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: High Altitude Misadventures

Today was trail day.  We packed up, gassed up in Silverton and headed out on 550 towards Red Mountain.  A trip to Silverton has always encompassed Red Mountain.  Driving up mine tiling, avalanche debris and past mining camps to 12,000ft passes is a must. 

Dark clouds hung over Ouray and Red Mountain.  Corkscrew Pass was foreboding. 

We descended into the valley for a sunny spot near a water crossing for a quick lunch before cruising back up to Hurricane Pass.  

We descended towards the lake before climbing towards Poughkeepsie.  

We only ran Poughkeepsie once prior.  About 10 years ago.  In the Jeep.  From the opposite direction.  But Mike wanted to try the trail in his full size truck.  We started the trail and it was instantly difficult.  Rocky, with steep inclines, drops and steps.  

We only saw one Jeep and one bike, both headed in the opposite direction as us.  The bike stopped and chatted, mentioning how chewed up the trail appeared to be compared to years prior.  But we motored down towards “The Wall”.  Upon surveying the situation we knew we made a poor choice.  There was no safe way down the wall.  Not alone.  But traveling back the way we came also came with consequences.  The truck was already damaged (rear bed) from descending the trail.  We were tired.  We were stressed.  We were over 12,000 ft.  

Slowly, we ground our way back up the trail.  The second to last obstacle finally did us in.  We got stuck.  

Short of breath, we got the winch out and managed to get it around a boulder.  With little confidence, the winch pulled.  And the strap slipped off the rock.  Exhausted, we got the strap around the rock again, and I stood on it.  Winching 101 says NOT to do that.  I didn’t care.  My meager weight on the strap kept it on the rock enough for the winch to pull the Powerwagon free from the obstacle.  Thankfully, we successfully made it off the trail.  Stupidly, we took on a black diamond trail in a full size truck, alone.  

Elated having survived our own stupidity, we climbed California Pass and headed into Animas Forks.  

By this time, the sun was getting low and we were smoked.  All camping spots in the valley were full and we crossed our fingers that our “secret spot” was still opened.  The stars smiled upon us and it was.  After a quick dinner we were in bed.  

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.

RockMonster Run

Mike and I have been talking about hitting RockMonster for a while now.  We both used to frequent the Sonoran Desert National Monument daily for work.  It's been several years and we yearned for an adventure in our backyard.

I hit up our new JeepFriends and had a few takers for today's adventure, including our AdventureFriends in their FJ.  So there we were, a big white PowerWagon leading a line of Jeeps and a FJ.  It looked like pop was out taking the kids for a stroll.

This time, I drove my Jeep too, so there are less photos.

We peaked RockMonster (no that is not it's name, but one we gave it), and were disappointed.  I think they've done maintenance since the last time we were out here and it made the jaunt up to the peak kinda bland.  But we did have amazing views for lunch!

The weather was incredible, the company killer and the trail a blast.  We popped out at Big Horn and made our way back east.  A quick pit stop to air up and we parted ways.

It's so awesome to have connected with a group of people who love to explore and get out as much as we do.




Link for video in case embedding fails.

Have Love. Will Travel.

This past week was horrible. We lost a good friend and fellow agent tragically.  By the week's end we were drained, emotionally and physically.  Both friends and an actual professional counselor suggested that we get away.

We took two extra days off work and left Sunday morning for Sedona.  What was the plan?  We didn't have one.  We made Sedona proper around 1:30 PM.  The travel center gave us a rudimentary map and pointed us towards FR152.  Why, because he was a Power Wagon fan and wanted us to see some dirt.

The first part of the road was full of day hikers.  But after a few miles, it was just us.

The road was rocky, but the Power Wagon did amazingly.  We got quite a few looks being out there in a full size truck.

Our stomachs were growling, so we turned around and made our way back towards town.

But before dinner, we hit another road (which name/number escapes me), but it is adjacent to Tlaquepaque.  This road was extremely rocky, and we passed a bunch of side by sides and Jeep tours hauling butt.  No wonder their Jeeps looked terrible.

We realized that Mike's current favorite beer is brewed in Sedona.  And they have a grill too.  So we stopped for dinner at the Oak Creek Brewery and Grill for burgers, and of course beer.  We ate on the patio and watched the bats zoom around overhead making quick work of the pests.

We zoomed up to Flagstaff in the dark.  The temperatures were dropping and perfect.  A quick ice-cream dessert was enjoyed and we turned in, exhausted at La Quinta.

Come morning, we were all tired.  Loaded up in the truck, we had breakfast in Hippie Town USA (not an actual place), and made our way south to Sedona in search of the porter Mike enjoyed last night.  Beer run completed, I picked up chai and snapped a few more pictures before we started our journey back south.  Neither of us were ready to head home, but life beckons.

Two days of outdoor therapy were welcomed by both of us.  Fresh pine scented air, red roads, and exploration are good for the soul.  No plans, no worries, just enjoying the moment with each other.

It's the little things, folks.