Our Little Guy Travels

Another windy morning with a forecast for even stronger winds in the afternoon made it an easy decision to pack up. We stopped at the Sand Dunes and waded through the creek. We could feel the wind picking up so after about 30 minutes we headed back through the creek to the car.
We drove around the campground in the park making note of several spaces that would work for us if we want to come back.
Heading back towards home we decided we weren’t ready to go home. We had enough supplies for at least one more day, so as we were driving along we thought of Creede and the Palisades campground. We drove all the way across the San Luis valley, dust blowing everywhere to South Fork. Just 10 miles up the road is the campground. We are the only ones here tonight having our choice of sites including the campground host site. We are in site 3 right in the Rio Grande River. There’s no fee to camp here since it’s off season. The bathrooms are open and clean. But we didn’t get away from the wind! We even ate our dinner inside the camper, a first for us. It’s also a bit chilly- mid 40’s. We will most likely head home tomorrow. Happy campers!

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It got down to about 32 last night outside – 42 inside. We stayed warm but it was rough getting up to make coffee. Once the sun came out, we were once again happy campers.

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We weren’t sure Susan would be able to do this hike with her injured knee, but what a trooper! It’s 1.4 miles round trip from the campground. Lots of places to stop along the way made the hike very doable. Too much ice in the creek to make it all the way to the falls but we’ve done it before so it was ok to stop where we did.
Back at camp the wind has picked up and we’re not sure what to do. Maybe a bike ride? Maybe a nap? Maybe read? Stay tuned.

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Ski season ended and we entered the camping/biking season. Tonight we are at Zapata falls campground near the Sand Dunes National Park. We are here for three nights – not too far from home. We also have Sadie with us on this trip since her humans are in Mexico for a few days.
We are in site 23 which seems very private. It’s gusty tonight but we are prepared. We hope to hike to Zapata falls tomorrow and also visit the Sand Dunes at some point. We heard that medano creek is already running.

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On Fri, Sep 29, 2023 at 12:36 PM Susan Boucher <suzanne.sky> wrote:

I caught the moon riding over our campfire last night. It sure has been throwing big shadows at night!
Today we wanted to see where the trail just outside the campground led. On the way in site one we met Russ and Linda Colling from salida! We visited with them for a while and learned we have much in common. They told us about some old tables and fireplaces that may have been an old campground. We said we’d check it out. We will probably bump into them in salida since they live just up the street.
On we went on our hike and made it as far as we felt comfortable going. There was no trail and boulders and deadfall made walking tricky.
Back at the campground we found the site Russ was talking about. We could really imagine others being there perhaps 100 years ago?
We spent the afternoon relaxing in our campsite and even played a game of cribbage! It was fun once we remembered the rules 😂. And lastly we got on our bikes and rode down to the highway then back up to camp. Round trip 2 miles. Rick did it twice.
Tomorrow we head home and will close out the season for 2023. It was a good one seeing lots of new places and campgrounds.

This morning was a bit chilly but the sun warmed us up fast. We took some time for ourselves; Rick likes to journal, Susan likes to putter. Around 11 we headed out to explore the roads west of here. Simon wasn’t too sure. The aspens around the campground are just stunning.
First real stop (after taking a wrong road that led to nowhere) was fishing at Dome Lake. Simon was pretty happy since he likes to “help” with the line. After several casts and no bites we gave up. Those fish are smart because we could see them.
We were about 10 miles off highway 114 and Rick wanted to ride his bike back to the road. Then he wanted to ride to the chain station at the bottom of Cochetopa pass and with only a mile to the top, off he went. Great ride with challenging winds.
Now it was Susan’s turn to ride down the pass and back to camp. Really windy and scary at times with big trucks passing and not a lot of shoulder. But she made it and we both spent the rest of the day relaxing at camp. We’ll probably sleep well again tonight.

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We couldn’t resist going out once more given that the fall weather has been so superb. We headed south from Salida and west from Alamosa to Buffalo Pass campground. For $5 a night ( with our senior pass) why not?
It’s only about an hour and a half from home and we took it easy setting up. Only two other campers in the park and not near us. Simon busied himself looking for the chipmunk that clearly had left its nest. He’ll sleep good tonight!
We took a drive to the top of North Cochetopa pass which is also the Continental Divide. Rick wants Susan to ride down from the top (4 miles) just for fun. Stay tuned.
It gets dark early these days so at 7:30 it’s time to go inside. There is no cell service around here so these posts will all come in once we head home. So nice to be away from the news and politics.

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I caught the moon riding over our campfire last night. It sure has been throwing big shadows at night!
Today we wanted to see where the trail just outside the campground led. On the way in site one we met Russ and Linda Colling from salida! We visited with them for a while and learned we have much in common. They told us about some old tables and fireplaces that may have been an old campground. We said we’d check it out. We will probably bump into them in salida since they live just up the street.
On we went on our hike and made it as far as we felt comfortable going. There was no trail and boulders and deadfall made walking tricky.
Back at the campground we found the site Russ was talking about. We could really imagine others being there perhaps 100 years ago?
We spent the afternoon relaxing in our campsite and even played a game of cribbage! It was fun once we remembered the rules 😂. And lastly we got on our bikes and rode down to the highway then back up to camp. Round trip 2 miles. Rick did it twice.
Tomorrow we head home and will close out the season for 2023. It was a good one seeing lots of new places and campgrounds.

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We decided to stay one more day. Just not ready to go home. On our way to go fishing, we passed this happy group of campers with their pack llamas. So fun to see!
Fishing on the shore of Twin Lakes was not fruitful. Rick did catch one fish while Simon “helped.” We moved to the ForeBay above the lake and that was also a bust. Guess we got a late start.
After “lunch,” we headed out for another hike from our campsite. We’ve been on this trail before but went further along the road. We came across some old buildings and a pit that may have been some kind of mining attempt. We made up our own story of what went in there but who knows for sure?
We stopped at the creek that runs through the campground and Simon was so happy to get cooled off. We stayed there for a while just listening to the sound of the water. Very relaxing.
We got back to our campsite just in time for the afternoon thunderstorm. It was over in twenty minutes.
Tonight we are enjoying our last campfire and starting to think about being responsible again. It’s been a wonderful trip.

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We left Camp Hale for Parry peak campground above Twin Lakes. Snagged site 22 and were all set up by 11:30. About 11:45 the skies opened up. Big thunder, lightning and even hail. Twenty minutes later it was over.
Rick explored on his bike and told us about a trail to hike. The campground host said it connects to the Willis Gulch trail. We followed it along the creek then as it started uphill we turned around. We were not equipped for that type of trail and it was thundering again.
Interesting things along the trail. Beautiful rocks and waterfalls, a bridge over to the highway with a spillway under it and what looked like an old propane tank 🤷‍♂️.
It’s very pleasant here among the aspens. We’re not set up for two more nights unless we really stretch our peanut butter and honey😉. Stay tuned.

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Rick rode his bike on the road we found yesterday. He explored a bit and had a great time. He’s really wanting me to get a gravel bike.
We brought tomatoes and cucumbers from our garden and are enjoying them with our evening meal. So good.
We took a couple of other roads around Camp Hale. Lots of history here. It’s really amazing that there was a community of 15,000 people here in 1944.
We also took a drive to RedCliff and checked out a couple of campgrounds along the way. Nothing interesting. Tomorrow we are going to Parry Peak campground near Twin Lakes.

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Rick was stationed here in the late 70’s as part of the 10th Mountain Division. He hasn’t been back in 45 years and it looks a bit different.
We’re here for at least two nights but it seems like there’s a lot to do here. Biking, hiking, fishing, relaxing and just enjoying the great outdoors.
The campground is well laid out with lots of privacy. We are in site 2 (for now.). We’ve been known to move sites if a nicer one opens up.
We took a drive around and found a good gravel ride for Rick. That’s his plan for tomorrow. I may go to Red cliff or minturn just because.
The meteor showers are going on too. We might have enough of a dark sky to see them later.

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After a one night stop in Boulder to see family, we are home. 10 days, 1853 miles and lots of memories. Lost our 5 gallon water jug off the camper platform somewhere in Loveland (bad bumper road) we think, two wash cloths who knows where and two tent nails probably in Juniper CG. All items easily replaceable Susan has now been in all 50 states, a remarkable accomplishment. Took 75 years! We’ll stay put for a while and take care of our yard. Tomatoes are getting ready!

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We stayed in the Spearfish City campground for four nights and three nights in Theodore Roosevelt National park south and north units. We did not have a “bad” site.
Spearfish sites are all on grass with picnic tables and fire rings. Non hookup sites were not assigned, just find a spot you like and set up camp. The bathrooms were clean with flush toilets and complimentary hot showers with decent pressure. There’s a creek running through the campground that sounds lovely however it draws flies and mosquitoes. The city power plant is at the end of the park and offers constant white noise. Not annoying. Very convenient to town with all services. $30 a night.
The south unit near Medora had gravel based campsites and were well spaced apart. Some of the sites were actually on the pavement along the road! That seemed weird to us. Nice flush toilets. Many tent campers. There were really no services in Medora which we were told there were. Only expensive restaurants.
The north unit had paved sites and also modern bathrooms. Busy but not full. More campers than tents. We didn’t go to Watford City, 11 miles north. $7 per night with senior pass. We spent $141 on campsites on this trip.

Spearfish #1

Spearfish #2

TRNP south unit Cottonwood CG

TRNP north unit Juniper CG

Spearfish #3

After our showers we headed out to DQ for a cold ice cream treat. We stopped by another campground and drove around. Too pricey for us and way too many big rigs. There was a pool though.
Further up that road was the gallery of Dick Termes who creates Termespheres, globes in 6 dimensions. Pretty wild stuff and very expensive. We hung out in the air conditioning while we were mildly pressured to buy something. We chose not to get anything.
Next stop Walmart where even Simon was allowed in. We decided we didn’t need anything so we left. Rick then showed me where he rode his bike the other day. Country gravel roads that surround beautiful meadows. It will be all developed someday. It’s already started.
Back at camp our campsite was in the shade so we relaxed and watched the other campers. We tried to get Simon to go in the stream near our site but after Devils Bathtub he’s a bit tentative.
After dinner we took a walk to the Fish Hatchery and even though the buildings were closed we were able to see the exhibits and read the story boards. Beautiful setting and great big trout in the ponds. Interesting sculptures too. By the time we got back it was almost dark. We successfully stayed cool today and got to see Spearfish at the same time.

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Susan was on her bike at 8:20 to get in a ride before it got too hot. She got stopped three times along the way: twice for sheep on the road and once at her destination Bridal Veil Falls. Not quite as dramatic as the one in Telluride but not bad for South Dakota 😉. She got back in time for Rick to get in a ride but he took a wrong turn and then his battery died on his electronic shifter so back he came. The showers felt great for both of us. Supposed to be 90 today. We’ve got to find a way to keep cool today.

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We left our site and we’re greeted again by a buffalo coming towards us on the road. We gave him plenty of space as he took his time moving along.
We drove to the Enchanted Highway, a bit out of our way but why not? All along a 32 mile stretch of road are these magnificent metal structures made out of retired farm implements. The creations are quite clever. We really liked the pheasants and the fish motif. Recommend taking a detour and seeing these if you are ever in that area. The locals make a big deal about staying at the Enchanted hotel in Regent. The front entrance is very grand but as you can see, the hotel is not very glamorous. We did not inquire about staying there.
We headed back to Spearfish and the city campground. We have a pretty nice spot which should give us lots of shade in the afternoon. We’ll probably stay here two nights before heading to Colorado and home.

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We were greeted at the park entrance by a fine looking buffalo. We easily found the campground and had a good choice of sites. We were all set up by 1:00 (we’re in the central time zone for now). Our camp host warned us of poison ivy around the campground. We are being extremely cautious.
Took the drive through the park and marveled at the stunning views at the overlooks. We were held up for a bit by a large herd of buffaloes that decided to cross the road. They are really large animals and not to be messed with.
The CCC did slot of work in this park back in the 1930’s and the buildings are still standing. It’s quiet and calm tonight and at 9:30 still daylight. Plan is to head back toward Spearfish tomorrow.

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The wind blew us away today. We took the drive around the south area of the park. We saw prairie dog parks, wildflowers, scenic views, a lone buffalo (no petting), and finally went to the visitors center with history of the park and Teddy Roosevelt memorabilia. Then we drove to Dickinson 35 miles away and stocked up for 3-4 days at Walmart. Tomorrow we head to the north unit (68 miles away) a more remote section of the park. We will not go hungry!

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We stopped in Belle Fourche which prides itself as being the geographic center of all 50 states. Nice park with information on all the states. Not sure why the Colorado one was damaged.
On to Bowman, North Dakota where we had a picnic lunch in their city park. The drive was one after another beautiful field of corn, wheat and other crops we couldn’t identify. The colors were amazing and the wide open spaces are really something to see.
We lucked out by getting the last good first come first served site in the south area in Theodore Roosevelt National Park. We are paid for three nights ($7/night). We may end up in the north area too but we are still getting the lay of the land here for now.
We did learn that there is no grocery store nearby and we were counting on one being in Medora. There’s one in Dickinson 35 minutes away. We are out of food except for breakfast.
Our campground is on the Little Missouri River. After “dinner” we took a walk down to it but it was too muddy for us to venture to the water. There were some kids playing in the water. We are all still recovering from our adventure to Devils bathtub yesterday. It’s a lovely evening here, calm, little humidity but too many flies.

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We were all smiles as we headed towards the trailhead. We quickly learned there was no actual trail, just going back and forth across the creek where you felt most comfortable. The water was warm and felt very refreshing. Simon was the best creek crosser. He seemed to find the easiest way across.
The trail was filled with many “hikers”. Even families with infants and toddlers. One group even had a cooler!
The way in parts was very slippery and challenging and at one point we questioned whether it was safe for us to keep going. We were so close! So we kept going and made it close enough to watch some of the kids slide into the “bathtub.” We heard from one of them that the water was really cold but he didn’t let his face show it (tough guy😂). No, we didn’t go in.
Going back seemed somewhat easier except in one place where Rick chose a different place to cross and nearly went down. Susan and Simon stayed together where it was knee deep for Susan and Simon had to swim! We are really glad we did the hike and survived!
After a very much needed and deserved shower at the campground, we treated ourselves to steaks on the grill while we watched the lightning show and listened to big thunder. It rained a little but not enough to dampen our spirits. Maybe the rain will clear out the smoke haze. Tomorrow we head to North Dakota and more new adventures!

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We’re getting good at moving sites. So many people left this morning that we decided to check out the vacated spots. We found this one about 200 yards from where we were. We have our own section of creek and even a waterfall! It’s also shadier which Is much appreciated. It’s pretty humid which makes the temperature seem hotter than it is. Great for the skin though!

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The fires in Canada are still burning and causing poor air quality in this area. This was tonight’s sunset.


We could not believe how beautiful the drive was from Cheyenne to Spearfish. From red roads to stunning open spaces to tiny wildflowers, this scenic drive had it all.
We took a break around 9:30 in Lusk, population 743. Quiet town and cheap gas $3.25. We had a slight scare when we were low on gas, but found a general store and enjoyed Spearfish Canyon without the stress of running out of gas.
We easily found our campsite and we’re all set up by 2 pm. Rick found the energy to explore on his bike while Susan and Simon hung out in camp. We treated ourselves to a dinner in town and planned our day tomorrow. Going to hike to Devils Bathtub. Stay tuned.

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Our spirits were high as we headed out towards northern Colorado on day one of our trip to the Dakotas. We arrived in Fort Collins as planned around sunset. Our plan was to stay overnight at Walmart. We should have called ahead. We found out that we had to leave the parking lot when the store closed at 11. Damn.
Our keen problem solving skills kicked in as we checked for campgrounds in the area and even motels. We came up short on those possibilities. Next idea was to find an out of the way parking lot and sleep for a couple of hours. As we headed north we had a thought about Loves Travel Centers. Sure enough there was one in Cheyenne about 30 minutes away.
We arrived there a little after 10 pm and found a spot just the right size for us. The white noise from the semi trailers was loud but we were able to get some rest. Even Simon seemed to understand the need to get some rest as he hunkered down with us in the camper.
This morning we had a neighbor with a very appropriate load. We were on the road by 6:30 headed to spearfish, South Dakota. Hope day two uses less of our problem solving skills.

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Today’s activity was biking the Mineral Belt trail. We had to ride separately because we did not feel right leaving Simon in the car. Rick road it opposite of Susan who had her own adventure just finding the trail 😐🤷‍♂️
After we were both done we treated ourselves to an ice cream cone for “ lunch” and then continued to window shop in Leadville. We got a souvenir bird mobile for our deck and Susan just had to buy something at the Melanzana store. Her first “Melly”!
Back to camp around 5pm to find our quiet campsite surrounded by new neighbors. Obvious newbies to camping. The Alpha Male and his family pulled in next to us and we really wonder how he will get out. Not our problem. We are leaving in the morning.
The Idiots are camped above us. The dad was hacking a limb from a live tree for his fire. His kids are so noisy that we let Simon bark at them just because.
It’s clear to us that the weekenders are here and we are very glad to be leaving tomorrow. Although Susan says she could keep going and would if we didn’t have a garden at home. This was a good trip though.

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Rick took his bike out to explore the gravel roads near our campsite. He loves his new bike! When he got back, we drove to the North Fork trailhead. The wildflowers aren’t in bloom yet, but some of the tiny varieties were showing off. Lots of dandelions though and the creek was running fast. We drove through Parry Peak campground and were pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t packed. It’s one of our favorite places but it was full the last two times we were there. Probably ‘cuz Covid is not an issue people aren’t camping as much.
Enjoyed a nice dinner and then headed over to the ForeBay to fish. Rick caught one on his first cast but nothing after that. Simon loves to help!
We are both very tired but thankful tonight that we live in such a beautiful place. Tomorrow we are going to ride the Mineral Belt trail in Leadville if we can find a shady place to park so we can leave Simon.

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Finally summer arrived after a cold and wet spring. Fibark wore us out so we decided to leave our beautiful backyard and head for the hills. We have enough supplies for three days but we are not far from Leadville or BV. We plan to hike, bike and fish. Maybe we need more than three days? Stay tuned.

Simon is not too excited about this 😂

Off we go!

Happy camper!

Our site

Our view

The previous three posts are a week late due to an email issue. We were gone may 2-5. This is a picture of the basil plants at Brady’s west. Very tempted to buy but I know it’s too early. Picture for attention 😜


Why do people make reservations for campsites then not cancel and not show up? That’s right, no one showed up in site 16 so we didn’t have to move. Oh well. We had a nice evening in site 33, campfire and all.
Today we went to Las Vegas about an hour from our campsite. Funky town on the Santa fe trail. We spent some time at the historic center then wandered around before having lunch at The Skillet. We are glad we made the trip. Beautiful drive too.

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Our luck was not good and we had to pack up and move. Site 33 is also nice but on the inside circle (we prefer the outside circle for privacy reasons.) By the time we were done moving it was nearly noon. Rick was exhausted having not slept well. So Susan and Simon took the car towards Santa Fe while Rick took a nap.
Susan thought about buying another blanket (we were cold last night) so she shopped at Homegoods. Not seeing anything she found suitable, she wandered around some but was not in shopping mode.
Back at camp Rick was refreshed. After a quick lunch we headed up the hill to Ski Santa Fe. Very much like monarch but we agreed that would not like to drive that road in the winter! Simon loved the snow and if you look carefully you can see a skier walking down after a skin up. They still have a lot of snow!

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We’re heading to Black Canyon Campground just northeast of Santa Fe. We’ve been there before so we know what to expect. It’s unusual for us to go so far from home on our first outing. We’re not going to be able to run home and get what we forgot! We are however already making lists 😬
A new addition to our camping gear is our Blackstone griddle. It replaces the grill and is more useful. Tomorrow-bacon on the griddle!!
We arrived around 4:30 and was surprised at how many sites were reserved or filled. We are in site 16 and hope nobody reserved it for tomorrow night. If it’s reserved, the host said we’ll have to move. We are feeling optimistic. Simon is traveling well and is ready for a cool comfy night.

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We headed to Thermopolis after breakfast thinking of the nice hot water and a shower. Our trip was delayed due to the homecoming parade down Main Street! We got out, waved, scooped up candy and enjoyed the home town feel. Their parade was longer than the one In Salida.
The hot springs did not disappoint. Beautiful park on the way to the Tepee Hot Springs. For $12.50 plus $.75 locker fee, this was worth it. We soaked in hot hot water then cooled off in the warm pool then back to the hot pool. It was not crowded and very pleasant. Just when we decided to leave, the families and swim/soak crowds showed up. The water level in the pools must have overflowed! We grabbed lunch at the food truck and headed home.
On the way home, we decided to leave for Salida in the morning. We felt we had done all we could do without extending our stay. So homeward bound! We won’t miss the Wyoming wind.
Back at camp, we realized that the weekend campers had arrived (it’s Friday) so our decision to leave was probably a good one.
This campground/campsite has been one of the best! The site was private, water sounds were constant ❤️, and the place was clean with respectful campers. Not sure we could duplicate this. One downside is the slope of the sites. There’s not a level one in the whole campground.
All of our camper systems worked like they should. We had enough water, propane, food and supplies for four days before needing to restock. We are going home with very little to unpack. This was a new kind of trip for us. Not having to tear down and set up the camper and move to a new area and find another campsite took a lot of stress off of us. Lander and surrounding areas were enough to keep us engaged. Where to next?

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Had to delete the video due to the large file size.

We got rained on last night! We were prepared though and the important things stayed dry. We woke up to the last remnants of fog in front of us.
After breakfast our plan was to head into Lander to see the museums and then shower at the community pool. The Fremont county(where Lander is) museum was full of historical area items. Very similar to Salida with farming, mining, Indian lore and outlaws and now tourism. Two floors of amazing items. Too hard to take pictures but we did think the Sinks Canyon Ski Area (now defunct) was worth remembering. Enjoy the video. It was a local hill with mostly beginner and intermediate runs. Not enough to keep the locals happy when the big hills of Jackson Hole are beckoning.
We then went next door to the Pioneer Museum which is reconstructed pioneer homes and businesses. Very well preserved and again much like Salida’s early days.
We were really looking forward to a shower at the pool but due to their swim team schedule it didn’t work out for us. We decided to go to Thermopolis tomorrow for some hot springs and showers there.
On the way home the wind picked up fast and was blowing dirt and debris across the road. When we got to our campsite it wasn’t any better. We quickly cooked dinner, ate fast and took our evening walk. That was cut short when it started raining again. It was only 7:30 but we were inside where we were impressed with how quiet it was. The wind was rocking the camper – a bit disconcerting. By 9 the wind had died down and we were able to relax and sleep. Oh that Wyoming wind!

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Woke up to a cooler/cold morning. No sun but a good day to hike. Simon kept Rick warm.
We started at the nature trail where we had to cross a suspension bridge over the river. Susan was not happy when Rick bounced the bridge as she crossed 😖. The trail was well maintained and marked so it seemed like much longer than it was since we stopped so often. The climbing sign is for the rock climbers who use this area. We opted out.
We then ventured to The Sinks where the river literally sinks into the rocks and disappears. We were fortunate to be able to get right down to it. In the spring the runoff is so strong that it floods that area.
Off to The Rise where the water “rises”from sinking. It takes 2hours to rise into a quiet pool just 1/4 mile from where it disappeared. Geologists have not been able to determine where the water goes before it reappears. Trout have learned that tourists will feed them so they hang around and get up to 10 lbs!
It never got warm today so it was a good day for a nap, reading and we even took a short bike ride around the campground. Rain is expected tonight so we put away all the things that could get wet and called it an early night.

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Right before Rick bounced the bridge

Simon keeping Rick warm❤️

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These are everywhere along the wet part of the trail.

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The Sinks

The Falls

The Rise

Huge trout

Our site.

After moving to our reserved campsite and setting up to stay, we went into Lander to get the lay of the land. Needed gas. It was $4.07 at Safeway. Decided to take a picnic lunch and drive the 33 mile loop road from the campground. Beautiful day, nice views (I missed the ones of the Wind River range with snow on them.). Once over the top, the road was rough and washboarded. We were happy to have smooth pavement again.
That took most of the day so back at camp we relaxed to the water noise of the Popo Agie creek, had a nice , un- rushed dinner and took a walk around the campground. Seems there are some interesting hikes right here and we need to find the falls tomorrow. We were then treated to a lovely sunset. Tomorrow the weather is supposed to changed but tonight we are enjoying the 75 degrees at 7:30.

Picnic spot

Top of the road

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On the road by 10:30 after a quick stop at the vet for allergy pills for Simon. Uneventful drive (except when Simon threw up 🤷‍♂️) and beautiful scenery along the way. We followed along the Oregon Trail and had conversations about the early pioneers who came across these very plains. We saw old ruts in more than one place. We had forgotten about the southern Wyoming wind. It’s still blowing 😂
We had reserved site 16 starting tomorrow night but looked online and it was still available for today so we headed directly to Sinks Canyon State Park outside Lander. We were almost in 16 when a camper pulled up and said they had reserved it for one night. Damn! Luckily site 15 next door was first come first serve so we quickly set up while we had daylight, had dinner and went to bed. We are right on a very noisy but lovely sounding creek. Drowns out all but nature’s sounds.

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Mushrooms everywhere in our campsite! Took pictures of these as we were leaving. The small ones will get you high (so we’ve heard 😛.)
Road 250 to 330 to 380 was rough in parts and loaded with potholes. Other parts were decent. No four wheel drive needed. The drive was loaded with story boards of the history of the area. Total mileage was 48 miles from Platoro; 53 from our campsite.
The Jeep and T@G were covered with mud when we got to del Norte. Cleaned them off at the car wash, grabbed lunch and went on home.

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We left our campsite later than we wanted. Everything was so wet and we waited for it to dry out before packing up. Resupplied and gassed up by 12:30.
Drive to chama was so pretty and hardly saw any other cars. Did see cows on the road. It’s open range after all. Quick lunch in chama. Didn’t need gas but it was $3.75/gallon! Hope prices at home are dropping that much.
We checked out all the campgrounds along FS Road 250 including disbursed sites. Decided to stay in the Lake Fork CG site 14. Rick was happy that there was firewood available. Susan was happy because we are right on the creek. Chilly night but we three kept each other warm.

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Always a good sign 👍

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Path to the creek

Sounds so good 😊