2023: The Bittersweet End

The next morning, we scouted along LDH for better camp sites and found one for future use.  We topped off our water at a natural spring, then moseyed to Ouray to be tourists.  We spent too much money, ate fabulous burgers and decided to go back to site we found earlier.  It was warm this day.  The sun was high, and the breeze light.  We tucked into the birches, showered and enjoyed the mountain views all afternoon.  

We knew this was our last night in Colorado and it was bittersweet.  This trip was so incredibly needed and soul cleansing, but life doesn’t wait for you forever.  Bills have to be paid.  Families tended to.  Jobs demanding time.  But one more night in the wilderness of Arizona was on the docket.

The next morning, we packed up camp, intending to camp in the pines of Flagstaff that night.  But mother nature had other plans.  By the time we made it to Cameron, we knew our plans were shattered.  Massive lightning storms were engulfing the entire state.  It would’ve been unwise and downright unsafe to camp in those conditions.  Tails tucked, we came home a day early.  

We’ve been home for a few days and tomorrow we go back to work.  Back to the grind.  Reality sucks.     

2023: Change of Plans

During our morning pack up, we noticed the rear bumper was pushing into the tail gate when it was down.  Another trail mishap.  Tools came out, body weight was utilized and the bumper was secured.  After a tiring day prior, we were planning to tourist in Ouray, but discovered the truck seemed unhappy climbing.  So we pushed through Ouray, me with altitude sickness, to Montrose for parts.  Mike replaced the idler pulley and fan pulley.  But we think the fan clutch is toast.  That repair will have to wait.  At this point, we were in between Ouray and Grand Mesa.  So we, of course, altered plans and continued north to Grand Mesa for the night.  We found a camp spot in the pines, along a lake.  

Relaxed and enjoyed the night.  The next day we drove through the remainder of the park, along a beautiful yellow canyon where we saw a mountain goat walking along the road.  

Mike broke one of our camp chairs so we had to pit stop in Grand Junction for a new set from REI before heading back south. Instead of heading back to Silverton, we turned off at Ridgeway and camped off the Last Dollar Highway.  This was our highest campsite of the trip at 10,500 ft.  Tucked in the pines, barely breathing.  

2023: Respite in the Woods

After leaving Utah, we motored hard towards Silverton.  Stopping only briefly off 550 at Lime Creek to water the dogs and stretch our legs.  In Downton Silverton, we stopped at our favorite - Golden Block Brewery for pizza and beer.  Afterwards we jetted to our “secret” camping spot along a creek and settled in for the night.  And got rained on.  Hard.  The night was cold and damp.  We spent lots of time in camp that morning, allowing the tent and awning to dry out.

2023: Solace in the Desert

It’s been a minute since I’ve written in this journal.  We’ve been on plenty of adventures and trips.  But the spark wasn’t there to write.  Life.  Life is complicated. It has been full of the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.  I don’t know what changed in the last few years but the lows have been dominating.  I hate losing to my demons, but they’ve been dominating my time and it is getting old.  I’ve refocused on myself recently.  Started a workout regime.  Incorporated meditation before bed.  Boy do I suck at mediation.  But falling isn’t an option.  There is too much to be grateful for.  Too much to look forward to.  

In the midst of a spiral, we went away.  It was the best medicine.  We’ve been building vehicles non-stop since 2016.  Racing.  Vacationing.  In 2018 we bought a RV project.  In 2020, we sold the teardrop. In 2021, we sold the RV project.  In 2022, we decided to build out our Scout for a camping rig.  2023 has been consumed with that project.  But its not done.  So FB marketplace to the rescue, and we put the RTT for the Scout onto the Powerwagon and left.  

Mike planned the trip.  We started in Petrified National Forest.  Neither of us had high expectations of the place.  Those expectations were shattered.  I’m a rock nerd.  Love them.  Collect them.  Obsess over colors and patterns.  Mike was a geology major.  This place was incredible.  We spent far more time there than we expected.  The weather was just cool enough to walk the dogs on a few trails. 

After the park, we motored north to Valley of the Gods.  This place owns my soul.  We go almost every year.  We ate burgers at sunset, watched the stars at moonrise and slept until dawn.  

Up before the sun, we packed up, ate breakfast and headed north.  

We stopped to survey the San Juan river in Mexican Hat before leaving to see if that would be a viable camping spot but the river was full of sediment from the hurricane that soaked the desert just prior.  Yes a hurricane.  We might not have shorelines, but hurricane remnants routinely traverse north through the desert, providing much needed water.

This Isn't Iceland: Why Go Home?

Today marked the last day of our vacation.  We woke to heavy frost, zoomed into town for chai and breakfast and hoped the rising sun would dry off our awning.  Thankfully it did.  But sadly, that meant we were starting our journey back south.  

It's always bittersweet to end a vacation.  We desperately needed this vacation.  Not only were our bucket list international plans dashed, but we worked our tails off to finish two Ford F100 projects this year, on top of our day jobs.  

Not wanting it to end, we stopped for the night back along the river in Mexican Hat.  This time we were early enough to enjoy a soak in the river in the full sun.  And were greeted by a mountain goat dining along the shore.  

We stayed up late into the evening, enjoying the solitude and watching the moon set and stars rise.  

One last sunrise along the river - then home.

Obligatory Monument Valley shot:

This Isn't Iceland: Rainy Red Mountain

We woke to frost, again.  And gloomy skies all around us.  Not looking to put ourselves in a complicated situation, we stayed low and close to town and played around Red Mountain again.

On our way back down 550, we stopped off and climbed 821.  The waterfall is much more impressive in the summer, but for some reason, this is the first time we've ever decided to run this trail.  We started up the switchbacks past the waterfall, but the rain started coming harder and the trail was really steep.  Back down and into Silverton.

By the time we made it through town, the sun was emerging.  We meandered down Cunningham Gulch and scouted campsites for future visits with our Revcon.  (We will hopefully get back into that project shortly). 

Tonight, pizza was on the agenda.  So a stop to the Gold Blok Brewery for pizza and a growler was on order.