Livin’ the Dream … The Diaries of a Madman

[KOWBOY]

Enjoy!!

Think about it now … Ya got yourself some beans, weenies, Fritos, bread, butter, and toss in a coupla beers … Hell, I believe that covers most your major food groups By Gawd.

Serves one hungry camper. Adjust the recipe accordin’ly for more par-ticipants.

 

[KOWBOY]

So supper’s done et, kitchen cleaned, and the rains and winds finally stopped. Took me a moment to walk the 30 yards to the edge of my bluff for some fresh air and scenery pics. First one lookin’ left, second one lookin’ right. Gonna be cold tonight.

 

[KOWBOY]

Thursday, 12 June.

And it was cold. Awesome. And it was still cold when I woke up at first light and hit the trail before true sunrise. Got me a plane to catch in the next state over.

Had plans of eatin’ me some Frosted Flakes ‘fore I left outta camp but my plans were foiled. Evidently the 12-pack I had on the top shelf kept bumpin’ the temperature control dial as I bounced along yesterday. And it kept turnin’ it colder. All the way to max. So this mornin’ my milk and juice were frozen solid. Damned efficient fridge, but was sure lookin’ forward to my frosted flakes. Oh well. Sucks too that it had taken quite a bit of playin’ with that knob when I first got the camper to get it set as cold as possible without freezin’ s***. Now I gotta do that again. But this time I’ll make a mark with my sharpie so I know what I got. Live and learn.

Just a few minutes back to the blacktop and off I go a short ways to a campground. Convenient dumpster for my garbage and back on the road. Or I should say down the road. Right on down. 10% grade with lots of turns and brought me right off them mountains for the last few miles of the “All-American Road”.

I’ll certainly say one thang … the “All-American Road” is a road that all Americans should see. I rank it right up there with the finest two-lane blacktops I ever been on. All these pics were taken right from the side of the road. And a million more I coulda taken as well. I don’t believe there was a single section more than a half-mile long that was level and straight over the entire 124-mile span. Always a turn or a hill. Some sharp and steep to boot. Be patient with all the foriners in the rental RV’s and just enjoy the ride.

But we ain’t quite done yet Folks. The end of Highway 12 puts ya on Highway 24. You guessed it … another designated scenic highway. And real quick it puts ya into the Capitol Reef National Park. But it’s strange that this time the feds don’t charge ya for passin’ thru. Bummer … was hopin’ to flash my annual pass card again.

Beautiful, beautiful country.

The road meanders its way down the valley adjacent to the cottonwoods growin’ along the Fremont River.

Although I stopped and shot a few quick pics, unfortunately I didn’t get to stop and check out some of the attractions in the park. Lil’ cabins, a school house, and some orchards from decades past. Petroglyphs from centuries past. But I just couldn’t spare the time. No doubt tho that I’ll return someday.

Took me ‘bout 5 hours to get back to the Grand Junction airport. Cut it pretty close.

 

[KOWBOY]

Read an old Irish toast painted on the wall in a pub in Vegas:

“May you live as long as you want … And never want as long as you live”



Just Livin’ the Dream …

 

[KOWBOY]

END OF CHAPTER 6

 

[KOWBOY]

CHAPTER 7


Thursday, 26 June 2014

Once I realized it’s only ‘bout a hun’erd miles from the Grand Junction airport to Ouray, it was a no-brainer where I was headed to this go ‘round. Named after the Ute Indian Chief Ouray and nick-named the “Switzerland of America” due to its location bein’ surrounded by some real impressive mountains. And it’s just a cool lil’ town.

After my last trip West, I had flown back into Charlotte, NC to fetch my comp’ny truck. Then spent my first week at work goin’ from there to Norfolk, to Baltimore, to Philadelphia, and back to Norfolk. Lots of drivin’ for a coupla short meetin’s. But I get paid the same for marchin’ as I do for fightin’. So cruisin’ ‘round in a free truck with free gas is a good gig. Got settled into Norfolk for the second week and flew the hell outta there first thang this mornin’. Put me in my home ‘round noonday out in long-term parkin’ and grubbed up at the Safeway as usual. 95 degrees. Need to go up ... now. 75 when I hit Ouray. Much better.

Ouray’s gotta fantastic Main Street that I wanted to explore and also get some local info on the area trails so I holed up in the “4J + 1 + 1” RV Park and Campground just a few blocks off Main. I’m sure there’s some sorta story behind the funky name but I ain’t gotta clue what it is. Nice clean place tho to legally park the rig for the night.

Did some sight-seein’ in the shops and went into one of the many jeep rental places where I gotta nice guidebook and found out the nearby passes were indeed open for the season. Had a mind-blowin’ly delicious burrito at a Mes’kin joint and a few beers at damned near ev’ry place that sold ‘em. Sure glad I was on foot and my house was done set up. It’s just a cool lil’ town.

 

[KOWBOY]

Friday, 27 June

Up and at ‘em. Back on Highway 550 headin’ south towards Red Mountain Pass and Silverton. Named the Million Dollar Highway and a real pretty piece of road. Always been fond of the Colorado mountains and it was sure good to be back amongst ‘em again. Here’s a few shots outside of Ouray.

But I weren’t on that pretty road very long. ‘Cause I hung me a left at these signs.

 

[KOWBOY]

Engineer Pass Trail is famous. Completed in 1877 by Mr. Otto Mears, it served the mountain minin’ towns with both stagecoaches and freight wagons. Fascinatin’ history in these mountains so make sure ya get yourself a good guidebook to tell ya what’ you’re seein’ along the way. This trail is the more difficult leg of the famed “Alpine Loop” that all rental jeeps in the state are herded towards. Beautiful route and should be on ev’rybody’s bucket list. But go early in the season. That’s why I’m here. Later in the summer, them jeepers will be lined up on this trail like fat people at the all-you-can-eat buffet down at the Golden Corral.

The most difficult part of the trail is the first few miles. And it starts immediately. My guidebook says “Remember that many of the obstacles you encounter on backcountry trails are more difficult to navigate in a full-size vehicle than in a compact 4WD.” Brilliant. So locked up and geared down, I start easin’ my 5 and 1/2 ton, full-sized home up the pass. Slow and easy. Ain’t nuthin’ but a thang.

Not many flat spots to stop and take pics. One of these days I gotta get my e-brake fixed.

Like a lot of the roads up here, it soon turned into a shelf road. I don’t particularly like shelf roads. But they're a necessary evil ‘round these parts. Sucks mightily when ya meet somebody comin’ the other direction. Uphill traffic has the right of way.

 

[KOWBOY]

I wouldn’t be too comfortable bein’ in a rig much bigger than I got.

The white towards the bottom of the pic is a creek that I followed all the way up the valley.

Certainly not a difficult 4wd road. Just skinny in some spots and often times a lil’ steep.

Road turns pretty nice in fact once ya clear the trees. Here’s a cool ol’ minin’ shack. They’re thick on these trails up here. Cool stuff. I guarantee ya it was a tough breed of men that worked these parts back in the day.

 

[KOWBOY]

Side road that went to the mine in left center of pic. Sure nice country.

Up ya go. Coupla the switchbacks took me a coupla swipes to get goin’ the right direction. Slow and easy.

 

[KOWBOY]

And at the top. Been a while since I been at that kinda elevation. Hard to breathe for a flatlander.

Lookin’ back at the pass once I was headed down. This side of the pass was much, much easier to navigate.

Great ol’ shack back at treeline.

 

[KOWBOY]

And what’s gotta be the most photographed cabin in Colorado. Such a cool place.

For those reg’lar readers of my exploits, ya mite recognize the cabin. Here’s the shot taken 5 years ago when Josh Baker and I brought Rubi and ‘er Kamper over this pass goin’ the other direction.

 

[KOWBOY]

Soon as I got back down in the trees, I took a turn off the main drag that obviously went to some campin’ spots. Was surprised to see this really nice ol’ shack that I woulda missed otherwise.

And the end of the lil’ side road was a sweet campin’ spot along Henson Creek that runs alongside the main road from the upper basin all the way down to Lake City.

Now need to fill up that fire ring. ‘Bout 60 or 70 feet away, I found me this here clump of dead trees. Nice.

 

[KOWBOY]

The Stihl chainsaw and splittin’ ax made quick work of it

“He who cuts his own firewood is warmed by it twice.”

 

[KOWBOY]

And a great pic of a deer’s ass.

 

[KOWBOY]

Out the Window.

 

[KOWBOY]

Sun came and went. Some of the clouds brought sleet. Didn’t ever sleet long tho and would be sunny pretty quick again. Right chilly when the sun weren’t shinnin’.

Had visitors in the evenin’ when a couple come up on a RZR that was loaded down with campin’ gear in the back. They was lookin’ for firewood and didn’t realize it was a dead end road. Nice young folks from the TX panhandle. Fella was admirin’ my set-up when another sleet storm hit so we climbed in the camper. Him and his girlfriend only had light sweatshirts on so I hit the furnace in the camper. They was likin’ that. Nice folks and off they went to set up their lil’ tent when it stopped sleetin’. Hope they stayed warm.

 

[KOWBOY]

Saturday, 28 June


This was a long day. Too damned long.

Back down the trail before the sun hit. Here’s one of the billion beaver ponds up here.

Come up on the Bonanza Empire Chief Mine. Cool to have signs that tell ya what stuff is.

 

[KOWBOY]

Great to see all the water. Real pleasant change over them mountains in Utah I was in last chapter.

This one is Whitmore Falls. Easy hike down to the viewpoint for the Kodak moment. Brutal hike back up.

Next stop is Capitol City. Fella named George S. Lee changed the name from Galena City ‘cause he wanted his lil’ city to be the state capitol. He built a sawmill, smelter, schoolhouse, etc to make his town. And a humongous, lavish mansion to be his governor’s house. Quite the famous place but his town didn’t even become the county seat much less the state capitol. Here’s all that remains today. It was the post office.

And on down Henson Creek we go. On what is obviously just a dirt road at this point.

 

[KOWBOY]

To the town of Henson where the governor had to send in troops to settle a miner’s strike in 1899 when the company demanded the miners pay big bucks to stay in company housin’. Most these buildin’s are now privately owned and some are still in use to some extent.

The remains of the dam across Henson Creek.

Creek forms up a nice gorge below the town.