Free and Wild

How often have we seen Western movies that show wild horses running across the plains, free and living wild?  Today we headed up into the high country to experience the Pilot Butte Wild Horse Scenic Tour Route where we hoped to see such a sight.  Our chances were pretty slim since the area covers over 392,000 acres, but you never know just what wonders you might see.

We headed out across county roads that at first were gravel and later turned to muddy trails as they rose skyward.  The day was hazy and promised rain again, perhaps not today but probably tomorrow.  This area is perfect for horses or even cattle as the land rolls with grassy covered hills and valleys.  

All of it is overseen by the Bureau of Land Management.  They are responsible for keeping watch on the herds and making sure they are healthy and sized so the environment can support them.  About once a year, there is a roundup and horses are offered for adoption at a type of auction.  The optimum total horse population is only around 250 horses -- guess our chance of seeing them was pretty slim.  The horses’ history goes way back in time.  10,000 years ago, when many large mammals went extinct, the horses were among them.  It was not until 1519 that the Spanish, led by Cortez brought horses back to North America.  These horses were the birth of the herds that are seen here and all over the West today.  Horses were very important to the Plains Indians as they gave them the mobility to roam farther to hunt and carry the load back to their villages or even move a village.  White man depended on them as well for transportation and later, to transport mail via the Pony Express.

 At one of the stops, instead of looking out across the valley, I looked the other way.  There, deep in the rolling valley I could see horses!  They were pretty much just tiny specks, but none the less there they were in the distance.

From that point, every hill we topped and every curve we rounded, we hoped to see more of them.  It was not until nearly the end of the route did we finally get a close look. 

 As we topped a hill, there they were on both sides of the road.  Beautiful.

 All along the route are overlooks with information about the area including geological as well as human development of the land.  In these hills, buttes and mesas are a wealth of minerals that we use in our every day lives.  Coal mining is one of the major industries here and supports production of electricity.  There is a vast network of power lines transporting electricity to ten states.  The Bridger Mine transports coal through a 2.4 mile long covered belt conveyor to the Jim Bridger Power Plant.  I makes me stop and think about where power comes from and how much work it takes when I flip a switch.

In addition to coal, the area produces natural gas, oil and Trona, among other things.  I never heard of Trona before and had no idea what it was or what it was used to make.  Turns out that Trona is found only in Africa, Turkey, China and Mexico.  This area is the world’s major producer of Trona.  Refined Trona is sodium carbonate which is found in laundry detergent, kitty litter, carpet cleaner, toothpaste, glass, paper and much, much more.  There are several mines in the area that produce Trona and the reserves in the land holds enough to support the world’s needs for 2,000 years.  Who would have thunk it?

To us, it was not what is under the land but just the land itself that draws us back time again to its beauty wherever it may be.  Here, the formations of rock are colorful and show clear evidence of how the power of nature created this land.  For example, long ago there was a huge lake called Gosiute in this valley.  When compared to the Great Salt Lake, it was four times its size, massive.  The lake supported all sorts of fish and animals and plant life.  Volcanic activity in the areas of what is now California and Oregon spewed forth clouds of volcanic ash that covered the land and the lake over millions of years.  It filled in the lake and preserved the fossils of the plants and animals.  This area is one of the largest areas for the of collection of these fossils and provides a wealth of information for archaeologists.

We began the day wanting to see the horses who run free and wild in this area.  At the end of the day, we came away with much more.  We gained an understanding of how this land was formed and what it contains.  While the horses are free and wild, so is the land.  We cannot tame it, but we do draw from it precious minerals that gives us our way of life.

Let it snow, let it snow

Happy Mothers Day to all of you.  I am writing from Sweetwater Fairgrounds RV Camp, Rock Springs, WY.  It would seem that a fairground is an unusual place to be camping however, it is actually quite common.  This is our second opportunity to stay at such a place and while the amenities are spartan, they are adequate.  How we ended up here is a bit of a tale.

We left Rifle Falls State Park early after a rainy night.  The temperatures had dipped causing a thin sheet of ice to form on the top for our slide awnings.  When I brought in the slides, the ice came crashing down.  It was no problem really just a bit of a shock that it had gotten cold enough to form ice.

We hurried to hook-up and hit the road.  Unlike the route out of Dolores, we had no mountain to climb.  We passed through rolling, grasslands with the Dolores River on one side and later, the San Juan River flowed along the highway.  The ranches raised cattle, sheep and alpaca too.  It is beautiful country.  Dotted along the way are tiny towns that date back to mining days.  Hardly a town at all but just little dots on the map.  Unfortunately, the road is not the best.  While it is mostly straight and wide, it is rough and badly in need of resurfacing.  At times, we could see for what seemed like miles without a curve in sight.  Speaking of sight, along the way we saw lots of wildlife.  There was Elk of course, but mostly we saw Pronghorn Antelope.  In Arizona, they are a rare sight and protected as well but here it is not the case.  We saw quite a lot of them along the way, everything from a single animal to small herds.  Their color stood out against the landscape and it sort of became a game between Jim and I to spot them.

As I drove, I kept noticing that the temperature was slowly dropping.  The closer to Rock Springs we got, the colder it became.  Snow capped mountains were in the distance and along the roadside too.  After changing drivers, I looked up the weather on my iPad and found that we were driving headlong into a freak, winter storm.  Yikes.  The outlook called for high winds, cold temperatures and snow -- ye gads, snow?!  I freaked out to say the least.

In my agitated state, all I could think of was to backtrack to Rifle where the temperature was a balmy 54.  Jim on the other hand, highlighted that it was another six hours drive back and he was tired and not inclined to make the journey.  We had planned on dry camping at the fairgrounds but decided perhaps staying where full hookups were available might be better.  So, we headed to the KOA.  It was expensive and the site they gave us was very muddy.  Jim decided he did not want to stay there so, perhaps the drive back would be best.  I called the fairgrounds to see if they had hookups and they do, so we headed there instead.

By the time we got there, the wind was howling and the temperature had dropped below 30.  The campground has spaces for several hundred RVs.  When we arrived, we were the sixth rig to stay sort of like a ghost town.  The challenge before us was to get setup before the wind caused us to have frostbite.  After only a few moments in the wind, my ears and hands were freezing.  I hurried inside and retrieved a kitchen towel and tied it around my head to protect my ears.  I am sure anyone who saw me probably thought here come some country bumpkins.  Of course, in our rush we had issues and poor Jim was so frustrated.  He kept insisting that I get back into the truck and wait but I insisted we were partners and I wanted to help.  Finally, it was done and we rushed inside and turned on the furnace.  It did not take too long for us to get warm, thankfully.  The care we took in choosing an RV really paid off as it is well insulated and kept the cold at bay.  I was concerned about freezing pipes but it turned out to be needless.  While the wind howled the night away, we were snug and warm.  We woke to snow fog, grey skies and snow flurries.  So, we will pass the day doing things inside.  Tomorrow, the weather will begin to improve and by Tuesday we will be on our way to Yellowstone but not before we check the weather forecast!

A few pictures to enjoy

Dolores River RV Park - we were nestled under the trees next to a lovely pond.  It was very peaceful.

On the road to Rifle, CO.  In the distance, we enjoyed the snow capped San Juan Mountain Peaks.

Once over the pass, the mountains gave way to mesas that towered above the highway.

 The colors of the formations varied from pink, granite grey to red and everything in between.

Rifle Falls State Park where we camped two days.  Originally there was only a single cascade but mankind changed the single into three formations by building a hydroelectric site.  I cannot imagine that the single would be any more beautiful.

 A closeup view of one of the cascades as it sprays water over moss, ferns and other vegetation.

 Behind the falls are a series of limestone caves.  Jim explored the interior of one and found a skylight where he poked his head out, silly man!

Jim inside one of the caves.  Handsome devil!

Noah and an Ark

When you live in the desert for as long as we have, any rain is more than welcomed; it is prayed for during the long monsoon months. Three days ago when we arrived here in Dolores and the first light sprinkles of rain began, we were delighted by the gentle tapping sound on the roof and the cool freshness of the air.  The following morning, the sky was filled with dark, threatening clouds that promised more rain would fall. The locals were praying for rain as they had a dry winter - that is no snow.  This lack of snow in turn means no snow melt to feed the lakes and streams. Shortly after noon when the sky finally opened up and released the rain, we could almost hear the land sigh in contentment for the moisture.

Surely by now, those sighs must be pleas for the rain to if not stop, at least give pause so what has fallen can be absorbed. We have mostly been hunkered down inside the RV with our two restless girls watching for the brief breaks so we can rush outside and run them around to burn off energy. Folks are getting cranky and some would move on however the weather all around is pretty much the same. Last night, it poured so hard, we were forced to pull in our slides to release collected water from the debris awnings.  The water usually drains away, however with so much coming so fast, enough collected to cause the awnings to sag with the weight.

Already this morning, we have had showers and the skies promise more of the same. We are considering starting an ark in case the water in the pond rises far enough to wash us away. The Canadian Geese and their precious little goslings along with the ducks and theirs would be our first occupants no doubt. I am sure Charlotte would welcome new playmates. She has been a source of entertainment and agitation. At her age, she need lots of exercise or she looks for ways to entertain herself. Her latest "toy" was the Venetian blind on the front door; it now has some interesting shapes on several of the blades.

No matter what the rain does today, we will be on our way tomorrow.  Predictions call for clearing later today but no matter, we will be heading out for Rifle, CO with the dawn.

On the Road to Dolores, Colorado

Anxious to be on our way, we rose early and began preparations to leave camp. That old saying about a stitch in time rose up to bite us once again. We know from experience that doing tire checks thee night before saves us precious time. Alas, when we finally checked the tires we found them in need of air. Bless Jim, he pulled the compressor and began the task. While he did that chore, I took the girls out for a final walk before the long ride ahead. Once the tires were filled, we were ready to head out.

The KOA, like many camping grounds built 10 years or more ago, was not built to accommodate today's larger rigs.  Thus, getting into and out of spaces in the park are a challenge. We had to cross three rows of sites to reach a spot in the road big enough for us to turn back toward the exit.  That done, we had to maneuver another tight turn to gain access to the dump station. Our site had water and electric but no sewer, making a stop to drain the tanks necessary before hitting the road. It has been a long time since we had to use one of these stations and Jim was nervous about the process. As a matter of fact, getting the system organized for easy use was one of the things on our list of the previous day.  The time invested paid off. It went smoothly and we were on our way.

Our route took us past Sunset and on out into new territory. This area is ranch country with lots of horses. The herds were beautiful with individual horses in many shades and variations of colors. As we past, some of the animals would run across the pasture as if they were enjoying the pure joy of running.  In this area, we saw our first elk. It was running across an area as if something or someone was chasing it. Our first wildlife.

We drove through areas of the Painted Desert and on toward the unique landscape of Monument Valley. We recognized the formations we could see from a distance from our trip of last year to Utah. Further along, the land began to change with large mesas covered in green grasses and tiny yellow flowers. It was truly lovely.

While the road was surrounded by all this beauty, the road itself was a beast. Highway 160 proved to be a good lesson in driving for when we get to Alaska.  While it was mostly straight, the surface undulated at times gently and others with vigor. Driving anywhere near the speed limit of 65 was impossible and we were sure everything inside the RV would be like scrambled eggs!  Further along, there was lots of construction to repair the rough road surface.  As we approached work, signs warned of unpaved road surface ahead along with signs warning of bumps. Let's just say these were not suggestions.  Not slowing to a crawl netted severe bumps that would no doubt jumble the RV. Poor Savannah would react every time we entered one of these sections as the rumbling sounds made her nervous. She would sit up and pant heavily until it passed. Poor thing.

Finally we passed Four Corners - the place where Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and Colorado come together. There is a monument there but it had started to rain so we did not stop. We were anxious to be out of Arizona and into Colorado. As we crossed, we could see in the distance a snow capped mountain range rise, glowing in the sun. Finally, after six hours of driving, we arrived at our destination, Dolores, CO.

Dolores is a quaint town located in a valley on the banks of the Dolores River.  Our campground is pretty and well laid out. There are three ponds and of course, the river.  Our site sits right on the largest of the ponds. The couple that own the park greeted us and Billy, the husband lead us to our site. Everything looked pretty level and there is a concrete patio where we can sit and enjoy our surroundings. Parking went so well, we decided to do it twice. 😉  The site is narrow and we have three slides. After everything was set and the truck disconnected, we found that the living room slide could not extend fully without striking the electrical tower. So, we disconnected everything, reconnected the truck and moved the rig over to gain room.  What is the joke, wash and repeat?  In the end, we finished just before darkness began to fall bringing with it a fall in temperatures. Definitely cooler here with tonight's low expected to be in the 40s. No matter, we will be snug as a bug in a rug inside our rig. We were certainly glad to be in camp. The long drive was tiring but good conditioning for the trip ahead. On thing is for certain, sleep will be welcomed after a light supper. Tomorrow, we can explore this beautiful area.

Flagstaff Area

No matter how much planning we do to prepare for a trip, there are always loose ends hanging around like balloon strings dangling in the wind.  To tie all these up, we spent one full day addressing the list. I suppose it could be said that we wasted the time however, we now feel much more confident about striking out into uncharted waters. Now all we need to do is have fun.

The landscape around Flagstaff offers many beautiful things to see. On previous trips, we visited the Painted Desert, the Petrified Forest and Meteor Crater, all wonders of nature. In our bucket list is the plan to visit as many of the national parks and monuments as possible. Both Sunset Crater National Volcano Monument and Wupatki National Monument are nearby and on the list.  The landscape around this area was created from six million years of volcanic activity.  It is dotted with scores of cinder cones that are the written history of a violent past.  The youngest example of this past is Sunset that erupted during the period of A.D. 1040 to 1100. When Sunset erupted, it sent magma, gas, ash and cinders over a huge area.  To the north of Flagstaff, volcanic activity gave birth to the beautiful San Francisco Peaks where the highest elevation in Arizona, 12,643 foot Humphreys Peak rises.

On sunny days, Sunset glows in the sun a classic example of a cinder cone.  The oxidized cinders at the top of the crater are the source of its name. John Wesley Powell, the first explorer to see the crater thought it looked like the colors of the sunset, thus the name.  Unfortunately for us, the rain clouds cloaked the sun and we could not see the beautiful colors. We hiked down the Lava Flow Trail for a closer look at the various forms of lava. The lava and ash drove Native Americans from their homes here, but over time they returned to land that was richer for the eruption.

Wupatki is an example of a site shaped by Sunset.  Remains of masonry pueblos or villages dot the area. These villages speak of people who came together to built vast farming communities.  The native people who built these multi-story structures lead a very harsh life struggling to eek out a living from the land. They benefited from the eruption because of the layer of ash. The ash covered the land absorbing precious moisture and helping to prevent evaporation, which in turn made farming more fruitful. Because of the harsh winds and unpredictable rain fall, many small fields were planted.   Some fields would produce crops while others would wither and die.  Certainly, not a life style for us!

As we exited the area, the views in all directions were amazing. In the distance, we could see the Painted Desert with its distinctive colors and formations. In the forested areas, the Pinion Pines showed evidence of recent forest fires. The tree trunks were burned black but the branches are covered with green needles, Nature renewing itself once again. A nice way to spend an afternoon.

Day Two on the road

As twilight gives way to darkness, we are enjoying an "adult beverage" and relaxing after a good day.  We are outside of Flagstaff, AZ in a KOA Campground. In terms of distance, we have not gone very far.  No matter, we have come a long way from the stress of the past four months.  Light hearted and full of anticipation, we hit the road.   We use secondary roads so we can relax and enjoy the roads less traveled and more interesting too.   We saw a number of small towns with rustic character and lots of cowboy influence. These one street communities are reminiscent of the wild, wild West; surely John Wayne must be somewhere in one of these.

The road rises to climbing out of the valley upward cutting zigzag tracks across the face of the mountain.  Since our truck is still very new to us, we were not certain just how it would perform on the steep grades. To our relief, the climbs and steep downgrades were child's play for the behemoth. Farther along, the road narrows and twists right and left like a snake crossing the sand.  Since Jim was driving, I got all the views that looked straight down as the road narrowed and made tighter turns. I found myself thinking, "if we go over with this 13,000 pound plus trailer pulling us down, it cannot end well."  I thought of my friend Linda who would prefer any other route to avoid such a road. But as Churchill once said, "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself" and it certainly was in this case.

At the two hour point, we stopped to walk about and let the girls out for a run.. They are good traveling companions and share the space in the back seat without complaint.  I took the wheel and drove the final leg into Flagstaff. In the distance, we could see the snow covered mountain. I believe it is the San Francisco Peak. Jim took a good picture on his phone but Alas, I have not yet learned how to share it. 😞  No day could possibly end without drama. I missed the turn into the park. As the park is in an area near a big mall complex, finding a place to make the u-turn our GPS kept instructing me to do was not easy. Beginning to panic, I selected an entrance into the shopping complex and prayed I would have enough room to get back out. Jim keep crooning encouragement to calm my nerves but you have never lived until you have "toured" a busy parking lot in a 22 foot long truck pulling a 38 foot fifth wheel!  It seemed that every exit was going the opposite way I needed to go so I continued to wind my way through the narrow passages. Finally, I found my way out and back to the highway thankful to be out of the parking area. The KOA looked mighty good and I did not miss the turn this time!  So here we are safe and sound at the end of a good day. We are staying a couple of days to see some sites and then we will be heading out once again. I hope you join us.