Head Rests 71950-90352 (1 Viewer)

[greentruck]

We headed towards Buena Vista and the turnoff at Nathrop that takes you up Chalk Creek to St. Elmo. There you get on the actual roadbed of the old Denver, South Park & Pacific RR, eventually known as the Colorado & Southern to head up towards the Alpine Tunnel. This line was 3' narrowgauge, like the remaining lines from Durango to Silverton and Antonito, CO to Chama, NM.

If you haven't already figured it out, I'm a bit of a train nut. For instance, I've got a HOn3 "Little Colorado" layout in my basement;p There's even a couple of LandCruisers around, but alas, no one makes HO scale models of FJ55 or 80 series LandCruisers yet.


If you've been up this way, there's a gate and a long walk to get to the East Portal of the Alpine Tunnel, which is almost wholly collapsed so there is relatively little to see. To get to the West Portal, there are two choices on this route. One is the trail over Williams Pass. It's what the gate blocks, except for a brief period in August when I've heard it's open briefly by the FS for passage:
http://www.traildamage.com/trails/index.php?id=247

When we were there, it was apparently open, as you'll find as we near the end of this tale. Word is that it's one big bog at the top and, without a winch, decided that would be a heck of a place to get stuck.

So we took the usual route over Hancock Pass. This trail is considerably rougher on the west side when I last visited in 2006. In 1977, it was tricky, but not washed so badly as it later would be. By the time we reached the pass, it was raining, which wouldn't really let up, which made things a little slick.

Coming down off the west side of Hancock Pass you eventually reach the RR grade again coming down from the Alpine Tunnel. Of course, we turned right and headed up the relatively easy RR grade. I saw the only elk in the wild I saw for many years of visits to Colorado as the clouds closed in around us. At one point, we stopped for a potty break. Out of the truck, I saw the clouds part briefly -- and the valley floor FAR below us! That was very cool, as we really couldn't see where we were beyond being on the trail.

We got to the top. This was years before the new gate was put in and you could drive up very close to the Alpine Station. Proving that the old RR grade made things easy, sitting in the parking was a Chevette! Well, he obviously didn't come in over Hancock Pass...

The station was -- and is -- a neat place to visit. Left unlocked, visitors can let themselves in to see various displays now. It was considerably less slick in 1977 and lots of improvements have been made, led by a FS employee who has taken a special interest in it. Some track has been relaid and the coaling platform rebuilt since then, too.

We walked the last few hundred yards to the West Portal. At the time, there was a small opening where you could enter the old tunnel. I just peeked inside, where I could see the rails sitting under some water and the ghostly white mold growing on the redwood tunnel lining. The tunnel was opened and closed over the next few years until the FS closed it for safety reasons. There's a video tape floating around done in one of the last visits into the tunnel. They eventually would like to reopen it at the mouth so you can see in, but that will be big $$ the FS doesn't have so don't hold your breath on that.

After exhausting the possibilities and signing the guest book at the station, we headed downhill in the rain, continuing on through Pitkin (another place I should have invested in reall estate then) and on into Gunnison. With it already being dark, we finally decided to spend on the luxury of a motel room -- and a bath!

In the morning, we head for Lake City...

 

[OGBeno]

beno,
Just pulled that nasty box out of the recycling and pulled the pick tag off it just for you. It was pretty rough on the outside or I would have sent the parts to Boss Hog in it. PM me your address and I'll mail it to you, free of charge.

That's really nice of you Mike. PM inbound.

 

[greentruck]

beno,
Gotcha covered. As a railroad buff, I know how delightful certain pieces of paper can be

BTW, that label is roughly 1980 vintage, near as I can recall.

 

[scrapdaddy]

Great story. The Seventies, what a great time to be on the road.

 

[greentruck]

Part I
Sorry about the delay. Like my diss is often these days, writing can feel like a chore some days. It's good when it flows from the fingers. I'm about halfway there, so bear with me after a false start when the computer crashed earlier. I think this is the last installment, unless something else pops to mind, someone has a question, or I can find those old pics. I'll update if that happens. I really do appreciate everyone's comments and all the views. Wish I had more headrests, but I should hit harder when the market was hot

BTW, a general comment on why I did this when asked to elaborate on an earlier comment...I'm a historian and my adviser is a specialist in oral history. One of the projects I worked on was a multidisciplinary seminar on memory, which brought together local academics and experts from across the world. There were folks that did computer memory, others that did functional MRIs to see how memories are handled in the brain, to artists who depend on muscle memory to psychologists who worked with some of the most interesting cases of humans with interrupted memory processes. This included the fellow who recently passed away (can't remember his name because of my own CRS) who has had no memories since something like 1950. He was here in the present, but had no way to remember more than a few moments away for something like 50 years. Not sure how it happened, but he was an absolutely fantastic and generally cooperative subject to work with. He'd learn things, but didn't remember doing so, for example, so lots to figure out there.

Anyway, my job was to record the conversation and make it into transcripts of each session over the course of the semester. What a job, never take that for granted again myself. But I learned a lot about memory. You gotta use it or you lose it, so I'm doing this. But in repeating it from memory, you invariably change things, no matter how good you are -- and most of us aren't really. So when you watch all that court TV stuff and they have the eye witness ID? It's only good about 40% of the time IIRC in a legal sense, this from an attorney who specializes in the field. It's changed the way many police depts handle eye-witness stuff now, to eliminate introducing bias in the process of getting it right. It's also saved some folks on trial for their lives, when the evidence was shaky, so cuts both ways.

But the very unreliability of memory, for many reasons far beyond conscious intent makes what I've recalled here to be to the best of my ability. In fact, there are a couple things about the sequence in the middle that are definitely muddled. But hey, it was the 70s and we were on the road to, well, we hoped not nuclear destruction. The two of us counted ourselves lucky for being just a little too young for that Vietnam thing. The world was changing fast with the country at peace, in a certain sense, and building a weird tension that broke out into the 80s and that's about all I'll say about that to avoid politics. But life was pretty real, even us peaceniks knew our lives could be on the line. You kids got it so easy.

Anyway, I also wanted to write it from the point of view of a typical LandCruiser owner in those days. It cost $6200 and I could afford that easily with my job. gas included. Evne a very spare vacation, provided I could talk a buddy to come along to split gas with. That's what made it possible. We didn't have credit cards in those day, at least folks like us didn't (early 20s, college drops, maybe a job). I bought the truck though the credit union at the air base, which I was a member of. Otherwise, would've been hard to get a loan, because i sure didn't have a credit history. In any case, yeah, a FJ55 was a bit more than a Jeep, but I knew the quality difference. I think you could get a decent Jeep for $5k, but $1200 was a lot money, too. In any case, I knew what I wanted to do, build a decent expedition type truck. And I did (8274, 30" BFG Radials, Rack, Tire Rack, 50 Gal Tank, Interior). Made the mistake of SBC, but she was a DD and had to go, was pretty reliable so long as she got a new throwout bearing every six months. Sold when had sort of family for awhile and didn't have the time for her. Got one of the first Trooper IIs, so you know how downmarket I was. It was $12k? and a 60 was maybe 20? Alas, that's when the Green Dragon went to a new owner. Last I heard, she was still running, but that was only a few years after sale. She's probably a dead Piggie now in the relentless Midwest salt.

OK, enough for now. I will get right to the road first thing in the morning next in Part II. We'd arrived in the Gunnison rain, I think we ate at the KFC that's right in the road on the west side of town. It was some cheap place, but comfortable. Time to hit the sack for an early departure on the last day of of vacation going AWAY from Indiana, because Dave had to get back to work.

 

[greentruck]

Part II
We headed toward Lake City, passing through and especially scenic part of Colorado. It's all beautiful to me, but the two lane roads, the isolation, the slow speed of the 55 always being close to the 55 speed limit -- if I was lucky. But it was a good ride on what at the time was my still stock suspension, tires, etc. Toyota gave you the goodies up front, so that's where most of the money went vs the Jeeps. That and that back window

Got to Lake City and stocked up at the store. We may have found FS maps there or in Gunnison, but had them by then. So we'd picked Engineer going west and Cinnamon coming back east to make a complete loop. Our goal was get back past Gunnison and camp out. The money we'd spent on the motel was necessary because of circumstances, but funds were getting low. I think I had some travelers checks, because that's how you did things then before the credit card for your backup cash. Fuel wasn't cheap in the mountains, either. And all we had was ice to keep things cool. It was a metal Igloo IIRC and I had it until recently when it finally went into the neighborhood cleanup, Dick Cepek, KC HiLites stickers and all. I soooo love our new-style cooler in the 80
You kids really do have it easy.

Then there was beer. I'd drink Coors in those days and Dave would drink anything, but there was way too much 3.2 beer around IIRC. Maybe it's just a bad dream. Not a problem finding good beer in Colorado these days.
You kids REALLY have it good these days!

But I am NOT complaining
Just noting the passage of time.

So our budget was not unlimited. You really had to plan to have some fun in those days. It built character. Those Blues Brothers had nuttin on us, heck John Belushi was still a nobody in 1977. But not for long.

So we're headed up the Engineer route from Lake City. I did have the camera, as I've got the pic in Animas Forks, so probably have some pics along there. I know we kept look at things and generally futzing around. The road wasn't bad, but was challenging. And I don't remember power steering, in fact pretty sure that wasn't even a factory option, so it was a little work, but fun, as i normally drove a pallet jack on the job at the time working in the warehouse. Just beautiful views. And snow in August, melted back but quite a bit near the road. By the time we got on top of Engineer, it was mid afternoon. We didn't dawdle, because I definitely wanted to see Animas Forks even if we didn't have time to get to Silverton. We'd hoped we could do it, but too much tourism slowed us down.

So there I was driving along the shelf road on Engineer, headed west. I'd read about the mud. It was OK, but yeah a strange thing to be so high above treeline with it like that. As I think I noted before, I was cool with this and enjoying the drive. Dave, on the other hand, wasn't exactly nervous, but he was animated. Yeah, it is a long way down peeking over the edge, but the truck and I inspired confidence and as we got down off the shelf road, things were turning into a beautiful afternoon as we dropped down the switchbacks and worked over to the townsite and mill site at Animas Forks. That's when Dave got the pic that's my avatar with me in front of the Green Dragon. Backlit, but it was a Kodak cartridge 220? something. But I was about out of film by then so it's good it was taken for posterity.

Then we headed up Cinnamon, which had some mud and offcamber and then -- the sheep!! and a genuine old sheepherder, too, and his dogs. We waved but didn't bother him. It turns out now that I know more about this, I should've stopped and given him any stuff we didn't need. But they don't let the sheep up there now IIRC, but Basque and Chilean shepherds are still working around the West often isolated and sure wouldn't mind any companionship and provisions you might wish to share if you are respectful about approaching them -- and those dogs of course. Just so you know if you encounter them when you're way out there exploring, because I didn't.

Coming down the east side of Cinnamon is a long valley with sidehills. The first bunch are particularly beautiful. I was once stopped here later in the middle of a hail storm that turned everything white in a few minutes. It was like being up there in the winter, but then melted. But a long series of valleys you drop down before leveling out. The FS campground that is furthest up the mountain on this route is one of my faves, we just circled through it this time because of the hour. We kept on the road back to Lake City when suddenly we cam upon a vast lake. It turned out to be Lake San Cristobal, which I'd missed or didn't show on the maps. Wow, it was beautiful seeing it the first time by surprise in the evening light and is one of my favorite memories of the trip.

By the time we got to Lake City, it was getting dark. We resigned ourselves to another night in the motel at Gunnison but we had the funds barely. Actually, after sveral nights in the woods, we were a little gamey and sure to drive any women we might meet away. One shower hadn't quite done the trick. Aw civilization!

Leaving Gunnision, we took 50 over Monarch Pass and were lucky enough to be stopped by a train! Yes, I said I liked trains and this one was cool. There is a quarry up there that was reached by switchbacks that crossed 50. Originally narrowgauge, They standard gauged the line in the 50s and up those crazy grades and curves with diesels. All gone now, but you can still see where it crossed the highway.

Beer. Yes, beer. This was before Coors came east of the Mississippi, so we bought enough full-strength Coors to line the floor in back. We put our stuff on top, to discourage questions from cops if stopped,although we were both 21, barely, but we'd heard of folks getting there suds confiscated -- probably to supply the po-po in remote Bunfk, Nebraksa...and BTW, we made the mistake of going that way, way slower than even across 55 mph Kansas, because I wanted to visit a buddy in Omaha. Which we did. Just a bad idea road wise when a 55 is slow anyway.

Well, that's it. I hope you enjoyed the ride. I know I did and I'll be looking for those old pics.

 

[nuclearlemon]

some pics to help with the alpine tunnel

neat fact, learned through a former club member who is also a train geek (he even had a part time gig engineering for the georgetown loop, now he has a successful craft brewery, big choice brewing)....the tunnel was dug from both sides at the same time. when all was said and done, the engineering staff had done such a great job figuring everything out that they were only about 1/8" off from each other! they never did open a section of tunnel, but a historical society rebuilt the turntable.

french creek would be where you turned on holy cross. today, even 35s and dual lockers are challenged there. shame, the trail has so much to offer in the way of views and the minimal buildings left in h.c. city.

when you were in st. elmo, did you visit the mary murphy mine? that was one of the first places i saw, years before i moved here (probably 25 years ago).

 

[nuclearlemon]

not the waldorf mine, but just down the trail, the santiago mine. along with a couple train pics for you

 

[greentruck]

Ige,
Thanks for the comments and the pics. In 1977, there was no track laid in front of the station as depicted above. Looking past where the station is in the picture is the collapsed hotel, which is barely visible in your pic now but which has been tidied up as part of the restoration after further snow damage. It's in between the station and the dark image past it that is the restored coaling platform, also a post-1977 improvement. And the station is much improved after further restoration by the historical society, of which I'm a Life Member.
http://www.narrowgauge.org/alpine-tunnel/html/

One thing about the station was how big a deal the broom was. Yep, the broom used for many years to sweep the station out by the fellow caring for it during the 50s and 60s was taken by some fool who used it to light his entry in the west portal, which was still open at the time. The fellow left a note and some cash to buy a new broom. The only problem was it's a LONG drive to where you can buy another broom. It was recorded the station keeper was not amused with the cash donation.

Your second pic of what is called the Palisades by us RR buffs is reminiscent of the day I described in my story, but with much better visibility.

I think the Mary Murphy Mine is the one with the old facility teetering next to the trail as if it's about to fall down? Yep, here's a link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Murphy_Mine
Two-wheel drive and high clearance will get you to Hancock on the east side approach to the Alpine Tunnel, so it's easily accesible up to that point along the old RR grade before the trail to Hancock Pass takes off from the grade.

The Georgetown Loop restoration in the second group of pics was just a dream in 1977, but within a few years and with the help of some reserve Navy Seabees was rebuilt with the splendor in your pics. It's also right next to I-70, so an easy way to ride the narrowgauge if you're ever passing through. In the days before good roads, it was only a short ride out from Denver for tourists wanting a taste of the mountain air and scenery. Well worth the relatively short ride if you don't have the patience for the all day rides on the Durango and Silverton or Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroads.

 

[greentruck]

I remembered this morning that I forgot a very important point in relating the trip over Engineer Pass, considering this is a LandCruiser forum. When we stopped at the top, we got a chance to talk with some guys in a FJ40 with Louisiana plates. Obviously, we were both tourists. I started talking about coming over Hancock Pass the day before, because we didn't want to risk going over Williams Pass because of the mud.

Guess what? They'd been here, done that. They said it was actually rather dry that year, but then they had a winch Great folks to chat with, as LC owners always are. Then we parted ways. I'm still looking forward to Williams Pass -- someday. Definitely set up right for it now. I still hope it's a dry August when I do it, because IH8MUD

 

[scrapdaddy]

Great story Mike. I really enjoyed reading the adventure.

Thanks!

 

[PabloCruise]

Wow, awesome reads! Funny that these stories all came from a classified post for headrests...

Mike, you are in the Champaign-Urbana area? Was your work on memory at U of I?

 

[nuclearlemon]

Mike, you are in the Champaign-Urbana area? ?

one of the first members of the original windy city land cruisers is down that way. went from not knowing crap about wrenching to buying a land cruiser and learning to work on it, to teaching a high school shop class. started buying up properties and fixing them, now he's got a pretty decent sized land management deal going and is working on an indoor gun range down near there somewhere. i don't miss illinois in the slightest, but he's one of the people i miss.

 

[PabloCruise]

one of the first members of the original windy city land cruisers is down that way. went from not knowing crap about wrenching to buying a land cruiser and learning to work on it, to teaching a high school shop class. started buying up properties and fixing them, now he's got a pretty decent sized land management deal going and is working on an indoor gun range down near there somewhere. i don't miss illinois in the slightest, but he's one of the people i miss.

Do they ever come to Cruise Moab?

 

[nuclearlemon]

Do they ever come to Cruise Moab?

no, he's too busy. one of the other early members made it out to visit a few years back, hung out with me and matt farr (he knew matt from early wclc days too), and one of the other guys that founded the club with me was out with his a family a few years back too, but that's it.

 

[greentruck]

Wow, awesome reads! Funny that these stories all came from a classified post for headrests...

Mike, you are in the Champaign-Urbana area? Was your work on memory at U of I?

Yep, that's it.

My work is actually on nuclear intelligence and "fallout as a strategic asset."

 

[greentruck]

BTW, just found my old pics -- and there are a ton of old pics of the Green Dragon and our misadventures. Some are of this trip, but would it be more appropriate to start thread for all these pics in the Iron Pig Preservation Society forum?

I can link the two threads easily enough. Whatever people think works best. I've got some other things going on, so it may be a day or two before I get a chance to start scanning and posting them.

 

[PabloCruise]

Yep, that's it.

My work is actually on nuclear intelligence and "fallout as a strategic asset."

Sounds like some very interesting work! It would be cool if we got to meet some time and talk more.

Speaking for myself, I would love to see pictures of the Green Dragon, and yes, probably better in a new thread in the Iron Pig Preservation Society main section.

 

[greentruck]

Sounds like some very interesting work! It would be cool if we got to meet some time and talk more.

Speaking for myself, I would love to see pictures of the Green Dragon, and yes, probably better in a new thread in the Iron Pig Preservation Society main section.

PC,
Maybe next time we're in Colorado, fairly soon, I hope. It's been since 2006 and I'm jonesing for the mountains bad looking at these pics!

Now that I've had a chance to sort things out some, I've come to a decision on that. I'm going to take the ones from the trip and put them here. There's only 7 or 8. Now that I've seen them, there's more interesting memory twists, so will best be here with the rest of the story.

Then I'll start a new thread for the several sets of other pics of the Green Dragon, including a pic of the rear end damage that ended up hurting my neck more than the truck. It will include a link back to this thread.

 

[PabloCruise]

Sounds like a good plan for the picture organization!