Ed McLaughlin was 15 years old when he saw the Rocky Mountains for the first time.
“I went to Philmont Scout Ranch, south of here, and hiked and fell in love with the area,” he said.
Years later, McLaughlin’s brother bought a lot in the Forbes Park neighborhood in Costilla County, nestled near the Spanish Peaks in southern Colorado. McLaughlin and his wife Kathy visited and fell in love.
“I’ve always wanted to live in a log cabin and live out in the mountains and stuff…it was a dream,” McLaughlin said.
The couple purchased a lot 27 years ago and built a home. McLaughlin continued his business designing and building log homes for others in the area. Then one year ago, everything changed. The Spring Fire ripped through Forbes Park.
“The biggest problem with a place like this is you dream about it,” McLaughlin said. “And you dream about it a lot and you don’t always see reality.”