Lower Hermosa Trail

Because every forest in New Mexico has been closed most of the summer due to fires, we have gotten our camping ‘fix’ in nearby Colorado.  One weekend we packed up the family and headed north to Durango.

the view from our hike at Lower Hermosa Trail

We stopped and set up camp at the Lower Hermosa Creek Trail.  It is about 14 miles northwest of Durango and is a free 20 site camping area.  It has bathrooms and is the perfect mid-point to the town of Durango, Purgatory, or Silverton.  We stopped and hiked at many different places on our trip.  One such place is called Cascade Creek Falls.

the start of Cascade Creek Falls

This is a steep trail for about 200 yards and then you hike in the water the rest of the way.  The water is cold and refreshing and you get to cliff  jump your way down a series of about 8 cliffs to the bottom.

the first jump into our hike

It was a lot of fun but we had to leave my son with my in-laws as he was too little to hike the entire trail.  He did the first part of it to the first cliff and that was all.  The jumps were about 6 feet except for the last one.  That one was about 10 feet.  There was also a ‘rock slide’ you had to go down which was a lot of fun.  Cascade Creek is about 2 miles north of Purgatory Ski Resort.  You can’t miss it, it is right along a giant curve.  One note of caution I would like to mention is that once you jump off of the first cliff you have to continue and make the commitment to finish.  There is no going back at that point because the canyon is steep and there isn’t a trail until you get to finish.

Pinkerman Springs

Another stop we made was at Pinkerman hot springs.  This amazing site is along the highway up to Cascade Creek.  The water is warm and smells a little like Iron.  Hence, the color of the rock.  We stopped there because there was a geo-cache hidden near there.  We had a great time exploring new places we had not been before.

Happy Hiking!

S

Durango Colorado

I had never been to little town of Durango Colorado.  I know, crazy right?  We decided to head out of town for the weekend.  I have heard so many wonderful things about Durango and I wanted to experience it for myself.  We packed up the family and headed out.  We arrived about 4 hours later to this quaint little town.  There is a lot to do here in the summer time.  We walked all over downtown and made a few wonderful stops.

Strater Hotel

We visited the Strater Hotel.  It was like going back in time and my son loved getting into the old wooden phone booths after we explained what they were :)  This hotel was built in 1887 and still has most of its original charm.  It was a lot of fun to see and the parlor, restaurant, and saloon were particularly neat to look at.

We visited the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad where visitors are able to buy train tickets and take a ride on the railroad.   They have a museum you can visit.  Times  vary and you can even walk out into the train yard.   While you are out walking around town you can hear the train tooting its horn as it passes by.  Durango has a  surfeit of happenings around town.  A few are kayaking, rafting or tubing on the Animas river, farmer’s markets, hikes, local brew pubs, and wonderful restaurants.  It was a great family mini vacation.  Do you have other small towns you like to visit?

S

The Lodge at Sierra Blanca in Ruidoso

View from the trail behind the Lodge

Ruidoso is the perfect place for family activities and beautiful scenery.  Last weekend, we stayed at The Lodge at Sierra Blanca in Ruidoso, NM.  Ruidoso is about 3 hours southeast of Albuquerque.  Ruidoso is surrounded by the Lincoln National Forest which abounds with historic markers – ever heard of Smokey the Bear or Billy the Kid?

The Lodge at Sierra Blanca

The Lodge was a nice place to stay in that it provided spacious suites (with gas fireplaces), an indoor pool, and a small fitness room (with a beautiful view).  It was located right next to The Links golf course, tennis courts, and an accessible 5k trail.  The Lodge also offered free morning yoga/tai chi and afternoon pool exercise classes.  The midtown shopping and restaurant district is a very short drive away.  Very near to Ruidoso is Bonito Lake with plenty of camping and hiking opportunities.  Aside from traditional hotels and lodges there are many options for renting cabins which allows you more flexibility in the size, price, and location of your accommodations.

Flying J Ranch - Pony Ride

My visit was in the context of attending a convention so my weekend was tame, but in a good way.  We visited the Flying J Ranch, a chuckwagon supper and western show.  I expected mostly cheesiness but it turned out to be pretty fun!  The pre-dinner activities are for the little ones (pony rides, pistol shoot, and old western town shootout), but dinner was tasty and efficiently served (for over 500 people!) and the post-dinner entertainment was, well, entertaining!  It was a western stage show featuring a national champion yodeler and a very talented band.  It was totally wholesome (how refreshing!) and totally fun.  It was really quite a perfect place to take a large group and especially, your little ones.

Of course, there is also plenty of skiing in the winter but that’s for another time . . .

~R

San Juan National Forest, Colorado

Venturing outside New Mexico for a bit (everybody likes to get away sometimes) . . .

These mountains are gorgeous:  they seem endless, the trees are tall and green, the meadows are filled green grass and flowers, the creeks are full of fish, the hiking is great, and when city temps are in the 90s the cool mountain air is a dream.  I know, I’m gushing, but a trip to the San Juan National Forest is worth your time and effort.

Views high atop the Dolores Rd. (the west fork of the Dolores River is also in view)

The San Juan National Forest is located in the southwestern region of Colorado.  I’ve been lucky enough to spend some time in the area between Telluride and the town of Dolores.  (Roughly speaking, Durango and Pagosa Springs are at the southern edge and Telluride is near the northern edge of the San Juan National Forest.  Dolores is at the western edge.)

The camping (Mavreeso and West Dolores campgrounds are easily accesible by car), backpacking, hiking, fishing, and biking opportunities are endless.  Check out the Forest Service website for all your options.

Our favorite hike is taking the Twin Spring Trail to Stoner Creek Trail and down into Stoner Creek for fishing. 

Forested areas open to beautiful meadows (the trail is marked with posts)

Stoner Creek, Colorado

McPhee Reservoir and Recreation Area is also a beautiful place to visit.  There is fishing, camping, boating, hiking, and swimming.

View to McPhee Reservoir

We also like to spend a little bit of time foraging for raspberries and tiny strawberries.

Mountain Raspberries (usually in season around early August)

 Happy exploring this summer!  If you get a chance to venture into the San Juan National Forest tell us about it!

~R