Lathrop State Park

My first solo van camping trip in the shadow of the Spanish Peaks

Recently, I’ve been feeling a bit like I’m going through a midlife crisis. I think it’s that I went to college specifically for teaching and have been a teacher for the last seventeen years. And now? I’m not a teacher anymore, and it’s weird. I am struggling to find a new normal.

My therapist said that I need some time to grieve who I used to be and figure out what my next steps are. Who do I want to be? What do I want from life? On my therapist’s orders, I drove the van 90 minutes south to Walsenburg, Colorado, and did my first (and definitely not last) solo van camping trip.

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Friday, April 12, 2024

I took a half day on Friday, and thank goodness I did because it took me two hours to pack the van on my own. Oof. I stopped for a late lunch at my favorite burger joint down south and rolled into the state park around 3:30. I knew I wanted to take a moment to relax, especially since my campsite had a beautiful view of the Spanish Peaks. I opened the doors and stared at the view for some time. Then, I ripped myself away from the van (and the view) and wandered around the park in the late afternoon.

The view from the shoreline of Martin Lake

A large, beautiful old Juniper tree

This robin kept stalking me for some treats

A telephoto shot of East Spanish Peak around sunset. See the “sticks” at the bottom of the shot? Apparently the burned trees were from the East Peak Fire in 2013.

Saturday, April 13, 2024

Because I was on my own, I set my schedule to whatever I felt like. Despite knowing the sunrise would be beautiful, I chose to sleep in on Saturday morning. I woke up around 8 and stayed in bed to read my book. I finished a few chapters, ate breakfast, and noted the temperature in the van rising quicker than I wanted. I knew if I was going for a walk, I needed to get moving.

There is a three-mile path around Martin Lake. Because it’s mud season along the Front Range, the area wasn’t very photogenic midday.

The walk wasn’t very inspiring, but it felt great to move and get some fresh air. Back at the van, I finished my book, journaled some, and then promptly took a nap. The nap was unexpected, but felt so good. There is nothing quite like an afternoon van nap, I swear. But because of the nap, I was late making dinner and cleaning the dishes after. That led to a late start to my short sunset hike along Hogback Ridge.

William Henry Jackson, a well-known 19th century photographer, photographed the Spanish Peaks from a spot along the Hogback Ridge. A local was able to figure out his photography location, and now you can hike to it. I figured it would be a perfect location to photograph at sunset. However, I missed sunset by a few minutes.

The pastel colors were quite beautiful, so I stayed too long on the ridge taking pictures. I was woefully unprepared for dark hiking (no headlamp or long sleeves!), so the hike back down the ridge was a bit sketchy. I even had to circle back a couple of times because I lost the trail. But I was tickled to see a herd of ten deer before the end of the trail. They all stared at me as I hiked past, but I just nodded at them and remarked, “Ladies…”

Back at the campsite, I attempted to photograph the waxing crescent moon (an absolute fail) while watching the stars slowly appear in the sky. I haven’t attempted much astrophotography, as it’s a whole other skill set, but I did take a few shots of the Spanish Peaks under the stars and got an okay shot.

I know I can do better.

Sunday, April 14, 2024

Despite wanting to sleep in, I also wanted to photograph the peaks at sunrise. I got a late start trying to find the motivation to leave my warm bed while also being distracted by the internet.

So, again, due to my late start, I got the best sunrise shot from right outside the van.

I took a few shots from the campsite, then hustled down to the lake to get some morning reflection photographs as well.

Since I was up, I decided to wander over to some ponds that, according to all park materials, have plenty of birds in the surrounding trees. All I saw were geese, and they literally flew away once I had my tripod set up. Neat.

So here’s another telephoto shot of East Spanish Peak in the lovely morning light.

As I walked back to the van, one flock of birds flew into a tree right next to me. They blended in really well, so it took me a hot second to find one to photograph.

According to Google Lens, this is a Cedar Waxwing.

I was hoping to get a morning paddleboard session on Horseshoe Lake, but the wind was too strong, and I did not want to get dunked into 50°F water. So I ate breakfast, packed up the campsite, and drove into Walsenburg. The town is always a drive-though spot for us, so I was excited to spend a little time photographing the architecture that I’ve always seen from the car window. What surprised me was how many places were closed and boarded up. Walsenburg has the potential to be a cute little town, but like all rural towns, they’re hard to maintain.

I assumed this was an old school

Cool fountain features in a plaza. A sign claimed it was part of an 18th century Spanish plaza, but I found that claim a bit dubious.

I loved the texture of this wall. The hours don’t matter because this antique store was definitely abandoned.

Paco’s Starlite Tavern, a 3rd generation bar (I have such a fondness for “dive” bars)

Central Tavern Cafe. Bright, interesting exterior, definitely closed.

The front of the Fraternal Order of Eagles. The lighting was just right for the tan wall and dark door.

I grabbed an iced chai latte to go, and 48 hours later, I was back home editing these photos and chatting with Adam about the trip. It was a perfect weekend getaway and a great start to “van season.” Where are we headed next? Guess you’ll have to wait and see.

Cheers.