RV Gas Trouble

The mornings are really cold in these mountains but it certainly warms up nicely for the afternoons. Yesterday and on thru the rest of this week should be almost perfect fall weather for us -- cold nights for good sleeping and warm days for biking and hiking.

We left Ouray mid morning and while I went to the grocery store, John took the RV to get the propane tank filled. We met up and I followed him to Telluride. Just outside of the town, we pulled into a turn out so that John could get in the Jeep with me and together we could check out the city campground to make sure the RV would fit into a spot.

But when John got out of the coach he could smell propane gas. As he checked to see if it was leaking, I could hear the gas hissing out of the tank. Being concerned that the tank was overfilled, John decided to release gas until the gauge move down from the over full line. We must have let it release for a good 15 minutes when a volunteer fireman almost drove past, but stopped when he smelled the gas. He told us that propane is a very heavy gas and would collect under the coach or move down into the ditch. So, even though the wind was blowing, it would be a good idea to wait at least 15-20 minutes after we finished releasing the gas before we started the engine. John and I both felt better about what we were doing after visiting with this nice young man.

Another 40 minutes of release and the gauge finally showed just over full. We then drove the Jeep to the campground, selected a spot, brought the RV over and had lunch. Whew, busy morning!

Following lunch we strolled all over town, rode the free gondola up to the top of the ski area, had a glass of wine while watching the sun set and then home for supper and a quiet evening.

Perimeter Trail

We slept in this morning and then each of us did some cleaning -- I did laundry and cleaned the RV while John aired the tires and cleaned the Jeep.

After lunch we took a 5 mile hike around Ouray. The Ouray Perimeter Trail climbs up along the ridge of the eastern walls of the mountain, crosses the creek created by the Cascades Falls before turning south and then crossing the Box Canyon on the south west side of the city. The trail goes thru a tunnel on the west side of the Box Canyon and descends into Ouray ending at the Hot Springs Pool north of town.

We, of course, took advantage of the 106° end of the pool to warm the sore muscles. A quick change and we dined at the Outlaw Restaurant. Really nice evening!

5 Passes

We had a really long day, but because it was the first sunny, no clouds day, we didn't mind spending the whole day in the mountains.

The first leg of our journey took us up Engineer Pass, the first part which is pretty steep and rocky. The pass is at about 13,000' elevations and the views are spectacular! Coming down is fairly easy and we ended up near Lake City where we had lunch on a river. We then drove up to Cinnamon Pass (12,600') which took us to Animas Forks. We had the option of going an easy road back to the highway and then into Ouray or to take three passes over the mountains. Of course, we chose the mountains!

The first pass was California Gulch which led to Hurricane Pass (12,700) and then to Corkscrew Gulch (12,500'). It was so awesome to be in the midst of all these peaks and valleys, canyons and gorges. We could view our road with all its twists and turns but they they looked like they were just a gravel road across the meadow. But when we got to them they were ledge roads with rocks, dips, and bumps going around the mountain. We came across a "damsel in distress" on Hurricane Pass. It was a single lady who had problems with her transmission. She was so lucky that two of our caravan knew exactly what to do and had the right parts to fix her problem. She joined our caravan for the rest of the trip down the mountain.

We have been on the mountains for almost 10 hours today! What a great way to end this week. We have had a great time with wonderful friends. This is one trip we will always make time for as the people are so nice and the Jeeping is always special!

Jeff built a great fire tonight and we stayed up until after 11 PM enjoying the company and the s'mores! It was also a wonderful way to celebrate John's birthday today!

Yankee Boy and Imogene Passes

The morning dawned bright and beautiful but there is still the possibly of rain, AGAIN!

We departed an hour later than usual and headed up Yankee Boy Pass which goes south and west of Ouray. It is an medium difficulty road so we had some challenges, some narrow places and some steep parts but that was what we came out here to do. Unfortunately, we had to turn around before reaching the top due to a snow covered road. Five Jeeps went up to the snow line to see if it was really as bad as reported and it was pretty slick. One Jeep really struggled to get turned around and back down.

So we retraced our steps to the turn off for Imogene Pass which would have dropped us off in Telluride. Again, we had to turn around due to a snow covered road. Three motorcyclists coming down from above us reported that the road was wet but we could manage it in the Jeeps except that once we reached the pass at the top, there was new snow with no tracks going down the other side. Regardless of the conditions at the top, the bottom part of Imogene held some good rock climbing, dips into ditches and some challengingly steep drop offs.

I took a picture of what we could have driven. I guess next time we come to Ouray, we will need to arrive earlier than the end of Sept.

Chatter on the CB radios centered around beer so the lot of us stopped at the Ouray Brewery Co. and had a rip roaring good time! One lady asked me if I could have more fun -- can you imagine that?!? We topped off the evening by sitting around a warm fire with quiet conversation.

Owl Creek and Fish Creek Roads

The weather is still not cooperating, with over 50% chance of rain today, so we elected to take some easy roads and enjoy the local scenery. We drove just north of Ridgeway and drove down Owl Creek Road eastward. There were some beautiful places to stop and enjoy the snow topped mountains amidst the gold Aspen. The sun shown for most of the morning making for some awesome photo opportunities.

We stopped for lunch at Fish Creek Reservoir. The lake is very low but we enjoyed the pine smells and quiet serenity of the area. Just as we finished lunch, the rain started and continued for the rest of the day and into the night.

I decided this would be a good evening to dine out as a group and after some CB radio communications it was agreed that I would try to find a restaurant in Ouray that could accommodate 26 people. The first place I called, Western Hotel, agreed to serve us, so after getting everyone's order we were set for an evening of good food and companionship. They did a good job of serving us good food but they struggled getting us checked out.

Corkscrew Road

It started raining shortly after we arrived back at the campground yesterday and continued raining most of the night. We had hopes that it would stop on Tuesday but those were false hopes. As we started off on Tuesday's trek, we were awed by the white peaks of the tallest mountains. We only drove about 7 miles south of Ouray before heading upward along Corkscrew Pass. The clouds thickened as we ascended but we still had the occasional ray of sunshine until about 10 am. By that point we were passing snow covered grass and trees but the road was just muddy until we reached the highest part of the road at about 11,000 ft. elevation. Then we encountered about a 2-3 inch snow cover and the surrounding mountain peaks were shrouded in clouds and snow.

  

After a short break to play in the snow and decide which trail to take down, we drove off into rain, then sleet, then snow! We got as far as Anamis Forks where we ate lunch in our Jeeps to stay dry. Just as we were about to leave, one Jeep developed problems with their transmission. 30 minutes later, it was fixed and we took off to go back the way we had come. A short way up the hill we were stopped by 3 Jeeps coming down. They advised us to turn around as just over the ridge the snow was 6-8 inches deep and sticking to the road.

The drive back, thru Silverton, was in rain, sleet and snow until we descended below 9,000 ft. and then it was just rain.

An impromptu gathering was held in our RV just before supper. It was so nice to be able to host our friends in our home and not worry about sitting on each other's laps. The chilly air made for a nice chili supper!

Ophir & Last Dollar

Monday dawned cold and partly cloudy but that didn't matter to the 12 Jeeps heading off into the San Juan range of the Rocky Mountains. We drove south out of Ouray about 12 miles and then west on the trail to Ophir Pass. Because the Aspen are in full fall color, it seems to take a long time to get anywhere due to the drivers stopping so their passengers can get some wonderful pictures of their golden color.

Ophir is an easy drive with one difficult part. We descend the ridge onto a shelf road along a large rock fall. But then we drive through a large grove of Aspen, their yellow leaves coloring the air with golden hues.

We drove into Telluride at lunch time and then John and I led the caravan along Last Dollar Road back to Ridgeway and Ouray. It was an easy drive with many stops to admire the scenery.

Adventure #3

We left Las Vegas at around 11 AM on Saturday and drove though the day and into the evening thru Nevada, a corner of AZ and all the way across UT. We spent the night in Green River, UT parked at a closed down gas station.

It was a short drive this morning through Grand Junction, CO and south to Montrose, ending in Ouray. We had a pizza dinner with our Born Free friends who are all excited about driving into the mountains and exploring the wilds in our Jeeps, off the main roads and onto rugged and steep terrain. Let the Colorado Caravan 2012 begin!

Viva Las Vegas!

After breakfast on Thursday, John and I went separate directions. I headed for the pool and he joined the guys in search of some good black jack tables. Most of the ladies headed for spa treatments and Mickey went exploring. The ladies all rejoined for lunch and shopping at Nordstrom's all afternoon.

We had dinner at an Italian restaurant at the MGM Grand before seeing the Cirque du Soleill production "KA'". It was awesome! I don't know how to describe it in this space. Of course they had the acrobats, dancing, sword fights, and then there was this stage that rotated up so that it became a vertical wall with pegs to climb up, but then the pegs would disappear and the climbers would fall or catch another peg. Later in the show the actors flew on wires in front of the vertical wall.

We, again, stayed up late to do some gambling.

Three couples headed back to Sedalia Friday morning. The rest of us hung out at the gaming tables or explored the casino's offerings like a museum and shops. This evening we had dinner with former Sedalians who are living in Las Vegas now. When we got back to the resort, John let me join him at a black jack table and I left a winner! I know when to hold em' and when to fold 'em . . . HA!

Celebrations!

We arrived at the top at about 2 PM yesterday and headed to a bar for beer, water and laughs about our adventures on the trail. We then headed back to the RV and immediately to the showers! After turning in the rental equipment, we had dinner with "The Dirty Dozen" celebrating again our achievement. The bed called us to sleep at 9 PM!

Today we hitched up the Jeep and drove the 5 hours to Las Vegas where we parked the RV in an outdoor employee parking lot. John J. wrangled a deal with the hostess at the Caesar's Palace Bacchanal Buffet so that we could all sit together for dinner. This buffet is amazing with tons of crab legs, pastas, prime rib, sushi and much, much more! Even the dessert island was amazing!

To work off all that food, we strolled over to the Bellagio to watch the water fountain show and then down to Treasure Island to watch the pirate show which was very disappointing. A few people stayed up to gamble but I went to bed. I'm still recovering from the hike!

The Dirty Dozen Adventure a.k.a Down and Up Again

SUNDAY morning and neither one of us slept really well so when the alarm went off at 4 AM we were mostly awake already. It takes us awhile to close up the RV, prepare for departure and then drive to the shuttle stop.

We started down the Kaibab Trail at about 6:45 AM. As it is with most group adventures we all started off together in high spirits. At the one mile point was a potty break and a view point. The minute John and I arrived we recognized this spot. About 18 years ago, we had been here with the kids. It has changed some because there are rails where before John yelled at the kids to stay away from the edge! Its amazing to realize that you are below the rim but not even close to the bottom and the views are wonderful.

From this point on, the downward hike gets steeper and people start moving at their own pace, some fast, some slow, as we start spreading out. Periodically we find shade from the overhangs and sides of cliffs; the switchbacks allow us to see most of our group at different points along the trail; and it is still wide enough to step to the side to allow the mule trains to pass. About every 45 minutes to an hour we stop to hydrate and carb up (eat). This also allows some of the group to gather together for a short while. The knees are starting to feel the pressure, calves are sore and some are having trouble with toes hitting their boots.

We are surprised to find outhouses at some of the stops but not near enough for some of us. One time, Kathy and I really needed to go, so we asked the guys to keep an eye out for other hikers and we crept around a point of rock to potty. Well, the guys didn't do a very good job of guarding us and an oriental man walked near us to take a picture of the view. Kathy and I didn't quite know what to do, started giggling and finally pulled up our pants hoping this man would not look our way! My underwear did not come up with my shorts until the next potty break! Kathy kept seeing this guy on the trail. Hmmm?

At about the 6 mile mark we were really spread out. John and I, Lanny and Paul stopped for lunch and found John, Susanna, Jack and Kathy from our group right around the corner. David, Mickey, Katy and Mary were about an hour or so behind us. By the time we got to the bottom to cross the Black Bridge over the Colorado River it was about 12:15 and my left shin was hurting pretty bad but there wasn't much I could do about it. It was very hot and no shade to be found.

Once across the bridge we still had over a mile to walk to Phantom Ranch. The path followed Bright Angel Creek on our left and hugged the canyon wall on our right. A sign near the creek suggested we stop to cool our feet but we marched on. By the time I reached the canteen at the ranch, I was dehydrated and over heated. It took me about a half hour to cool off enough to become social again.

Several of the group had a beer to celebrate then we then picked up our duffles the mules had carried down and found two camp sites located on the creek with lots of shade provided by the canyon wall and ancient cottonwood trees. A thermometer said it was 110 in the sun and 97 in the shade. We had the sites set up by the time the last four arrived about and hour and a half after we got there.

We spent the afternoon cooling off in the creek, sharing our various stories of our trip down. Dinner was served at the canteen, about a 15 minute walk from the camp, in two shifts of 5 and 6:30 PM. We had steak, baked potatoes, peas, corn, salad, cornbread and chocolate cake for dessert. Quiet hours started at 8 PM and by 8:30 we were all in our tents, sleeping.

MONDAY found three couples getting up at 4 AM to break camp, eat breakfast at 5 AM and then starting their hike out. It was recommend that hikers start early to beat the heat and the crowds on Bright Angel Trail. The other three couples (including us) stayed at Phantom Ranch for one more night. The Ranch is nestled between two canyon walls in an oasis of water, trees and grass. There are about 14 residents who live here year round and provide all the hands needed to take care of the campers and travelers. The main building complex has the canteen and kitchen and private residences. There are cabins and bunkhouses to rent, park ranger quarters, a mule corral, amphitheater and shaded picnic tables near fresh water sources. The canteen can feed up to 48 people each shift. The restrooms all had running water and electricity.

Our day off from the hike was spent on a casual, easy hike along the River Trail with fantastic views of the Colorado River and the north canyon walls. We spent a lot of time in the creek, some of us (John) even napping while in the water. It was a very lazy day off. For dinner, John and I used our backpack camper's stove and fixed lasagna, green beans, and raspberry crumble with chocolate crumbs. It was all very tasty, actually!

  

It gets dark in the canyon between 7 and 7:30 so by 8 we are mostly ready for bed. Paul and Kathy left their air mattresses for us so we hoped for a better nights sleep. John and I were the last to go to bed after we walked to the bathroom to brush our teeth. Along the path we spotted a cute gray fox. When we got back to the campsite our headlamps spotted a ringtail cat digging into David's backpack which was hanging from a long pole. John chased it off and we got everyone out of bed to unload all the food in the packs, putting it in the metal boxes provided for us. Now we can sleep in peace!

TUESDAY morning we got up at 4 am and packed all the sleeping gear and tent back into our duffle which we took to the canteen area for the mule ride to the top. After a big breakfast, we were on the trail by 6:15. The first two miles parallel the river before turning up hill following Pipe Creek and then Indian Creek. This trail is not as steep nor as harsh a landscape as the one we came down. Because of all the water there are more trees and shady areas but we are still walking up through canyons with high, steep walls on both sides. At about the five mile mark after a steep climb up the Devil's Corkscrew we stopped at Indian Gardens for a short break and to refill our water packs. We haven't climbed much at this point so we have some steep slopes ahead. The campground here is a popular spot to stay along the Bright Angel Trail and the Tonto Trail. Tonto traverses the canyon for over 60 miles but that will have to be another trip!

About every 1.5 miles between Indian Garden and the top there is a water and pit toilet rest area and boy do we need that! I lost count of the number of switchbacks we go through. As we gain altitude, I become more winded and have to stop often to catch my breath. Susanna and I move at about the same pace. John and John are just ahead of us and Dave and Mickey are so far ahead we can't see them. This last leg is very crowed with day-hikers and tourist who think it must be an easy hike but they are in for a rude awakening when they turn around to go back up.

Our cheering friends are at the end of the trail to capture the moment of completion with high fives and flashing cameras! We did it! Check this one off the bucket list.

Grand Canyon Hike

Saturday, Sept 15 was our day to finish our preparations and get our minds, if not our bodies, ready for this marathon hike. Well, not exactly a marathon, but we were preparing for the worst.

We met our friends for a second breakfast then rented the tent, sleeping pads and a set of poles so that we could get our duffles packed and delivered to the mule barn early in the day. Our large duffle was not as big as we would have liked but we were able to get everything packed in it and the small duffle. At the mule barn our bags were weighed and we came in several pounds under the 30# maximum. We also ran into three of the couples from home so we hung out with them the rest of the day.

We took the time to go to the Visitor's Center and walk along the rim, spotting the Kaibab trail which we will descend tomorrow. We tried to drive to the Kaibab Trailhead but that was for shuttle busses only. We stopped at the Back Country permit office to get a few questions answered and to make plans to catch the hikers express shuttle the next morning at 6 AM.

The rule of thumb before any high energy event is to eat a high carbohydrate meal the night before, so we had a pasta dinner with lots of bread before retiring early since we have to be up at 4 tomorrow morning.

Hermit's Rest Trail

To prepare for the great hike to the bottom of Grand Canyon we decided to try a short leg of the Hermit's Rest Trail. Short is relative here. We hiked down 2.5 miles, descending about 1600 feet into the canyon. Hermit's Rest was one of the original free trails cut out by the Santa Fe Railroad. When a private owner was charging $1.00 to hike the Bright Angel Trail in the late 1800's, the railroad was letting people hike for free. They even maintained the trail, set up rest stops along the way and at the bottom they put in a small canteen, campground and cabins. People flocked down this trail!

Then the government took over the canyon, built another trail, the Kaibab Trail, and did not charge anyone to hike. Hermit's Rest lost it popularity and by the 1930's it was in such disrepair that they burned the canteen and camping areas. Today, the trail is sparsely maintained and not used by very many people. It is steeper and rockier that the other two main trails which made it appealing to us.

We left our RV and took the shuttle bus out to the trail head. By about 9:30 AM we were ready go. It was very rocky, with much loose gravel on the path and large boulders to step over. Within the first 20 minutes both John and I slipped and fell. Just scrapes and bruises, but we started hiking with more carefully placed steps. Of course, going down is easier than coming up but it was a rough trail. We passed volunteers working on the path, creating better footing and steps. A lot of hard work for no pay, but these young people seemed to enjoy their work.

At the 2.5 mile mark was a small cabin near a spring and a great view point. We thought of going further along the trail but remembered we would have to go back UP. And the trip up was hard. We stopped often to catch our breath or to drink water and eat some energy bars. It took us 1.5 hours to go down and 3 to come back up plus a lunch break and several rest stops.

Our friends from home got here in time for supper at the El Tovar Lodge. Great dinner. We are looking forward to our hike to the bottom with these 5 couples. They will make this a fun trip, I hope!

Another Great Adventure

We are off on another Great Adventure. This time we are going four fun places for four completely different activities.

We headed out on Tues. Sept. 11 towards Arizona. We got as far as Liberal KS and spent the first night in their Walmart parking lot. On Wed. we drove as far as Gallop, NM where we again stayed at a Walmart. Thurs. found us camping at the Mather's Campground in Grand Canyon National Park. Our intent is to hike to the bottom of the canyon, spend two nights and hike back out. We will then head to Las Vegas to celebrate that accomplishment. Our adventure will continue in Colorado where we will go off-road Jeeping for a week and then on to Albuquerque for the Hot Air Balloon Festival.

See, I told you it would be a great adventure.