Creede

The best way to comprehend the tiny scale of Creede, CO, would be to take the trail behind the Snowshoe Lodge right up to the jagged cliffs that serve as the town’s backdrop.  The hike looks imposing but with a pair of eager feet it’s only about an hour and a half to get up and and down, that is if you don’t become completely mesmerized by your surroundings and decided to continue on the trail beyond the cliffs… which I have to say, was rather tantalizing but with the Achachay! show so near, getting lost in Creede forests did not seem like the best idea.

     What you notice as you ascend, is that it doesn’t take long until you’ve reached a point from which you see all of Creede.  Looking over the entire town, encased by the foothills of the Rio Grande National Forest, was a cartographer’s wet dream.  Every part of the town was discernible: the road which lead us there, the motel we stayed in, The Tommyknocker Tavern at which Achachay! played, and even the cafe I spent all of ten minutes in… It’s the kind of town that immediately makes you feel at home because of how quickly it familiarizes itself.

Tommyknocker’s, is a cozy bar that has a musky-fresh pinewood smell and is full of friendly folks, who recognized us as the band by the simple fact that we were strangers. The bar owners took good care of us, making sure our bellies were full and our livers working.  What’s nice about playing in a town so small is that once the musics starts, the people come- locals and travelers alike- ready to dance and have a good time.

    Everyone was sociable, and I don’t think there was a single person at the bar that I didn’t have at least one conversation with.  The prize for most charming small town moment definitely  goes to the morning after, as we driving out of Creede and people are actually waving to us because they recognize us from the show.