Day 25 - Cortez to Durango
Today we made it to one of my favorite towns on the planet, Durango, Colorado. Almost every winter break my family drives to Durango for a wonderful ski vacation. We have family and friends that live there, so it always makes for a fun holiday season.
We had the pleasure of being joined on our ride into Durango by my second cousin, Mike. It was a lot of fun to have a familiar face along. Upon arrival in Durango we set up at ESCAA's accommodations for the night. It was an old junior high school that is now privately owned and has been turned into art studios and other community facilities. There was even an ice cream shop in an ex-classroom.
Today we made it to one of my favorite towns on the planet, Durango, Colorado. Almost every winter break my family drives to Durango for a wonderful ski vacation. We have family and friends that live there, so it always makes for a fun holiday season.
We had the pleasure of being joined on our ride into Durango by my second cousin, Mike. It was a lot of fun to have a familiar face along. Upon arrival in Durango we set up at ESCAA's accommodations for the night. It was an old junior high school that is now privately owned and has been turned into art studios and other community facilities. There was even an ice cream shop in an ex-classroom.
My second cousin, Mike, and his wife, Kory, then took us tubing on the Animas River. Our trip got cut short by a huge rainstorm. In the southwestern mountains, during the summer, they go through a "monsoon season". Every day around 1 or 2 o'clock, dark clouds appear and drench the mountains with rain often accompanied with thunder and lightning. No matter how clear it appears in the morning, storms will just appear out of nowhere every day like clockwork. This is what happened to us on the river, it started raining. Then we saw lightning. Then it started hailing. Eventually, we decided to call it. But it was a ton of fun while it lasted.
That night, after we dried off, we went to one of the best BBQ's of the trip hosted by Durango Troop 538. They made some great food, and all the scouts were very friendly. I met a lot of new people and learned about all the cool things troops do in Durango.
Day 26 - Durango to Pagosa Springs
The next day we were escorted out of town by some of the scouts from the previous night. We traveled along a riverside bike path then left the town of Durango. We then proceeded to the town of Pagosa Springs where we ate a dinner hosted by some locals and then enjoyed a soak in Pagosa’s famous natural hot springs.
The next day we would climb Wolf creek Pass!
That night, after we dried off, we went to one of the best BBQ's of the trip hosted by Durango Troop 538. They made some great food, and all the scouts were very friendly. I met a lot of new people and learned about all the cool things troops do in Durango.
Day 26 - Durango to Pagosa Springs
The next day we were escorted out of town by some of the scouts from the previous night. We traveled along a riverside bike path then left the town of Durango. We then proceeded to the town of Pagosa Springs where we ate a dinner hosted by some locals and then enjoyed a soak in Pagosa’s famous natural hot springs.
The next day we would climb Wolf creek Pass!
BSA Troop 538 Durango, Colorado
Bed & Breakfast in Pagosa
Day 27 - Pagosa, over Wolf Creek Pass, to Alamosa
Watch the video below to see what it's like to ride down from the Continental Divide.
After descending from the Rockies we entered a very flat, farm filled valley. There we stayed with a local Scout Troop 307 in Alamosa in a barn/rodeo arena. They hosted us to an amazing pasta dinner. It felt like a warm up to Kansas with so much farmland.
Day 28 - Alamosa to San Luis State Park