Durango Colorado

We did today's drive disconnected. There were a couple of pretty high passes we had to climb over and I just didn't want to stress the MP. Pat, we have made the turn. We should be home in about 2 weeks. We will go through Charlotte and see Seth's new house on the way. We will be here for probably 2 nights. Durango is the terminus of the Silverton - Durango narrow gage RR. The city is a pretty big tourist destination and we walked around some today absorbing it's ambience. Here are some pics I took on the drive. 

Black Canyon day 3

I did my inner-canyon hike? Scramble? Climb? This morning. I rode my bike to the visitors center and got my permit at 8:15. They only allow 15 people/day to be in the canyon. I was the first to show up so I was solo for all of the descent and most of the climb out. The route (can't call it a trail) followed an avalanche chute or a rock slide most of the way down. There was one section the NPS provided a chain to hold onto because there was no way to stay upright without it. I finally made it to the river in 1 1/2 hours and was awestruck by the beauty of the river and the inner gorge. I explored for about an hour and then headed back up. Jenny was right to pass up this one. There were 3 young couples descending as I climbed up and I sensed no joy emanating from the females. Live and learn.

Black Canyon day 2

We are at the end of the road at the top of the mountain. It's the only place in the park where there is any cell. We have decided to stay one more day because I want to hike down to the river. Jenny is using something she calls "good judgment" and has decided not to accompany me. Here are some of the pics from today's hike.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison

Today's drive pretty much followed the Gunnison river. We are camped on the edge of a 2000 foot deep canyon that the Gunnison river has gouged out over the Last few years  (+ or - a few hundred million) we are on the south rim in a site with electricity only. The scenery is breathtaking. We will be here 2 nights. Our WiFi is weak here and I can't post any pics. I'll try tomorrow.

Crested Butte

We drove with Hal uphill for about 30 minutes to the town of Crested Butte. He lived here for several years and owned some properties here. We played 9 holes of disk golf, ate lunch with one of his old friends and then drove down the mountain and visited with another of his friends who lives on the Gunnison river. The mountain above the city is Crested Butte, the cities namesake. We leave tomorrow and plan on visiting  The Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP.

Gunnison tour

Hal took us up to visit his property in the mountains this morning. We were at 9200 feet and there were a few patches of snow. We returned to Gunnison and attempted to positively affect it's economy. Tomorrow we will drive to Crested Butte and I can only assume it's economy will be equally effected.

Gunnison Colorado

Today's drive took us over the continental divide. We chose Monarch Pass  (11,312 feet) we disconnected the MP from the Forester before the climb because we weren't sure how hard it was going to be. It was snowing at the summit but both vehicles performed admirably. We linked up with our MacArthur HS friend (Hal Vagtborg) and had a good visit. We will spend the day with him tomorrow.  He has some property near Crested Butte that we are going to visit.

Rainy day

We had enough rain last night and this morning that we were unable to get to the trailhead for our mountain climbing hike. I did put on my rain suit and rode my bike but Jenny has only briefly stepped outside. Tomorrow we go to Gunnison  Colorado to visit with a high school friend who lives there. We are beginning to think about our turnaround. These pics were taken from the MP window and from behind our camp.

Another day in alpine paradise

We hiked down the last rim to river trail this morning. We have now hiked all 5 of them, plus the entire river side trail plus several others on the rim. If the weather holds we will climb a mountain tomorrow and then we will have pretty much done this park. Today, near the river, we found another area with petroglyphs, we visited a very robust spring and we were awed by the class 5 whitewater. My very active day ended with a bike ride.

Connor before and after

During the year, Connor's brain filled with excess knowledge, making it impossible for him to completely control his hair.

Memorial Day Weekend begins

It rained last night so the trails were  going to be muddy. So, we decided to do a scenic drive through the New Mexico high country. But first, we had to have a nail removed from one of the car tires. The drive got us up to 9500 feet. It snowed up there last night. We ate lunch in Taos at the # 1 rated restaurant according to Trip Advisor. We headed home and visited the Rio Grande high bridge before stopping to photograph a field of flags. That is all.

The twins finally graduate

After a year of intense Pre K studies, Caroline  & Stella graduated  (way above the top of their class) Lady Gaga spoke at commencement.

6 hours on the trail

We went from the rim to the river twice. The Red River and the Rio Grande confluence is in this park. We visited that spot and hiked along the river for a while. The ranger told us about this pictograph panel. The trails were constructed by the CCC In the 40s. They are pretty impressive. The entire park has impressed us. It's a hidden gem. Memorial day weekend starts tomorrow and we're thinking a campsite elsewhere might be hard to get, so we are going to hang out here until Monday. We have water, sewer, electric, good cell, and WiFi using Jenny's Hotspot. That's pretty much everything. On top of that we have a lot more to see.

Big fish

We did a hike to a fish hatchery that was located a few miles and 800 feet below our camp. 480,000 fish every month are distributed from the hatchery to New Mexico lakes and streams. After we returned to the MP we had a big lunch and then we drove 14 miles into town because we needed milk. Cereal is unappealing without milk. I then rode my bike until I got a flat tire. I was able to pump and then pedal for a few minutes before I had to pump some more. I called Jenny with my location and she rescued me at a paved road. We have another hike planned for tomorrow but the weather might get in the way. 

Rio Grand del Norte National Monument

This is change 2 to amended plan B. We decided not to go to Bandelier. It was a last minute change. Jenny found this place after I crashed last night, while she was web surfing. It is a BLM campground and it is spectacular. We are about an hour out of Taos right on the edge of the upper Rio Grande gorge. We got the only site with full hookups. It is supposed to be for the campground host but there isn't one. We were prepared for no hookups. This place is so cool and there are so many things to do and see that we are going to stay here for a while.

41 years ago today

We celebrated our anniversary in Albuquerque. A brief stop on our way to Bandelier national monument. There will be no hookups in Bandelier. Our generator works and we've got batteries so we can last a few days. No phone or any advanced technological achievements have reached Bandelier. I'll send a spot to indicate all is well.

Dog Canyon hike

We finally did the dog canyon hike today. It was a 6 hour round trip and very photogenic. We took too many pics. Luckily film is free. Tomorrow we leave here and go somewhere else. That is the extent of our planning.

May 16th

Today was, obviously, Jenny's day. I began celebrating with an awesome desert bike  ride. She needed me gone so that she could receive all of her congratulatory phone calls without distraction. We then got dressed up (I put on a collared shirt) and had lunch at a Thai restaurant in Alamogordo. It was the #1 rated Thai restaurant in 50 miles, maybe 100 miles. Next was a tour of the ranch that belonged to the State Parks namesake. The 2 pics are of his barn while it was still standing and what's left of it now. Our next birthday extravaganza was a trip to Walmart. I did an off trail bush-wack to look at a small spring and then it was dinner. That was Jenny's birthday. We are staying here another day so that we can do the trail up Dog Canyon.

Full day

We drove up to Cloudcroft this morning. That's a 40 mile drive and a 5500 foot elevation gain. Up there it was 43 degrees and spitting ice pellets. I thought for a minute we were in Wisconsin. We visited the house that Jenny & her brothers & dad have rented for a week in Aug. She FaceTimed with her dad at an overlook. We drove up and toured the national solar observatory. People apparently spend a lot of time looking at the sun. When we returned, I climbed a hill behind the campground to look at a cave. Tomorrow is Jenny's birthday and I haven't been able to properly prepare. I got noth'n. This might be the last post.

Oliver Lee Memorial SP New Mexico

Oliver Lee was a rancher near Alamogordo in the 1800s. He was accused of murder, ran away, turned himself in, was acquitted, and became a U.S. senator. This park is located in a small section of his old ranch. We are going to hike up 'Dog Canyon' tomorrow. That is the canyon behind the MP in the pic. We will be here for 3 days.

Monahans Sandhills SP

This park is north of Ft Stockton. We are not to far from the New Mexico border. A lot of sand. It has been blowing like crazy so sand is getting everywhere. A favorite past time here is sliding down the dunes in a "sand saucer". Jenny really wanted to try it but the saucers rent for $4 and I wouldn't spring for it. She called me cruel. We should leave Texas tomorrow but we have no idea where we will end up.

On the road again

We are on highway 90 west of Del Rio camped in Seminole Canyon SP. Our plan is somewhat fluid. We are going to spend some time in New Mexico and possibly Colorado but that will probably be as far west as we go this trip. These pics are of the Rio Grande arm of Lake Amistad. This is the most water we have seen in the lake in at least 4 years. Cell coverage is non-existent at this park. I will try to post this today but if it doesn't work I'll finish the post tomorrow.

Mission accomplished

Seth & Courtney had a successful house hunting trip to the Carolinas, they bought a house in Tega Cay. That is his old home town. Jenny and I entertained the girls for 3 days and there were no casualties. Tomorrow we will head west and do an abreviated adventure. We need to be back in Beaufort the middle of next month so we have about a month.

Full day of riding

There's a dirt road that bisects the ranch. There are about 10 miles of trails on each side of the road. I did both sides today. 24 miles in 4 hours. I'm tired. Tomorrow Jenny & I will both return to SA. Jenny's group visited a winery. She is near Marble Falls.

Flat Rock Ranch

There are 3 main reasons we are in San Antonio. Aubrey's birthday, Jenny's girlfriends reunion and a need for the grandparents to watch the girls while Seth & Courtney house hunt in Fort Mill. The birthday has occurred. Jenny is at her reunion. I have driven the MP to this ranch near Comfort for 3 days of mountain biking. The baby sitting will be next weekend. Here a a couple of pics I took on the trail today.

3 girls in an ice chest