A Good Map
No car-camper should leave the house without her DeLorme Atlas/Gazetter, one for each state she travels through. The Delorme Atlas gives a girl information about where the federal lands are, (lands where she can car-camp without a permit or fee) as well as info about the forest and county roads that give her access to some of the country's most beautiful hiking, country that is not over-run with tourists.
A Car Camping Necessity
Lake Fork Trail
The first hike of our journey was a gem. We found a hike called Lake Fork Trail - a trail to Big Lake, 5 miles round trip. It was a gentle hike with little elevation gain - perfect for my out-of-practice hiking legs. Wildflowers, aspen, and water fowl, ...and oh yes, a family of beaver, busy gathering supplies for dinner.
BIg Lake, Southern Colorado
Lush Valley
Besides the beautiful scenery and hiking, the San Luis Valley, that gently cups the Conejos River, has a long tradition of superior wool production. The green lush valley supplies good forage for sheep.
San Luis Valley, Conejos RIver
Eppie Archuleta, a Rio Grande Weaver tells that " In the beginning, all the men in my family were weavers, not the women. When we were small, we watched our parents and this is how we learned to weave. It has always been a part of our lives. Today, we have five generations weaving together."
Many of the local plants were and are still used today by both Native Americans and the Spanish Americans to dye their wool. The mountain mahoganey produces a beige color, the chamisa - a gold color, and the choke cherry a deep red.
Flower of the Day; Blue-pod Lupine
Blue-Pod Lupine
Bird of the Day; Lesser Scaup
Mammal of the Day; Marmot