Geology Field Trip Gone Wrong, and Compensation

This afternoon there was to have been a geology field trip here in the Upper Arkansas Valley. Maybe there was one. Three of us showed up at the junction of Highways 50 and 285, but no trip leader was in sight. We supposed that others had gone to the OTHER junction of 50 and 285, about a third of a mile south. The two highways coincide for about that far before Highway 50 splits off and heads east toward Salida and Ocean City, Maryland.

We waited, and then gave up. One of us had driven down to the other junction, and had seen two cars parked there. We surmised what must have happened. The geology trip had gone, though the junction we were at is the one commonly used for such meetings.

I went down to the other junction, got my bike out, and rode up the pass for about a mile. While doing this, I noticed a road on the other side of the canyon. All the times I've driven Poncha Pass, I hadn't noticed this. After biking (and I wasn't as energetic today as I've been before) I drove up there on County Road 115. It leaves Highway 285 near Poncha Springs, passes through a nice little group of houses, climbs, and returns to the highway about a mile up Poncha Pass.

Along the way is a large green water tank, which may be part of the system that sends water to the Salida hot springs pool. Farther, there is a very dilapidated set of buildings with a much less dilapidated swimming pool. Maybe this was a hot springs pool at one time.

This triplet of pine trees is right beside the parking place by the bridge, about 100 yards off Highway 285, about a mile south of Poncha Springs, Colorado.

This is the bridge across the creek, just off Highway 285, as above.