30 Jun Field Trips Aren’t Just for Kids

Wow, I have never been on so many field trips in one week in my life! The inner kid in me absolutely loves it! This week I was able to go to the Baca National Wildlife Refuge, San Luis State Park, Zapata Falls, and the Trujillo Homestead! Each place was so wonderfully beautiful, and the best part was that it was all considered “work hours.” The Baca National Wildlife Refuge is in Crestone, and is home to four of the most popular “fourteeners” in Colorado. It is 90,000 acres full of wildlife, mountains, wetlands, and an endless supply of scenery. My favorite place was definitely Zapata Falls, which is where the most beautiful and most accessible waterfall is in Mosca. The hike is only half a mile and the view is spectacular. Considering that I am from sea level, hikes are really difficult for me here at Great Sand Dunes because we sit at 8,000 feet in elevation, so a mile hike uphill is exhausting and I feel like I just ran a marathon. However, I am attempting more hikes in order to better acclimate myself to this elevation, and according to my coworker I am going to summit Mt. Herard (over 13,300 feet) before I leave here… I will definitely keep y’all updated on that mission.