Beautiful Vista Revisited

For more than 35 years, I have had this beautiful view in my mind as I have recalled many beautiful places I have been here in Colorado -- like Deckers on the South Platte and those family drives over Independence Pass in the fall to see the Aspens changing to their beautiful golden yellow colors.  When I ventured down here last July with my Jeep and pop-up camper in tow, that view was in my mind but, I only stayed a few days before heading back east and didn't get out much to see the surrounding scenery.  I had thought the "Vista" was somewhere on Wolf Creek Pass but, in my one hurried visit to the summit, I didn't see what I had hoped to see -- thinking perhaps that the road may have been rerouted somehow to accomodate the ski area that developed this side of the summit.

View from Wolf Creek Pass

Last Friday, I headed out early to get to the nearest Wells Fargo Bank in Pagosa Springs (on the other side of the pass) and this time I stopped at a "Scenic Overlook" off one of the sharp curves and found the scene that had been embedded in my mind for so many years.  It really did exist and I had found it again.

It must have been from an early visit to Pagosa Springs (35 years ago) with my brother Rick, his wife Kay and my future wife Kathie when we stayed in Arthur Ashes condominium and fished and hiked for more than a week -- certainly Rick might not have wanted to remember much then as he came down with Rocky Mountain Spotted fever on the way back and we had to stop in Colorado Springs to get him some treatment.

Treasure Falls - 105 ft.

I also stopped on my way back from Pagosa Springs to get a look at "Treasure Falls" (on the road up the pass) but, didn't have good light for getting a nice shot.  I will revisit this spot and take pictures in the afternoon from the trail to the falls -- didn't have enough time as I had promised to join some neighbors at a buffet lunch in Monte Vista and had offered to drive my Jeep with part of the group.

The week had been busy and full of dinners with various RV neighbors, card bingo on Tuesday evening and my second meal out at Dos Rios in Monte Vista -- a really yummy buffet shared with six other people from the campground -- and some beautiful scenes.