Summer in the Mountains.

[dennishoddy]

Spent a month in New Mexico and Colorado.
Nary a day over 80. Just thought I’d post a few pics.

At the entrance to Valley Vidal NM

Top of the ski lift at Red River NM

Another from the top of the lift

Trail to Goose Lake NM

Goose Lake NM

Mule deer that visited our camp site daily

Tornado at Eagle Nest lake the day we left that area. We didn’t see it, but the dog sitter we just picked our dogs from sent us the pic. No damage.

 

[dennishoddy]

Another view of Goose Lake


We moved to Antonito Colorado for another 2 week stay.
Went to an Amish benefit dinner for one of their members who was accidentally killed. Those folks know how to cook.
Our RV freezer was full of carrot cakes, fried pies, etc.

Below the dam of Terrace lake. Animus River, can’t keep fish because of mine waste contamination.

National sand dunes park. 700’ tall dunes

Pic of a pic. Bear that one of the campers dog chased up a tree in our campground the day before we got there. Stayed there all day then left at dark.

 

[Okie4570]

Looks like a good time! How did the wife like tepee living?

 

[MacFromOK]

Glad ya'll made it back safe.

Great pics, looks like a blast. Liked the basically "no trespassing" sign.

 

[dennishoddy]

Looks like a good time! How did the wife like tepee living?

Rough life. In NM your sites are at the edge of the national forest. No fires allowed, but in Colorado, we met up with many full time RV owners. Like Terry of this forum, they are full timers. Sold everything they own and hit the road. One of our neighbors were 90+ years old and had been doing this for over 20 years. They said it was their last road trip. Time to find a condo, and finish it up.
We had another group we found of three campers that knew each other. Full timers as well.
Had pot luck dinners with them almost every day.
Eat at 4pm, happy hour at 5pm, and off to the sack at 9pm.
My wife can make friends with a rock. She gets up in the AM earlier than I and walks the dogs around the campground and chats.
Great public rifle/pistol/archery range in Antonito Co. Out to 500 yards on the rifle bay with a combo of steel, and paper targets.
I shot at the 500 yard gong with the .223, and realized the limitations of long range with it. There was a group of us from the campground shooting, and when I shot at the 500 yd gong, it fell well short. I elevated about 8' or so and hit the danged thing. Totally accidental, but I did take credit for it. LOL. (never took another shot at it either)
I could tell they were all indoor shooters. They didn't' want to shoot more than 25 yards on paper even with an AK, and the target was so full of holes that you couldn't tell where they were hitting. They were shooting their guns and not seeing results? What good is that?
We have reservations already set up for next summer.

 

[druryj]

Is the your cat in the second pic from the top of the ski lift?

 

[dlbleak]

Is the your cat in the second pic from the top of the ski lift?

I went back and looked. Damn! Is that a real cat?

 

[dlbleak]

Great pics Dennis. Any more info on the range? Location,cost etc?
For those that get out that way, there is a nice range maintained by the Lions Club east of Durango. It’s totally free and has two pistol bays and six rifle benches with targets 50 ,75 and 100. Also an area for archery and a place to throw clay targets. Pistol and rifle area’s are covered too

 

[filbert]

Thinks for the pictures Dennis, haven't been to Colorado in 20 years, I need to go back.

 

[TerryMiller]

Good shots, Dennis. I see you also have an affinity of getting a dead tree into a photograph. Oh, and I also want to hear more about the cat. It looks bigger than a house cat.

You got to the Great Sand Dunes National Park, but did you check out Zapata Falls on the way to there or back from there? Zapata Falls is a small waterfall that is back inside of a cave of sorts. One may have to walk in the stream to get to see it.

Another camping spot that we went to for decades is in that same area, but it is east of the Dunes and south of Highway 160. Go south through La Veta and Cuchara and up over the pass. Just past North Lake (one that the highway skirts around the edge of) is a turnoff just past a cattle guard and to the right. That road takes one up to Purgatoire River Campground. It is about 3 to 4 miles off of Highway 12. Lots of trees and the Purgatoire River runs through a part of the campgrounds. If one goes up the last of August and just before Labor Day, one can have the park almost entirely to themselves. Well, except for hunters and bears. The hunters, though, may be up on the mountain and not seen much. At least, that was how it was for the last several years we went up.