Spanish Peaks of Southern Colorado

     These snowy peaks were an important landmark for settlers traveling the Santa Fe Trail one hundred fifty years ago. They're called the Spanish Peaks.

     It was a scenic drive west from Kansas and the eastern plains of Colorado (La Junta area),  but when those Spanish Peaks suddenly appeared in the distance near the little town of La Veta, I gasped! I'm sure the settlers had the same reaction 150 years ago on the Santa Fe Trail. I parked La Lair in front of La Veta's library (photo below) which sits at the foothills of the Spanish Peaks.  No doubt about it, this is "The West"!

Plan A: Camp at Blue Lake, about 15 miles south of La Veta.

Scenic Highway 12 takes me there.

These folks have a great backyard view.

Since the kiddies are still in school, I have Highway 12 to myself fortunately.

I stop frequently on the road to take photos.

     This rock ledge in the hillside looks like a prototype for a Frank Lloyd Wright design, doesn't it? Slanted smooth concrete roof, a natural skylight (see the hole?), bronze-tinted floor to ceiling windows.

Wonderful outcroppings.

The dirt road to the Blue Lake Campground.

The headwaters of the Cuchara River are tumbling down on the left side of this dirt road. See all that snow?

     I'm beginning to wonder how many blankets I'll need tonight. And that's when I saw the road barrier and sign ahead, "Closed due to seasonal damage."

     Plan B: Spend tonight at a hospital parking lot in Blanca, Colorado and take a swim in the community's heated indoor swimming pool tomorrow.

     Plan C: Update 24 hours later! There was no hospital in Blanca, but there was a scenic BLM boondocking spot near Blanca Peak (click here for map location).

Included a view of the cloud-hugging snowy Spanish Peaks.

Next morning (two blanket night), it was 31 degrees inside La Lair.