July 26 – August 2, 2026
Sunday, July 26 (bec & pete anniv): Left a hot Santa Fe for a hot Big Meadows, campground on the north side of Wolf Creek Pass on a lake. Lots of traffic getting here and a near full campground, but we got a good site (#7) on the lower level. And no lake bugs! Fortunately the nights cool of so we managed without a/c thanks to the monsoons which hit the first night but not the second, all dry.
Big Meadows, continued:
Sunday, July 26 - Big lightning at Big Meadow. Bec & Pete Anniv. Blazing hot in the mid-day sun. Drove over Wolf Creek Pass and into Big Meadows. Drove a loop and were too big to get into one spot on the side of the mountain, uh oh, but tried the lower loop and there was a perfect spot on the end that was easy to get into and also private, like that matters. Site #7? Wanted to walk but lightning keeps stopping us every time we try. First trip with the new Starlink, working great. Starting with 100 gigs. Ended up using about 55 of it in a week; getting an idea of usage.
Monday, July 27 - Forgot bike keys so he did something to get he batteries in somehow. Rode 3.5 miles up the road to another lake, Shaw Lake, which has seen better days. Looked to be half or more empty but crews were working on the dam at the far end. Maybe a breach? Anyway, the once floating dock was high and dry; of course, no one was there. Came back about 1:30, hung out in blazing heat and no breeze, I carved, fed the chipmonk, Bill took a short loop bike ride... Tried to cool down. Walked to the lake and of course, the wind picked up as soon as we got there, so we rushed back in the event of a storm, but no storm. For our last hurrah, we walked thru the campground to a sign saying Cascade Falls. So having absolutely no info about it we went for it. And it was a very short and lush hike up through the woods (any bears? I see berries and strawberries!) and there was a pretty dramatic rock wall with the falls, nice. Didn't linger cuz skies were thickening with gray, and lightning?
Tues, 28th - Aug 1: Creede
Tues, July 28 - Finally walked down to the lake in the morning - you have to do everything in the morning here - and poked around the shore. Bill saw an eagle fly over at some point of our stay. Moving on to Creede today, with a stop at South Fork for the dump. Short drive to the next camp, Marshall Campground, 5 miles south of Creede in a beautiful valley and along the Rio Grande. No hookups but we will manage to go 4 nights with a little conservation of water. Feeding the hummers, they are happy. Sat out and carved a bit, trying to make a bird from basswood. Slow going. Also one of these afternoons I had put seed out for the chipmunks when suddenly I heard screeching and looked to see a long and lean black river creature chasing down a chipmunk! They came close to me, which scared off the creature, and the rat was safe. What the hell was that?? Weasel? Ermin? River otter? No idea but black as black can be. Must look into that. [Editor's Note: A MINK! Book on local critters suggests mink. Wow. A munk and a mink.) Took an evening loop stroll one night and saw 2 deer. Must have been early in the trip and quiet before the CG filled up on Friday, cuz didn't see them again.
Wed, July 29 - Election day deadline for the road committee... He won! And so did they!
Bike ride to Miner's Creek as the visitor center lady suggested. Very good; not real long but gorgeous area, good road and several forks to ride off of. So here comes my story for the second stage of our ride:
Not that I am Fauci-impressed with myself, or obsessed - but I can't believe we found these 2 dogs. I found the satellite shot of the area. #1 is where we passed the lady, & she got out of her camper to ask if we see 2 dogs hers ran off yesterday. She said she was camped up the road to the left (#2) So of course I was all over it (and fortunately got her phone number) so we rode up that road calling their names, nothing. Getting on with our day, we came back down to marker #1 and this time rode up another road, when way up there these 2 dogs came off the side of the road, they were sleeping under a tree. The doodle was limping and the other barking, but when I said their names they calmed right down. I called the lady and said I HAVE YOUR DOGS! She did say she loved me 😆 then Bill rode back down to meet her, as she had to go to her camp and get her jeep. No way would that camper make it up there and not sure how much more they would want to walk. Finally she made it up - with water - and i said, no food?? Yeah I'm a bitch. They were very happy to see her and she put them in the back of the Jeep and they both just laid down, no one is moving. Imagine out 24 hours in a storm and cold at night. We were their saving grace. Can't believe it myself. she said she never would have thought to drive up that road. So that's my Fauci Dear Diary entry for today. POTUS should be calling me soon. My new book will soon be available on Amazon: I need Patti to ghost write a short story for me: "Miracle on the Mountain: Marooned on Miner's Creek, the Layla and Minerva Story. 24 Hours of Peril. It started at the visitor center...
Dinner inside a very warm Kips downtown, histamine-safe burger and fries. Walked around a bit, visitors but slow and quiet. Checked out the fairgrounds to see the dump station, and the parking lot was jammed - a rodeo was going on. What? We didn't stay for it but horses parading around, don't know anything about it. But it was right next to the CG we stayed at last time, must have been some good flies there the next day...
Thursday, July 30 - Riding the other area the visitor center lady told us about, to the south, Trout Trailhead and Love Lake. Not many/any signs but we parked where we thought was good and went for it. Creede is 8800 feet and this ride up the lake took us up to 10,042 at Love Lake. It was one thing after another (locked bikes, forgetting this or that, forgot to charge the batteries, rain clouds gathering, Bill whining), but we got underway on a gradual uphill (ok, more than gradual) that would never end. That meant it was nothing but coasting and braking all the way down. Well, first it starts to sprinkle, but it passed. Then he was almost out of battery, so we switched bikes, and I forced our way up in #1 and 1 until we finally made it to the lake, where you are never alone on a mountaintop, there were fishermen there and of course a slew of 4x4's came along for a bathroom stop. Gorgeous views from this ride, even more so at the bottom. Came back and Bill not feeling well, were we too high or rode too hard? No idea but we made chicken, I ate like a monster since dinner is my main meal, and he only had a bit.
Friday, July 31 - Last day in Creede. Mornings about 50º, days about 90º, or close to it. No electric here at Marshall campground but usually a breeze so somehow we manage. Like today while cooking dinner, ran the generator for a/c -- it was 90 in here and the sun was setting in the windows. Not good. Stayed one more day to see the rock and mineral show, you can imagine Bill's excitement. But first, we took a bike ride across the road, which turned out to be someone's driveway, so then we switched back to riding the neighborhood behind and cross the Rio Grande from us, pretty big spread of second and first homes, probably texans, but fun to see. Stopped at a dead end so bill could take a long road committee call so that was HOT, standing there in the sun, no trees around. Came back and showered, and headed for the rock show. Wow, pretty big and pretty well attended for the first day/morning. It was held at the top of the road at the underground mine site (firestation also underground) so nice and cool in there. Got one white cylinder rock, forget what it is, for Kibbie. I had wanted to ride bikes thru this town but alas, he did not so we did some more walking, but really there only is a mainstreet of action. So did a few more shops, he got an ice cream, and we headed back to camp, but first did the grocery, got more water at visitor center and drove up to the wildlife viewing (hey, wait a minute, all I saw was homes and a cemetery...). Surprise up there: Bob Ford's burial site was there and well marked so got a 'shot' of that. He shot Jesse James. Car said it was 90 heading back to camp, this is BS. Too hot. But hot everywhere.
Saturday, Aug. 1 - Leaving this place, but we certainly will be back. In fact, we looked at an empty lot for sale over in the neighborhood! For shits and giggles. Snows here you know. Never gonna happen. Decided to go to Elk Creek next, but stopped to dump in South Fork, and got gas and groceries in Monte Vista. Took 160 east - the next trip idea: the 160 Corridor: South Fork, Del Norte, Monte Vista and Alamosa, or something like that. Went thru some mountain rain after a 90º Antonito, so it dropped from 91 - 60º in 30 minutes. Of course the temps came back up once the clouds passed, back up to 80 soon. Arrived about 3:30. After picking site #3, a long pull thru, before we sat outside the chipmunks and ground squirrels were running through, then came the hummers, and finally a friendly stellar jay, whom Bill fed peanuts. Which he would later regret since those chipmunks would chew on the new Starlink cable. Had dinner, took a walk, generally hung around. Tomorrow we bike, somewhere.
Sunday, Aug. 2 - Nice and sunny morning, it was 48º at 7 am. Going to be a blazer this week at home, hot everywhere. Called summer.
RIP: Vincent Pastore
Next time: 4th of July in Creede
Stone Quarry Trail system BLM East of Del Norte
Someday camp in Monte Vista and or Del Norte 160 corridor tour
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