More Impressive Scenery from the San Luis Valley Landfill

Don’t worry, you won’t see any trash. Okay, maybe one piece.

The City of Monte Vista sponsored a citywide cleanup over the second weekend in May, in which locals were encouraged to bring their accumulated winter refuse to dumpsters in the Ski-Hi Rodeo Arena. My wife was sick, and I was distracted, so we missed the opportunity to dispose of the remains of my wife’s bathroom remodel from the autumn, which included a toilet and a lot of wood trim with nails sticking out. There were also some large pieces from her kitchen remodel, many of which have yet to make it out.

Which means I have more photo opportunities to come. As long as the load is “covered,” as in, inside a trailer, underneath a pickup truck flatbed topper, or inside of a minivan, you don’t pay much more than five dollars U.S. to throw out whatever you need to throw out. It’s nearly ten miles out from where I live, but US 160 only gets prettier west of Monte Vista.

The San Luis Valley Regional Landfill is at the very end of Rio Grande County Road 44, which goes a mile or so due south before cutting east behind the bluff that conceals the landfill. Let’s ride.

Driving south through a flat area between ridges on Rio Grande Country Road 44.

The cellular phone tower on the ridge to the right is a landmark I use to inform me where to turn from US 160. 

This is as far as I could zoom in on the mountain in the southern distance. I need to get a topo map of the area and look up its name. I like how the power line poles march away alongside the road.

A view of that same mountain, not zoomed in, as the road now runs east to the landfill.

Continuing our trek east.... 

Just before the gate, now looking back the way we came, at a line of San Juan Mountains visible between the ridge the cellular tower is on, and the one south of it.

Zooming in on those San Juans. Note the other power poles bristling up among the long hills.

I would certainly look forward to the ride a lot more if it didn’t terminate in a stinking landfill. That said, they do them right here in the scenic San Luis Valley.

No more photos past this point. Just pay the lady, drive in, throw the stuff out, and hit the road.

Looking west out the gate of the landfill towards the way we came in, The road runs west behind the ridge before swinging hard north back to US 160.

I photographed the ridge that blocks the view of the landfill from US 160 to get a look at the local ground cover. I didn’t realize until after I’d uploaded this shot that part of the ground cover included a plastic bag. Ironic? Coincidental? Nah. Just figures.