Camping, Great Sand Dunes & the St. Luis Valley Med Center ER
/We’ve always enjoyed camping or at least David has. Truth be told, I never went camping until I met him, but I have liked it since then. We did lots of family camping when the kids were little and though I enjoyed it , it was a lot of work. Now, with just the two of us and Blue, it’s easy-peasy, not to mention relaxing.
We should have paid a little more attention to the ‘rough road’ sign
Zapata Falls Campground seemed like a great place to overnight or maybe stay for a couple of days. It is located about 12 miles from Great Sand Dunes National Park and the views were purported to be stupendous. When we turned off the main road to head to the campground, we should have given the ‘rough road’ sign a bit more attention. The dirt road was indeed ‘rough’. For 3.5 miles, it jarred our dental work and shook our bones. We were so shaken that our Garmin fitness trackers were recording steps though we weren’t walking… just bouncing. Blue, however, seemed to enjoy himself and took it all in stride. Miriam never commented one way or the other… she’s quiet as a church mouse.
The campsite at Zapata Falls had great views.
We worried we might not find a campsite so late in the day, but there were several available and we picked a primo spot to watch the sunset. It was too windy for a campfire, so we whipped up a batch of chili on the Coleman propane stove for dinner.
Sunset at Zapata Falls Campground
The campground is located at 9,000’ altitude which we thought would be fine considering we’d been at around 7000’ for a few days. We found ourselves short of breath while taking a short stroll around the campground and we both woke gasping for breath during the night. Time to head to a lower altitude, but not before breakfast and the morning ground squirrel show.
We bounced our way back down the entry road, shaken not stirred by the time we reached the highway leading to Great Sand Dunes National Park. Views of the dunes from our downhill perspective were great.
Heading downhill from Zapata Falls provided an interesting perspective of the sand dunes.
At Great Sand Dunes, we somehow expected fewer people, but were surprised to find the park crowded… at least by our standards. Families and bikers and teens and couples and old farts like us, most with little regard for social distancing or masks, were all heading across the sandy park floor with slides and sleds and sandboards intending to climb North America’s highest sand dunes for a sledding experience coming down .
I don’t get it. Even the local dinosaurs wear masks. How come the humans don’t?
Looking at this photo, there doesn’t seem to be that many people, but believe me, there were lots!
Selfie at the Dunes
This was just not for us. We took a few pictures and headed to a secluded picnic area for a snack while figuring out our Plan B for the day. The park is open 365 days a year, 24 hours/day… we’ll find a time to return when it’s less crowded.
We settled on Penitente Canyon about 20+ miles from Alamosa and only 7,900’ altitude. The dirt road to the campground was a bit rough, but nothing compared to Zapata Falls. We found an excellent campsite, claimed it and within minutes, I was not feeling well… short of breath, a headache, nausea and light-headedness (nothing to do with being blonde, in case you were wondering!). Bad went to worse in a short period and we decided that perhaps even 7,900’ was a bit too much though we couldn’t understand why. We left abruptly, heading for lower ground. Pueblo, perhaps?
After a few miles on the road, it was evident there was something radically wrong. David made the decision that the Emergency Room in Alamosa was the prudent choice. By the time we arrived, I was vomiting, barely lucid and unable to walk into the ER by myself. The staff was quick and efficient, assisting me inside within minutes. The reality of the pandemic hit home immediately. David was not able to accompany me into the ER. I felt strangely alone as the staff bombarded me with questions that I felt too muddle-brained to answer immediately.
Well, they took blood and urine and did all the usual tests… ECG, SaO2 and more, hooked me up to an IV and gave me fluids and antibiotics and anti-nausea meds and five hours later, I walked out under my own steam with scripts in hand and a diagnosis of a UTI, mild high altitude sickness and dehydration. What a difference a few hours make… and drugs. My sister always insists ‘better living through chemistry’… and in this instance, she was absolutely right. Though tired, I was feeling remarkably better. The headache and nausea were gone. I was breathing more easily and though I wasn’t ready to climb any mountains, I figured we could continue our road trip without delay. We sprung for an upscale hotel for the night and discussed no future plans. We’d see how I felt after a night’s rest and decide in the morning.
Not to worry… I’m still here, all healthy and raring to go again. Come along with us as we head back to Penitente Canyon and do some hiking on the Blue Sky Trail.