Monday, May 15, 2017

Telluride to Ouray to Paonia

This is it.... I'm on my way home! It's been a whirlwind, a wonderful adventure, and a time of reflection and insight. I've stayed in a lot of hotels on this trip and that's where I am again, somewhere in Illinois just outside of St. Louis.

After my visit to Telluride I drove to Ouray in the rain. I found a place to camp (in my car again) just south of town in the national forest alongside a river again, another sweet spot. It rained lightly throughout the night so I was thrilled when I woke to blue skies. I looked at the weather forecast and could see I had until noon so I quickly drank my coffee then set out on a hike. I chose a hike I had done in 2008 when I was in Ouray, but I was a month earlier in the year this time. I got half a mile in and had to turn back because of iced over snow. I drove to another trailhead and set out, then soon realized I had done this hike as well nine years ago. It was beautiful and I was happy to do it again. I had in mind that I should turn around by 11:00 knowing that I would not make it to the mine at the end of the trail before the rain came. It's always hard to pick a spot to turn around, but as I was nearing 11:00 I saw two sticks leaning against a rock wall. I knew what they meant. As I made the turn around the rock wall I was then on the north side of the mountain and there was snow ahead. Not just snow, but something like a snow field and quite treacherous to try to hike on without proper footwear. I had my poles, but was not prepared to hike on icy snow. The sticks leaning against the rock wall were what someone had used to traverse the ice field and left for the next hiker to use. I turned back. I did take a little different route going back in order to make a loop and extend my hike a bit since the skies were still blue. When I got back to my 4Runner it started raining lightly; perfect timing!

When I was in Ouray in 2008 I fell in love. In love with the town, the houses, the mountains, the trails, the roads.... I really thought I was going to move to Colorado after David graduated from high school (2010). But, that didn't happen; I moved to Charlottesville and got caught up in my new life there and loved it, so the west became a place for me to keep going back for visits, but not to live. I write these posts so that friends and family can know where I am and what I'm up to as I travel. I wish I could tell you all what it feels like to be in those mountains, but words can't do it. The pictures can't do it either. It's a feeling. And, it overwhelming. Ouray is referred to as little Switzerland as it is tucked in the middle of 12,000 foot mountains. Cozy.

That afternoon I met my friend Joanna at Orvis Hot Springs just north of Ouray. I know Joanna from Charlottesville, she's my best dancing and beer drinking buddy. She listens to me whine and gives me shit for it. She spends part of her time in Cville and part in Colorado where she is from and most of her family lives. We had an amazing three days together with her showing me around Ouray and her home town of Paonia. We soaked at Orvis for two hours. It's a small little known hot springs and absolutely beautiful. We went out for burgers and beer and then for a hike on the perimeter trail around Ouray the next morning. We went out for dinner and wine the next night and then for a soak in the vapor cave at Weisbaden (still in Ouray). Two nights in Ouray, then we drove through the Black Canyon of the Gunnison to get to Paonia. We stayed with Joanna's friend John in Paonia. John is an artist, a musician, a collector of rocks, eccentric, interesting and incredibly generous! Joanna did not tell me much about John before we arrived at his "ranch." We all have an idea in our heads of what a Colorado ranch is, right? I wish my photos could capture what I encountered when I arrived on John's ranch, but they don't even come close. I said to Joanna; "you didn't tell me... " She answered; "what could I have said?" Here's a link to a video that John wrote and produced on his ranch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nk_Xg1og_m8  John, if you ever read this, a BIG Thank You, you are an amazing human being! We all went out dancing in downtown Paonia, which is like saying we went out dancing in downtown Madison. We ate pizza, drank beer and danced. Joanna knew everybody there. You could see from one end of Main Street to the other, and that's the only street!

The next morning I set off again, driving through those amazing mountains of Colorado into Carbondale and Glenwood Springs, over Loveland Pass and into Denver where I connected with another one of my favorite people; my aunt Gerda. Gerda is my mom's half sister, she's my age, and always welcomes me into her home when I am passing through. We just spent one evening together, but caught up on the necessary stuff over dinner and wine, then a mother's day breakfast. A wonderful connection, I'm hoping she and her sister will come to Virginia for a visit in the fall.

And, that brings me to where I am now. I drove 12 or so hours yesterday with the goal of getting to St. Louis. Here I am, after a restful night's sleep catching up on this blog. This will be the last until the next adventure. Only the gods know when that will be....  xo~

Tuesday, May 9, 2017

Telluride Colorado

I am now holed up in a coffee shop in Telluride, Colorado. It's raining and sleeting complete with thunder and lightning, and I am just happy to be warm and dry. I hiked to the foot of Bridal Veil Falls this morning and got a little wet. The rain made me turn around rather than continuing on to the top, but it was a lovely hike none the less!

I did a couple short hikes at Mesa Verde yesterday morning, but I was not able to get close and explore the actual dwellings. A guided tour is required for that and I can't stand guided tours! I did enjoy driving around though and the little bit I got to see. Afterward I had a wonderful shower, then ventured into the town of Cortez. I got my oil changed and my toes done. I finally feel like my feet are clean!

I drove through the little town of Dolores where I bought a skirt at a consignment shop. I hope to get to wear it when I go out dancing with my friend Joanna in a few days. I found a hot spring outside of the town of Rico in the San Juan National Forest, but it didn't feel that hot and did not look very appealing. I want clear water!! So, I did not get in, but ventured farther north and found a wonderful place to camp for the night just north of Rico, right alongside the Dolores River. It was amazing, beautiful and quiet. I slept in my 4Runner and kept a window open a little so I could hear the river as I fell asleep. Thankfully I slept well and was not awakened and asked to move! It was a cold 28 degrees when I woke up. I made coffee and sipped it in my car. And, now I am in Telluride wondering what to do in the rain. The coffee shop closes at 2pm and I think my paid parking runs out before that. More later.... m~

Monday, May 8, 2017

Mesa Verde, Colorado

I left off at my hotel in Williams, Arizona....

After resting, showering and making myself presentable, I went out for dinner in Williams. I sat at the bar of a place called Station 66 (The famous Route 66 that the Okies followed goes through here as well as Flagstaff). I had a local rye beer (I'd never had a rye beer before). It was really good. I don't know if it was truly really good or if it just seemed so because of my circumstances! Such is the way with camping; there are foods I eat when camping that I never eat at home. I sat beside a guy from New Zealand who was on a tour of the US with a group. He was just finishing his pizza dinner as I ordered a salad with shrimp for myself. I'm big on lots of protein while camping and hiking, but I don't get to eat much in the way of fresh veggies, so I was craving a salad. When my New Zealand neighbor got up to leave he declined a box for his pizza, so I said to the bartender: "I want a box for that pizza, it'll be my lunch tomorrow." And, so it was... delicious too! My dinner was nice as well and afterward I had an Arizona whiskey. It was mostly corn based, but had some rye too. It was good, firey like moonshine, not smooth and mellow like a Kentucky Bourbon. A treat : )

I worked out in my room the next morning then took another shower (had to get the most for my $140 room!). I headed to the Grand Canyon at 10 am. I bought an annual America the Beautiful pass at the entrance station, which I'm using again here at Mesa Verde Colorado. I'll also pass it along to my son for his westward trip in July. He's a bit free spirited like me!

It has been nearly 10 years since my last trip to the Grand Canyon and 17 since my first. I don't remember it being so overrun with people. Ugh! It was hard to enjoy it as it is now. Because of my blog post a friend reached out to me and told me of a sweet spot to go to. I found that and it was magical. I only saw seven other people there. Sweet, sweet, sweet! It was a mile walk to the view point, but easy going. And, there were no signs saying there was even a view there, that's why it's so private. When I asked a bus driver in the park about it, he had never heard of it. It was so nice I decided to sleep in my car there and hike out the next morning to see the sunrise. I hunkered down in the back of my 4Runner and went to sleep around 9 pm. At 10:30 pm I was awakened by a ranger and told I could not sleep there. Bummer! No signs indicating so, but I wasn't going to argue. He told me where I could go in National Forest outside the park. It's perfectly legal to park and sleep anywhere in national forest or on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land. I drove outside the park and pulled off the road where I thought I was in national forest. I was not. I was awakened again by another ranger at 2 am. Ugh! He told me I wasn't quite where I needed to be. 500 feet down the road there was a turn off..... I drove down there and found lots of cars parked and even tents pitched, so I was finally in the right place. I hunkered down once again, but now had a 20 minute drive to get back to my special spot. I woke suddenly at 5am (Arizona time which is different than the rest of the country) and it was already light. I jumped into the driver seat, sped to my special spot, ran (I am NOT a runner) the mile to the viewpoint and missed the sunrise by about 10 minutes. It was beautiful none the less, and I took a few picks and walked back to my car to make coffee. It was too windy to linger there.

Then I drove again... through northern Arizona. I saw Vermillion Cliffs, drove down a little road to Lees Ferry and saw the Colorado River up close, drove over Navajo Bridge and saw the Colorado from an amazing height, drove to Page, AZ and saw the Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell. I'd never seen these before, but have read Edward Abbey's cynical writings about them. I thought I'd go to Moab, UT next, but as I drove through desert, and stopped to look at my road atlas, I was drawn to the mountains, done with the desert. So, I changed course and drove through the Four Corners (where Arizona, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico come together), and landed in Cortex, CO deciding on Mesa Verde as my next stop. I visited Mesa Verde in 2008, but just briefly so I'm looking forward to exploring it more fully. I'm camped in the official campground, but slept in my car as it's just as comfortable as my tent and easier. I got my spot for free too. The girl that checked me in just let me have it! I don't know if it's because I look ragged and poor (maybe she heard about the pizza), or I remind her of her mother, or maybe it was just her random act of kindness for the day...  Speaking of Random acts of kindness; I picked up a hitchhiker yesterday. I love picking up hitchhikers. He was 20 years old and had been hitching around the country for three years. His dad is supporting him and bugging him about getting a job. He picks up random jobs, but not enough to support himself. He seemed to be a lost soul, did not speak well, fell asleep while riding with me. I hope I imparted some good words of wisdom, I told him about catering work and about Coolworks.com, but I'm not sure he has what it takes to even present himself and ask for a job. I don't know how to help someone like that.

I'm heading off on my adventures for the day.... Oh, yes, this campground has internet service! I parked next to the bathroom because that's where the router is and makes it possible for me to post this entry and even upload new pics. I'm even going to get a free shower later! Jeez, I have an amazing life!!! m~ox

Grand Canyon, etc. photos

Saturday, May 6, 2017

Saturday, May 6th ~ Williams Arizona

I ended up here accidentally. After spending two days hiking and two nights camping in Oak Creek Canyon, I was ready to be in town again, in a real bed after a refreshing shower. So, I drove back to Flagstaff. I read about the town having a First Fridays event/ art walk that sounded similar to our First Fridays in Charlottesville. I got online and found a decent deal at a nice hotel that looks interesting and booked it through Hotwire. Once it was booked and a done deal because you can't undo a Hotwire booking, I clicked on the address to drive there and realized it wasn't even in Flagstaff! Williams is 30 minutes west of Flagstaff and the hub for the Grand Canyon. So, I guess I'll be hiking in the Grand Canyon next. It's good to be flexible! I hiked the Grand Canyon 10 years ago, seven miles down the Kaibab Trail and 10 miles up the Bright Angel Trail. 17 miles in a day is a lot, and I've aged a couple years since then so I'm not planning on doing that again.

Oak Creek Canyon is absolutely stunning! The photos I took don't even begin to capture it. They never do really in these special places. There's a feeling that comes from being there, and I can't explain it. It's like love, it's just magical.

I drove through Oak Creek Canyon 10 years ago on the way to the Grand Canyon, but didn't have time to stop and explore. I wanted to though, it was calling to me! I'm sorry it's taken me this long to get back here. I think the canyon is a different place now, it was crowded. The road is under construction to better handle the crowds. I enjoyed lots of swimming holes, but no skinny dipping. The hikes were spectacular. I saw several snakes. Two that I got pictures of; one was a non venomous water snake, the other a beautiful rattlesnake. I watched them both for several minutes. They didn't seem afraid of me, only curious. The rattlesnake didn't coil and rattle at me as they usually do if they feel threatened. Check out the pictures.

I met a guy at the campground in Oak Creek with a teardrop trailer (see pics). It is the coolest thing! I almost want one, but I think I'm over camping. It seems to have lost it's charm. There's something really sweet about real beds, showers, hot tubs, vegetables.... I'll be driving through Cortez in a few days, I'm going to stop and get a pedicure when I'm there : )

Photos: https://goo.gl/photos/1KLhB7FrTbPckVMt9

Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Greetings from Arizona! I arrived in Flagstaff last night around 5:00 after driving two 14 hour days from North Carolina. Exhausted. Feet swollen. It's not good for a body (especially this body!) to sit for long periods of time. I'm glad to be here and ready to start out on an adventure in a magical place called Oak Creek Canyon. It runs from Flagstaff to Sedona in the Coconino National Forest. I drove through it in November 2007 on my way to hike the Grand Canyon. I so wanted to stop back then, but had only one day to hike the Grand Canyon, so there was no time. I'm finally back now to explore all that I didn't get to explore then! More about all this next week once I'm out of the wilderness.... right now I am uploading the pictures I took while in North Carolina last week, and that's what this blog post is really about.

On Monday, April 24th I arrived in Mount Mitchell State Park, North Carolina late in the day. I drove up Mt. Mitchell to the visitor center to get a map and information on hiking the highest mountain east of the Mississippi (6,668 feet). Then I drove back down the mountain to sleep in my 4Runner. It's not worth pitching a tent for just one night when I have such a comfortable vehicle to sleep in. Especially when it's raining. And, it rained all night. Actually it had been raining for several days, but Tuesday looked hopeful weather wise. I woke early and brewed my coffee in a misting rain and drank it in the drivers seat of my 4Runner. Still misting rain when I finished my cup of joe, I set out on my 12 mile hike.

I have to say, there's something magical about hiking in a misting rain. I felt like I was in the clouds, and it was beautiful. And, it wasn't cold, so I was really quite comfortable. Even so, I was very happy when an hour and a half later I could see my shadow in front of me. As I got higher up the mountain some really awesome views opened up as you'll see if you take a look at the photos. Because of all the rainfall the past few days the trail was literally a stream. I walked in water all day. This made the footing difficult and I was exhausted by the end of the day. There wasn't much of a view at the summit due to the clouds, but the views along the way made up for that. I'm quite used to going on 12 mile hikes, so the idea of hiking this one did not intimidate me in spite of its being the tallest mountain in the east. But, in the end, I have to say that this hike kicked my ass! Definitely one of the top three most difficult hikes I've ever done, and the other two were 10 years ago when I was a bit younger! I thought it was going to take six hours, it took me seven hours and 10 minutes. I'm going to blame it on the condition of the trail with the water and sleeping in my 4Runner the night before, and leave age out of it!

I slept in my vehicle again that night at a lovely spot off the Blue Ridge Parkway at an old homestead (see pic of the lone standing chimney). Wednesday morning I did two short hikes: Crabtree Falls and Linville Falls, both off the Blue Ridge Parkway on my way to Wilkesboro, NC where I was going to volunteer at Merlefest for the weekend (more on that later). It was just what my tired legs needed : )

Photos: https://goo.gl/photos/YdJvme6MVRWD5iLg9