Piedra Falls and Treasure Falls

FEED ME

Vacation was in full swing yesterday, we decided to go check out Treasure Falls and later in the evening we decided to go look at Piedra Falls.  The day began with a 30 minute drive east of Pagosa Springs, Colorado. We parked in a pleasant little parking lot and took a look at Treasure Falls from the ground.  Sondra met a few new friends.

We then hiked up to Treasure Falls to take a few pictures and get a closer look.  The hike was short (about 1/2 mile one way) but was nearly straight up.  We are not used to the altitude difference yet, and it was difficult to breath.  The 1/2 mile hike made your body feel as though it was a mile and half.  We had a great time, the waterfall was wonderful. 

As we were heading back to Pagosa springs we traveled nearly the entire 30 minutes down hill.  We pulled the car over at an overlook, and the brakes were smoking.  So was everyone else's, which is exactly why the overlook was such a perfect place for everyone to pull over.

Later that evening we (Sondra) decided to pack us up and go look at Piedra Falls (9 miles away).  It was around 7:30 and she decided it would be perfect to travel into this national forrest to hike to the falls and get to the waterfall and watch the sun set and then hike back before it was too dark.  Sounded exactly like the perfect plan.  

So after 55 minutes of driving on very scary roads with no siderails, going only 10 miles an hour, we arrive at the trailhead to the waterfall.  The sun had long since faded behind the mountians and it was not dark yet, but you could it was just light enough to know that it wasn't going to be light long.  We  ran down the path 1/2 miles took a few insanely bad snapshots of the waterfall and then walked back to the car in the dark.  It was a bit scary, and bats were swooping down at Barbara's head.  We did see the deer in the pics on this trip, and I took a few good pics. A fox was in the middle of the road on our way back.   Overall it was a great day.  Going back to the condo in the dark, wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.  I did sleep very well.