Fast furious and frenetic, yet gracefully choreographed, are my words for the evening out-flight of the Orient Land Trust bat colony. As day yields to night, the voices of the 25 of us gathered at a fence above the opening of the old mine shafts—now the bat caves—are hushed as…
Mountains. What is it about the human senses that want to go beyond the beauty of mountains as a backdrop to the horizon, and make those people with a ‘climbing mentality’ be determined to get to the top? The quote, “Because it is there,” is attributed to George Mallory—an English…
September 9th in Alamosa started as a cloudless 36-degree morning. My plan for the day was to drive to the Blanca Peak trailhead and power hike up as far as I could in four hours toward the summit. After reading several trail information websites (14ers.com is a good one), I…
After reviewing weather.com recently and reading about their 10 best National Parks to visit in the Fall, I discovered several things. I have only been to three of the parks they suggested when leaves are changing but hope to visit the other seven in coming years. They left out the…
One Colorado mountain town has a sign between the post office and their one tavern that reads – “On this site, September 15, 1890, nothing happened.’ Good humor, though something had to have happened, if for no other reason than someone was there to document that nothing happened. From the…
The Treasures and Pleasures of Penitente Canyon If mountain biking, rock climbing, bouldering, hiking, trail running, geology, panoramic views, relaxing around a campfire, star gazing, seeing wildlife, photography, or any combination of these are desired pleasures – then Penitente Canyon turns them all into treasures! One nice pleasure in the…
The San Luis Valley is home to countless trails for hiking, biking and running. We’ve compiled a list of the trails less traveled, an insider’s guide to 5 trails you need to be on- because you probably haven’t yet! Make Alamosa your basecamp for a variety of different trails and…
Photo: Rio Grande Scenic Railroad to Alamosa, Colorado by Larry Lamsa Nestled in the heart of the San Luis Valley, Alamosa may be just four hours from Denver, but it’s a world away from the hustle and bustle of the Front Range. Visitors to the Centennial State often picture powder-covered…
There’s plenty to do at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, but sandboarding is without a doubt the most novel activity on offer. Nestled at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the park’s dunes (which encompass 19,000 acres) likely started forming nearly half a million years ago. Their…
No visit to the San Luis Valley is complete without a taste test of the region’s best-known staple: green chili. Thanks to its proximity to New Mexico—long considered the capital of green chili—southern Colorado is among the best places to sample this wondrous sauce, which is rich in history as…