Days 18 & 19 of Lupe’s 1st Summer of 2023 Dingo Vacation to Colorado & New Mexico!
6-24-23, 6:06 AM, 35ºF – start of USFS Road No. 877, W of Lake City – Bleary-eyed, Lupe stared at SPHP in disbelief.
Up already? Why?
Oh, I don’t know, Loop. Woke up feeling surprisingly good, except for my smashed R pinky toe that the rock fell on yesterday. Even it’s doing better than it was. Thought I’d straighten out the RAV4 a bit before we head out.
Where to next, SPHP? We aren’t climbing any mountains today, are we?
Not exactly sure yet, Loop, except for S. We’re done in Colorado for this Dingo Vacation, so we’ll be heading into northern New Mexico. Haven’t decided which peak we’ll be going for yet, though.
Can you make it an easier one, SPHP? Maybe something without any frigid, frightening fords this time?
I’ll see what I can do, Loopster.
SE of Lake City, Hwy 149 climbed through spectacular scenery clear up to Slumgullion Pass (11,361 ft.) before going over less dramatic Spring Creek Pass (10,898 ft.), and dropping down into the Rio Grande River valley. This was all incredibly beautiful territory, but by the time Lupe arrived in Del Norte, she was out in the flats again. A short romp in North Park led to a view of the big river, which was full to the point of overflowing – not surprising at all, given the incredible amount of snow Lupe had seen in the San Juans.
From Del Norte, it wasn’t far to Monte Vista, a town that had become a Lupe favorite, and where she spent the rest of the morning and half of the afternoon squirrel watching, or dozing on her pink blanket in the RAV4 in the shade of the big cottonwoods out in front of the high school. SPHP dined on cherry turnovers and orange juice while working on the trip journal and pondering the Carolina Dog’s next move.
The afternoon temperature soared into the 80’s ºF. Time to head out and turn on the AC! Another scenic drive, this time into New Mexico, and by early evening the RAV4 was parked along USFS Road No. 124 a few miles WSW of Canjilon Mountain (10,913 ft.).
6-25-23, 9:00 AM, 55ºF, USFS Road No. 124 – Got chilly last night! With an easy day expected, SPHP remained snuggled under the blankets until the sun hit the treetops before heating up a can of chili. Served Taste of the Wild with chili poured over the top, at first the American Dingo wouldn’t touch it. When she did, the combo was a big hit.
Oh, that hit the spot, SPHP!
Glad you liked it, Looper. Warming up fast, so we might as well get going.
No frigid fords this time, SPHP?
Nope, and not a cloud in the sky. You might be wishing for one by the time this is over and done with.
Canjilon Mountain was a road hike. The trek began with a 0.5 mile stint on USFS Road No. 124, following it SE going gradually uphill to a junction with No. 274B.
Making the L turn onto No. 274B, it immediately led to a clearing full of tall, brilliantly green plants with big leaves and wild irises.
Wow! Can’t believe how lush it is here in New Mexico, SPHP. Colorado wasn’t this green!
Early summer is probably a good time of year to be here, Looper. Plus we’re a few thousand feet lower here than we were in Colorado, so the plants have had more of a chance to grow.
No. 274B left the clearing heading NE, before eventually turning E. Lupe appreciated the shade of the trees as the road continued a gradual climb through open forest. However, although pleasant, most of the territory the Carolina Dog was traveling through wasn’t nearly as lush as that first clearing.
Ambling along in no particular rush, partly due to SPHP’s sore toe, every now and then a cow could be heard mooing in the forest. Glancing back, a black cow was bringing up the rear, right on the road. Seeing that this cow was a loner emboldened the American Dingo. Turning the tables, Lupe dashed off in pursuit of the cow, which soon ran past SPHP.
For pity sake, SPHP! Don’t you know anything about hunting? That was dinner! You were supposed to head that cow off at the pass. We could have had T-bone steaks!
Sorry, Loop. Didn’t think this was a pass. Besides, I bet there’s a rancher who wouldn’t take too kindly to us eating his steaks. If you see any more cows, leave ’em alone!
The cow was now somewhere up ahead. Lupe soon heard it mooing again. By the time she saw it over on a hillside, the cow had found a friend. Both cows still seemed to be looking for the rest of the herd.
This time, the Carolina Dog behaved. The road trek continued without further incident. More clearings appeared. From the first big one, Lupe got her first unobstructed view of distant forested ridges to the W.
Although forest was always nearby, the road increasingly went through sunny meadows. During forested stretches, or whenever a tree was next to the road, Lupe often wanted to relax in the shade and have a drink of water. Overall progress remained excellent, and a high ridge eventually came into view. Mostly forested, a long stretch along the top was bare.
That ridge must be the top of Canjilon Mountain, Loop.
Already? Looks easy, SPHP. We’ve got this one made, if that’s really it!
Turning N for a little way, the road entered a vast, flat meadow. The Canjilon Mountain summit ridge and entire W slope were now in sight. The lower part was mostly open, while the upper regions were forested. Angling NE over to the base of the slope, the only steep part of the entire journey was now ahead.
The top of the mountain was only 400 feet higher now. No. 274B headed up the W slope as a deeply eroded rocky gash. A turn S, then back to the E, and the road reached a gentler, open slope. Abandoning No. 274B, Lupe climbed NNE past a few scattered trees.
6-25-23, 11:56 AM, 68ºF, Canjilon Mountain (10,913 ft.) – The terrain leveled out as Lupe reached the bare part of the ridge, which was 800 feet long. The true summit was a fairly large flat area covered with small rocks right along the steep W edge. In all other directions, the ground sloped away only very gradually.
The big view was off to the W, where an enormous region of lowlands extended toward distant ridges that weren’t even close to being as high as Canjilon Mountain. Higher snow-capped peaks of the San Juan Range were visible to the NW, but were so far away that they may have been in Colorado. Forested ridges of roughly equal elevation were to the S, but were also far away. Featureless from here, they lacked rugged appeal.
Beyond a large, nearly flat meadow, forest hid any views to the N and E. However, a couple items of potential interest were in these directions. 200 feet ENE of the true summit, a battered old cabin stood alone in the meadow, surrounded by a multitude of purple or blue wildflowers with yellow centers. Another 400 feet N, some sort of a display was along the edge of the forest, as if a trailhead was over there.
Let’s check out the cabin, SPHP!
Might as well, Loopster.
The poor, old, weather-beaten cabin was tiny, and in a sad state. Lupe sniffed around the outside, finding little of interest, then went in. Other than names and graffiti carved into the walls, pieces of plywood and broken glass, the cabin’s only room was empty.
Definitely seen better days, Looper.
Actually, I’m sort of surprised, SPHP. Doesn’t look like the roof leaks.
Yeah, you’re right, Loop. If I had a broom and dustpan to sweep up the broken glass, this cabin might still make a decent temporary shelter.
Well, we won’t need one today, SPHP. Not much more to see here, is there? Maybe there’s something interesting over at the trailhead?
USFS Road No. 274B, which went right over the mountain, disappeared into the forest right next to the display.
Hmm. This display doesn’t actually have anything to do with any trails, Loopster.
Not terribly surprising, SPHP. Few trails start at the tops of mountains. So, what is it about?
Says Carson National Forest at the top, and below that shows 3 old photos and a historic note that is itself weathering away. Can’t make all of it out, but here’s what it says, Loop:
“This restored cabin is the oldest surviving fire lookout structure in the SW. The cabin and now dismantled fire tower were built around 1910. Being the highest point around (10,913 feet) and very open, lightning strikes frequently up here. In the summer of 1922 Victor Ortega and his family lived in the tiny cabin while he watched for forest fires from the tower. One afternoon, lightning struck the cabin and the tower, killing Victor on the second strike. The tower …. illegible … abandoned and dismantled.”
Oh, that’s very sad, SPHP! What happened to Victor’s family in the cabin? Were they OK?
Don’t know. That’s all it says, Loopster. There’s a picture of Victor Ortega, and a couple of the fire tower. One shows the cabin in much better shape, but with the tower either under construction, or already damaged by the lightning strike.
After that sad tale, it was time to take a break. Heading over to the steep W edge, Lupe then went N looking for a shady spot open enough to still have a view.
Oddly enough, the American Dingo quickly found a spot that seemed ideal. Not only did it have a view to the SW, but a small snowbank was conveniently nearby where Lupe could cool off and eat some snow.
Those features weren’t what was odd about this spot, though. What was unusual was the ancient wooden cross sticking out from a loose pile of stones. Held together by rusty wire, the cross had half fallen over.
Oh, my gosh, SPHP! Do you suppose they buried Victor Ortega right here?
Who knows, Loopster? Someone or something is probably buried here. Can’t rule it out. Victor may be just a few feet below us.
Lupe stayed quite a while near Victor’s grave, if that’s what it was. SPHP ate a pear fruit cup while pondering the view Victor must have seen hundreds of times. The Carolina Dog wanted only water and a chance to doze in the shade.
The summer of 1922, that was 101 years ago. Victor and his family had been alive and well on Canjilon Mountain until that fateful lightning storm had blown in. Now Lupe was here on a beautiful day Victor never even dreamed of, a day more than a century into the future, beyond the reach of any individual human’s aspirations.
That stormy day so long ago had been just as real as this one. Now all that remained of Victor and the world he knew were a few old photos, a brief history that time was in the process of erasing, and maybe this pile of stones and forlorn old cross.
Before leaving Canjilon Mountain, Lupe returned to the tiny cabin where Victor and his family once lived. Even if in perfect condition, it seemed impossibly small, remote, and simple for a family residence.
60 feet straight out from the front door, Lupe found an arrow survey marker that pointed toward the true summit.
About the time she found it, a distant roar was heard.
Something’s coming, SPHP!
Nope. Not some terrible thunderstorm. A dune buggy came roaring up USFS Road No. 274B from the S like some giant mechanical insect. The buggy stopped briefly at the true summit, before roaring away again and disappearing into the forest as it sped by the historical display.
Getting to be time to go. Alive and well, 101 years after Victor Ortega’s last summer on Canjilon Mountain, Lupe paid her respects, sitting for a few minutes among the wildflowers near the true summit about where the old fire tower had once stood.
6-25-23, 1:22 PM – Returning to the true summit, the wind, which had been light when Lupe had first arrived, was now 20 mph out of the W. Looking down the W slope, USFS Road No. 274B was in sight in the flat meadows below. The road didn’t go to it, but a much lower forested hill was in sight, too, less than 2 miles away.
Want to tag Red Hill (10,160 ft.) on the way back, Loop? Chance to do some exploring, and ought to be a snap.
The American Dingo was all for it. Heading back down the S slope, Lupe picked up No. 274B again, following it down the W slope to the big flat meadow. There she left the road, continuing WNW toward Red Hill.
The trek to Red Hill was a pleasant, downhill march, mostly through open fields. Hot in her fur coat beneath the New Mexico sun, Lupe wanted to pause in the shade of a grove of tall aspen trees.
With many hours of daylight remaining there was no reason not to stop, and let her enjoy the afternoon. Resting in the shade of a big aspen with a crooked trunk, Lupe actually snoozed for a while under some little evergreens.
Closing in on Red Hill, Lupe was still in the meadows when she came upon a spot near a barbed wire fence where some totally clueless people had once had a picnic, leaving a huge mess behind. SPHP had already started collecting Lupe treasures along USFS Road No. 274B on the way to Canjilon Peak. By the time SPHP finished cleaning up this mess, 2 more plastic grocery bags were full.
Following the fence, which had completely fallen over in some places, Lupe eventually had to duck under it to continue the journey to Red Hill, now only 0.25 mile away.
The American Dingo never got there. Beyond the fence stood a forest so dense and full of deadfall, that SPHP quickly had a change of heart.
Eh. Red Hill’s hardly worth it, Loopster. Saw from Canjilon Mountain that the whole hill is forested, so even if we reach the top, we won’t see a thing.
Then why did you even suggest it, SPHP?
Thought it would be easy to tag the high point, Loop. Would have been, too, if not for all this deadfall.
Lupe didn’t care. Battling deadfall wasn’t the Carolina Dog’s favorite thing, either. Besides, she’d already made it to Canjilon Mountain, her main objective. Slipping back under the fence, then wandering roughly SSW, it was farther back to USFS Road No. 274B than SPHP expected. However, Lupe had a blast exploring the meadows and more open forests along the way.
An old cow path eventually led to a salt lick from which No. 274B was visible 100 feet away. During the rest of the road hike return, SPHP kept gathering Lupe treasures until it wasn’t possible to carry any more.
6-25-23, 3:53 PM, 77ºF, USFS Road No. 124 – The RAV4 was an oven when Lupe got back. Even so, she leapt up onto her pink blanket as soon as SPHP opened the door, then laid there panting in 110ºF heat.
Are you nuts? Get out of there, Loop! You’ll cook!
Opening all the windows, a breeze quickly blew the hot air out, but with everything inside still blistering hot to the touch, SPHP wouldn’t let Lupe back in until the sun got lower and the evening cooled off. Happily, the only thing that cooked was another can of chili for dinner.
Canjilon Mountain (10,913 ft.), with its unexpected sad tale of events 101 years ago, had been a much easier, more relaxing day than Lupe’s most recent prior adventures, and a welcome, needed break. Perhaps a somewhat wistful one, too.
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Lupe treasures gathered: 24 aluminum cans, 12 plastic bottles, 3 glass bottles, miscellaneous.
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