~Friday, October 16, 2020~
Day 124
Nothing like waking up to an email alerting us to the fact our campsite we’re supposed to be on October 19th, has been shut down due to fire evacuations. Will these fires ever go away? It has been quite a devastating year for California and Colorado and they only seem to be getting worse each year. It’s so sad that this particular fire, called the Cameron Peak Fire, which started October 13th, is now the largest wildfire in Colorado’s state history. As of today, it has burned around 158,000 acres and only 56% contained. And it’s right at the epicenter of our upcoming destination to Fort Collins. We are very concerned for Jeff’s cousins Ricky and Maile who live in Fort Collins so will be reaching out to them this evening.
Since this is our final day in Pagosa Springs (a definite contender for our new abode), we wanted to do some sightseeing. We got a late start today, so only had about 4 hours to do one of the five things on our list. Here were the choices:
The winner…..Piedra River Trail.
It was the closest to our campsite, about 10 miles. And we could go as short or as long as we wanted. The top contender was the Four Miles Falls Trail but was a 1-½ hr. drive which would have taken up most of our available time. And the Piedra River Trail did not disappoint. As soon as you get past the first mile, you’re surrounded by cliffs (some hanging over the trail which made me a bit nervous being under) and forest. The trail follows the Piedra River for the most part, which Sadie always found her way too, no matter what the challenge.
What we liked best about it is the diverse scenery...mountains, changing Aspens, evergreen forests, meadows, and narrow gorge where the cliffs envelop you, shading you from the sun, and opportunities to enjoy the river and watering holes.
Arrived back at our site at a good time, to enjoy a fire inside the trailer (Jeff connected the generator so we could run it), while making homemade pizza. Sadie is pretty tuckered out as she probably did 7 or 8 miles to our 4 today.