Have you ever accidentally visited somewhere really impressive? This recently happened to me with Chimney Rock.
Go West, young man
During a stormy day in Southwest Colorado, we decided to explore some of the countryside we hadn’t yet experienced. We’d been skiing, remote-working, and photographing the area for several days. But wanted a change of pace on this day. Based in Pagosa Springs, Colorado at this time, we knew we weren’t going to head west or north. There was a large snowstorm up on Wolf Creek Pass a few miles east of town, and it wrapped around to the north, as well. All that mess was headed straight south, so south was out, as well.
That left West. We’ve driven the road west out of Pagosa many times. The next town of any size – about an hour away – is Durango, Colorado. So we decided we’d head over that direction, and explore along the way. If the weather that direction held out, perhaps we’d run all the way to Durango for lunch. We have a couple favorite restaurants there, and the Durango Main Street business district is always interesting. A good plan for the day.
Finally Stopping to Visit
Twenty miles west of Pagosa lies Chimney Rock National Monument. We’d driven past it a number of times. We’d admired its two spires (Chimney Rock and Companion Rock) above the rugged terrain as viewed from the highway while buzzing past. It appears around curves and bends in the highway over several miles. It’s beautiful and visually impressive from the highway, but we’d never stopped to actually see it.
Today we’d change that. We didn’t plan to go there, but after seeing it around the first bend or so along the way, we realized: we have to stop and see this this time!
The monument is just a short drive off of the highway to the parking area. The monument building is closed during the winter months, and it’s unstaffed. You can still park in a small lot at the entrance to the area, and hike in. However, I stepped out of the car into ankle-deep mud. I managed to get to some firmer footing pretty quickly, but it was clear the trail into the monument and up to Chimney Rock, Companion Rock, and the numerous pueblos, kivas, and other ruins within the site was going to be difficult to access.
So we decided to hop back in the car and photograph the monument from the roadside. We’d save an actual visit and hike to the top for another day.
Clearing Skies
It had been raining all the way from Pagosa to Chimney Rock. But as we were pulling out of the parking lot to the roadway, some beautiful patches of blue sky began appearing. So I headed down the country road, along the boundary fence, seeking the most photogenic views of the monument.
Here are a few of the images I made that day. I was pleased with them, especially given the messy weather we’d been dealt that day. Photographically, I used a simple kit on this day: a single mirrorless camera body, a standard zoom lens, and tripod. We explored a few side roads and made photographs. Then we headed back to the road to Durango, ending up at one of our favorite restaurants on Main Street. Overall, a lovely day – especially considering the uncertainty with which it started.
I’ll be back in this area soon, and I look forward to venturing into the monument if possible.
