July 27-28, 2007

San Luis State Park

and South Fork, CO

As we headed from the Canon City area, it was our plan to stay near Sand Dunes Nat’l Park for a couple days. A nearby state park (San Luis Lake) had electricity in their spaces and was 10 or so miles from the dunes. The drive up the Arkansas River was beautiful, but caused a few Mexico highway flashbacks as oil tanker trucks came around the bend heading our way. It was a heckuva lot easier in Mexico just following the rig in front of us. We checked in, set up camp among the sagebrush and sand and then realized that our campsite was reserved for the next 2 nights. If we wanted to stay, it meant moving the next morning.

In the afternoon a cooling thunderstorm kept the temperatures down, so we cruised into the park to look at the dunes in the evening. Very impressive—the highest sand dunes in North America.

Returning to camp, we had hoped for a campfire, since we have been dragging firewood with us from Silver Falls, Oregon. However, a trickle turned into another downpour, so we took cover in the rig.

In the morning, we pondered our next move. The sun was already glowing hot---too late to hike in the dunes until evening, and then only if the weatherman cooperated. Since we had to pack up the rig to move, we decided to just move on down the road, and headed to highway 160, going west to South Fork, where the Rio Grande passes through town. We arrived at South Fork RV Park, where we learned this evening that the residents fired the last manager a few days ago and are now running the place themselves. There is a core group of summer returnees here (many escaping the heat in Texas), very friendly –even to us Californians. If we stay here more than a day, I’m afraid we’ll pick up the Texas twang. ‘Cain’t hardly believe I said that!

A day trip up the nearby Silver Thread highway took us to Creede, about 30 miles distant. Beautiful drive up the river canyon. (Make a note to checkout the USFS Palisades campground—rigs parked along the riverbank.) Towering haystack cliffs that I intended to photograph on the way back---but pouring rain left the canvas blank. Creede was a town suckling on the expenditures of summer visitors. At 8800 feet, there isn’t a whole lot of winter activity except snow-plowing. We contributed a few bucks for some ice cream cones just before the rain started. I am longing for the Umpqua ice cream of Oregon. Colorado has a lot to learn in the ice cream business.

That aside, this is beautiful country---just about the prettiest on the trip (excluding Waterton, Canada). We will return to this area for more detailed exploration.