Trinidad to Walsenburg

So the day off started off with a simple decision: take the easy route that would give me more time in Walsenburg or the longer route that would offer some of the nicest views on the trip thus far. I knew that the mountain route of going along the Scenic Highway 12 over Cuchara Pass was the best way of getting it done!

The groups split in half over this decision so we had a group of 15 tackle this legendary uphill battle. When coming out of Trinidad, our group knew that we had an extraordinary day ahead of us but were not sure what to expect. The first 35 miles were a gradual uphill climb with random downhill through the valley. There were great views from even 8000 feet high in elevation as we were dazzled by what the Rockies had to offer. We would stop at General Stores along the way in order to find great postcards and talk to the locals. No amazing interactions, but we learned a lot about the area.

After lunch, we really started to hit the uphill climb that we were informed about by locals. With this uphill climb came spectacular lakes to stop at like Monument Lake and the elevation was definitely hitting us. Everyone stopped to catch a breath at least once going up the Cuchara Pass, and there was no shame in that. One other reason we stopped was because we were getting hit by heavy rain and hail. We had groups of people huddling underneath any tree that they could find along the road. Fortunately, my rain protection proved its worth once again by keeping me dry (somewhat)!

As we reached the highest point on the route of just under 10,000 feet in elevation we were excited that the downhill portion was about to begin. We went through winding curves for 20 miles as we concentrated on maintaining a safe speed. This was one of our first times with this type of downhill so it was a great learning experience. We were able to get down the mountain and back into the plains within an hour from the pass by averaging between 25-30 MPH. This included stops in general stores along the way where we talked to vacationers and locals.

On the plains, we were hit once again by even more hail and that just added to the fun stories of the day. As we arrived into Walsenburg, we realized that the longer route was a risk worth taking. We still arrived by 3 PM into town, got to check out the local scene and get random chores done.

Dinner was a fun potluck with the people from local churches and newspapers! We were just happy to not have to cook any more dinner!