Day 15: Questa to Fort Garland, deep in New Spain

June 12, 2019

Today would be a flat easy tailwind day if I stay on NM 522 and CO 129 all day. Instead, I chose to make a detour that adds 10 miles and 600 feet of climbing, plus 12 miles of gravel roads.

I ate raisin bran in the room and heated up a breakfast burrito to eat a few miles down the road. On the road at about 8 AM, already warm and sunny. The day starts with a big hill climb going north out of Questa on NM 522. Then mostly flat to Costilla. High desert, about 7500 feet elevation, entering the San Luis valley. I see no sign of the Rio Grande which is several miles to the west.

The sky was brilliant blue early in the morning and I had the usual southwest tailwind, gentle at first. It felt good.

Looking back (south) at the Sangre de Cristo mountains when leaving Questa.

A few miles north of Questa I enter the Sangre de Cristo land grant which was issued by Mexico in 1844. This area has farms scattered throughout the desert, mostly in places where water runs out of the mountains.

Looking north. I didn't know about this land grant. The area has dozens of Spanish farm communities.

At Costilla I turned right onto my detour. The first part is paved, NM 196. It goes far up the Costilla river but I only went as far as the village of Amalia.

The main part of the Costilla town is on NM 196. There are many inhabited houses but far more abandoned houses than inhabited houses. And all the business are long since shut down. I could imagine that the market plaza, lodge, and grocery were busy places 100 years ago. It's kind of a ghost town now. There is a gas station and small convenience store on NM 522 near the NM 196 turnoff.

Historic Market Plaza in Costilla. It has some recent renovations and appears to be used occasionally.

Former lodge at Costilla. The tower made it look like a church or convent.

I traveled this road once in the 1980's to ski at the Rio Costilla ski area far upstream. It still operates as a small summer resort but no longer has a ski operation.

The climb from Costilla to Amalia is about 500 feet (150 m). I enjoyed being back in the Piñon and Juniper zone for a few miles, in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo mountains.

Climbing to Amalia on NM 196 in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo mountains. Back to the Piñon zone for a few miles.

Amalia is a sleepy little town that obviously once had a larger population. It even had a gas station. Now there are no businesses.

Amazingly well preserved old Texaco station in Amalia.

The Catholic church in Amalia is interesting because they covered the old adobe structure with wood to save maintenance. It's not pretty but I guess it's functional.

Santo Niño church in Amalia. It appears to be adobe covered with wood.

In Amalia I turn off the paved road onto gravel county road 21. I expected it to be a well graded and well packed road but it has a lot of washboards and loose rocks. It started with a 400 foot (120 m) climb through junipers, but I never took a photo of that. After the climb I saw only sagebrush.

County road 21 looking north towards Colorado.

The 12.2 mile gravel road was slower than I hoped it would be. I saw maybe 10 cars. Pretty much my own private road. In New Mexico there are frequent side roads leading to old farm communities of 2 or 3 houses. The Colorado side is less populated. Still working ranches, but few homesteads.

Crossing from New Mexico into Colorado on County Road 21.

The gravel road was more difficult than expected but I enjoyed the quiet solitude. Mountain views were quite good to the east. Valley views to the west weren't very expansive.

County road 21 has no traffic and no farm houses.

Pavement resumes as I approach the tiny farm villages of Los Fuertes, San Pablo, and San Pedro. The villages have a very Spanish character.

I saw a lot of water coming down from the Sangre de Cristo mountains.

Torcido creek was the largest stream I saw today.

I stopped for a few minutes to look at St. Peter and St. Paul Catholic church. It's surrounded by farms, not in a village. Amazing that such a grand church was built in the farm fields. It has a lot of stained glass and is in good condition.

St. Peter and St. Paul Catholic Church is surrounded by farms.

I didn't stop in San Luis other than to take one photo. It's the oldest still-inhabited town in Colorado, founded in 1851. My town in Oregon was founded the same year. It also has the oldest continuously operating business in Colorado. Quaint and historic, but not thriving.

R&R Market is the oldest business in Colorado, founded in 1857. The cannabis business is newer.

I was tired but the final 16 miles from San Luis to Fort Garland are flat, straight, and easy. Especially with the usual brisk late afternoon tailwind and the view of the Sangre de Cristo mountains gradually improving as I approach Fort Garland.

CO 159 approaching Fort Garland with a great view of the Sangre de Cristo mountains.

I arrived in Fort Garland at 4:50 PM, 10 minutes before the Fort Garland museum closed. I took two pictures looking over the fence. I didn't read up on the history but it surely existed to keep La Veta pass safe for travelers and ensure U.S. control of territory recently seized from Mexico.

Fort Garland, a former US Army cavalry fort. Now a privately owned museum.

Fort Garland in the town of Fort Garland.

Fort Garland is on US 160 which is one of the few truck routes across the Sangre de Cristo mountains. The population is only 433 but Fort Garland has several motels and restaurants. I'm at a $67 room at The Lodge. I took a 1 hour nap, then had dinner at Rendezvous Barbeque. The motel is full and all the guests seem to be noisy. Despite the fort museum, Fort Garland is more of a highway oasis than a tourist town.

Holy Family Catholic Mission in Fort Garland.

I'm glad I took the gravel detour. Otherwise I would have missed interesting stuff in Costilla and Amalia. Distance was long but the total climbing was reasonable.

Today had great weather. It was the only day of the tour that I started in shorts and stayed in shorts all day. High of 75F (24C). A few sprinkles in the afternoon. I got a couple of insect bites for the first time on the tour.

Distance: 65 mi. (104 km), 12.2 miles unpaved
Ascent/Descent: +1840/-1331 ft. (+561/-406 m)
Average Speed: 10.6 mph (17 km/h)

Today's ride: 65 miles (105 km)
Total: 535 miles (861 km)

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