A photo shows where the First Fork Road in the Pagosa Ranger District completely washed away.
Outdoors
Colorado Parks and Wildlife will extend refund opportunities to hunters in numerous Game Management Units (GMUs) directly impacted by historic flooding in southwest Colorado. Major highway closures …
Community
Due to the recent weather, Our Savior Lutheran School has rescheduled its Oktoberfest fundraiser. The event will now take place on Saturday, Nov. 14, from 5 to 9 p.m. Due to the …
Community
Holiday travel, winter weather, seasonal illnesses,and busy year-end schedules often result in fewer blood donations during the winter months. Patient needs, however, don’t take a holiday. …
Local News
Continuing our response: important progress and the road ahead Today brought another day of progress throughout Archuleta County as crews continued reaching isolated …
Local News
Joint Preliminary Damage Assessments will be conducted Tuesday, November 10 through Thursday, November 12 across southwest Colorado in Archuleta, Conejos, La Plata, Mineral, Montezuma and Rio Grande …
Education
Archuleta School District schools will reopen tomorrow, on Tuesday, Nov. 10. At this point, town Public Works officials have completed needed repairs to the sewer system, downtown conditions …
Most popular stories
Local News

Department of Revenue announces tax relief for those impacted by southwestern Colorado flooding

Following the recent flooding in southwestern Colorado, the Department of Revenue is helping affected businesses by offering tax extensions. More time to file and pay taxes The Department …
Local News

Mandatory evacuations lifted throughout Archuleta County following devastating flooding

The Archuleta County Sheriff's Office (ACSO) announces that all mandatory evacuation orders related to the recent flooding have been lifted throughout Archuleta County, effective Nov. 9. While …
Volunteers ready to prepare this year’s Community Thanksgiving Meal, to be served by St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church on Thursday, Nov. 19.
Community

Early Community Thanksgiving Meal set for Nov. 19

Amid the recent difficult days in Pagosa Country, one tradition will continue: The early Pagosa Community Thanksgiving Dinner will be available to all on Thursday, Nov. 19, one week ahead of the …
Community

U.S. Marine Corps birthday celebration planned for Nov. 10

On Tuesday, Nov. 10, Pagosa Springs-area Marines and their guests are invited to celebrate the 251st birthday of the United States Marine Corps at Boss Hogg’s Restaurant and Grill, 157 Navajo Trail …
Local News

Sheriff’s office issues Nov. 8 flooding update

Continuing Our Response: Preparing for the Days Ahead Today, our teams continued working throughout the area to reach residents, assess changing conditions, and prepare for the challenges ahead …
This week’s Bird of the Week, compliments of the Weminuche Audubon Society and Audubon Rockies, is the Wilson’s snipe. Despite being one of the most common and widespread shorebirds in North America, this bird can be difficult to spot. Its cryptic coloring and secretive nature can have you looking right at the snipe without actually seeing it. This is a solitary creature of wet fields, bogs and pond edges. It avoids areas of tall, dense vegetation, but requires the cover of sedges, rushes and cattails to duck in and hide. Feathers patterned in buff and brown with stripes and bars, which include three long buffy stripes on the back and a striped head, provide camouflage against the muddy edges where the snipe is often found. Without having to perform weight training, this bird develops extra large pectoral muscles that can make up one-quarter of its total weight and give it a pudgy look. These muscles power the straight, strong flight this bird achieves at speeds up to 60 miles per hour, but when a snipe is flushed, it explodes in zigzagging flight that is hard for a predator to track. The term “sniper” was originally given to those British soldiers in the 1770s who were accurate enough shots to successfully hunt the snipe as a game bird. The Wilson’s snipe uses its long, straight bill to probe in the soft mud and detect and capture prey underground. The sensitive and flexible bill tip can feel insect larvae and earthworms that burrow in damp soil and open to slurp them up with the bill still buried. Eyes set far back on its head provide the snipe with vision to the front, sides and back, even while feeding with its bill buried in the mud. The haunting winnowing sound associated with the Wilson’s snipe during courtship is not a vocalization, but instead is produced in flight by air rushing over the spread outer tail feathers. Renowned wildlife recordist Kevin Colver introduced it as “A bewildering, wavering sound drifts from everywhere and yet from nowhere.” The Wilson’s snipe is still common enough that it is one of only two shorebird species allowed to be hunted in the United States. Over half of the 35 shorebird species found in North America are in trouble. Unregulated hunting on their wintering grounds may be a factor in population declines. For information on events, visit www.weminucheaudubon.org and www.facebook.com/weminucheaudubon/.
Bird of the Week

Bird of the Week

What Readers Are Saying
Artist's Lane

It’s a little too late

I didn’t know where our conversation would lead. I’m not an alarmist, I’m pretty peaceful. I always feel great. No problem. Apparently, I have severe arthritis in both hips. They are shot …
Local News

Sheriff’s office issues Nov. 7 flood update

Incident Management Team: An Important Transition in Our Response Today marks an important transition for the Incident Management Team (IMT) supporting our response to the devastating flooding …
Outdoors

San Juan National Forest implements two closure orders on Pagosa, Columbine ranger districts

For the safety of the public, the San Juan National Forest has implemented two closure orders on the Pagosa and Columbine Ranger Districts. These closures prohibit motorized traffic on all listed …
Faith

SpiritFire Inspirational Living Center announces upcoming events

Save the dates for the following activities at the SpiritFire Inspirational Living Center: • Nov. 8, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., weather dependent: “Refresh Body, Mind and Spirit Sessions.” Call or …
Local News

Colorado and New Mexico Highway 17 opens to travel Nov. 6 between Antonito, Colo., and Chama, N.M.

On Friday afternoon, Nov. 6, Colorado Highway 17 was fully opened to travel through Colorado and New Mexico. With Highway 17 extending into New Mexico, it provides a critical route connecting Pagosa …
Local News

County issues Nov. 6 flood update

A major milestone in our response For the first time since this disaster began, neither ground nor air teams performed any rescues today. This is an important milestone in our response …
Education

Pagosa Peak Genealogical Society to discuss history of Colorado’s railroads at Saturday meeting

The Pagosa Peak Genealogical Society will hold its regular monthly meeting this Saturday, Nov. 7. We will meet from 10 a.m. to noon at the Community United Methodist Church, 434 Lewis St., in …
Library News

Ruby Sisson Library focusing on fundamentals

My oldest son and I are big baseball fans, and this year we were especially excited that the Milwaukee Brewers went to the World Series. While I simply love friendly competition and watching …
Community

Pagosa Community Initiative steps up flood recovery efforts

As the Pagosa Springs community responds to the devastating effects of recent flooding, Pagosa Community Initiative (PCI) is helping local families meet immediate needs while connecting residents …
Senior News

Honoring our veterans: a lifetime of service and sacrifice

Veterans Day is a special opportunity to pause, reflect and express our heartfelt gratitude to the men and women who have served our country in the United States Armed Forces. At Archuleta …
Scott Morehead, Cameron Vargas and Tim Moore wait aboard the Orca in “Thingamajig Theatre Company’s The Shark Is Broken,” playing through Nov. 15.
Community

A delayed goodbye for the Addams Family, and more trouble aboard the Orca on tap for Pagosa Springs Center for the Arts

The trouble with actors, as “The Shark Is Broken” gleefully suggests, is that they do not necessarily stop performing when the camera does. The trouble with the Addams family is that they cannot …
Local News

County issues Nov. 5 flood update

What We Did Today Today, air resources from the Colorado National Guard (CONG) and the Division of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC), and ground teams conducted secondary assessments in areas …

See more news

E-edition

Photo Caption

Nov 5, 2026

View this issue

Browse other issues

SPECIAL SECTIONS

Photo Caption

The HUNT 2026

View this issue

More special sections

Calendar of events
Tue
10
Wed
11
Thu
12
Fri
13
Sat
14
Obituaries
 Alva Lee Cox
8/5/37-10/27/26 Born at home in Pagosa Springs, Colo., Lee’s heart never strayed far from that place of his origin. Named for his granddad, Alvie Patterson, and his dad, Lee Cox, he was a …
Andy Ray David Rivas
Andy Ray David Rivas was called home on Oct. 21, 2026. Andy was born on Sept. 23, 1975, to Marie Ann Valdez and Henry Carl Rivas. Andy was truly a kindred spirit and was loved by all who met …
Denise (Lihme) McCroddan
Denise (Lihme) McCroddan, age 85, of Springdale, Ark., was called home to be with the Lord on Oct. 31, 2026. Born in Elgin, Ill., on June 7, 1941, Denise dedicated her life to Christ as a teenager …
Robert E. J. ‘Buck’ Goodyear
June 3, 1938 - Aug. 24, 2026 “A True Highway Man”   Robert “Buck” Goodyear passed away Aug. 24, 2026. Buck graduated from Durango High School in 1956 and spent two years at …
Demetrio Martinez
Demetrio Martinez passed away peacefully in his sleep on Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026, at his home in Carracas Mesa, N.M. Born and raised in Carracas, Demetrio spent the majority of his life in Durango, …
Jean Macht Taylor
The family of Jean Macht Taylor would like to let the community know of her passing on Oct. 19, 2026. Obituary and celebration of life details to follow.

See more obituaries

Contributed Content

Read more contributed content

© Copyright 2026 The Pagosa Springs Sun
Powered by Creative Circle Media Solutions