| Date |
Distance |
Time |
Elevation Gain |
Average Moving Time |
Year to Date Miles |
| 5/21/2024 |
1.0 miles |
1 hour 15 minutes |
206' |
1.2 mph |
348.7 miles |
Parking: Map:Directions: From the upper parking lot, take the lower loop trail, then take the upper out and back trail
Our stay at the Alpine Inn last night was good. We woke up early and walked in downtown Pagosa Springs, waiting for our park to open. The town is known for its hot springs. There are different price points for visiting hot springs, anywhere from an expensive resort to a free area big enough to fit one or two people on the side of the river that goes through town.
After our walk, we drove to Chimney Rock National Monument. This wasn't originally on our itinerary, but Tara had read about it in a tourist magazine she picked up. The park is part of the National Park Service but is run by the USFS. It has ancient Pueblan buildings from 900 AD, but they aren't cave dwellings like you would see at Mesa Verde. We did the short hike and then stopped by their visitor center. One of the highlights of the hike was actually the lizards we saw.
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| Downtown Pagosa Springs |
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| Hot Spring resort |
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| The rocky area on the right is a free hot spring area, where one guy is soaking. |
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| Steam rising from the hot springs at the resort across the river. |
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| The resort has several pools. |
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| Cliff Fendlerbush |
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| Paintbrush |
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| Stemmy Four-Nerved Daisy |
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| These are similar but different from the dwellings we saw in Mesa Verde |
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| Longleaf Phlox |
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| Eastern Collared Lizard |
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| Larkspur |
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| Mountain horned lizard |
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