Crawled out of my tent while the stars were still out against the dark sky...came down to the reception office, made the first pot of coffee, set myself down at the table by the wide window that looks over the valley, and watched the earth rotate toward the sun.
The light spreads down from the peaks of the San Juans...these mountains are known locally as the Saguaghe range (from the Ute word for "sand dunes" which are located south of the hot springs). Light crosses the foothills and, then, hits the valley floor.
It takes about an hour for the sunlight to shine on the eastern slopes of the Sangre de Cristo, the Crestone range, where I sit at the table, drinking coffee and feeling the day slowly warm up.
Location:Valley View Hot Springs
