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 As a thank-you for being a subscriber to **The San Luis Valley Beat**, we've created a **free San Luis Valley Restaurant Guide** featuring local restaurants from communities across the Valley.

Whether you're searching for your next breakfast stop, a family dinner, a quick lunch, or a place you've never tried before, this guide makes it easy to discover great local dining options.

This is just the beginning. We'll continue updating the guide as new restaurants are added and information changes, so you'll always have access to the latest edition.

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Happy Tuesday, Valley neighbors!

Issue #25 is here, and this week's mix feels very San Luis Valley: a creative solution to the water crisis that uses something as simple as winter ice, beloved rivers asking for a little grace from anglers this summer, a local hospital that just made Colorado history — with trees — and a store about 10 miles outside of Monte Vista that you might not know exists but absolutely should.

Plus: a forgotten mining camp that briefly blazed to life near Crystal Hill, and a closer look at tiny Mogote, tucked right at the entrance to one of the prettiest canyons in southern Colorado.

Let's get into it.

 Preserving the stories of places time forgot.

Artist's rendering created to accompany this article.

Biedell — The Mining Camp That Burned Bright and Vanished

About eight miles northwest of La Garita, at the head of Biedell Creek near a rugged rise called Crystal Hill, there's almost nothing left.

A few scattered ruins, some old mine shafts slowly reclaiming their place in the landscape, and the kind of silence that settles over a place when everyone who once called it home is long gone.

This was Biedell — a Saguache County mining camp that blazed to life in 1883 and was essentially gone within a decade.

The camp took its name from Mark Biedell, a well-regarded mining man who had already built his reputation in Silverton and Bonanza before his prospecting led him to Crystal Hill.

Gold had been rumored in the area for years, but it was Biedell's work in 1883 that turned promise into a rush.

Claims were staked across the Crystal Hill Mining District in quick succession — the Buckhorn, the Esperanza, the Spring Chicken, the Humbolt — and for a few years, the camp had all the noise and ambition of any frontier boomtown in the San Juans.

But Mark Biedell's connection to this corner of Saguache County ran deeper than the mining camp that bore his name.

More than a decade earlier, in the early 1870s, he had been homesteading along the Saguache River on the western edge of the Valley. His stockade became a known waystation for exploring and prospecting parties pushing west into the mountains — proof that this remote stretch of high country had been drawing ambitious people long before the ore was confirmed.

The camp itself was short-lived. By the late 1880s, the mines had played out or proved too expensive to work profitably. Remote terrain, rough winters, and ore grades that couldn't justify the infrastructure needed to process them at scale all took their toll.

Biedell was abandoned, and the mountain slowly took it back. The story of Biedell is the story of dozens of San Luis Valley mining camps: brilliant, brief, and swallowed by time.

"Where the Spring Chicken and Humbolt mines once rang with pickaxes, today there is only the wind moving through the pines above Crystal Hill."

San Luis Valley Habitat for Humanity 

Since 1992, San Luis Valley Habitat for Humanity has been doing something straightforward and powerful: helping Valley families build homes they can actually afford to own.

In a region where housing costs have climbed while wages have often stayed flat — and where some communities face rural housing shortages that are decades in the making — the work of SLV Habitat touches one of the Valley's most persistent challenges.

SLV Habitat builds homes in partnership with qualifying families across all six counties. Those families contribute sweat equity to the construction process alongside volunteers, and the finished homes are sold through affordable mortgages — creating a path to homeownership that conventional housing markets often can't provide.

The organization also runs repair programs for existing homeowners who can't afford critical fixes on their own.

This Saturday, July 25, SLV Habitat hosts their annual Bike2Build fundraiser — a scenic ride through Alamosa County with 56-mile and 26-mile route options. If you've ever thought about supporting their work, riding or sponsoring a rider is a great place to start.

Support SLV Habitat for Humanity →

Image by Jeffrey Beall - Own work, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=90849291

Discover Mogote — Where the Valley Meets the Canyon 🏔️

Located just four miles west of Antonito on Highway 17, Mogote is one of those Valley communities you might pass through without slowing down — a handful of homes, a few weathered buildings, mountain country opening up ahead.

But this small, unincorporated Conejos County community carries a history that stretches back to the Spanish-speaking farmers who first settled this corridor in the 19th century, drawn here by the rich bottomlands along the Conejos River and the rugged canyon waiting just beyond.

The name itself tells part of the story. "Mogote" is a Spanish word for a small, isolated peak or cluster — and early New Mexican settlers named this place for the distinctive triple-peaked mountain nearby, which reminded them of bundled sheaves of grain stacked in the field after harvest.

The name stuck, and so did the settlers. By 1897, Mogote had grown enough to earn its own post office, which served the surrounding families until 1920 as they farmed, ranched, and built their lives in this quiet bend of the county.

One of Mogote's most enduring landmarks is the San Rafael Presbyterian Church, built around 1895 and enlarged in 1911 — recognized today as one of the oldest extant adobe churches in all of Conejos County.

Presbyterian missionaries arrived here in 1880, part of a broader wave that established congregations in Antonito, Mogote, San Rafael, and other communities along the Conejos corridor.

The church stands today as it has for over a century, constructed from the same adobe brick that defines Southwest architecture across the borderlands.

Today, Mogote serves as the gateway to Conejos Canyon, one of the most scenic and undervisited stretches of southern Colorado.

The canyon road winds west through rolling ponderosa pines and alongside the rushing Conejos River, past dude ranches, summer cabins, and a state fish hatchery.

For visitors looking for a quiet mountain escape without the crowds of better-known destinations, the road through Mogote rewards every mile.

Did You Know? The Library of Congress holds historic photographs of Mogote from the early 20th century, documenting the old adobe buildings and frontier settlement that once defined this small community.

Pedal for a Purpose — Bike2Build is This Saturday July 25th 🚴

There are Saturday morning rides, and then there are Saturday morning rides that build houses.

Bike2Build is the annual fundraiser for San Luis Valley Habitat for Humanity, and on July 25th it rolls out of the Alamosa Recreation Center with two route options: a 56-mile half century that takes riders through the heart of Alamosa County, and a shorter 26-mile loop for those who want the scenery without the full commitment.

Both routes are framed by the Sangre de Cristo and San Juan mountain ranges — the views are going to be outstanding.

Every rider raises donations to support SLV Habitat's work building and repairing affordable homes across all six counties of the Valley.

Check-in opens at 7am with a group photo and grand start at 7:30am. Rest stops are supported every 10–30 miles, and there's a post-ride meal waiting at the finish.

🚴 What: Bike2Build San Luis Valley Half Century
📅 When: Saturday, July 25, 2026
⏰ Time: Check-in 7am | Grand Start 7:30am
📍 Where: Alamosa Recreation Center, Alamosa, CO
🎪 Hosted by: San Luis Valley Habitat for Humanity
🌐 Website: slvhabitat.org

Power of Possible (POP) Livestock Exhibition

📅 Saturday, July 25 | Registration: 9:00 a.m. | Exhibition: 10:00 a.m.

📍 San Luis Valley Fairgrounds at the Ski-Hi Complex, Monte Vista

Celebrate inclusion and community at the Power of Possible Livestock Exhibition, where youth with disabilities are paired with volunteer 4-H and FFA mentors for a memorable day in the show ring.

This uplifting event highlights confidence, teamwork, and the Valley's agricultural spirit while giving every participant the chance to experience the excitement of showing livestock.

Spectators are encouraged to attend and cheer on these remarkable young exhibitors.

Center Goes All Out for the Summer Bash 🎆

The town of Center doesn't do things halfway. On August 1st, the community is throwing a full-day celebration that runs from 10 in the morning straight through to fireworks at night — a 250|150 Summer Bash honoring both America's 250th birthday and Colorado's 150th year of statehood, right in the heart of Saguache County.

The day is packed: a parade kicks things off, followed by cook-offs, a car show, food trucks, vendors, and live music from Keith Anderson, Al Hurricane Jr., and Danny Duran.

It's the kind of event that draws the whole county together — families, longtime residents, and visitors who happen to be in the right place at the right time. And then the fireworks close it out after dark.

⚠️ Please Note: The fireworks display is currently planned as part of the Center Summer Bash, but due to ongoing drought conditions and the potential for fire restrictions, it may be canceled if conditions are determined to be unsafe. Event organizers will make that decision based on current conditions, so attendees are encouraged to watch for the latest updates as the event approaches.

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🎉 What: Center Summer Bash — A 250|150 Celebration
📅 When: Saturday, August 1, 2026
⏰ Time: 10am–10pm
📍 Where: Center, CO (Saguache County)

Artist’s rendering created to accompany this article.

It's not every day that a regional hospital makes Colorado history. But San Luis Valley Health has done exactly that — not for a medical breakthrough, but for something you might walk right past without giving it a second thought.

Earlier this year, the Arbor Day Foundation named San Luis Valley Health a Tree Campus Healthcare facility — the first healthcare organization in the entire state of Colorado to earn the designation.

The recognition goes to healthcare systems that demonstrate a genuine, structured commitment to trees and green space as part of community well-being.

Not decorative plantings, but a real program of tree care, education, community engagement, and investment that meets five specific standards set by the Foundation.

At SLV Health, that work has been led by Lead Groundskeeper Victoria Porras, whose team tends trees across all of SLV Health's campuses — from the main Alamosa campus to facilities in Monte Vista, Del Norte, and Antonito.

Earning the designation required establishing a tree advisory committee, maintaining a detailed campus tree care plan, completing a community forestry project, sponsoring a public event connecting trees to human health, and building a structured campus tree program. SLV Health met all five.

There's something fitting about a Valley hospital earning this recognition. In a region where the landscape shapes daily life — where residents mark the seasons by cottonwood color and measure wellness by time spent outside — a healthcare system that sees trees as part of healing feels right at home.

Congratulations to Victoria Porras and the entire SLV Health team.

Read More...

💡 Tip of the Day: If you're planning a Conejos or Rio Grande River fishing trip this week, go early — CPW is asking anglers to be off the water by noon to protect heat-stressed trout. Morning light, cool water, and less pressure on the river: it might just be your best fishing trip yet.

 Crack Chicken Pasta Salad

This creamy Crack Chicken Pasta Salad takes everything people love about crack chicken—tender shredded chicken, bacon, cheddar cheese, ranch seasoning, cream cheese, and green onions—and turns it into a hearty dish that works just as well as a main course as it does at a picnic or potluck.

Garden rotini is especially good for this recipe because the spirals hold onto the creamy sauce, while chopped hard-boiled eggs add extra flavor and make the salad even more filling.

After a couple of hours in the refrigerator, the flavors come together beautifully. If the pasta absorbs some of the sauce while it chills, simply stir in a little ranch dressing before serving.

Ingredients

For the Crack Chicken

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1 packet ranch seasoning mix
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 6–8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 4–5 green onions, sliced
•  

For the Pasta Salad

• 1 pound garden rotini pasta
• 2–3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
• Ranch dressing, as needed after chilling
•  

Directions

1. Place the chicken breasts in the Instant Pot. Sprinkle the ranch seasoning over the chicken and pour in the chicken broth.
2.  
3. Place the cream cheese on top of the chicken.
4. Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. Allow a 10-minute natural release, then release any remaining pressure.
5.  
6. Shred the chicken directly in the pot using two forks.
7.  
8. Stir until the cream cheese is fully incorporated.
9.  
10. Add the shredded cheddar, crumbled bacon, and sliced green onions. Stir until well combined.
11.  
12. Meanwhile, cook the garden rotini according to the package directions until al dente.
13. Drain the pasta, rinse it with cold water, and drain it well.
14.  
15. Transfer the pasta to a large bowl and stir in the crack chicken mixture.
16. Gently fold in the chopped hard-boiled eggs.
17.  
18. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
19. Before serving, stir the pasta salad well. If it has become too thick, add ranch dressing a little at a time until it reaches the desired consistency.
20.  

Serving Suggestions

Serve this pasta salad with garlic toast, sliced tomatoes, fresh fruit, or a simple green salad. It also makes a filling dish for picnics, cookouts, and potluck meals.

Kitchen Notes

• Garden rotini works especially well because the spirals hold the creamy sauce.
•  
• Reserve a little bacon and green onion to sprinkle over the top before serving, if desired.
•  
• The pasta will absorb more sauce as it chills, so wait until serving time before deciding how much extra ranch dressing to add.
•  
• Keep the pasta salad refrigerated and use within 3 days.
•  

Serves: 4–6 as a main course or 8–10 as a side dish.

💡 Trivia Answer:

2002. That's when the first Amish families settled near Monte Vista, establishing what is now the oldest Amish community in Colorado — and the community behind one of the Valley's most unique shopping experiences at Bontrager's Variety Store. 🐴