Mission Wolf

We recently drove out through the wide open countryside approximately 28 miles to the tiny community of Gardner.  Two miles past Gardner is County Road 634 heading up into the mountains.  As you turn onto the county road, please zero out your odometer, so that you can watch for the turn-off to the mission located at 13.2 miles.  You'll be glad you did, as the drive through the wilderness will shake your confidence as to how far you've actually gone!

The drive varies from open wooded to more heavily wooded.

Mission Wolf is a private non-profit organization established to provide wolves and wolf/dog hybrids sanctuary, as well as, to educate the public about wolves.  They are proud that their facility utilizes solar power, has greenhouses for growing vegetables and recycles materials for constructing buildings.  They even process used cooking oils from restaurants to power facility vehicles!  The tipi you see is one of several and are housing for the volunteer staff.  The white domes are greenhouses.  The wood buildings serve various functions.

The public can make arrangements for an overnight stay in a tipi.  You can read more about Mission Wolf on their website:  Mission Wolf

This is the walk up to the wolf habitats.  The website shows there to be 30 wolves, including wolf/dog mixes, at the sanctuary.  You can read about the individual wolves on their website.

The first pen houses three wolf/dogs that serve as ambassadors in meeting the public at educational presentations.

The white wolf is a male Artic wolf named Illiamna.  He was born  on April 14th, 2009.  He came to Mission Wolf as a pup with 3 siblings and 4 Canadian Grey Wolf Pups.  They had been in a Wildlife Safari Park in South Dakota prior to coming to the sanctuary.  Raven is a beautiful female Silver Wolf born on April 7th, 2002.  She and her sister arrived at the sanctuary when they were 4 months old.  Her brothers were chosen for a movie project, but since Raven and her sister weren't also chosen, they were in need of a home.  Raven and her sister, Magpie, needed their space as they grew older.  Illiamna and Raven became great friends.  All the animals at Mission Wolf are spayed/neutered.

Not being absolutely sure that I'm labeling the individual wolves correctly, I would like to apologize to anyone reading this blog who knows the wolves personally.  I think what is most important is getting the stories of how they came to live at the Mission Wolf Sanctuary heard.  With that said, I believe this wolf is Orion.  Orion is a male black wolf, who was born in Tennessee in the spring of 2005.  He was rescued by a woman living in Vermont who kept wolf-dogs.  When she realized that she wouldn't be able to socialize him out of his skittish "wolfy" behavior, she contacted Mission Wolf.  Orion developed a strong bond with Soleil, a white wolf-dog.  They are never seen more than a few feet apart!

When we got to the highest point of our walk, we started a group howl with these wolves.  It set-up a howl across the habitats! 

This is the view out over some of the lower habitats.

We visited some more wolves and then took a tour of the domed greenhouse.  After a visit to the gift shop, we were free to wander the route of our guided tour unaccompanied by a guide.  The tour left us with mixed emotions.  The operation as a whole was impressive, but the statistics regarding wolf/dog hybrids was depressing.  The law allows for people to own them, but it appears that the hybrids as a rule only function well in homes up until the age of two, at which time they are euthanized or sent to sanctuaries!  It left us feeling that the law should probably be revised.

Huerfano Butte

Ten miles north of Walsenburg near the Huerfano (War fuh no) Wind Farm sits a 300' mound of black rubble called Huerfano Butte.  To a geologist it may be impressive, as the core of what was once a lone volcano out in the wide open spaces.  It was named Huerfano Butte, as Huerfano means orphan.  It sits about a half mile off the Highway 25 observation turnout, so without a great camera, the picture one can get of the butte is equally unimpressive.  It sits on private property and isn't accessible without special permission.

This Internet picture is a little more impressive.  It is a landmark that sits along a historic trappers trail.  A bit of history about the butte that I found interesting, was that back in the day of the migration of people westward to California, it was proposed that a statue be placed atop the butte pointing the way!  It apparently never came to be, though.  Whether one finds Huerfano Butte impressive or otherwise, it is a local landmark with geological and historical significance!

Huerfano County Wind Farms

Ten miles north of Walsenburg, CO along Interstate 25 are four beautiful wind turbines.  This is the Huerfano River Wind Farm.  The farm uses Sany-made turbines and feeds into the San Isabel Electric Association grid.  It was built in 2013.  We thought the dirt roads between the turbines might be a fun place to take our dogs for runs, but as suspected the turbines are fenced off and on gated private property.  There is a county road that parallels the wind farm and is nice for a slow drive near the turbines.     

On a clear day off in the distance you might notice a large number of wind turbines.  Going east on Hwy. 10 approximately 10 miles, you will encounter the 34 wind turbines that make-up the Peak View Wind Farm.  The turbines are widely spread on both sides of the highway and fenced off on private property.  This Black Hills Energy project was completed in October 2016. 

Rosemount Museum

The Rosemount Estate (Museum) is located in Pueblo and is considered Colorado's Crown Jewel!  Having toured many estates, including the historic Newport, Rhode Island mansions of our nation's wealthiest families, we place Rosemount right up with the most elegant!  It is a must see for anyone that loves historic homes of grandeur!

Rosemount was built in 1893 for the John and Margaret Thatcher family.  Mr. Thatcher established the first bank in Pueblo and later established banks throughout Colorado.  Rosemount took 3 years to be built.  It is unique compared to other historic estates in that 80% of its furnishings are original to Rosemount!  The beautiful exterior stonework was quarried near Castle Rock, Colorado.    

From the time you near the front entryway, the elegance and amazing use of wood and details is evident!   

This is the foyer of the 37 room estate.  It features massive golden oak woodwork, while other rooms in the home are done with equally beautiful and massive white oak, tiger and birdseye maple, cherry, curly and regular birch, lacewood and mahogany.  The light fixtures throughout the home come from Tiffanys and are works of art in themselves!  They are highly functional in their ability to work off of electricity or gas.  Each fireplace glistens with its own beautiful tile colors.  The home is 3 stories, two of which were for the family and one for the maids.  Male employees had quarters within the carriage house.

Rosemount is open year round, but if you are in the Pueblo area from Thanksgiving through Christmas, you'll get the extra special treat of seeing the estate decorated for Christmas!  Pictures and videos are not allowed inside the estate.  The ones in this blog are from the Internet.  Interior images online are very limited and many that I found are copyrighted.  You can see several copyrighted photos at this link:   Jim Steinhart, Photojournalist

Pueblo Zoo Electricritters

This is the 25th year for the Pueblo Zoo fundraiser called Electicritters.  This year there are 150 displays designed by local artists.  Tickets at the gate are $7.00 for adults, but tickets may be purchased in advance for a reduced cost and quicker entry into the event!  Following are just a few samples of the numerous displays!

We love how the moon made this photo even more enchanting!

Simple, but sweet!

Enjoy your tour of Electricritters!

We loved these walk-through displays!

This rhino put on an ever changing light show!

Many of the displays, such as Santa's sled dog team, were designed to appear to be moving!

This was a simple, but fun display in some bushes.

Click on this picture to get a closer look!

This display reminded me of a large snake we saw in Texas that climbed a tree!

You can see the extra light circuits that made these African Wild Dogs appear to be wagging their tails.

We're glad we made it to the Electricritter light show for Christmas and look forward to returning to the zoo in the Spring to see the 500 resident animals!

Nature and Raptor Center of Pueblo

We recently went to the Nature and Raptor Center of Pueblo.  It is a facility that rehabilitates raptors for release back into the wild.  Those that can't be released are on display in a small zoo and are used for teaching the public about the birds.  There are also trails for nice hikes, a picnic area and a restaurant.

The Raptor Center doesn't appear to have a sign on Pueblo Blvd., but is accessible by exiting onto 11th Street, which turns into it's reported address of Nature Center Road.  Touring the facility is self guided and is only $5.00 per vehicle.

Each cage has information displayed telling about the bird species and each bird's personal story of how it came to be at the facility.

This is a Great Horned Owl named Jasper.  An unfortunate accident left him missing his right eye and with extensive right wing damage.  Jasper joined the facility staff in 2014 and has a busy life as an educator!

Look at the nice big room Jasper has.  Each cage has a swimming pool.  It makes me wonder if they put fish in them sometimes.

This is a Golden Eagle name Aquila.  She met with a vehicle collision in 1984.  Despite extensive efforts to rehabilitate her wing, it became apparent by 1985 that she would not be able to fly.  Besides regularly assisting the staff with educational programs, she has been a successful foster mom raising two orphaned Golden Eagle chicks!

This is Aquila's large cage.  All the bird pictures were taken through this wire mesh.  It's amazing they turned out so well!

This cage houses two Swainson Hawks and two Turkey Vultures.  The hawks are named Ernest and Carlos.  Ernest was brought to the center in 1996 after being confiscated from some boys who had tried to raise him from a chick.  Unfortunately the boys didn't understand the nutritional needs of a raptor and Ernest's bones didn't form with the proper shape and strength for flight.  He is also imprinted on humans, since being raised by them.  Being human oriented has made him a great educator!  Carlos came to the facility as a fledgling in 2006.  He had a damage wing that couldn't be repaired.  The Turkey Vultures are Izzy and Lurch.  Izzy was found as a juvenile, unable to fly due to a damaged wing.  She joined the staff in 2011.  Lurch was also found with a damaged wing.  He spent 22 years in other rehabilitation facilities until the time they closed.  He came to the Pueblo center in 2007 and is a valued member of the staff!

Arapahoe is a Golden Eagle.  He was found with a long standing damaged wing and came to the center in 1989.

I didn't catch this cute little Screech Owl's name or story!

This is a Barn Owl named Piper.  Piper was found with a damaged wing and joined the staff in 2014.

Guffey is a Great Horned Owl that met with a car collision.  Examination showed that he had prior wing damage from his youth that impaired his flight ability.  He came to the center in 2011 and quickly became a favorite at programs and events he attended.

Here is Guffey's habitat.

This is the Peregrine Falcon named Kya or Theo.  Kya and Theo both came to the center in 2013 due to incidents in different Colorado counties that left them with wing damage. 

This is the Coyote Grill, located on the nature center's grounds down by the Arkansas River.

This is a boardwalk eating area outside the restaurant.

This is a peak at the Arkansas River.  We enjoyed our visit to the Pueblo Nature and Raptor Center and recommend that you stop by, too!

Highway of Legends

The Highway of Legends is primarily Hwy. 12 from
La Veta to Trinidad.  There is a route from Cuchara through the San Isabel National Forest, up over 11,743' Cordova Pass, and down to the community of Aguilar.  We did the Cordova Pass route on our first drive and Hwy. 12 from La Veta to Trinidad another day.  If choosing to make only one of the trips, take Hwy. 12 to Trinidad.

In route from Walsenburg to La Veta you will see the Spanish Peaks.  The 13,673' West Peak is on the right and the 12,708' East Peak is on the left.  The Spanish Peaks can be seen 133 miles away to the north in Colorado Springs and 85 miles to the west in Alamosa!  They appear so close to Walsenburg that we like to think of them as being ours, but in actuality they are located near La Veta.  Do you see the cloud coyote over the West Peak?  Click on the picture for a closer look!  

This is the beautiful and artistic community of La Veta!  It is also home to Francisco Fort.

The flowers in a street planter in La Veta were active with butterflies!

These are the Spanish Peaks, as viewed from La Veta.

Just before you reach the community of Cuchara, you will get a close-up view of The Devil's Stairsteps! 

This is the view from having passed the stairsteps and looking back.  These formations are called dikes and are unique to this area.

Approximately 500 rock walls (dikes) radiate around the Spanish Peaks.  They were formed by molten rock being extruded up through cracks in the Earth's surface.

This is the community of Cuchara.  It seems to have just enough restaurants, taverns and gift shops to keep the tourists entertained.  There is a nearby ranch for trail hikes, horse rides and cabin rentals.

Farley's Overlook is the first scenic view you'll have at the turnoff for the climb to Cordova's Pass.  Most of the drive is through pine forest with just a few views similar to Farley's Overlook. 

This is an interesting cut through a dike along the Cordova Pass route.  This route ends in the community of Aguilar.  Aguilar, while having some interesting architecture and history, is now mostly vacant buildings.  A return to Walsenburg is made on Hwy. 25.

On our second day's scenic drive we followed Hwy. 12 from La Veta to Trinidad.  Once past the community of Cuchara, historic churches similar in architecture to this one will be seen in each small community.  This is an Internet picture of the old church located in Weston.  When active, the churches were of the Catholic denomination.  This area of Colorado is said to have belonged to the Spanish three times longer than it has belonged to the United States.

Although, most of the trees along the route were yellow in their Fall color; the grasses and bushes had pretty Autumn hues of orange.

This is just a pretty lake along the route.  I think it may be Monument Lake.

As you get close to arriving in the bustling 9,096 resident community of Tinidad, you will pass the historic coke ovens near the community of Cokedale.  Coke is a byproduct of heating coal to a very high temperature in airtight ovens.  Coke is used in the creation of steel and other products.  Highway 25 north out of Trinidad takes you back to Walsenburg. The Highway of Legends will stand out in our memories for the amazingly beautiful scenery, unique geological formations, and historic communities!