Weekend in San Luis Valley

A cold front had arrived in Denver.  With it came a clear message..."Summer is over." With a chill-blocking outer layer added, we boarded the Englewood (Malley) Recreation Center bus.  Destination, Alamosa, in the San Luis Valley of southern Colorado.


Mountains of Rio Grande National Forest peek out of morning clouds as we head south on Rt. 17, to Medano-Zapata Ranch.

Day 1:  Michael, our driver, would take CO. Rt. 285 out of Englewood, 235 mi. to the San Luis Valley, where we would spend the next three days.  A few pit stops along the way provided us the opportunity to stretch, keep our joints from freezing up and our bladders from overflowing.

Our accommodations would be in the city of Alamosa.  It has a population of about 10,000 residents.  It is the county seat, and home of Adams State University, a small liberal arts university, founded in 1921.  There is a small downtown area...maybe 10 city blocks at best.  A few fast food places dot the area just outside of town.  Although there are a few national chain names on storefronts, most of what we saw were home grown businesses, including service stations, gift shops, and restaurants.

Entrance to Medano Ranch.

A pre-packed box lunch of ham and cheese pitas, chips, fresh fruit and a beverage, satisfied the hungries as we made our way south. 

We made good time arriving at a road junction on the Medano-Zapata Ranch by early afternoon.  There we were met by Isaac and Jessie, in a Chevy Suburban.
Both are employed by the Nature Conservancy/Medano-Zapata Partnership that operates this 103,000 acre mega-ranch.  Located in the heart of the sprawling San Luis Valley, the ranch is home to a herd of about 2,000 American Bison.  The animals can weigh between 900 and 2,300 lbs.

The ranch was first settled by two brothers in 1877, after moving their cattle herd to the area.  Through the years, the ranch changed ownership a number of times.  It is known by locals as the headquarters of one of the greatest cattle spreads in Colorado.  The ranch was sold to the Nature Conservancy in 1999.

We followed Isaac and Jessie a few more miles to the original Zapata Ranch homestead site and base for the Bison tour.  A few minutes after arriving, Jessie was back in the Surburban.  She had it hitched to an open hay wagon outfitted with long wooden benches to accommodate visitors.

One of the homestead buildings, abandoned since the 1950's.

Our Malley tour guide, Tara, agreed to take a seat beside Isaac at the front of the wagon, while Jessie remained behind the wheel of the Suburban. Within a few hundred yards after leaving the bison barn, there was a loud thumping noise under the wagon.  Upon inspection, Isaac learned we had a flat tire.  It would present us the opportunity to experience the dusty path back to the barn on foot.

The group after walking back to the homestead.

The five mile ride over a path that faded from the landscape at times provided a full understanding of what it may have been like for those first pioneers who braved this same land over 100 years ago.  The ranch appears much like it was so long ago.  According to one web site, this valley at over 7,000' el., is the largest intermountain valley in the world.  It is 125 miles long and 65 miles wide.  Surrounded by the Sangre de Cristo mountains on the east, including Crestone Peak (14,294') and Blanca Peak (14,345'), and the San Juan mountains to the west, the valley is about the size of Connecticut. 




Part of the herd grazing on the open prairie. 

As Jessie maneuvers the Suburban mile after mile of rough ranch terrain, the creeking and screeching sounds of the wooden wagon are translated into a continuous pounding of my butt.   

The faint path followed along a small stream that snaked across this vast landscape for miles.  Then, in the distance, Isaac pointed to a grouping of dark brown images, mostly hidden by sage brush and desert grasses.  Those images would materialize into a portion of the bison herd.  The rest were scattered throughout the many square miles of this large tract of Colorado territory.

A female starts for a drink at the river.

As Jessie eased the Suburban to a stop beside the stream, a group of 100 or more bison were grazing with their young on the opposite bank.  The sight of these animals in their natural habitat was inspiring.


 

It was a scene out of the 1990 American epic western film, "Dances With Wolves,"
when Lieutenant John J. Dunbar...played by Kevin Costner...and a group of Lakota Sioux warriors tracked a herd of bison for miles before going on the attack, killing many of the then plentiful animals for food, clothing and shelter.

As I focused the lens of my camera on a mother and her cub across the stream, I was transformed...if only for that moment...to a much earlier time.

Then, Isaac gave Jessie the signal to turn us around and head for the barn.  As we did, a few bison made their way to the stream for a drink.  It would be the closest (about 50 yds.) we would get to the beasts.  On the return to the homestead, as we were being  assaulted by rough terrain, one member of the group remarked, "Imagine how the pioneers felt 100 years ago."


Isaac explains how Bison are processed from holding pens through the barn.

 

Before leaving the ranch, we were able to tour the bison barn, a kind of processing center, according to Isaac.  As he explained, the bison are brought here once each year to be weighed, and identified by gender.  The process includes moving the animals from a large corral, through a series of pens, then to the barn.

These pens get smaller as the animals are moved into the barn, culling the herd into smaller and smaller groups until the animals are in a single file leading into a solid metal chute.  This chute leads the animals through a series of stops ending at the station where each animal is identified according to gender, weighed, and checked for disease or injury.   It takes about 10 days to process the entire herd.


 

Our next stop, the Medino-Zapata Lodge Complex.  Located a short distance from the old homestead, this site offers visitors overnight lodging, with all the comforts of home, in a true western setting. 

Baby Gordon gets attention from wranglers and visitors every day.

Before leaving we met Gordon, a baby bison, as a wrangler led him out of his corral.  "Totally spoiled," according to one of the wranglers, Gordon gets daily attention from ranch hands and tourists alike.

Next stop, Great Sand Dunes National Park.  The Great Dunes are the tallest dunes in the U S. reaching a height of 650' and covering over 37 sq. miles.  Medano Creek flows along the base of the dunes.  It is known as the disappearing creek because it is normally visible but disappears into the sand during dry periods.

Most sand comes from the San Juan Mountains, over 65 mi. to the west.  Larger rougher grains and pebbles come from the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the east.  Sand and sediments from both ranges washed into a huge lake once covering the valley floor.  As the lake shrank, south-westerly winds bounced sand grains to pile up beneath the Sangre de Cristos, or to be washed back toward the valley floor.

From the Visitor Center, one can walk through four-winged sagebrush and inland saltgrass, .25 mi. to the Great Dunes.

North-easterly storm winds blast through mountain passes, piling dunes back on themselves and creating North America's tallest dunes.  Research suggests that the dunes are less than 440,000 years old.     



People appear the size of ants as the slowly move across the moon-like landscape.

It is now late afternoon, and we have yet to see our accommodations for the weekend.  As we enter Alamosa,we pass a number of restaurants suitable for dinner.  We would lodge at the Valley Motel on Main Street, where we found our room to be clean and comfortable.




Our choice for dinner, Calvillo's Mexican Restaurant, on Main Street, downtown.  A full menu plus an all-you-can-eat buffet was just what we wanted.  Food was well-presented, fresh and hot.  The evening was topped by two guitarists singing traditional Mexican tunes.

My guess it was the only eating establishment in town with entertainment.  Many in our group also chose Calvillo's.




Day 2:  A short ride down Main Street brought us to the Depot.  Home to the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad.  This early 20th century rail line takes patrons from Alamosa, 60 miles to La Veta, a small town of  900 residents that was carved out of the Sangre de Cristo mountains over 100 years ago. 


Land for the town was purchased in 1868.  La Veta means "The Mineral Vein" in Spanish.  An appropriate name given the town's association with many mining claims in the area.




The engine towed two Pullman and a dining car to La Vita and back.

The last passenger train was discontinued in 1953.  The historic line runs from Alamosa, along the San Isabel National Forest, through two tunnels (600 and 900' long), and into the historic 1870's town.

Our decision to forego another box lunch and find a spot for lunch on our own was the right choice.  We found it on W. Francisco Street. 

The Next Door Deli is housed in a renovated old stone structure.  It offers patrons ample seating in the main dining area.  Plus there is a patio in back providing guests more privacy in a quiet atmosphere.

We pass the Fir Mountaintop concert site on the way to La Veta.  

Although much of the 90 minutes allotted for our visit to La Veta had passed during lunch, we did get to explore a few galleries and shops downtown, before returning to the train depot.

A number of unique rock formations dot the landscape.

This is one of those small Colorado towns tucked away in the mountains...both the San Isabel National Forest and Spanish Peaks Wilderness surrounds the town.  Entering town via the train was certainly scenic.  I'm sure the drive through the mountains would be equally as picturesque.

Giant lobster claw or solid rock?

On board, patrons were treated to complimentary pastries, fresh fruit, cheese and crackers, plus hot and colds beverages.  Mixed drinks were also available for purchase.

Bald Eagle circles over the train.

The 60-mile ride was not only scenic, it was relaxing.  Patrons are able to move about the three cars to get a snack and a beverage.  They can have a seat in the dining car and watch the countryside slip by.  The only downside are the huge clouds of black smoke generated by the powerful engine pulling us.  Smoke belches from the engine every time the engineer increases speed or approaches a grade.

This ride is anything but a fast moving clip through the mountains.  Patrons should be prepared for a few hours of relaxation.  Add in the complimentary food and beverages, the awesome sights and open landscapes, all from the comfort of your window seat...makes this trip one not to be missed.  This may have been the last weekend the train would operate this season. 


The train was a great vantage point from which to capture images of unique mountainous terrain and wildlife in this remote area of southern Colorado.  The only wildlife observed today were a number of white-tail deer, various songbirds, and a few prairie hawks, and an eagle. 




Day two ended as did the previous one, with a satisfying meal downtown.

Day 3:  After a continental breakfast, we set off for the Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge.  This 12,026 acre refuge is a collection of wet meadows, and river oxbows that is home to a variety of wildlife, including songbirds, water fowl, raptors, deer, beavers, and coyotes.

The Refuge is only a few miles outside of town.  Cool morning air greets us as we file from the bus at the Visitor Center and make our way to a walking path.


A walking path leads beside a stream.

Although closed today, we are able to explore the path along a stream while looking for wildlife. 

Today, we spotted red-winged blackbirds, magpies, a blue heron, and a number of songbirds.  The terrain here is all marshland and prairie, but it did provide us the opportunity to exercise before the ride back to Englewood.

Next, Michael drove a few miles deeper into the Refuge to Bluff Overlook.  From this slight ridge above the sprawling landscape, views are exceptional in all directions.  Everyone with a camera was busy capturing scenes of cattle grazing in the distance, or a group of ducks landing on the stream below. 




Cat-O-Nine Tails are common in these wetlands. 

Partly overcast skies that dealt us cool morning air now found us clamoring about squinting through camera lenses to capture a few last images of this fascinating area of Colorado.

As some in the group began heading for the bus, I wandered a bit further along a split rail fence lining the parking area, capturing more images of the San Luis Valley.

In three days, we were provided numerous opportunities to learn more about the history, culture, landscape, and people who settled this part of Colorado. 

Our days were well-planned with a variety of activities.  There was time to explore on our own...walking in downtown Alamosa and La Veta...to a first-hand account of how the Great Dunes were formed.

Marshland at Alamosa National Wildlife  Refuge.

Then it was over.  We boarded the bus one more time to begin the ride home.  The weekend we had been anxious for months to experience had ended.  Leaving the Refuge, I found myself looking from side to side, hoping to see more wildlife, more unobstructed views of majestic mountains, and more images of locals who live among this unique and colorful landscape. 

Michael steered the bus out of the wetlands of the Refuge, then east toward Walsenberg, where we would stop for lunch.  Then it was back to Englewood, by way of I-25.  We arrived at the recreation center at 3 p.m.

The view from Bluff Overlook.

This trip is recommended to anyone interested in learning more about the history, people, and landscape of southern Colorado.  It is a wonderful way to experience this part of the state up close while on a limited budget.

Thanks to Tara for planning the trip.  Thanks also to Michael for his patience and excellent driving skills over three days.