Day 3-5: The Rio Grande Headwaters
Thus, drew the end of our second day of travel when we arrived at the Rio Grande Reservoir near Creede, Colorado. The old mines at Creede would be a mini adventure for another day. Just like the evening before, we had to set up camp as the sun was setting behind the mountains. The alpine air was growing cold, but this time we were better prepared for the cold night before us.
Side note; we are a camping family, but usually at much lower altitudes and it became evident our low land gear needed upgrading. Conversely, my son is a long-distance hiker and he usually carries a fifty-pound pack. Moreover, he possess all the warm lightweight gear needed for a trek like we were about to embark. Me…. keep in mind, I am an avid photographer and I carry more weight in photo equipment than in camping supplies. This day pack was over sixty-five pounds and my daughters had to carry much of my food. I know, crazy.
I grew up all up and down the Rio Grande in New Mexico, but I had never been up to its headwaters, and that would be on the docket for the next two days; hiking and camping along the route to the top of the Continental Divide. We drove as far as the JINO (Jeep in name only) would take us and then we set out on foot; yes, this flatlander with a sixty-five-pound pack at nine thousand feet ascending to thirteen thousand feet.
The trail we followed was well marked and very easy to walk. Likewise, ATVs were running up and down the trail. The noise tended to ruin the ambiance of the wide-open scenery and isolated sounds of nature. We walked beside deep canyons with rushing water, fed by the melting snow from the mountains rising before us. The ledges we walked were steep; one slip and they would be retrieving our bodies somewhere down river in Texas. As we surveyed the terrain behind, we saw the deep canyon had opened wide into a green grassy valley which housed the now distant Rio Grande Reservoir. We saw lots of wildlife such as deer, moose, squirrels, chipmunks, elk, buffalo, and a variety of birds and reptiles. But what we were most jealous to see would never come into our view; bears, big horned sheep, and mountain goats.
A note of caution to all you flat landers; give yourself a plenty of time to acclimate at high altitudes. This is because the thin mountain will quickly drain your energy resources. But the views are well worth the trek and the memories made will last a life time. To complete the hike as far as we had originally planned would require another day. But running out of time, we all agreed to return to complete this trek some day when we had more time. On day two of this hike we returned to base camp. We were all exhausted tired, but with an over whelming sense of accomplishment. We made dinner out of a can and bedded down for the night.
The next morning, we got up and it was unseasonably cold. We had breakfast and quickly packed up for the next segment of our adventure. Now our plan was to drive to and spend a couple of days at Vallecito Reservoir. Our route would take us through Creede, South Fork, and over Wolf Creek Pass. We drove through areas of Colorado that can’t be fully appreciated in a mere few days. But, there are some off the main road destinations that just can’t be passed up and Creede was one of them. Creede, Colorado is a small old west mining town. It has numerous little shops and trendy hole-in-the-wall cafes and micro-breweries. On the north end of town there is a box canyon where a long ago deserted mine dominates the landscape.
With my daughters impressing the need to stay on schedule, annoyingly I put away the camera and resumed the drive. On this part of highway 160, as we wound our way up to the Continental Divide, the scenery was breath taking. High mountains, deep canyons, tall trees, and receding snows were all around; it was a photographer’s heaven. Once crossing over the Continental Divide at Wolf Creek Pass, 10,856 feet, we began out descent through Pagosa Springs and finally arriving at Vallecito Reservoir.
