Category: Uncategorized

To my audience who might also own property in this ranch, notably those who have a dwelling upon it. Costilla County is up to something fishy, and we all need to contact them, and demand resolution. Property taxes are changing in this ranch, for home owners in this ranch, and seemingly nowhere else in the County.

My tax bill for 2021 is a 131% increase from 2020. I have checked several of yours, and heard from others – your property tax bill is more than doubling in the ranch in 2021, if, and only if, you own a lot with a house on it. Vacant lots, on the other hand, are going up an average of two percent.

The county representatives claim that we are selling land, selling houses, and property values are increasing, and thus our tax increase is merely a reflection of such. I will concur, property prices are rising all over the place, and vacant land and houses alike are far more expensive here than even a year ago.

The county also claimed that we voted to fund two new schools in Fort Garland, and the new ambulance service, so naturally, taxes will increase. All of this sound reasonable until you ask the following questions:

1. If land values have doubled in this county, why aren’t the taxes increasing proportionally on the vacant land lots (recall, a 2% average increase versus more than a doubling if you have a dwelling on your lot).
2. If my property taxes are increasing 131% this year to pay for Fort Garland improvements, why are most house lot property taxes in our neighboring Forbes Park set to DECREASE next year, or remain flat?. (Look up 191 Pascoe Lane in Forbes – property taxes are dropping $150 next year whilst my neighbor reports a 121% increase in his tax bill. Or, try ANY property on Andes Loop, one increases 4%, the rest are flat or decrease. There is no tax hike happening to home owners in the Forbes Park subdivision whilst yours more than double this year.).
3. Shouldn’t the county distribute the cost of the new schools, the ambulance service, etc. and spread the adjustments across the entire county, or at least with the illusion of fairness across the region? Why is the adjustment only to homeowners in this particular subdivision?

I now know it is not related to our agricultural status, but I do not know what it is related to. Please call the county yourself, and let me know if you get a different answer – the increase. selective as it is, cannot just be an increase for new funding – otherwise, why does it target only home owners in this ranch and nowhere around us?

Check your own taxes here – click this link below, and then click the County Assessor Property Search link to see how much your next tax bill will increase: https://costillacounty.colorado.gov/departments/assessor

It was a bizarre weekend here on the mountain top. Many folks are visiting and returning, and a young man in an older white Tacoma with stripes on it needs to slow down climbing these hills. That boys drives way, way too fast and traversed the Schierl hill by my house three times in less than an hour. If I see him again, I shall surely speak to the lad. Please let me know if you happen to recognize him from my description. He is a danger out here.

The weather, however, started Saturday with a windy, dusty, mud filled rain the covered everything it passed. Every window, and the house itself, is coated. Company arrives this weekend, so there is much clean up to do . Dusty rain was a new experience for me, and I am curious if such is common down here.

Sunday things changed again, awakening in a fog, but one outside, not within. Humidity was at 97%, moisture was visibly blowing by, and the temperatures hovered about 32 degrees. Over the course of the day, the icy fog built up to the point where I went out with a stepladder and broom, freeing some trees before they toppled and snapped.

Here is a close up view of the ice building up on individual pine needles.

The Month of May began with winter wishing to push a final attempt. The day after I relocated all my vehicles back up to the homestead, we got another burst of snow, a few new inches up here on the mountain top. Day broke with an ethereal feel.

The snow is already gone. The sun now relentlessly rising higher every day and the temperatures are readily returning to Spring. Aspens are budding here several weeks earlier than the county I lived in for twenty years, and that is a much welcome sight. I cannot express that enough; six to eight weeks less winter than my last home? That can make a man smile.

One snow drift, however, remains. North side, devoid of sun most of the day, and evidence of what once was.

The snow is vanishing, even in the dark, shadowy stretches of most roads now. The temperatures remain above freezing overnight, and hit nearly sixty five yesterday. This formerly dry, unbonded, constantly migrating snow is being driven straight into the ground. I was glad for it, but do not miss it and relish in its departure.

Save for the upper edges of Schierl Road above Rees and the top back side of Powers, the park is fully navigable. As of yesterday, the Jeep, the truck, and Moon Bug are all back at the homestead, no longer needing to be scattered about the park at given access points.

Deer have returned, hummingbirds are in the air, turkeys are wandering about, ptarmigans are strutting and seeking mates, baby rabbits are joining their parents on morning outings, and there is much to revel in here. Aspens are budding, insects are crawling, and yes, the ROUSs have returned in glorious fashion.

Having been idle, save for moving snow, trekking upon snow, and making snow paths for the dog to navigate the property, it has been still here. Devoid of humans, most animals too settled in for the winter, and quiet was plentiful.

Friday night the Kuehler cabin lit up in full display. Tom and Katy were at the cabin, and Andy soon followed. In one calm evening, with coyotes howling upon the still night, the moon in near full display, the population in the park seemingly doubled.

Saturday we moved the fire truck from the storage area to the Kuehler property so that maintenance can be done – fluids, inspection, testing, and ensuring the truck is ready for any needs. We soon need to find another central location to store it this year as well.

Saturday night was socializing; five men standing around their machines and catching up over the long winter. I am still meeting new folks too, so life is returning to summer normal, it would seem.

Sunday I took the tracks off Moon Bug, perhaps a week or two early, but we shall see. Kevin returned to upper Schierl to check on his new build, and movement of vehicles was visible in the lower end of the park near dusk. Eric is up on Flavin now, so we surely are increasing in population quite steadily.

Many emails, texts, and phone calls this week and last. Lots of folks are curious about the state of the roads, access to their unique parcel, access to the ranch overall. Many are returning, planning to return, and life will shift here again quite soon.

I met a lot of people last year, far more than I would have imagined, and enjoyed them all, but I have grown quite used to how quiet this place is during the winter. No motorized traffic, no foot traffic, barely any wildlife. This place sits still during the winter, and I very much like it.

From the railroad gate, one can drive straight up Merlot to Borman to Kline back to Merlot to Schierl. From Schierl, one can go south to the Geiser cabin, or north to at least Flavin. Nordman is open from the Schierl side and is quite dry and mud free.

I am wandering the ranch now, so if you wish to know about your lot, let me know. I’ll venture your way on my next outing.