Vallecito Creek Trail

 Kicked our butts!  Off we went this morning to try our luck at seeing forest area called Weminuche Wilderness.  We have heard, and saw videos on this particular trail.  Supposed to be an amazing bridge at mile marker 2.9 - marking the distance from the trailhead at the campground.  The second bridge at 7 miles is no longer there due to an avalanche.  We'll settle for the first one - if we can do it.

Lets see what we can do...

We thought we were prepared - waited 3 days to get acclimated to the elevation - started out at 7,200 feet at cabin. Had our bug spray on, lots of water and snacks, lotion for sun screen, hats, hiking boots, hiking poles, everything good to go.  Well, we did not do so good.  By 8,200 feet - both of us huffing and panting.  We had gained 500 feet elevation from the trailhead, but thought we could make it.  Wrong. The first mile was very even, dirt packed but then it got to the granite boulders and pieces scattered.  Sprained ankles waiting to happen, or a fall. Could hear the roar of the creek - creek to me is a small little river - but this baby - when we could see it - was roaring and very muddy.  We have had thunderstorms every afternoon and the water showed it.

We turned back. I had stopped taking pictures about 20 minutes prior - was concentrating on where my feet were and that there was a huge drop off to our left with the canyon where the 'creek' was.  I was over heated and we were struggling. I have not sweated that much - ever.  Dave's legs were wobbly - and we were both suffering from altitude sickness on top of that.  Stopped every 100 feet or so, stayed in the shade, rested, and then continued down to the car.  By the time we got to the car we could barely move.   But - it was absolutely beautiful.  No wonder it is rated as the second highest traveled trail in Colorado - the first being the Colorado Trail which runs from Durango to Denver.  Some very serious hikers passed us.  And some that we thought - wow, what are they thinking?  Flip flops on, no water, no hats, one man had an oxygen tube stuck in his nose, another man had a young daughter strapped on his back.  And some folks were definitely older than us and they were buzzing on through.  Trail goes on for 39 miles.  Yikes.

I don't regret turning around.  We experienced it, maybe find another place to sit and watch the creek go by in the campground another day.  Pay for a day pass and just sit and listen and smell. 

Our start at trailhead

Nice and flat at the beginning

Granite walls hugged us

Bridge before entering wilderness

Lots of doggies visiting with their 'parents'

And we enter the wilderness

Horses to left, hikers to right

Stunning

Starts getting ankle bendy rough

There's the 'creek'

Snake to left of base of tree

And another snake

Navajo Lake and Chimney Rock National Monument

 Bucket list check.  Got to Chimney Rock NM yesterday.  But first went to Navajo Lake - what were we thinking? If Vallecito Lake is low, we should have realized that Navajo would also.  Nice camp grounds around Navajo Lake but so sad that so many boats on land and not in the water. Colorado had very little snow this past winter - which relates to snow melt filling up the reservoirs.  Extremely dry, fire bans for everything.

Looked around a bit at the campground and then decided to head to Chimney Rock NM.  About 20 minutes more north and west.  We have driven past this monument and said, some day we will stop and look.  Glad we did.  Tells the story of the Ancient Peoples and how experts THINK that the two large rock chimney-like were used for celestial navigation.  Every 18.6 years the moon rise is exactly in the middle of the two spires.  The experts also believe that people did not live there full time, but came up to the place for ceremonial activities.  Other peoples in the area are Navajo, Utes, Hopi.

Was a tidge rough walking up to the settlement, and very warm. We got there at 11:30 and we were one of the last ones to make it to the top.  Impressive.  When we left and headed back to Bayfield/Vallecito, we again saw the two spires and said - finally we know what that's about.  Worth the stop for those that like history and reading/studying the Ancestral Peoples.

How low the water is on Navajo Lake

See how steep the bank is on left

What we saw for years - finally visited it

Gotta climb to the top of that mesa

Everyone stopping to get their breathe

Looks like ants coming up path

Almost there

Made it. Phew

Impressive - can't go any closer

Vallecito Lake Vacation

We finally got away from Tucson's heat.  We left Saturday, July 25, at 7am and the temp was reading 86.  Already.  Drove north thru ShowLow and on to Holbrook and picked up I40 east.  In Gallup, NM we headed north towards Shiprock and the Navajo Nation.  Then we moved east bound towards Durango and got groceries before final destination of a small town called Bayfield - actually we are in Vallecito.  Pronounced Vie-ah-sea-toe.  Spanish for little valley.  The Ancestral peoples - Anasazi - were in the area for at least a thousand years.  These same people are noted for Mesa Verde National Park and for the Four Corners region with the Ute Nation.  One of the places we want to FINALLY visit is Chimney Rock National Monument which we have driven past at least 6 times over the 20 some years as we visited Colorado.  Never stopped.  On our bucket list this time.   

The Spanish came through, then the miners for gold/silver/whatever and settled in this southwest area of Colorado.  Many Spanish naming of things.  Hence Vallecito.  Hard to remember to pronounce it correctly.  Due to flooding from the Vallecito Creek, and the need to collect and conserve water, Vallecito Dam was built in 1940.  And you can see that this past winter was not kind to this and many areas southwest.  The water level is so low.   Many places are for sale - hard to get to the lake.  And the marina has more boats up on land or moored way out - have to take a canoe or jet ski to it.

After getting in Saturday we spend the evening gawking at the views.  And we even strolled down to the water where we have a stand-up-paddle board and a canoe at our disposal.  We hope to try it out.  Saw some Bambi's and lots of chipmunks around.  Very quiet here, the smell of the pines, hearing birds chirp - lovely. Temps in the low 80s and night about 66.

View looking down to the water

Small boat moored - SUP going by

Our view from the living room

Our deck looking out over the lake

Steep climb down to the water

Water's edge

The SUP and canoe await us