July 31, 2014 Creede, Colorado

We drove the Silver Thread Highway between Gunnison , through Lake City to Creede today. Beautiful drive.

View north from Slumgullion Pass (12, 500) . There are 5 14ers in this area, I have climbed all 5. At Spring Creek Pass we passed the Continental Divide again.  John said when he was in college he decided to skateboard down Spring Creek pass. He lost control of the board, and landed on his head. He had bad road rash and a concussion, he spent the night in the Gunnison Hospital that night.

The headwaters of the Rio Grande are up this valley. It is one of the prettiest valley’s I have ever seen. The map shows were we are, the you are here is this valley.

We drove right into a huge thunderstorm toward Creede. The Rio Grand is running down this huge green valley.

Cliffs north of Creede, on the 17 mile loop drive of the mines in the area. Downtown Creede. When the mines were active 10,000 people lived here. Now there are about 400.

The Dog House serves hot dogs that will curl your tail! We stopped at the San Juan Sports store (see all the boots hanging on their sign?). John bought me a new compass for my birthday. Historic building on main street in Creede.

The Creede fire station is in a cave! It was built in 1976. We are camped at Marshal Park on the Rio Grande River, 5 mile north of Creede. I fished here this afternoon. I think the fishes mouths are not big enough to get around a hook here. The river is only ankle deep. It was the same size in Big Bend Texas when we were there. There are so many dams between here and there it does not reach the gulf of Mexico hardly ever now.

The rest of the campground from our site, the best one, last one at the end, very private and quiet.