This summer, my friends Jamie, Yoli, and I visited Southwest Colorado!
We departed Grand Junction on July 26 (my apologies for posting this late—I’ve been busy). The prior evening, I went along with Jamie and her family to see beloved country singer Gary Allen perform at Las Colonias Amphitheatre: thank you guys for having me tag along! 😀 We sat just a few rows away from the stage—VIP access—and it was a lively show: Allen is such a talented performer. I’m no country music aficionado, but damn, was I impressed: he can sing, play, and write. The crowd was more than appreciative, everyone standing and singing along the whole evening.
The following morning Jamie and I departed in my Jeep, our destination Cortez, CO. We took Highway 50 south then took Highway 141 west towards Gateway. Driving up Unaweep Canyon never gets old; the upper reaches of the canyon are Colorado’s own Yosemite, the imposing granite cliffs soaring above you.
I’m familiar with Highway 141 up to the tiny community of Gateway, location of the prestigious Gateway Canyons Resort. Looping south, the drive was all new to me, as we drove along the Dolores River, following the striking red rock canyon carved by the river.
This area is incredibly beautiful and isolated. Along the edge of the canyon for several miles are the remains of the Hanging Flume, an open water chute constructed between 1888 and 1891. Sitting about 75 feet above the river, the flume channeled water to help facilitate operations at area placer mines. According to interpretive signs at the pull off, the flume was incredibly efficient, channeling over 23 million gallons of water in a 24 hour period. Wow.
Resuming our drive, we passed the former site of Uravan, an uranium mining town. Once a bustling community, the town was abandoned, eventually razed and declared a Superfund site, due to radioactive contamination. Now well out of Dolores Canyon, we passed through the tiny community of Nucla, and continued on Highway 141. The land flattened out and for several miles resembled the sagebrush plateaus of Wyoming. As we drove further on, I recognized the Abajo Mountains to the east, just over the Utah border, and to the south, the striking profile of Sleeping Ute Mountain, near Cortez.
We arrived just outside of town in the mid-afternoon. Jamie had reserved one of the charming Stone Turtle cabins for us to spend the night. Situated in the middle of sprawling ranch and farmlands, this area is the definition of “big sky country.”
Looking out the north facing picture window at the back of the cabin, I observed ranch hands wrangling up cattle.
After unloading my car, Jamie and I headed to town to explore a bit. We parked along Main Street, and stopped by some shops. We visited the aptly named BOOKS, the building near to bursting with new and used volumes. Grabbing some groceries at City Market, we headed back to the cabin. By then Yoli had arrived from her trip to Arizona, having driven from Flagstaff. Shortly afterwards, Yoli’s friend Tisha joined us as well. After having dinner, we got ready to see the band Reckless Kelly perform at the Montezuma County Fairgrounds.
At the fairgrounds, the stage was set up in the arena, facing the stands. We watched the entire show while standing in the arena. Unfortunately I didn’t really document this evening, but the small snippet vid below gives you an idea of another fun, music filled evening. Reckless Kelly are a very talented, energetic band. It was a smaller crowd, but no less fun. Thank you Yoli for the tickets. 🙂
The next morning we woke early to leave for Durango. After breakfast on the front porch, Tisha left for home, and the rest of us ladies hopped in my car to head east. Highway 160 is a scenic drive, the desert giving way to higher altitude and pine trees. We arrived in Durango in about an hour, and continued to Vallecito Reservoir.
Jamie navigated our way as we drove NE on CO Road 240 for 24 miles through dense ponderosa forest. When the lake came into view, we were stunned at just how big the lake is. Vallecito Reservoir is its own hidden world with plenty of boats, docks, and camping/ RV areas. Driving around the entire perimeter of the lake, I was amazed how much life there was: campers and boaters and cabins everywhere. Without a doubt, this lake merits its own weekend getaway in the future. For this trip, we parked at Vallecito Creek Trailhead and began our trek. Heading north, the trail starts level and wanders adjacent to the Vallecito Campground. Rocky outcrops and TALL ponderosas border the trail. At about 1.5 miles in, the trail begins to ascend, following upstream the narrow canyon formed by Vallecito Creek.
We continued on, and at one point spotted a tiny, sandy beach along the water. The river churned past, and a pile of broken logs and debris on the shore attested to the strength of the rapids.
We hiked a few more miles, traversing through the forest. Per usual in Colorado, the summer thunderheads rolled in for a brief shower, and for a few minutes we remained under the cover of the pines. Soon the sky cleared, and we came upon one of the larger bridges, our turning point. Here we stopped for snack time and further admired the magnificent settings.
After break time, we headed back the way we came. We arrived at the trail head around 5 PM, our hike totaling about 7.5-8 miles roundtrip: a perfect outdoor adventure. We arrived back in Durango about an hour later, destination the historic Strater Hotel.
Built 1887, the Strater is a premier example of Victorian architecture and interiors. From the handsome masonry to exquisite woodwork and intricate wallpaper, I felt transported to yester-century as soon as I entered the lobby. Our room was located on the first floor at the back of the building—alas, I neglected to take any pics of the room. It was a cozy space with fancy wall paper, and just outside the window ran the famous Durango and Silverton Railroad.
After freshening up post hike, we hit the town. We headed to Steamworks Brewing for dinner, where we sat facing the Hogback: beautiful view. Then we wandered along Main Street. Ever the book worm, I made sure to check out Maria’s Bookshop. Super cozy and welcoming, I know I could spend several hours there.
We had ice cream at Cream Bean Berry, then proceeded to Wild Horse Saloon, where we hung out for several hours. A live band played, and folks crowded the dance floor. Once again, people watching is always entertaining.
After several drinks, it was time to hit the hay. Days 1 and 2 of our Southwest CO trip: a success! The adventure continues in Part 2: Hovenweep, Rico, and Ridgway—stay tuned for that upcoming post!
~LMC