Archives-June
Where we've been while you were sleeping.
The second month of Adventure
! Here is what we wrote earlier, with the conclusion on the Adventure
page.
June 1,
2007 New Mexico
May 30: We got into Santa Rosa, NM at eight pm
and stopped at a Denny’s to eat. So we got to Santa Rosa Lake State Park
in the dark. Fortunately the primitive camping was at the front gate and
we easily found it and the horse pens. In ½ hour we were all set for the
night. We are really getting quick at our camp set up. Of course,
already having dinner and a shower helped. We were in bed at 9:30!
The next morning we were in Albuquerque - for 17 exits! I did not know
it was so BIG! And the temperatures climbed quickly. From one side of
the pass to the other it climbed 5 degrees. Do you know, all their
expressways through Albuquerque are painted a clay-peach and sky blue
colors? And many of the expressway walls have a mountain profile etched
onto them. Very nice!
We drove to Sky City, NM and toured the Acoma
Pueblo as recommended by Ron C. (Thank you Ron!) Settled in the 1300s,
the pueblo was built on top of a 70 acre mesa in a valley surrounded by
rock mountains. It was not built as a fortress but rather because the
Indians believed their spirits to be strong there and thus it was the
best spiritual and physical place to be. They have a fabulous view of
Mt. Taylor to the west (in center of photo) where their fourteen clans
often joined with other pueblo
Indians. In the late 1500s the Europeans started arriving and not
peacefully. Our tour guide, Alexander, was very informative and
enthusiastic. He explained much of the misinformation and legends that
are told, not necessarily accurately. Rather than take the tour bus down
we opted to hike down the stone steps used for centuries by the Indians.
One other tourist hiking down commented on the way of life represented
here. Alexander had explained that they believe that the children should be
raised with song and so they are never talked to in a loud or raised
voice. The voice is always kept in a song like range and thus the
children are always surrounded by 
song. He also gave the example of elders 
teaching the younger and that the elders are
responsible to pass the history of the people on to the younger. So the
grandparents will gather their grandchildren around them, especially on
important celebration dates, and tell the history of the Acoma people.
But if one child chooses to play with a toy and others choose to
run and chase one another, they are not reprimanded nor forced to
listen. But those that listen are taught the history of the people. They
that listen are often the ones to become the leaders of the Tribe
because they do “listen” and thus come to know the heart of the people.
The Acoma are a Matriarch society where the girls choose their husbands
rather than the other way around or mutually. Because, without the
mother, life does not go on, the Acoma honor women highly. Only women
own property and pass on the houses to their daughters. No one is
elected but rather appointed and then for only one year. Some of the
Acoma people (about 35 families) still live atop their mesa, the old
mixed with the new. Can you spot our truck and trailer in this last
photo?
We decided to camp at Bluewater Lake State Park
in Prewitt, NM rather than driving on to AZ. I liked the idea because I
wanted to ride in NM and we have yet to go to the Zuni Pueblo. Bluewater
Lake State Park is 7 miles off I-40 so it is not a bad drive though it
is a climb and then a decent on the other side. 
But the park is easy to find and, though we do
not see where “equestrian camping” is, we pull into a electric
site with water across the road within reach of our hose. We haven’t
been there long when someone drives by (turns out he lives just outside
the park) and admires the horses and warns us of lions, wild dogs and
bears. At six o’clock we saddled up the horses and rode down and around
the far side of the lake. We climbed the hill on the far side of the
lake and followed the 
rutted road till we could see the lake end.
Once again we dropped down to the lake shore. We had noticed a herd of
horses, a mare with a new foal was the first to notice us. But soon we
became aware that the stallion must have taken note of us too. I kept
commenting that I saw no fence between us but it was not until I saw the
stallion racing toward us that I was sure there was not. Ralph got
pretty concerned and asked what we should do. I said we should probably
leave the area. . . rapidly. So Ralph led the way at a fast trot. Jur and Silver Girl
were happy with
the pace because we were headed back. The
stallion kept coming and even I was getting concerned. Here we had
prepared for mountain lion and bear but not a wild stallion! But we
finally rounded a bend and we could not see him. When I next got a glimpse of
him he had stopped.
I don’t know whether he was after us to chase us off or to capture
Silver Girl for his harem.
We find it interesting that the terrain changes
about every 30-40 miles. Different flora. We drove out to Zuni, NM the next
morning to be slightly disappointed that it was not as tourist friendly
as the Acoma Pueblo. The Zuni Pueblo is in the heart of the community
and has no parking nor access. We tried and got in a jam, scrapping the
bottom of the camper. The last disappointment was that we never saw the native bakery we were recommended. So after browsing the visitor center
we went back out to I-40 we drove and headed to Canyon de Chelly,
Arizona.
June 2-4,
2007 Canyon De Chelly
Friday, June 1, we arrive at Canyon de
Chelly National Monument, Arizona. A month
before our departure this was not in the plans but Mr. W. Critchlow
highly recommended it. Mr. Critchlow has been a tremendous help over the
years and influence for this trip. So I went to work on making this canyon
in NE Arizona part of our trip. I found Spider Rock Campground for us
and the horses. Up on top of the mesa, the campground has water trucked
in and no electricity. The elevation is 7900’ and Ralph has shortness of
breath and I have a nose bleed. We set up
camp in the afternoon and that
evening take a walk out to the rim. It is worth the walk. The next morning we ride down the same
trail but kept on going following the cliff edge. Some great views so we
did a lot of stopping and picture taking. We ride 2 miles just short of
Sliding House Overview. Gizmo must have gotten some old, bad hay and
horse poop I cleared away from the horses as he was sick all day. (See Gizmo’s
story.) We also drove to various lookouts that afternoon.
On Sunday, we planned to go to
church. So down to the valley we went. Everywhere there are animals
loose on the road; horses, cattle, sheep, and goats wander at will. We
could only find one church and it said service at 11. So off to the Best
Western parking lot we went to kill time while I get on the
Internet. I spent about 50 minutes getting and answering e-mails (thank
you for writing). Ralph went in the gift shop and bought a book on
turquoise. Then we went back to the Church which still only had one
vehicle and no people, so we went back to camp. At 3 we headed out in
the truck again. Went back to town, Ralph with laundry and I, the web
update. Then we went out to Spider Rock Overlook and got pictures. We
liked that overlook the best.
When we got back to camp, James Y., Howard’s cousin, was waiting for us.
We made arrangements for his guiding us into the canyon to Spider 
Rock in the morning. At 8 am Monday we were at
the visitor’s center to meet James and sign him on as a guide (according
to National Monument guidelines). Then he followed us back to camp to
pick up our horses to add to his and go to the community corral. No
sooner were we saddled up than a yearling gray colt (one of those loose
range horses) started following us down the trail for a mile. The trail
down into the canyon was rocky and steep. It was highlighted with the
Cliff Rose. The Dine People (Navajo) have a word for this flower that
translates “diaper” because they used the petals in bedding for its
softness and fragrance.
James Y. was an excellent guide as we
rode in Bat Canyon to the base of Spider Rock. This is where Spider
Woman originated from. The Dine People believe she came from the earth
as did they and showed them her web and thus they became weavers.
Navajos believe that their home is the earth and that their skin color
is from the color of the earth. Their name, the Dine, means five
fingered, and is not just them, but all people. They are one with all.
They are very family oriented and Saturday and Sunday is family “at
home” days. After the work week it is set aside for the family. Navajos
can trace their ancestry back to India. They think they originally came
across the Bering Straits and came down from Alaska, where one of the
tribes still live (it is believed because the language is so similar).
Another group split off and went south and became the Apache People.
Many Navajos still live in a Hogan. It is built of pine logs and chinked
with mud. The roof is a cross section of logs with a layer of bark over
the logs before the mud is
put on top. In the center of the roof they
leave a hole for ventilation
and light. In the winter the smoke
from the wood fire rise through the hole. It is built in a circular
fashion with a dome shaped roof. The floor is left earthen as Mother
Earth, the dome is Father Sky, and the walls are all living things. The
door always opens to the east, greeting the new day and new life. Early
in the morning the door will be opened to let in the cool night air and
after the sun rises, the door is closed, enclosing the cool into the
Hogan. The Canyon de Chelly is 165 sq miles and is at the center of the
Navajo Nation which is 485 square miles. It is within the
four scared mountains and is a spiritual place
to both the Navajo and other tribes. The Ancient People, the Anasazi,
left their mark as petroglyphs in the canyon. The canyon is still home
to many families during the growing season. In the winter they return to
the mesa and city for their children to attend school. The school in
Chinle (Shin-Lee) has 3000-4000 students and a graduating class of about
400/year, making it one of the largest in the USA.
We got back to the trailer at 3 and enjoyed
coca cola with James. Then we got in the truck for another vista tour; out the
north rim to the ruins of the Navajo Fortress. We stopped first at
Antelope House Overlook and on the walk way met Harriet and Sam J. from
Minneapolis, MN. We stopped for a ½ hour chat about the canyon. This
picture is of the Sliding House Ruins.
Arizona is not all desert but this mesa is high desert with lots of
sage brush and cacti with pinons. The wind kicks up every afternoon
making for a hot, dusty afternoon. Running short of water and high on
dust, we left Canyon de Chelly and headed to the Petrified Forest.
June 4-7,
2007 The National Parks, AZ
On 
June 5 we drove out of Spider Rock
Campground. In Chinle Ralph stopped and bought coffee and cake. Gizmo
refused any, indicating how poorly he is still feeling. We pulled into
the Petrified Forest National
Park and Painted Desert at nine. We not only went
through the visitors center but also the Painted Desert Inn where we
parked and hiked down the Kachina Lookout Trail to the desert floor to
see the petrified wood. This is the trail you can horse ride down into
the Wilderness Area. We did not ride because of Ralph’s knee and
saddling the horses for such a brief hike (maybe ¾ of a mile) and then
just desert riding would not have been worth the work. They are very
animal friendly so we took Gizmo who seems to be improving as the day
goes on.
Back on I-40W we took a 12 mile round trip
out to the Meteor Crater Natural Site. This is
privately owned land with a visitor’s site.
About 50,000 years ago, at a speed of 26,000 miles per hour, 150’
diameter iron-nickle meteorite weighing several hundred thousand tons
hit the then flat plains of the North American continent. With an
explosive force greater than 20 million tons of TNT the meteorite
excavated a giant bowl like cavity 700 feet deep and 4000 feet across,
displacing large blocks of limestone several miles away. Got a picture
of one the size of our truck body.
Again on I-40W we saw the turn off for Walnut Canyon National
Monument. This is a wonderful cliff dwellers’ monument where you can
actually enter some of the sites. It is a cliff side walking tour so you
have to be okay with heights. We enjoyed it immensely and were amazed at the
number of dwellings! Ralph is calling it one of the hidden jewels of our
trip, unplanned but a great find. Next we made a stop at the Wupatki
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument which features a 1000’ volcanic
cone. Then we headed for the horse camp.
After meeting Robert, the campground host of Little Elden Equestrian
Camp in the Coconino
National Forest, we selected site #13 and were glad we did.
A bad wind kicked up (with 60 mph gusts) while we were there. We were at
the far end of the one way campground and so had less drive by dust and
less dust from other horses. There was plenty as it was. We also had
water right outside our camper though it was for multiple sites. And
there was no campsite directly across from this site so no one to look
at or impede our view. I suspect we would have loved the place if not
for the wind.
One of the gusts in the night woke us up with
it’s moving the trailer (we later found out it ripped our bathroom vent
cover off the trailer). And it died overnight somewhat. We decided to
get Gizmo checked. So Ralph took Gizmo to a vet while I took Jur for a
ride. Jur and I rode out Elden Springs Trail to Shultz’s Tank, a dried up pond
made to water cattle. Then I talked to a biker and he put me on the
right
track to get to Little Bear Trail. Elden Springs
Trail was among the towering Ponderosa Pines while Little Bear was 
on the mountains edge at 8000’ and
spectacular views. Fortunately the wind gusts were not on that side of
the mountain or the gusts might have blown us off. At one point I turned
on the GPS just to get my elevation. I was at 8352.’ At another point we
came upon a hummingbird feeding on cacti blossoms. After about ½ hour of
eating and bird photography, we rode the rest of the way down the
mountain. Ralph was there with Gizmo and I was relieved things must be
okay. The vet said that he
probably ate something bad and he
checked out with only a slight elevation in his stool bacteria. So he is
on an antibiotic (he hates taking pills) for the next ten days. With the
wind still howling we decided to leave despite the beauty! So at 3:30 we pulled back on to Hwy 89N toward the Grand Canyon. The
winds are pushing us around on the road but we are hoping the 180 miles
will make a difference. We could not see breathing that dust for another
night. We would say this was the first “bad” weather we have
encountered.
We cross the Colorado River and traverse BLM
(land) and then pass the Vermillon Cliffs. We started the climb at 5000'
and climb to 7200' at Kanibab Visitor’s Center north of the Grand Canyon. It
was 6:30 and I was doubtful whether we’d get into the Grand Canyon
campground after hours so we stopped to ask where we could park. The
Kanibab Lodge nor the RV Campground ¼ of a mile from it allows horses.
But that entire area is the Kanibab National Forest and as the young man
at the RV Campground told us, you can camp anywhere on a forest. We took
Forest Service Road 461 another ¼ mile up the road. It was very level
and nice under the Ponderosa Pines. We pulled past a couple of other RVs
and into a space large enough for us to back into. Ralph was a little
apprehensive but we have little to NO choice at this time. The place was
beautiful and actually I would have been content to stay there if our
batteries were not running low after ten days of constant use. If they
went dead then our frig would not work. So we high lined the horses and
emptied ten gallons of the jug water into their bucket (which they drank
most of), fed them and blanketed them. The temperatures were dropping,
it was already below 50 degrees and we were in double long sleeve
layers. After we were set up for the night we went into the candle lit
camper. No lights or even running water to try to conserve the batteries
(good thing as it allowed the frig to run through the night). We went to bed under a sleeping bag.
On June 7 we loaded up the horses and went back
to the Kaibab Visitor Center where very helpful personnel, Becky
and Jerry, showed us some great FS Roads to drive out and places
to camp. We decide to go into the Grand Canyon National Park first. It
is a forty-five mile drive into the park and a large portion is burned
trees from a fire one year ago. Once again our America the Beautiful
pass waved us in. Savings: $25. Already the pass has paid off. We still
have a ten mile drive to the lodge at the rim and where all the offices
are. We are looking for a horse camp in one of the most visited parks in
the U.S.A., no reservations and batteries already indicating they are not
servicing our frig. (Read on for our story about the Grand
Canyon.)
June 7-11,
2007 The Grand Canyon National Park
The entrance to Grand Canyon National Park is a
ten mile drive to the lodge at the rim and where all the offices are but
we are sent to the Back Country office. This is presently a little
utility trailer beside the campgrounds. The woman there calls a park
ranger. Sam D. arrives and says they occasionally put people in the
Civilian Corps Campground but he does not know it’s present situation.
We explain ours and that we’d like to be there four days and we need
water for the horses. He says he will go “check it out.“ And he calls
his boss. Head Park Ranger, Dale K., introduces himself about 20 minutes
later. He says we should have called ahead (but we end up being the ONLY
people there). He really does not know what to do with us, he says. He
asks what we “want” to do and we explain again and he asks me where I
got my info (I have the whole trip from Internet research and there IS a
place
inside the park to camp with horses). I tell
him “straight off the National Parks website.” He asks to see it so I
get my trip papers. This is about 40 pages of my researched stuff
forming our itinerary. He is interested in what I printed from the Grand
Canyon site and goes and makes a copy. I assume he did this to get with
the web manager to make corrections because he was surprised at my list
of trails on the north rim that were for equine. We end up in a
discussion on what the park could do to make it equine friendly. I
suggested they work 
with the Kaibab Forest Service (which seems VERY
horse friendly) and get a horse camp built with these volunteers (a
group is coming in Sunday to work on trails) that could then access the
North Rim. This way it would keep the horse rigs out of the park (too
much traffic for us anyway) yet still give horse people access. He was
very receptive to the idea and mentioned bringing it before the Forest
Service District Ranger. Sam returns to say there is room for us at the
CC campground and he will even “escort” us over there. (I’m telling you,
I am a magnet for Federal Officers but sometimes it‘s good!) So our Back
Country Permit consists of me writing down our name and address on
Dale's
clip board and off we go following Sam. A police escort! Good
thing, as the CC Campground is through the North Kaibab Trailhead
parking lot and up a dirt road at the back of it that the mules use to
go back and forth to their barn everyday. It is NOT obvious and the gate
is locked at night (I think that is what the “permit” is for - the lock
combination!)
When we got to the campground there was a group
of scientist packing up to head out into the field for 5 days. 
We had a chat with a couple of them and then we
had the whole place to ourselves - for THREE days! It does not get much
better than this: one of the busiest National Parks with campgrounds
needing reservations 1 to 2 years in advance and we have one entirely to
ourselves! Not only that - it is the only water spigot in the park and
the weather is some of the 
best in years they tell us. It was cool enough
that night (and the next) to blanket the horses but it was also
delightful for riding and hiking. After setting up, Ralph & Gizmo
worked on the generator to get it running so we could charge the
batteries. The problem was
the muffler insisted on laying down on the
job. So he spent a lot of time improvising to get it to work so our frig
would. We disengaged the trailer to take the truck to the rim overlook. So Ralph
and I and Gizmo went driving out our locked compound to the North Rim
where we photographed (along with many others) one of the clearest
sunsets in a long time. Ralph kept repeating how blessed we were. Ralph
had to carry Gizmo most the time because we found out dogs were not
allowed on the rim trail. Gizmo loved it though. We got back to camp to
see the deer out for evening grazing. They were quite unafraid.
The next morning it was 49 degrees and I got dressed for a ride.
About 9:30 I rode Jur down to the mule corral and the gal there directed 
me out behind the mule barn. I rode the Uncle
Jim Trail (5 miles) and then at the parking lot crossed Hwy 64 and
picked up the Arizona Trail for two miles out. The Uncle Jim Trail makes
a nice loop out to the rim for a nice half way point and a look out over
the canyon. The Arizona Trail starts directly across the street from the
North Kaibab Trailhead. It starts with ½ mile through the woods and then
runs along side a big open meadow (no camping) that was once the front
door to Uncle Jim’s place. He was an early 20th century park
ranger who boasted killing 700 mountain lions. Jur and I checked out
Uncle Jim’s old home site (a cave) and the trailhead to Widross Trail.
Unfortunately the trail went through a lot of the burned area and so I
turned around and came back to camp.
The third day we both saddled up. Gizmo had to stay in the camper as
we were riding down into the 
canyon. We rode out to the mule
staging area and verified that it was a good time to head down (10am).
We rode the North Kaibab Trail down to the Supai tunnel, about 2200’
down according to my GPS. Jur and Silver Girl did great. (In the picture
with a bit of Jur‘s head you can just see the trail down below us.) It
was much less rocky than the Uncle Jim Trail, from the use I suspect.
Though Ralph was very apprehensive on the way down due to the number of
hikers we were encountering, he was glad he did the ride. He said he
wanted to say he rode the canyon and he did. The trail is mostly four
feet wide and many places are very sandy and others have wide stair
steps. It is very doable for a well trained, well mannered horse, though they
say they do not get many. We talked to a large horse club that came down on the
60 mules. Most of them have horses and were envious of
us being able to this with ours. Many admitted they would NOT do it with
their horse and we agreed that you have to “know thy horse.” They also
admired how fit our horses were and that they were doing it barefoot. We
also met the Duncan family who were hiking down and back up. Kelsey is
in her last year at college and is on the equestrian team. Her dream is
to have a horse of her own and I encouraged her to keep the dream and
told her I had the same and did not get my first horse until I was 30
years of age. Ralph and I thoroughly enjoyed riding the North Kaibab
Trail. All the hikers were very courteous and the mule wranglers were
very helpful. What a great day and I’ve got one more day to see all I
can of this Grand Canyon!
The next day Ralph decided to do our laundry - while I stayed behind
working on the computer with the generator going. After about two hours
a horse trailer rig pulled in and the guy leans out the window and says
“I’ve come all this way to the Grand Canyon to get away from
generators.” I burst out laughing because we feel the same way and I
told him so and the only reason we were running it was because of a
little emergency called low batteries. I explained that after ten days
in the wilderness our batteries were run weak and needed recharging and
they were lucky enough to arrive just when we were recharging them. I further
explained that Ralph would get there momentarily and turn it off. Phil
introduced himself and said he did not mean to “tell” me to turn off my
generator. I told him, “don’t worry, I did not take it that way!” Ralph
arrived in minutes and met Phil and Nancy L. We ended up enjoying a fine
evening with them around the campfire. Phil was retired from butchering
and now teaches computer technology and Nancy is a CPA. They, their four
dogs and two horses, were from Phoenix and would be joined on Friday by
others there to help the Park maintain the trails. I would have loved to
join them but we had places to go and people to see.
We decided to leave our Hilton on the Hill at the Grand Canyon. It
was our scheduled day to leave but I wanted to try the campground at
North Timp Point in the Kaibab National
Forest. This campsite is on the
rim but with trees and 25 mile one way drive in - on a dirt road.
Another great site and easy high line for the horses. The Kaibab
National Forest is beautiful and I would love to ride it. At 5:30 the
next morning I was out on the rim. The sunrise was nothing spectacular
but still awesome anyway you look at it. By seven we had backed out of
the campsite, loaded Jur and Silver Girl and headed out. Shortly after
starting down the road I spotted one of the rare Kaibab Squirrels.
They are bigger than the eastern cousin, with a big white tail, longer
ears with white tuffs on the ends of them. I wish I had told Ralph to
stop so I could get a picture but did not think of it fast enough. I
spent the rest of the 25 miles looking for another!
We stopped at the Kaibab Lodge for
breakfast. They are well known for their baked goods and their breakfast
was fine too. There is also the very nice Cameron
Trading Post at the Lodge run by a family. They
have excellent authentic Navajo rugs and jewelry. We were especially impressed with John Anderson’s
polymer clay work. He makes
fantastic creatures that are very intricately detailed. Not painted but
the colored clay is actually cut and put together to make the designs! I
resisted the very nice frog. On to Utah which is a great area for bicyclists but we
thought these were real diehards! We saw them first in the Grand Canyon
Park and then again here, outside Kanab already 80 miles and it was
midday. I just had to hang out the window and cheer them on like I was
at one of my brother, Glenn's triathlons!
On to Kanab, Utah and the Paria Adventure Ranch. Easton
Tolley put us next to a building where we could plug in for electric.
There were showers and water for the horses which we put in a one acre
pasture. By one o’clock we set up, cleaned up (the trailer) and hooked
up. Clouds rolled in (very unusual) and it cooled down to 86 degrees. At
4:30 Ralph and I and Gizmo we rode out of the Ranch and followed a dry
creek bed and from the creek bed climbed up on the mesa to the southeast
of the ranch. From there we had a fabulous view of the sounding areas
and our own camping spot. We planned to see Zion National Park the next
day.
June 11-18,
2007 Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks
We drove to Zion National Park with Gizmo from Paria Adventure Ranch
for a day. We had a bit of confusion at the entrance when I could not
find the America the Beautiful Park Pass. But after a thorough search of
our messy but organized truck, we found it. We started by hiking the
Canyon View Trail right before the mile long tunnel into the 
body of the park (east entrance). The tunnel was
built in the 1920s and it is narrow and dangerous for today’s big
trucks, 
buses or rigs so all traffic is stopped to
allow each direction a turn through the tunnel. Originally the
Mukuntuweap National Monument, the park is another landmark of
geological showpieces. At one of these we met George and Charlotte P. I
noticed George taking pictures of Charlotte and offered to take one of
the two of them and even recommended the spot we had just taken Gizmo’s
picture (see Gizmo‘s page). George had a Jesus belt buckle and we got to
talking about God’s magnificent work here and elsewhere in the world and
how blessed we are to be enjoying it. They also showed us around their
wonderful touring van, complete with cooker, frig and shower and potty.
It was one of the best designed campers of any size we’ve seen
.
After leaving the park we started stopping a
gift stores to find a patch. Shortly into The Trip Ralph suggested we
buy patches from each place and jean jackets to sew them on. We did not
find the jackets until here in Kanab and by now we had about 8 patches.
(This picture of Ralph’s jacket is a couple of weeks later. He did all
his own sewing.) Once we found our patches we ate at the Thunderbird
Restaurant in Zion and had their homemade pie. Ralph had the apple with
rum sauce and I had coconut cream. Very good. Then on the way back to
camp we saw signs for the Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park and decided
to check it out. Wow, another gem. Really PINK sand dunes and a great
campgrounds that caters to ATVs. Our nephew David K. would love this
one! Lots of wheeling around in the dirt!
The next morning we headed to Bryce, Bryce
Canyon National Park that is. We got all packed up and went to
load the horses and they would not be caught. After a few minutes SG
came but not Jur. So I started working Jur in the two acre pasture. It
was blazing hot and the sand made it hard going. I was getting more of a
workout than Jur. He was paying me not one wit of attention. Some people
arrived from CA called Outdoor Tours and started videoing Jur. They must
have filmed him for about 20 minutes. I still could not get him to pay
me any attention but he looked beautiful running around with his mane
and tail flying. I finally had to give up on the training and just catch
him so I could shower and we could go as planned. When I came out of the
shower, Dave (Easton’s Dad) hailed me and came over to talk. We slowly
made our way to the trailer but continued talking. Ralph had joined us,
and Gail, Dave’s wife, came looking for him to eat lunch. So we said our
goodbyes and loaded the horses and headed to Bryce Canyon by way of
Kanab. We got to Kanab at one o’clock and found a hot spot for me to
connect to the Internet. I wanted to do some accounting work and
download an update to our website. After almost three hours it still was
not finished so I called it quits and we drove on. Some days go like
that! We arrive at Bryce Canyon around seven o’clock and find our way
into the Coyote Hollow Equestrian Campground in the Dixie National
Forest, 14 miles from the park entrance.
The first morning, June 15, we take the entire
camp down so we can trailer into the park. We get there and a ranger
checks our Coggins horse papers tells us where to park and the general
rules. He also reminds us no pets on the trail. Gizmo is staying at the
trailer which has been a very tolerable temperature. Silver Girl is
being a bad today (do they take turns?). She rears back and breaks the
lead line. Then she BITES Ralph on the head! After all that we still
ride out between all the holes of the endangered Utah Prairie Dogs.
(Prairie dogs are not canines but rodents as Gizmo knew well. The Utah
Prairie Dog is found only in SW Utah and Bryce is the only National Park with
them.) We start riding the PeekaBoo horse trail (well marked and
previously described by the Park Ranger). We soon encounter a line of
mules and horses returning from a ride. In all, we pass about 60!
The Peek-a-Boo Trail is inside the
rim of Bryce Canyon with a trail leading to it and then a 3 mile loop
through it. What most visitors see from the lookout points, we rode. It
has a few hairpin turns and cutbacks, but not nearly as steep as the
Grand Canyon. Not even half way Ralph was ready for the lunch stop at a
nice vista area and the horses were clear of the trail so hikers could
get by. About half way through and under the Inspiration Point lookout,
there were hitching posts,
outhouses, and a horse watering
trough. After SG and Jur overcame their fear of the trough they got a
good drink before we head out. I took 130 pictures and could have
taken more. These pictures have been some of the best
taken so far. (Be sure to go to the link in
the heading above to see our slide show if you want to see more.) We rode about 5 hours. We
got back to the trailer and back to the Coyote Hollow Campground and
reset up the camp.
First thing the next morning we went to the camp next to us to say
goodbye to Kim, her son Jake, and his best friend, Andrew. They were
traveling from Phoenix, AZ (now 113 degrees) to Canada in three weeks.
Kim has been a school counselor for 27 years and what wisdom! She wants
to start a woman’s outdoor adventure program which she would be fabulous
at. I hope we get to meet up again. Maybe she’ll bring a group of woman
to Georgia one day and I can take them on a riding adventure.
Once again we broke down camp. We took the horses in the trailer to the Thunder
Mountain Trailhead, a mile down the road. We rode out late, 11 am, and
it got hot fast. The vistas from the Red Canyon are incredible. We can
see in every direction. We stopped to eat lunch with a fabulous view of
south Utah. We rode on and passed White 
Rock and were
just shy of reaching Inspiration Point when we turned around. The day
had stayed clear and hot and I was sunburned. Gizmo had his own water
bottle and cup and would run under shade to wait for us so he faired
pretty well but there was no water on this trail for the horses.
We went back and reset up camp. Ralph went to Ruby’s Inn (the town at
the park entrance) to get information on the astronomy program while
I stayed behind to cook pork loin, potatoes, and cauliflower. At 8:30pm
we went to the park amphitheatre for a one hour video program and then down to
a parking lot where 45 telescopes were set up for our
nighttime viewing. Bryce is known for it’s fabulous night sky due to
lack of pollution of the air and of the light. Friday night was one of
their annual astronomy festival nights and the best night so far for
viewing, no moon. We could see the Milky Way (the Indians call it the
backbone) with the naked eye. We also saw Jupiter and its three moons,
Saturn and its rings, Venus, M13, M54, a couple of nebulas and several
clusters of stars 25,000 light years away and a galaxy or two. Stars are different
colors ranging from red (the coolest) to blue (the hottest). Mostly
amateur astronomers with their own telescopes, the youngest was ten
though I don‘t know the oldest. They came from as far away as San Diego
to be a part of this program at the park (many returning year after
year). It made Ralph want to get to the nearest store and buy an
inexpensive telescope. It also thrilled us that God not only made the
terrafirma so beautiful but also the heavenlies! We got to
bed early in the morning of the 16th!
It is hard to sleep in out here when the sun is
coming up at 5 and bright at 6! We piled in the truck to go see vistas
at the park. But first Ralph suggested we drive up the Fremont ATV Road
straight across Hwy 12 from our campground. So we did about 5 miles of 4
wheeling to a knoll with a vista in every direction. Though I took
pictures it does not give you the feel of the vastness and endless
forests and mountains that we are seeing. Ralph really enjoyed this side
trip and calls it one more of our hidden gems 
which Walnut Canyon National Park and Caprock
Canyons State Park and the Coral Pink Sand Dunes were also. Not full of
tourists like the Grand Canyon but a beautiful spot in God’s creativity.
We 
decide on our last day we will ride up that
ridge (picture with the road in it) to that high spot. We drive on into
Bryce Canyon National Park 
to four or five scenic overlooks. Late
in the afternoon we drove to Castro Canyon and the Arches Trail. The
latter has 13 arches in 0.7 mile of trail. (Pic to right)
So the next morning at 9, Sunday, we left Silver Girl on the highline
in camp (she didn’t notice us leaving as she had alfalfa hay to munch) while Ralph took me and Jur over to Casto Canyon
Trailhead. After dropping us off, he and Gizmo went to the laundry mat. They
would pick
me up at one. Jur
wore boots as there was plenty of rock both above and below. The start
of the trail was obviously multiuse with the ATV’s making it clear and
wide. At first it followed a wash with the canyon walls 
on either side. Lots of hoodoos and a
few small windows. We saw no one else the entire ride. We eventually
joined the Cassidy Trail to the Losse Canyon Trail, through the Little
Desert, a series of white sand hills. Ralph and Gizmo were waiting for
me at the end of the trail in Losse Canyon.
The next morning we loaded up
everything to go across the road and down Fremont Trail #02 to ride up
the Mud Spring Ridge. This is what we picked out to ride when we did the
four wheeling and got such a spectacular view. We actually rode along a
dirt road for almost 3 miles and then climbed a ridge. Gizmo had a blast
chasing jack rabbits. He tried it on a cow but one would turn on him and
convince him not to. He must have run twice our 6.25 miles. Climbing the
ridge we made for the top. The incline was less than some we’ve already
been on so Ralph was much more comfortable with this than just weeks
ago. We climbed to the top and rode along the ridge. Then at the top
knoll it turned and we kept going. We were again on a two track that
came up from the canyon on the other side and went to the very knoll we
wanted to eat lunch at. What an incredible 360 degree view. Well worth
the ride and Ralph opinioned that it was now his favorite one so
far, putting Easton’s into second (Ralph likes short rides with a
view).
We are 3906 miles into The Trip. We decide to
start the drive to Moab. We fill up the water tanks and fuel tanks. So
we’re driving up Hwy 12 toward Moab and we’re seeing the alfalfa fields
being cut and baled. We need hay so we stop and ask. We are directed
through a little community and to “Link” C. who is just leaving on a
motorcycle. God’s timing allowed us to get 6 90# bales of alfalfa for
$4.50 each! We stuff them in our third stall and after a brief chat with
Link (‘cause Silver Girl is letting us know she is getting hot), off we
go again. It is five o’clock.
Hwy 12 to Moab is absolutely spectacular - in a car. But pulling a
thirty foot rig with animals - it is white knuckle. With 8 and 10 degree
inclines most the way it was a long pull even without the cows in the
road. It even got Gizmo on his feet to look much of the time. If that
was not the continental divide I hate to go over
the divide! After four hours in
mostly first and second gear we knew we would not make it to Moab. We stopped in the first
gas station to ask about camping with horses and were directed to Fishlake
Equine Campground in Fishlake National Forest on Hwy 24W past Loa,
another hour. Unfortunately we drive right past Fishlake. We get to
another lake (Koosharem Reservoir) and it looks like people are camped
and we are dead tired so we pull in. It is lake side and there is a
cattle grating and it is totally fenced. So we set up the electric
corral for the first time. I put Jur in it but leave SG ground tied. We
got set up and inside just as the sky went dark. Once again we could see
the Milky Way clearly and the moon rise was beautiful.
Tomorrow Moab and Arches National Park.
June 19-30,
2007 The rest of Utah: Capitol Reef N.P., Grand Escalade
N. M., Arches N. P. and the Uinta Mountains and White River & Routt
N.F, Colorado
June 19: We were up early to leave our improvised campground at
Koosharem Reservoir and finish the drive to Moab, Utah. On our way back
east on Hwy 24 we had a
fabulous breakfast at the Sunglow Café in
Bicknell, UT. We made some roadside stops in Capitol Reef National Park.
We saw the famous Capitol Dome and then drove through historic Fruita,
UT where many orchards planted by early settlers still grow and which
you can still freely pick from.
We were especially impressed with the Fremont
River that fertilizes and waters this valley. At one we are on I-40
getting our diesel and found one of the trailer tires had an egg-like
bulge in it. The first tire shop we stop at looks like a converted gas
station and Ralph comes back to say we are leaving because the guy is
brushing his teeth but not seeing to customers. He brings with him two
of them, Joan C. and Sue L., a couple of retired school teachers who
invite us to their beach house in Oregon. After exchanging addresses and
best wishes we go to the second tire shop. Here, the guy gets right on
changing our spare (he has no trailer tire). He charges us five dollars
and we are on our way. Was that God or what? The desert heat can cause
these tire bulges which then can bulge to bursting. We just crossed 70
miles of desert.
On to OK RV Campground in Moab. We pick a site and put the horses in
their covered pens. After getting things set up we head over to Arches
National Park. We get our patches and watch a short video in the
visitor’s center and then drive the park road. First to Delicate Arch.
There are over 2000 “arches” in the park alone formed by water erosion
of the sandstone. Next we hike to Landscape Arch. Unfortunately the sun
has gone down a bit too 
much for the lighting to be the best
but I still got some pictures. Back at OK RV, I went to feed the horses
and there was another horse rig pulled up with “Suwannee Music
Park,
Live Oak, FL” painted on it. I had
spoken to them last Autumn about the having the family reunion there. I
went over and introduced myself and met Roy C. and Billy S., both from
Kentucky. It is Roy’s brother who operates the music park which has a
lovely RV and horse camp facility right on the Suwannee River. Roy is
often at Suwannee helping and was actually the one I spoke to long ago. Roy and Billy’s families are on a two week
riding trip. Tomorrow they have hired a guide to take them riding in the
Abajo Mountains (pictured in the distance in the photo above) and invite
me to join them. After consulting Ralph it is arranged. Ralph and I are
amazed at God’s arrangement once again. Imagine meeting up with someone
you have at least spoken with before and finding someone to ride
with way out west! But it only gets better.
They arrange for Jur and I to be trailered up
the mountain with Art Head, the guide. Ralph is not going and so we need
our rig to stay put with him. Art is retired from heavy
equipment and now trains horses and offers horse back guided trips (byo
horse 801-404-4560). Along with him is his good friend, Helen Sue W., a
retired school teacher and also an excellent horsewoman. Though Helen
Sue has been here nearly 30 years and Art only ten, she says he knows
these trails better than she. He hauls us up another 
3000’ on a Forest Service Road, locally know as
“the loop,” it is the La Sal Forest Loop Road #128. It is steep and
winding with incredible views back down into Moab and, thankfully,
paved. Until we turn right unto Greshum Road which is dirt. We go
another couple of miles to a turn around with vault toilet and more
incredible views. We are now where there is still snow on the ground in
the shade on June 20. But Roy’s
truck, a F350 dually 
like ours, transmission is overheating
giving some concern. They are pulling a 4 horse trailer with living
quarters, just a little larger than ours. We call Ralph to have him come
up with our truck to pull their trailer and horses back down and play it
safe. In the meantime we go out for a three hour ride. It is through
Aspen and some pine on upper plateaus with incredible views. When Ralph
arrives he tells us there is a corral set up in the middle of the road
just past our turn off. They have their cows rounded up and are getting
them branded before setting them out for a summer of upper meadow
grazing. Ralph does a great job hauling the horses down and we get back
to OK RV for goodbyes. Roy and Billy’s families are headed on to Jackson
Hole, WY. That evening we went into Moab to walk the town. There are the
usual t-shirt shops and gifts shop, galleries and eateries. One gallery
was the photographer, Tom Till, and his awesome
photos. A resident of Utah he has incredible photographs of the state’s
beauty but also many from all over the world. He represents the
incredible time and effort it takes to get absolutely awesome photos.
Moab reminds us of a small Key West; small, H-O-T (though not muggy) and
touristy.
We got up early the next morning and drove to
Arches N. P. at 5:30 to catch the sunrise. This was recommend to us by
our long time artist friend, David Yorke (Thank you David see his work
at The
Plainsmen Gallery & Autry
National Center & Trailside
Galleries.)
We drove out to the Wall of Windows, Turrent Arch, and the Double Arch.
It was wonderfully cool and awesome to get under the arches in the
morning light. It was also our goodbye to Arches and the Canyonlands of
Utah.
The next morning we headed to the
Uinta Mountains and the Strawberry Reservoir for an endurance ride
over
the weekend. But we took a wrong turn in Price and went west and ended
up in Provo, UT on Hwy 189. What a beautiful drive along the Provo
River. Another treat was that we got to pull into Bridal Veil
Park and adjacent Nunns Park. Nuuns Park has a five mile paved, multi-use trail that horses are welcome on.
To see Bridal Veils Falls is awesome. Further along is the Deer Creek
State Park with a wonderful lake for water activities. This would be a
great stop for about a week. There looked to be plenty of riding in the
Wasatch-Cache National Forest as well. We crossed the Strawberry River and turned
left onto Forest Service Road #049 and went five miles into camp. After
setting up camp I took Jur for “vetting in” and registration for the
following day’s 25 mile ride.
The next morning Ralph stepped out into the 40 degree morning (we had
blanketed the horses) and fed the horses. I dressed in my riding pants,
tank top with a long sleeve over that. Just to get ready I also wore a
down vest. Jur and I started in the back of the field but followed a group that I
took some turns leading. Jur kept up a good trot most of the day. He did
a great job and moved up to eighth place. The trail was hard to follow;
there were multiple choices with no ribbons. It was still a lovely day
for a ride in a lovely place. Another little blessing was meeting two
gals from Georgia at this ride, Suzanne S. and Cindy. They were there
to ride and help at the ride. We definitely want to join up in
Georgia.
The next day instead of riding I helped at the vet
check and Ralph
helped make sandwiches. I did anything
needed: pulses, duck tape boots, and run for water. The 7 member Bradley
family were the real crew and also put out a fabulous turkey spread for
dinner. I don’t know how they managed to do both jobs so great but they
did. What a joy to be around them and hear them relate to one another.
They were the winners of the Tom Thornton Family Mileage Award (in
Endurance Riding) last year. After the great dinner, there was a
talented guitarist, Benton Paul, to entertain us.
Then Stacey, a first time endurance rider and friend of Howard’s and
Louise‘s, used members of the audience to do a venquilatrist routine. It
was great fun!
During the day Howard K. (the ride manager) suggested that I ride one
of his horses the next day. I really wanted to ride the fifty as they
were saying it was to be the prettiest trail so far, climbing up to
10,200.’ So I did ride Nate starting in the rear. The incline was gradual but constant the better
part of an hour. We climbed to a fabulous view of the Wastach Mountain
Range. (See riders upper left) Nate and I finished in ninth position.
That evening we broke camp and followed Louise M. (assistant ride
manager) home to the High Star Ranch in 
Kamas, UT. There is a old legend about the
Wasatch Mountains. It seems there was an Indian maiden who died and was
found lying on her back. Can you see her (pic on right)? 
The ranch is beautiful. We look out the door to the mountains and see
white vinyl fencing and horses in the fields and it is picture perfect.
Our horses are enjoying a large paddock with 
grass and it’s own running stream. We have
electricity which makes it so convenient to use the microwave. We
had a brief visit with Louise who is recovering from the work of the
ride and a couple of chats with Tom C. and Winn. Tom is a retired police
officer and Winn a retired nurse. They are traveling the horse event
circuit doing equine and human massage. Tom has “the touch” and is a
wonderful addition to the camp especially after 50 miles in the saddle
at speed!
Another great thing: We had great cell phone service and Internet
connection so I got accounting work done, web page updated, and phone
calls made. And one of the calls was about tax season work back home in
Georgia. One of the concerns about this trip was leaving two home run
businesses for so long. We had to take the risk of returning to very
diminished income base. So this was a welcome call about work for four
of the first months of the year for me. And not only that, 
Ralph too, talked with a long time friend, Rob
J. who may want Ralph to help with renovation work at the start of the
new year. Things continue to fall into place and provision.
We say goodbye to High Star Ranch and Utah and head for Colorado.
When we got in Dinosaur, CO we saw only one dinosaur. We did try the
local Wal-Mart, the welcome center (where they give free maps and lots
of helpful info), and the Bedrock Depot for homemade ice cream. We did
not have time to see Dinosaur National Monument. We turned toward Meeker
and the White River National Forest
and the Flat Top Wilderness. It was
3:50 and 94 degrees.
Campground hosts, Carla and Dale S. welcome us in at Marvine
Campground. The horses have pens (outside the campground itself) and we
have a lovely spot (just up from the 
horses) which the hummingbirds enjoy too. The
next morning we rode the East Marvine Trail. It is a very nice surface
with little rock. It is mostly through 
aspen and spruce with some creeks but
at what seems the top it opens up to meadows with ponds and streams. We
decided this was the place to eat out lunch with plenty of grass for the
horses. We encountered two hikers, one a biologist for the Forest
Service Natasha G. We got to talking about trails and that I am
certified in trail design and maintenance and would love to help. She
promised to pass my name and info on and invited me back next year for a
couple of months of work. Wouldn’t that be fun! The second morning we
rode out at 9 o’clock to climb a hill on the north side. At the top was
a flag with this plaque: “Thank you
Lord. You made it right!” Didn't He! What
incredible beauty in all sorts of design He placed for our enjoyment. It
was a great view all around and looked right down on our camp amongst
the trees. The next day I want to ride all the way to the Flat Tops and
back -alone (they say you need two days but it looks like 30 miles), so
we go to town to buy a forest map. These are topographical maps with
latitude and longitude points on a grid. Using a GPS you can either
enter a point and ride to it or tract where you’ve been. I would ride
with map, GPS, and compass. That night I decide my route and go over it
with Ralph.
Riding out at 8:30, I packed lunch, water, and camera and headed up
Marvine Trail (not the East Marvine we rode two days before). The trail is a continuation of the beautiful valley. I
crossed Marvine 
Creek and trotted through meadows trying to make
good time to complete this large loop. Half way up Marvine Trail (@ 5
mi.) are the Marvine Lakes! They are gorgeous - blue, blue, blue. So
clear you can see logs and boulders in the bottom. After the lakes, the
climb increases as does the rock! We take it slow and easy. 
On the map, this is the area that follows the
contour of the mountain and climbs up to the Flat Tops. Most of the
trail from here to the Flat Top is narrow single track and on the side
of a steep hill. At one point the lake is to my right and the mountain
soars to my left. A couple of spots I can not look down it is so steep.
Finally we get back into the forest and even though it is still steep,
the trees give me the illusion of safety. We come to an incredible
waterfall that is not indicated on the map so I name it 
Marvine Falls. Not freefalling but still
beautiful as it tumbles over a series of rock ledges. We are going to
pass over one of the pools it creates to continue. Up through a lot more
woods and a couple hours after the lakes we break through the trees to
the Flat Tops. It is obvious why they are named this and that we have
arrived. As I was told, there are thousands of pools of water. Lots of
snow is still on the ground and it is quite cool. My long sleeve shirt
goes back on over my t-shirt. I see my first elk. We get to the
intersection of Marvine Trail and the Lost Oyster Lake Trail where we
will be turning toward the East Marvine Trail. But first lunch - for
both of us before riding on. We cross a couple of miles of meadows
sprinkled with ponds and ice. We are following solitary posts supported
by piles of rock as trail markers. These posts stick up out of six feet
of snow for snowmobile trails in the winter. It is the only way to
follow the trail in the summer too as there are no tracks. We encounter
a trail (unmarked) going both directions. I choose 
left without looking at the map because I
recall all my turns are left to make this loop. This turns out not to be
a good choice. The trail becomes fainter and fainter and I no longer see
any sign of past horses, just elk. It peters out and I look around for
it to start again nearby (as often happens) but never find another
trail. I use the GPS only to find it saying batteries are 
weak and my
back up pair is dead as well. My last reading at Marvine and Lost Oyster
Lake Trail is 2.5 miles behind me which should put me very close to the
East Marvine Trail I am looking for. So before I head
back (I agreed with Ralph to return the way I came if I got “lost”) I
look in the direction I think I should head. And there below us is a
wide open meadow with BIG pond in the middle of it and elk all around
it. Some are grazing and some are lying down. There are several calves.
I have been told that elk will calf in a given meadow and then not move
for several days while the newborn calves “get their feet.” This must be
one of those. It is so beautiful that I am spellbound and do not get out
the camera. Jur is content to take advantage and move along the ridge
eating and walking. Slowly our great scene is hidden again and I am
further from knowing where I am but much more at peace. I estimate it is
after 3 pm. I am facing sleeping in the wilderness tonight or doing some
serious figuring the way out of here. I get off Jur to let him graze and
pull out map & compass and take some time to pray. I know Ralph is
praying for me too (riding alone in a wilderness you need team support)
and many others keep us in prayer for this trip. I felt a renewed
strength then and after asking for wisdom took a good look at the map
with the compass laid on it properly and eyeballing the mountains around
me. From that I decided to ride west (by now I could clearly see which
way the sun was going down). I should hit one of several trails in that
direction. So I packed back up, took another swig of Gatorade
(conserving for now), and rode that way. Sure enough I hit a trail and
it was the same one I rode in on that seemed to be merely an elk trail.
Now I stayed on it looking for signs of horses again. I passed the point
I originally joined it and keep going. The trail is taking me down and
in the right direction so I keep Jur moving, breaking into a trot
whenever I can. I told Ralph I’d be down at 5 (giving myself 8 hours to
do 30 miles) but now know I will be over that having added three hours
and about 7 miles of wandering the Flat Tops. We get to a rock slide
area. We had ridden across a couple of these on the way up but now the
rock is blocking our trail. I had to dismount and clear enough rock for Jur to walk across.
Fortunately all were small enough for me to roll or pick up. We were
lower and the aspen and pine forest was thickening. We passed a
waterfall but smaller than the one on the way up and that is when I
realized I was not on the same trail and all I could do was hope it took
me to camp. It still looked to be going in the right direction. Another
45 minutes of riding and I started to see familiar sights from two days
before on the East Marvine Trail. I was headed home AND on the right
trail! How cool! I got Jur into a trot every chance I had and he seemed
just as willing as I to get back. We burst out of the woods and into the
parking area at 6:30. Ralph said I was late but that he was glad to see
me. I told him I was glad to see him too! Jur got alfalfa and grain that
night and did not look like he’d gone more than a couple of miles.
We'd covered about 37 miles. I was
surprisingly not sore just tired. Ralph had spent the day changing the
oil in the truck and bathing Gizmo in the cold stream. Hopefully Gizmo
will stay clean for a day. It is nicer to travel with a clean dog.
Saturday, the last day of June, we drove out of the White River
Forest and into the Routt. We went to the Freeman Reservoir campground
but unfortunately it was not level and showering and sleeping was
difficult. The horse pens were very old (needing repair) outside the
campground so hauling water and caring for them was a
hike. To add insult to injury, the
flies and mosquitoes were veracious! But we were sitting beside a nice
little lake that had Colorado’s native cutthroat trout available for
catching and trails to ride around the lake and into the Routt Natl.
Forest. That evening the sunset was to die for and I got some photos
over the lake. One other group arrived with horses. Ralph talked to the
driver. He has been a coal miner for 18 years. He works 8 miles into the
earth; 5 miles down and 3 miles in. He does not go down a shaft but
drives a full size truck down there. He works 12 hours on and 12 hours
off in six day shifts (6 on, 6 off). He earns $100/hour. Anyone want
this job? You would think Colorado is as clean as it is beautiful. But
because of all the mining and some other pollution factors, there is a
black line on the horizon and a haze over all. When you are on some
mountaintops you look down to see this and the stacks of coal mining.
Beauty among ashes.
EQUES-TREK
Ride Long and Prosper
We decided to camp at Bluewater Lake
