed to the public (on Ute Indian Lands and only open for hunting).  Found Basin Creek Waterfall as a waterfall that you did not have to hike to, could see it just yards from your car.  Let's go!

Traveled towards Durango and to the small town of Hesperus and turned north on a county road.  Some beautiful homes tucked into the sides of the mountains.  Traveled about 5 miles and the paved road led to hard packed dirt, some chuck holes from all the rain but still very doable.  Many national forest campgrounds on either side, we were climbing the mountains of Durango and Silverton.  Incredible views.

Passed a couple of waterfalls and kept going, the goal to get to Basin Creek first, could see the waterfalls we passed on way back down.  As we neared the last 3/4 mile, the road got very rocky and we just felt that we could not go on in our car, was near bottoming out at times.  Needed a high clearance vehicle to go on.  Bummer.  The picture on the internet looked fabulous, will trust it is beautiful, just wasn't our day to see it.

Stopped along the way back and took many pictures of the La Plata River.  And smaller waterfalls.  Enjoyable day. Saw a number of tourist companies, people stacked inside like safaris as they were leaving the area we were heading. Saw some cute retro RVs, old abandoned homes (cabins), the town platt of La Plata (just the meadow left - you had to imagine a thriving town in the 1880's), lovely areas to just watch the world go by.

Our last day at Circle K Ranch was spent driving back to Lizard Head Pass and sitting along the roadside and staring at the magnificent views.  "The hills are alive with the Sound...." Beautiful.  For some reason I stared into the forest edge and a deer came out into the open!  How cool.

Came back from the pass and pulled into a trailhead and looked around, then heard thunder in the distance, dark clouds coming, so we got into the car and snacked, watching the storm come in.  Torrential rain and lightning.  People who had been on the trail came running back to the parking lot, absolutely soaked. There were a number of people come running down the trail, hopped into the van and off they went.

On a side note.  I had a chat with the office manager of the Ranch we were staying at and found out some interesting things.  Why was the Dolores River (Spanish for Lady of Sorrows) sometimes a caramel color, and some times silver?  Her boyfriend who is working in Rico with upgrading their water and sewage systems, said the numerous mines from hundred years ago have contaminated the ground and runoff from the mines goes directly into the river.  The caramel color of the river is when it rains in Telluride, the trailings from the gold mines infiltrate the water, hence it's caramel.  If it rains in Silverton, the trailings from the mines there (silver mines) infiltrate the river and turn it silver.  By the time the river reaches the McPhee Reservoir in Dolores, the sediments have filtered out and dropped and therefore when you look at McPhee, you see blue clear water. 

And the horses - lots of them!  Stellar Jays and Magpies were very abundant.