The Sapinero Village Store

Jim Murphy and Jeri Tharp are “two old retired people”, as Jeri puts it. But, unlike many “old, retired people” they aren’t sitting around with idle hands. They are working hard to make a silk purse from a particular old sow’s ear.
The little town of Sapinero, Colorado now sits on the southern side of Route 50 as it winds through western Colorado. I say now sits because where it used to sit is on land that is now the incredible and beautiful Blue Mesa Lake, a man made reservoir. It was created in 1965 when the Blue Mesa Dam was built, and is now the largest body of water in Colorado. When the dam was opened to let the waters in, it took away forever what used to be the town of Sapinero. To preserve what could be saved of the original town, many of the buildings were physically moved to the south side of the highway, up onto a hillside, facing the new lake. The building known as the Trading Post was one of them.
The years passed and the owners of the Trading Post let it go to hell. And then it closed, and stayed that way for some time. Until Jim Murphy and Jeri Tharp, a married couple, decided to invest a bundle in the place and get it up and running again.
It is open for business. It’s not a 7/11. Its not a Kum n Go, but it is a place where you can get chips, soda and other cold drinks, candy, and where you definitely will get a big dose of good vibes and real conversation and a chance to play with Rosie, the couple’s great Golden Retriever, who keeps a friendly watch on the front porch, where a view that is hard to beat can be had: the Blue Mesa Lake.
The pair is planning more for the building, and Jim is working on renovating the adjoining section of the building for a tavern, with food, self serve. He has really made some strides in that direction, and the difference between what he has already re-worked and what was there originally is startling. It is a small community, but the locals do need a place to get basics and passerby like myself and especially bike riders need a welcome break from the monotony of the road. There are also cabins behind the store, up on the hillside for rent at a very good price, and save for the fact of no phone service, I might have stayed a night to rest.
It seems that there are many many bikers (bicyclists) who are crossing the US via the route that I am taking, and are only a day away from Utah, and the great Basin, where it can get pretty rough if one is not prepared with enough water and supplies. Jeri and Jim are constantly telling bikers the real deal, and Im sure its not something they want to hear. As Jim says, there are signs in Utah that say, “No ANYTHING for 130 miles.” That’s why I have opted to bus through Utah and Nevada. No sense killing myself. Besides, I need to be healthy to come back to the Sapinero Village Store and the tavern when it is finished. In a car next time though.