Questions about land in SLVR / Blanca (Colorado Springs, Antonito: home, landscaping, buy)

[little mama 15]

Hi Everyone,
Just a few questions. First off we bought a total of 15 acres in the SLVR. I know there is nothing there but land and chicweed and sage brush, any idea best way to get rid of it? I also am looking for a camper in June and can't find one in our price range, will be using a cabin tent with generator for the first month. Are there alot of snakes on the property???????? I know it will be difficult at first but hoping all will be great. This is going to be my home forever. Are people there friendly and helpful? Let me know if you will.

[mooseman581955]

Hello, moving to blanca in may, bought a 5 acre lot and a 10 acfe lot, was wondering if anyone can tell me how to thin down or just remove some of the sage brush, and where the best fishing is located in that area. Any information about blanca would be helpful. thank you

[Colorado Rambler]

Dear mooseman and little mama,

You'd be best off just living with the sagebrush unless your property has an extensive water supply which would allow for the maintenance of more water thirsty landscaping. Might I ask what you were thinking you could replace it with? And with all due respect, why would you move to the San Luis Valley or anywhere else in Colorado besides the Front Range if you don't like sagebrush? I love our aromatic sagebrush here on the Western Slope. Plus, sagebrush is native to the region - not a weed to be up-rooted and rid of. Pull out all the sagebrush and you're going to end up with a barren moonscape unless you're thinking of just a small area around your dwelling for a yard. You could put in some xeriscaping, but 15 acres of xeriscaping would be an immense and costly project. You could make lots of new friends in Blanca that way I suppose, since so many folks in the area are in need of jobs. Me, I'd meet the new neighbors with a plate of brownies. It's far easier and cheaper.

Anyhow, for fishing check out the Conejos River between Antonito, Colorado and Chama, New Mexico to the south of the SLV on Highway 17. If memory serves, some parts of the Conejos are designated as especially fine trout fishing areas.

Yours,
Rambler

[debbie at bouontiful]

Originally Posted by Colorado Rambler

Dear mooseman and little mama,



Anyhow, for fishing check out the Conejos River between Antonito, Colorado and Chama, New Mexico to the south of the SLV on Highway 17. If memory serves, some parts of the Conejos are designated as especially fine trout fishing areas.

Yours,
Rambler

Very pretty area to fish. Husband has fished there.

[Colorado Rambler]

^^^

The Conejos River is truely lovely. We used to go down there from Colorado Springs a couple of times a year to get a little fishing and hiking in. The mountains in that area are also spectacular in the fall. Perhaps mooseman and little m could devote their time to trout fishing and leave the poor old sagebrush alone.

[jazzlover]

Remove the sage and greasewood, and all that will be left will be noxious weeds. Those small tracts almost never have any irrigation water, so you are stuck with the sage and greasewood because that is the natural vegetation of the SLV where water isn't present. Also, the more greasewood there is, that is a strong indication of how alkaline the soil is. Even with water, that soil won't be very productive. Sad to say, you're most likely just more victims of the "land scam" that's been going on the SLV for decades. I've watched this going on the SLV for over 40 years and I'm continually surprised that there seems to be a never-ending stream of people willing to waste their money on those worthless tracts of land.

[debbie at bouontiful]

I imagine there are snakes. Here in Eastern OK I get them trying to come into our house. I've actually stepped on a copper head in the kitchen before. I've seen snakes in your area too. Actually, dead snakes on hikes. Just buy snake boots, well there actually not boots we put them on our legs and they touch our boots. They were not expensive from Amazon. I think the snakes might be more dangerous in your area too. We have timber rattlers and few diamond backs but mostly copper. Not sure what the desert has but wouldn't take changes. Kept your tent closed when your out and look around the outside of the tent when you get out. They (snakes) look for cooler areas in the summer and don't lift a rock with bare hands.

What jazzlover is true but on the other hand, I've been in the area many times like every year and I see happy people. Did you buy in one of the subdivisions? The area is neat and hope you have a great adventure.

[jazzlover]

The only poisonous snake in the SLV is the Western rattlesnake and they are relatively uncommon on the valley floor (it's actually too dry for them in most places). They are more common in the foothills around the valley. I've seen them there at up to 9,000 ft. elevation--the highest elevation that I've seen a rattlesnake in Colorado. No copperheads, etc.

I'm in the SLV frequently--in fact, I was just there in the last 5 days. I'd have to say that the happiest people in the SLV are generally the ones that have been there for generations and AREN'T the ones trying to survive on useless tracts of land out in the small acreage "subdivisions." I have a lot of friends in the SLV--some that I've known for 30+ years. Those long-timers in the SLV are some of the nicest people that I know in Colorado, right up with the farmers and ranchers that I know out on Colorado's Eastern Plains.

[little mama 15]

Thank you to all that replied. Very nice to see there will be great people to meet and sure am looking forward to those brownies. As for our sage brush only clearing a little away for our cabin tent for now till we get something bigger. As for fishing you better beleive we will be trout fishing, as love eating it. Look so forward to getting there. We are moving there to start something we have alway wanted to do, start at the beginning and see what we have done in the end.
Mooseman and little mama

[little mama 15]

Thank you for the information on the snakes, was really worried about that. I hope to be there a long time. We bought snake chaps for just in case. I'm in a wheel chair so I will just curl up in chair lol