Stories

Telling stories impassions people, causes action. Action that leads to more stories, and so the circle continues. Lately, I have read a number of adventure stories. It started somewhat with semi-rad and lead into Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley and Abbey’s Desert Solitaire and most recently Brendan Leonnard’s The New American Road Trip Mix Tape.

These stories lit the adventure fire and led to a road trip plan. This plan was to pursue some photographic endeavors and visit a place I had lived close to for 13 years but never explored. So, in the spirit of the New American Road Trip Mix Tape, I loaded up a combination of bluegrass from Elevation Outdoors and headed north. The trip contained a tour of the hot button engineering achievement called Glen Canyon Dam, winter camping at the White House Campground, and a quick tour of Wire Pass slot canyon.

At the base of the dam:

Looking out over Lake Powell and back towards the dam. 

And as Samwise Gamgee said, that storm rolling in may start to dampen my spirits. The precipitation wasn’t nearly as impressive as the clouds.

With places to go and daylight waning, I made my way across some desert to Stud Horse Point. I was able to see and be around the Superbowl trophy early! 

Fortunately, the desert saw snow the day before. The loose sugar sand was a challenge for my two wheel drive truck. But the desert cooperated and I followed the words of Horace Greeley - “Go West young man”. The Rim Rock Toadstools await. 

Setting up camp in the dark is not much fun. Especially with a completely unfamiliar campsite and plans of star trail photography. With that in mind, I left the Toadstools even though exploration beckoned me.

I was able to do a little scouting for location, collect some firewood, the type Abbey describes as the “sweetest fragrance on the face of the earth” and set up camp. With long shadows over the area.

It’s at this point in the story that the day winds down into thinking.  My mind really didn’t have opportunity to wander with the planning of each event. Now however, I wait for the stars to come up. With nobody around. Zero people. Only the Paria River in the distance and the crackling of juniper. Solo camping isn’t familiar to me yet. I was just a little, um, weirded out. So I made some tea. That helped. Whew.

Stars - lots.

That clear night let all the heat out of the area. Well, technically it wasn't absolute zero, but it was at a level of cold that overcame any claustrophobia about pulling the drawstring on my sleeping bag tight enough not to see out.

In the morning, the water in my mug started to form ice in about 20 minutes. And my contact lens saline was the consistency of ketchup. 

The coffee and blueberry/buckwheat porridge tasted fantastic.

Up next was quick tour Wire Pass and Buckskin. More Magic. With a little geologic oddity thrown in.

The entrance:

And the slot:

A trip to magical lands. And a ride down a rutted, washboarded House Rock Valley Road. Worth it? You bet.

Fall colors.

Looking forward to...

It’s fall, really it is, I saw the snow on Humphrey’s as we drove home from Durango. Ah, Durango. It was a trip thought of, way back then.

Fall ushers in the closing of a season, the entry into a new one. An afternoon so to speak of the year. An afternoon which ends too quickly, falling into holidays and long shadows and short evenings. Looking back to “where did the year go?” A time when as Kristin Butcher so eloquently put it, “knowing that summer’s fitness will soon succumb to the call of hot chocolate, chili, and stout beer”

So, we planned a run to Durango, just to celebrate this closing. It started out with an afternoon departure, which lead to a late night arrival in Cortez, Colorado.

Yes, the alarm is most certainly OFF. We’ll meet tomorrow for the continental breakfast and decide on the day’s activities.

We awoke to rain, which really wasn’t unexpected. The forecast called for it, although, we had a hope it was wrong. Spruce Tree Coffeehouse became the destination, decided it could be just as fun sitting in a bookshop coffeehouse as anywhere.

Damp leaves just don’t have the same effect when kicking and running in a pile. Our coffee finished, and the rain in sporadic showers, so up the road to Mesa Verde NP we went. Ended up not having any rain while at the park - yeah!

Stop the camera way down, find a steady place to set it, and it doesn't really matter how many people are in the room - just don’t let them stand in the same spot for very long!

Good visit, lots of laughs and a little hiking make for some hungry natives. Steamworks in Durango is the location of our dinner, since I told the girls they could see Mr. Kev and I routing around in a Cajun Crab Boil. Oh, it was good.

At this point, we decided to not fall into the trap of parental over-planning. On the docket was jeep rental and high country. But, that was relinquished to a day of play. Things like badminton and pedal cars, teeter totters and laughter. It was a good trade. 

We went up to the Vallecito Trailhead, hoping to see some fall colors and do a little physical activity.

It was most enjoyable hiking and created an appetite for lunch. We ate then traveled to the lake, and did fun things, like throwing rocks in the water. Or mud, it you’re me ;o) they splat quite unexpectedly.

Campfire and marshmallows wait back at camp, and we partake. We all comment on how many stars can be seen without the lights of Phx all around.

One final high five and a coffee for the road. Just plain Grand.

Gold Canyon

Being in Arizona, a person must take care not to fall into one. You never know just what might come of it. Goes somewhat with a favorite quote of mine:

"Remember what Bilbo used to say: It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to"

After a few months of riding the same trails, I start to desire that "no knowing where you might be swept off to" part of the quote. This time, it is the south east part of Phoenix, the Gold Canyon area. Darch had invited us to tour the area, which has recently seen a bit of trail construction.  He says we should come since it getting a bit hot. I laugh a bit, saying you Canadians always say that, as he reminds me it's negative temps in his hometown and 70 is hot compared to that.

Some folks [gila monster outback] have put together maps and spend quite a bit of time out there, building trails and features.

Even a bit of humor. A trail gnome, pointing the way:

It's fun section of trail, loops that allow a variety of lengths of ride. Bail points or connectors allowing you to suite the ride to the length of time you have. There are tech features which we all enjoyed:

And some with a bit of exposure. Darch leads the way, showing the line.

Mark follows, rolling in and rolling on down the trail. Right past the big velcro pole, placed there to grab in case you have the feeling of heading over too far left. This day, nobody used that grab bar.

We spent about 3 hours out there, looping, laughing and just plain having a good time. And not really worrying about where we would be swept off to. At the top of the Vortex climb, we spent a bit of time re-fueling the body and getting ready for the return to the vehicles. As on any good trail, there was a little "character".

And so the time comes, for the end of this ride. But, that means lunch as well. And quoting a friend, "bike riding is like pizza, it's always good"