Journal 54: The Outhouse at the Gap (time-slip fiction)

The wind off the Spanish Peaks carried a strange chill that morning. It was the kind that doesn’t come from weather but from waiting. Eli Turner parked his dusty Subaru at the pullout near The Gap on Highway 12. Just past where the road wound through a break in the land, a narrow opening in uplifted Dakota sandstone. The road squeezed between walls of golden rock that seemed to breathe the heat of a thousand summers. He was a weekend hiker, a geologist by curiosity, and a collector of strange stories by nature. But nothing in all his wandering, not ghost towns, not cave petroglyphs, not even the old logging ruins on Raspberry Mountain prepared him for the outhouse.

Journal 55: The Outhouse and Spanish Colonialism (time-slip fiction)

While following Bend Creek up Raspberry Mountain, Eli Turner’s discovery becomes a passage through time, revealing how Spanish colonialism first carved its mark on the Cuchara Valley. From Ulibarrí’s 1706 claim to the clash with Cuerno Verde, Eli witnesses conquest, faith, and resilience shaping a land that still remembers.

Journal 56: The Outhouse and Bear Hunters (time-slip fiction)

A weathered outhouse on Raspberry Mountain becomes a doorway through time, carrying one man into the forgotten bear hunts and hard-won courage that shaped Pinehaven’s past. Step inside this lyrical journey where the mountain remembers every heartbeat, every shot, and every story.

Journal 57: Pinehaven’s Firewise Program

The scent of pine and the crackle of dry needles remind us that beauty and risk live side by side in Pinehaven. In recent years, devastating events such as the 2018 Spring Creek Fire (Colorado’s second-largest wildfire at the time) burned over 108,000 acres and destroyed more than 140 structures in Huerfano and Costilla counties, coming dangerously close to communities such as Pinehaven and Cuchara. (1)  

Journal 58: A Biography of George Alfred Mayes

In an age when many long to trade noise for stillness and screens for scenery, the story of George Alfred Mayes is unexpectedly modern. More than a century ago, George Mayes walked away from the flat horizons of Texas, chasing health, purpose, and the promise of a place where everyday people could taste the wonder of southern Colorado’s mountain air. 

Journal 59: George Mayes’ Enduring Legacy

Long before the name Cuchara appeared on maps or postcards, a determined man in a Ford truck painted his dreams across its sides and set out to sell a mountain. People often say Cuchara Camps was the catalyst that put the valley on the map, but that gives too much credit to the place and not enough to the man behind it. 

Journal 60: Wheels of Change: The Truck That Drove Cuchara’s Future

Picture a rugged one-ton Ford Model TT rolling across the plains in 1925. Its wooden sides shouting painted promises of “cool mountain air,”  “no mosquitoes,” and “a place for a summer home.” It wasn’t just hauling cargo; it was carrying a dream. Behind the wheel sat George A. Mayes of Cuchara Camps, a man who turned his quest for health into a mission to share the mountain life he’d found. 

Journal 61: The Outhouse and John L. Powell (time-slip fiction)

Eli Turner’s to-do list began with fixing the flashing on the outhouse, or otherwise known as the legendary eyesore behind his Pinehaven cabin. He’d hoped for a quiet day to finally catch up, but the outhouse had other plans.

Journal 62: The La Veta Fire Auxiliary

In the heart of the Spanish Peaks region, where rugged mountains and sweeping pine forests cradle the historic towns of La Veta and Cuchara, community is not just a value, it's a lifeline. For mountain residents, wildfire readiness, emergency support, and resilience are more than priorities; they are essential for living safely and sustainably in Colorado’s high country. 

Journal 63: The Cuchara Camps Outing Club

In the early years of the 20th century, before paved roads reached the high country and long before Cuchara became a beloved summer village, George Alfred Mayes had a dream. The Cuchara Camps Outing Club would help make it a reality.

Journal 64: Re-Creating the Cuchara Camps Truck

When George Mayes rumbled across the Great Plains in his 1925 Ford Model TT, his homemade “rolling billboard” for Cuchara Camps, he had no idea he was creating one of the most beloved icons in our valley’s history. His marketing marvel crisscrossed Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, introducing travelers to the magic of Cuchara long before brochures or modern branding strategies ever existed.

Journal 65: Cuchara Connections: Influential People with Ties to the Valley

High in the Culebra Range, where the Sangre de Cristo Mountains bend into green valleys and quiet forests, Cuchara sits at an unexpected crossroads. It may look like a peaceful mountain village, but for generations it has been a meeting place for remarkable lives. Authors, musicians, scholars, business leaders, and wanderers have all drifted toward these winding roads and whispering pines. 

Journal 66: The Ever-Evolving Road to Pinehaven

If you stand at Pinehaven’s entrance today and listen carefully, you might hear an echo of every traveler who came before you. The entry may sit just off today’s Highway 12, the Highway of Legends, but it wasn’t always a simple turn off from a paved scenic byway.

Journal 67: Music Video: “He Painted His Dreams on the Side of a Truck”

Long before Cuchara Village appeared on any map, one determined dreamer was already carrying it across the Great Plains. In 1925, George Mayes turned a Ford Model TT into a hand-painted rolling billboard for “Cuchara Camps” and drove it through Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico. This music video celebrates that warm, nostalgic spirit and the simple truth that some of the biggest dreams begin on the side of an old truck.

Journal 68: Epic Snowfall Pinehaven’s Greatest Hits

Measuring a snowstorm isn’t as simple as reading a ruler. After all, anyone who has ever opened their cabin door to find the porch missing knows a ruler isn’t always the most honest witness. A storm’s true size is shaped by more than snowfall totals—it’s the howling winds that shake the rafters, the nights spent stoking the stove, the drifts that swallow porches, its length, and the unforgettable stories neighbors still tell years later. 

Journal 69: The Outhouse and Cucharan Resiliency (time-slip fiction)

Through a mysterious portal in the woods, Eli Turner journeys across time—into the fury of the Great Blizzard of 1913, the grit of the Great Depression, and the flames of the 2018 Spring Creek Fire—where he uncovers a single unshakable truth that defines Cuchara, Colorado: resilience.

Journal 70: When Snow Turns Dangerous (Explainer Video)

Blizzards aren’t defined by how much snow falls, but by how wind, temperature, and terrain turn different kinds of snow into serious hazards. This explainer video highlights six dangerous types of snow that is common in Cuchara and how recognizing them can prevent injuries, accidents, and damage to cabins during Colorado’s winter storms.

Journal 71: A Walk Among Pinehaven’s Trees – Part 1

Long before Pinehaven had cabin numbers, gravel roads, or mailboxes, the trees were already here rooted into the slopes, lining the creeks, and standing quietly through wind, fire, and snow. In this three-part series, we’ll take a leisurely walk through Pinehaven to meet ten of the trees that shape our forest and discover the unique role each one plays in cabin life.

Journal 72: A Walk Among Pinehaven’s Trees – Part 2

There’s something quietly incredible about owning a cabin in the forest and not just near it, but among trees that were already standing watch long before most of us ever arrived, and that will likely still be here long after we’re gone.

Journal 73: A Walk Among Pinehaven’s Trees – Part 3

 If you keep walking uphill past the last sunny decks and familiar pines of Pinehaven, the forest quietly changes and the trees that take over are built for snow, silence, and survival. That’s where our walk through the forest takes us today. 

Journal 74: What’s Your Favorite Mountain Tree? (survey)

Over the past three posts, we’ve taken a slow walk through the Pinehaven forest starting near the cabins, moving across sunny slopes and shaded draws, and climbing into the colder, snow-heavy parts of the mountain. Along the way, we met ten very different trees, each shaped by the land, the weather, and the long seasons they endure. Now it's time to tell us YOUR favorite. 

Journal 75: A Conversation with Jim Chamberlain, Cuchara’s County Commissioner

Cuchara is an unincorporated mountain community governed by Huerfano County, a structure that quietly influences nearly every aspect of life in Cuchara and Pinehaven. In this video interview, Gene Roncone speaks with County Commissioner Jim Chamberlain about District 2’s culture, needs, challenges, strengths, and how local residents can play an active role in shaping solutions.

Journal 76: Six Lesser-Known Facts About The Timbers

Great news has a way of traveling fast in a small mountain community and this one was especially welcome. The Timbers Steaks & Spirits has reopened, and wow, what a comeback. With it comes the return of a place that has long occupied a special corner of Cuchara’s shared memory. Let’s celebrate by exploring six lesser-known facts about The Timbers.

Journal 77: An Interview with Timber and Jerrilynn Wood

For generations, The Timbers has been more than a restaurant in Cuchara. It has been a place where milestones were celebrated, stories were shared, and memories were made over good food and long conversations. When Timber and Jerrilynn stepped into that story, they didn’t arrive with a background in the restaurant business, but with something just as important: a deep respect for community, a heart for hospitality, and a willingness to say yes to an unexpected calling.

Journal 78: From Ranch Driveway to Main Street: The Origins of Cuchara Avenue

The idea that Cuchara Village’s “main street” began with cows and hay wagons with no intention of ever becoming charming may come as a surprise. Cuchara Avenue, the short and walkable heart of the mountain community of Cuchara, Colorado, did not begin as a town street at all. It was someone’s driveway. Let me explain.

Journal 79: Untangling the Confusion About the Cuchara Camps Land Purchase

Did George Mayes Purchase the Cuchara Camps Land in 1906, 1907, or 1910? Although often described in local histories as a direct 1906 purchase from W. J. Gould, county records reveal a more complex transaction. Let's unravel the mystery. 

Journal 80: Parallel Pioneers, Steve Peirotti and Alfred Mayes

At first glance, Pinehaven and Cuchara Camps seem to belong to entirely different worlds. One began as a bustling summer resort, complete with cabins, dining halls, and guests arriving by railcar and wagon. The other took shape quietly in the forest where a cabin community built slowly, one family at a time. Though they share the same valley in Cuchara, Colorado, they reflect different eras, different economic models, and very different rhythms of life. 

Journal 81: Methodology, Sources, and Use of Research Tools

What goes on behind the scenes to ensure the history you’re reading is accurate, well-sourced, and trustworthy? We’re glad you asked.

Journal 82: Why Should I Join the Cuchara Association?

One of Cuchara’s best-kept secrets also happens to be one of its most practical assets, especially for cabin owners, whether full-time or seasonal. Many residents have heard the name Cuchara Association, yet its purpose, responsibilities, and range of services often remain unclear. Let's talk about it.

Journal 83: More Than a Countdown: The Story Behind Cuchara’s Pine Cone Drop

In a village with no stoplights, no sidewalks, and more pine trees than people, Cuchara found its own way to welcome the New Year. They lower a glowing pine cone over Cuchara Avenue at exactly ten o’clock. Some towns drop a crystal ball at midnight; Cuchara drops a pine cone at ten. That somehow tells you almost everything you need to know about this place.

Journal 84: From the Gap to the Pass, Nine Neighborhoods of the Cuchara Valley

Traveling through the Cuchara Valley along Colorado State Highway 12, it becomes clear that this is not a single town or village, but a series of carefully layered mountain neighborhoods tucked among the pines. Elevation rises and falls, forest types subtly shift, and clusters of cabins and their owners have adapted to the land around them. Although not every home is part of a formal subdivision with clearly defined boundaries, and some neighborhood names are informal or colloquial, nine distinct areas together shape life in the Cuchara Valley. (1)  

Journal 85: Why Rent Your Cabin? Part 1

What if the cabin you love could do more than sit quietly between visits? In Cuchara, where cabins have long been places of rest, memory, and mountain tradition, shifting travel habits are opening the door to new possibilities. In this two-part series, local historian Gene Roncone teams up with Ed Matthes, a longtime Cuchara resident and owner of Cuchara Cabin & Condo Rentals, to explore a growing opportunity that supports cabin owners while strengthening the community.

Journal 86: Why Rent Your Cabin? Part 2

Most cabin owners do not lie awake wondering how to turn their place into a business. They lie awake wondering how to protect it, pay for it, upgrade it, and keep it part of the family for years to come. Gene Roncone and Ed Matthes wrap up this two-part series by sharing three more reasons that matter most to cabin owners.