Zapata Falls

Today we went to Alamosa again and while we were in the area of Mt Blanca we decided to go check out Zapata Falls.  It was a bit of a drive to the parking area, then we hiked back to the water which was about 1/2 mile, then we hopped rocks all the way back to the 40 foot waterfall.  It was so incredible back there!!!  Half the waterfall was frozen and was blue like the glaciers, and the other half was coming down loud and fast.  Such a cool hike!  First a little info on the San Luis Valley:

 We sure are liking our vehicle!  Perfect for us here.

The hike up was sorta steep but not bad, and it was very rocky.

 We rested a moment before beginning the rock hopping portion of the hike.

You will need to click on this picture to read it. 

 We were kinda shocked they let people rock hop back there, since it would be really easy to fall and get hurt.  We waited around awhile after seeing an older Canadian couple hopping back to see the falls.  We wanted to make sure they made it back out okay.  They did.  :)

 See how blue they are?  Glacier ice.

It was ROARING!

 After we came back out I started showing off a little. I've still got great rock hopping skills and that made me feel young.  :)

I was so proud that I didn't get my feet wet at all, not even a little bit. :)

It was getting late when we left, but we paused here for a bit of quiet time.  The mountains settle my emotions and lighten my spirit.  Just looking at them does something to me that I just can't seem to describe.  See the Sand Dunes out there in the distance?  We will be going to visit those on our next trip down into the Valley.  S

Having fun, as usual!!  I love it here in Colorado!  SO MUCH!  

Bbye for now!  <3 <3 

Property

 See the mountain behind our Walmart?  That is Mt Blanca, a fourteener, the 5th highest peak in Colorado and an important part of Navajo history.

 There is Mt Blanca again..  see the GPS?  It's confused about where we are!  LOL

 This and the pics that follow were taken on or from the land.

 This is a seasonal lake, empty right now but it fills up and wildlife come.  Half of it is on the land, the other half is on BLM property.

 Two sides of the property are fenced.

 Unlike most places around this area, the land has rolling hills.

 This is a small, two story shed that has been wired for electricity.

 There is a BLM easeway that borders one side of the property.

BLM Marker

 The only neighbor.  He is rarely there.

A farm we saw on the way in.  There were a few of these in the area. Electricity goes a few miles down the well-maintained dirt road but does not go all the way back to the property.

<3  It took our breaths away.  <3  

Looking for Campgrounds

Finally today felt like Spring in the Rockies!  The wind wasn't too bad, the skies were blue, and the temp was in the high 60's so we headed out for a hike.  This time we decided to scout out the local campgrounds since it won't be long before we break out the camping gear and get back to nature!  We found a place near the Reservoir that looked promising. It was called Cross Creek Campground and we hiked all around it.  As usual in this area we discovered spectacular views and we were the only people out there.

When you come across perfect "chairs" in nature, you take a break.

There were a couple of these birds hanging around.  Not sure what they are.  Anybody know?  They make a loud feather noise when they fly off, and they don't fly very far, or very well.

We stopped for a little apple cider, bananas, and raw almonds and then headed down the road to another campground.  We liked it a lot too and since it's off a paved road we could easily take the trikes instead of driving.  I am VERY excited about doing that again!  This time last year we were camping out nearly every night and I MISS IT!

When we got to these HUGE boulders I tried to get some pics of Simon howling...

but instead, I got pictures of Ken trying to get Simon to howl.  :o

Nope.  Not gonna happen.  LOL

Anytime we go out hiking around here I feel happy, joyous and free. You can't get that kind of pure peace just anywhere and I am so very grateful for where I live.  

See ya next time!