April 2025

Pagosa Springs

Pagosa Springs was honestly a great starting point for this most recent journey of mine. I found a lovely camp spot, nice and private, with a perfect view of the mountains. It required crawling up quite the hill in my poor old van, but she made it up alright. I had the place to myself (or at least any others camping nearby were far enough out view to feel as so) for the entire week, which I have come to appreciate as quite the rarity now that I'm somewhere much more busy (more on that in my upcoming Utah entry).

I spent most of my week in Pagosa Springs working, so unfortunately, I did not get to explore the town nor the neighboring forests as much I would have liked. This was compounded by my having to leave early, on account of a sudden bout of winter weather rolling in. I had lived in Colorado for nearly two years prior to this- I've had more than my fair share of snow- so I elected to avoid the possibility of getting snowed in inside a van that is ill prepared for weather of that sort.

The day I did go out to explore the town was quite the lovely one. Well, if I'm being honest, it didn't quite go as planned. For one, the main street of town was fully under construction, leading to a high amount of traffic and not the most pleasant view of the normally quaint storefronts of the rural West. This didn't bother me too much, but I had planned to take photos, and now my subject was in a rather unphotogenic state.

Secondly, I had picked out a hiking trail, only for a mild amount rain that morning to leave me feeling squeamish at the prospect of driving my 2WD van down the lengthy dirt road required to reach it. I spent nearly half an hour traversing this road, just to turn back, feeling intimidated by a fairly large puddle blocking the final stretch (never mind that I could see it evaporating fairly quickly in my rear view mirror). However, the view during the drive was quite lovely, so I still consider it a somewhat successful adventure.

Eventually, I did arrive at another hiking trail, albeit a much shorter one. The waterfall awaiting at me at the end of this hike was absolutely stunning (and I fancy myself a veritable waterfall connoisseur after partaking in many a waterfall hike in Southern California), though during my climb I was surprised at just how poorly adapted my lungs were after being away from Colorado for a couple years. I may have been huffing and puffing at the mild grade of elevation, but I finally got to break out my new camera and I excitedly snapped some photos like a regular tourist. The cold mist of snowmelt radiating from the waterfall left me feeling utterly rejuvenated, and I had my lunch there taking in the views of the surrounding snowcapped peaks and towering pines.

After my hike, I returned to town hoping to finally take in the main attraction- the hot springs! However, the spa I was planning to visit was unexpectedly closed. There are three primary hot spring spas within Pagosa Springs. The most popular (and most costly) of the three is the aptly titled "The Springs", claiming the prime river-side real estate in the center of town. A day pass for The Springs is $70, and I'd be damned to pay such a high fee, as tempting as the robes and deck chairs they offer may be. The cheaper options (at $20 and $30 respectively) were Healing Waters and Overlook Hot Springs. Overlook offers a roof top view of the Rockies, as well as completely private little pools for individuals. That was something I was willing to splurge on! But, alas, they were closed (for the week of my visit only), so I had to resort to my back-up plan: "Nathan's Hippie Dip Hot Springs."

Believe it or not, even in a tourist town such as Pagosa Springs, there is a free location to soak as one may please! Right across the river from the luxurious pools of The Springs, there are a limited amount of public use springs right off the public walk way. I was concerned that these springs would be unavailable, as surely I would not be the only cheapskate traveler around, but after anxiously crawling down in my flip-flops to scope it out, I was blessed to receive the pools all to myself! Finally, I could dip my toes in and let out that relaxed "ahh" I had been craving. The first pool I tried was much too hot, and I did not wish to be cooked alive, so I moved to another. This one was also slightly above a comfortable temperature, but when I submerged myself inside it, I felt all the troubles of the day (and my earlier drive with THE RATTLING- see my supplementary journal entry) melt away, and I truly felt that this journey had been worth it. I barely lasted five minutes before growing light headed, but I spent a while getting in and out, letting the crisp Colorado air cool me off, before plunging in once again to the mind meltingly pleasant heat.

I would have loved to stay longer in Pagosa Springs, especially so I could experience the hot springs once more, but as the nights grew colder nearing the end of my stay, I had no choice but to depart in search of warmer weather. I waved goodbye to my beloved Colorado, making my way West to the rocky spires of the Utah desert.