Uniquely Theo

My current plan was to go from Dinosaur National Monument to Crater’s of the Moon national Monument which would involve a hefty drive from the western Utah, taking the scenic routes and avoiding at all costs going through Salt Lake City. The rock formations of Flaming Gorge Reservoir and Recreation Area were of an unbelievable intense hue of red-orange. Every day I am astonished and am as much in awe of the scenery as I was on day one. I must sound like a broken record. But it is such a deep feeling of childlike awe that I continually experience. This land is magnificent and I pray we don’t keep destroying it. Every time I read about opening up National Forest lands for logging or areas for more oil exploration I cringe. As always I enjoyed the drive, made good time and appreciate that there are almost no advertising signs except on the rare occasion that I am approaching a small town that still has a thriving business. There may be one or two advertising billboards on approach but that is it. On so many highways, especially the interstates, I feel assaulted by so much advertisement all of he time.

Much of the land appears quite arid and what farming there is along the route is usually grasslands with stacks and stacks of bales. The rest is ranch land but very few cows appeared to be grazing in the fields. Miles and miles of rolling hills and rock outcropping dotted with sagebrush and juniper primarily. I think what disturbed me most was the polluted air, the SMAZE that was hovering across the land. I first noticed it at an Overlook in Dinosaur National Monument which sees significant SMAZE from the urban air pollution of Los Angeles and Salt Lake City, coal and oil-fired powered plant in Utah and southern Colorado, and oil refineries and oil fields in the area. It seemed to be growing denser across that landscape as the day wore on. It felt almost eerie as if the distance scene was a stage and a scrim had been lowered in front of the lands on the horizon. I can remember when I did an Outward Bound in Utah about 25years ago and being so dismayed upon summiting my first mountain to see this same SMAZE across the mountains and later desert horizon then. It saddened me then and does now. To me, the loss of clear blue skies is another environmental disaster.

As it was getting late I was feeling concerned about getting a campsite but a call to the ranger revealed they rarely fill up during the week. So I arrived there around 5;00 and there were numerous sites available. It was quite a strange sight though, as they were all in the midst of a field of lave and the sites were often very small, close together, with very little privacy and NO shade. I selected one I thought would be great given the circumstances, and it was the highest one in the campground. I could see my tent perch on this flat area atop the site overlooking the black rugged lava rock field. Well, my tent, myself and the wind, wind, wind had quite the fight. I was going to win and I finally got it staked down and up. But I could tell it was going to be a battle I would not win in the long run as the wind was buffeting it constantly, so I pulled it up and set it down in a much more sheltered area backing up to my car. The family next door saw my plight and they all came over and they helped me finally get it settled. With the set up, dinner, and walk of the campground, before I knew it the sun was setting. So i climbed into my bag which was dotted with cinders (as well as the floor of the tent). I somehow can’t seem to get the dogs to shake of the dust, sand, dirt and cinders and wipe their feet before entering the tent and plopping down on my bag.

Even rising early I could feel the day heating up and with no shade and anticipated temps in the 90’s I decided not to stay the second night I had intended. Broke camp (the usual 1:15) and did a driving tour of the monument. Black lava and the arid sagebrush abound but for some reason I had a difficult time getting enthused during the seven mile loop drive. I did the .4 mile steep walk up the Inferno Cinder Cone and from the top the bleakness of the surrounds was even more accentuated. It was quite eerie with the the many cinder cones lined up in the distance and the thunderheads looming over the area. I have so many good and bad memories of lava fields. Riding through the lava fields during the Kona Ironman World Championship is a good memory, though very hot and windy memory. Hiking to the top of the Mauna Loa in Hawaii is the bad one. I started at 10,000 feet, I was not acclimated and I struggled the entire way. Two memories strike me most. I never saw anything living the entire hike up (plant, animal, insect or another human. The other is getting hypothermic at the end of the hike and barely able to warm myself up. I was scared. But this current adventure was not holding any joy for me so I opted to head on out.

I was heading towards Bend, Oregon and decided to search out dog friendly motels. Any motel that was reasonable was SOLD OUT and LaQuinta want $289.00 for a room. Feeling tired and having no real idea about campgrounds, and layered with 3 days of filth I decided to make a reservation at a Super 8 in Ontario OR – about a three hour drive. I got a dog-friendly room at the Super 8 just over the Idaho border in Ontario, Oregon. The last Super 8 I had stayed in Longmont Colorado was very nice so I gave it another go, For expediency I opted to take the Interstate for about 90 miles. I had already forgotten how much I hate interstates but was very quickly reminded of the heavy truck use, high speeds, high volume of traffic and not to forget the piggy back trucks.

When I exited the interstate and right there was the Super 8. Well, though the room was adequate and clean, the surroundings were quite remarkable – in a negative way. It was right next door to a Pilot Gas and Truck stop and there seemed to be a lot of people just hanging around in the parking lot. Lots of smokers and butts around. There was no close place to take the dogs except a trash strewn strip of burned out grass and weeds across the parking lot. Old box springs, furniture and an old dryer were stacked in a corner at end of walkway. My furniture was quaint and old and decor “early ugly”. I just about tripped on a machine being used to repair the dry pond in front of my room. But I had a good shower, good bed and a needed break. I spent quite a bit of time searching out campground around Bend in the Dechutes National Forest and I was not surprised to see that most of them were all ready sold out. I found a couple that had walk-in sites that can’t be reserved ahead and thought I would see if I could get a spot the next day and if not head on through to Tasia’s. It’s almost impossible to get campsites in the National Parks and Monument or National Forest at the spur of the moment anymore now that most sites can be reserved ahead of time. Anyhow the dogs were quite pleased with the digs and i did not hear any complaints from them.

Tasia and Amara took the airport shuttle to Denver International so I did not have to pile the dogs in the car at 4:30 am.  I felt quite sad to see them going even though I would be seeing them in about a week in Oregon. I am good with doing things by myself but it is so much better when one shares experienced with kindred souls. We made it through ten days of challenging circumstances and there were relatively few skirmishes and we are all still ”best buds.” My daughter Tasia is an amazing woman. She is so kind, patient , helpful, smart, creative, inquisitive, artistic — she was there the whole time to help me, her daughter and the two dogs when needed. She has the stamina of a pair of oxen and more than once hoisted my pack up a difficult ascent when I was just about out of gas! She was so patient with her daughter Amara who was a real trooper but would peter out at just about the same time I would. She carried  Simba, aka “Tiny”Dog on numerous occasions and also hoisted 22 lb. Kili for about a mile when he could no longer walk. Kudos to Tasia for making these ten days a wonderful 3 generation backpacking and hiking trip.

I finally got myself organized enough to take off about 9:45 am. The car was in total disarray but as long as the stuff fit in I was not going to address the chaos of stuff yet. My last task was to get the free breakfast so I put the dogs in the car and went down to get a plate. The checkin clerk told me breakfast was from 5 am -10am Well there was NO Food!!! It was over at nine!!! I was mostly ticked because I had hoped to get some sausage and eggs to feed my poor skinny dog with no appetite. I instructed Siri to take me out of Denver using no major highways so we set off on a slow drive across town, enjoying some industrial sections, some lower income neighborhoods, driving right through the middle of downtown and then out onto some very scenic roller coaster hills, corkscrew ascents, hairpin turns, and marvelous vista roads. I was headed to Dinosaur National Monument and it was to be a 350 mile 9 hour adventure. The variety of environments was quite astonishing. I traversed through high forested mountains, lower altitude undulating mountains and hills, several upscale ski resort western style towns, some older small decaying towns, and a lot of what appear to be very inhospitable rolling arid land covered with sage brush and juniper. You know you are in the middle of nowhere the you see signs announcing that there are no services or gas for 57 miles. At the end of that 57 miles is a decaying town with perhaps only one operating business in the form of the local Conoco or the Kum and Go. As time went on I was not at all worried about getting a campsite on the Green River as I could not imagine flocks of people descending on this rather god forsaken area. So around 5:00 pm I entered Dinasaur National Monument. The area had changed rapidly as I approached and it was the beginning of some breathtaking lands. But at this point I opted to head straight for the campground and selected a sight (75) backing up to the Green River .

Now I was faced with the challenge of finding my car camping tent as I refused to spend another night fighting with the dogs for my space in the not so roomy backpacking tent. I was warned about it getting hot in this area and it was not to disappoint at a toasty 91 degrees at 7:30 pm. Of course all the car camping apparatus was in the carrier, stored away to make way for the backpacks down below. I managed to get it all squared away by dark at which point i was just finishing my dinner! But all was well inside. I felt a lot of joy, satisfaction and peace. I was in a beautiful area, I could hear he rushing of the water from the Green River, the dogs and I were both well and well fed….all of which bring an inner peace. After so many cold nights in the mountains, I was NOT going to complain about the heat — though I must admit it felt quite sticky and sweaty. Sitting in the quiet I could gaze at a spectacular array of stars while listening to the barking of coyote in the distance. I couldn’t ask for more.

I awoke around 7:00 to a sense of being baked in an oven as the sun was already heating up the new day and already was in full force intending to slowly bake me in my tent. Emerging, well rested, I took stock. It was a beautiful morning but I knew that my campsite would be in the fullpath of the sun for the entire day and we would be kiln dried by the time it would retreat behind the ridge around 7;30. This site was nice and shady the evening before at 7:30. But I had planned on car-treking for the day, going back to the Colorado Dinosaur National Monument Canyon Entrance. I wasn’t sure what that would hold as it had no fossil sites of dinosaurs museum. It was a 31 mile road cutting across sagebrush plateaus with many pullout at the rim of sheer-walled canyons. It turned out to be a superlative decision and the drive was stupendous. The further in and with altitude increasing the sandstone and other rock formations became more and more intriguing and colorful. To amuse myself further I kept “seeing” dinosaur shapes in the rock formations. With the striations and sworls all about, here again this area had it’s own unique character.

The dogs are very patient with my car trekking which involved hopping in and out to drink in each new astonishing   vista. I am so grateful for digital photography as I take tons of pictures so I will be able to lock some of the images into the gray matter of my aging brain. Though I did not have the place to myself, there were so few people and cars out there that there was a lot of solitude to just soak in the beauty of this earth. At the end of the Canyon road there was a two mile round trip Harper’s Corner Trail, a hike that was touted as a way to cap off an already amazing experience. It was high noon but I knew it was partially shaded. The temperature was 79 degrees. So I set out with the dogs. Yes, the ranger said this trail was dog friendly, one of only 3 trails so far I have found in a National Park that permits dogs. (though with the heat and 7580’ altitude, I didn’t work out to be too friendly for them or me). But with plenty of water and treats and stopping each 1/2 mile to replenish we had a wonderful hike along a rock cliff, jutting out like a promontory. There were amazing views of the Green and Yampa Rivers and their bench lands, cutting their way through brilliant red rock canyon. The Green River is truly a very rich green when viewed from above. Poor little Simba was panting so hard that I could here his heart thumping so I would pick him up and carry him a ways. But he kept trudging on at a pace I did not want to keep up. We took lots of cooling time in the shade. By the time we finished the temperature was 91 degrees.

 

We were headed back to the Quarry Entrance but first an ice and firewood stop. This meant stopping in the town Dinosaur, Colorado and I spent a bit of time observing how this town appears to be on its way to extinction as well. The only two businesses that appeared to be left were two gas stations/convenience stores. The rest were boarded up shuttered motels, several old rusted car and truck cemeteries. I find it very sad to see such decaying of these towns. There may have been only 2-3 business that looked like they were functioning.  I kept posing the question to myself: Will the town of Dinosaur Colorado, the gateway to Dinosaur National Monument soon be extinct?

I find it quite amusing that I am complaining about the heat and yet stopping to buy firewood so I can have a campfire. So I high tailed it back to the Fossil Entrance and did the Split Mountain Drive. This whole section is beautiful in a slightly different way. Because of the heat and the dogs I wasn’t able to visit any of the fossil sites, museum and petroglyphs but the experiencing the amazing formations of Tilted Rocks and Split Mountain on the Cub Creek Road was more than satisfying.

 

After a routine swift meal we enjoyed a leisurely walk along the Green River and I dipped my arms, feet, and legs in to wash of the top layer of grime that naturally accumulates when moving about a dirt and sand campsite and of course is even more of a delight when one adds sun screen and bug spray to the mix. The stars and coyotes were as delightful the second night.

 

I awoke to a chilly 39 degree morning and could barely wait to get into my hot cup of S’Buck’s Via. After a very efficient break down of camp we headed on up towards Independence Pass and had planned one more hike before we left the area. The Linkens Lake Trail was our choice as it would be mostly above tree line with about 500 feet of elevation. It was a true gem. It was a steep short rocky hike of 1.7 miles and the 360 degrees views were stunning. It starts by Roaring Fork River and enters the Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness Area (like that name) before ascending on a non-technical but an aggressive incline. Wildflowers, waterfalls, along the way and Lake Linkens at the end are beautiful.

Linkins Lake (elevation 12,008’) is what is called an alpine tarn. Jewel green in color and crystal clear, it is surrounded by fragile wildflowers, grasses, and lichen. The ground around was quite spongy so we treaded carefully and lightly. Being above tree line the view is of windswept expanses of mountain faces bordering the Continental Divide.

This, followed by the spectacular drive along the 12,005-foot Independence Pass, was a grande finale for our days of hiking. Enroute to Boulder and Longmont we took the scenic Peak to Peak Highway and were marveling at the rich beauty and ruggedness of the area when we rounded a corner and were thrust into the high stakes towns of Central City and Black Hawk. These two towns are in Clear Creek Canyon and are extensive gaming venues with rows of bustling casinos lining the road through this relatively narrow canyon. Just as quickly we were out of the casino row and back into undeveloped Rocky Mountain terrain. The week-end was quite a change of pace: real beds with clean sheets, a shower, carry-out meals, a time for regrouping, laundry, visiting with Amara’s Aunt Amy, a lovely walk up in the mountains though a relatively new growth forest, Sunday brunch, getting caught up on email. and beginning to formulate a travel plan for the rest of the drive west to Oregon. We headed to the LaQuinta by Denver Airport in the late afternoon for Tasia’s and Amara’s early Monday morning departure.

We awoke to a blue sky spotted with wispy cottony cumulus cloud puffs which may well have portended the massive dense bulging mounds and towers of the cumulonimbus thunderstorm clouds of the afternoon. Given our disappointment of having to opt out of the Four Pass Loop Hike, we chose a day hike up to Crater Lake, a portion of the first section (or last depending in whether one chooses to hike clockwise to counterclockwise) of the trail leading up to Maroon Pass. I am very glad we did it but still disappointed that it was not feasible for us at this time. This area outside of Aspen has been so popular over the years that vehicle restrictions were implemented so we, gladly as well as by necessity took the Maroon Bells Bus Tour to Maroon Lake (9580’). This is definitely advantageous for the environment but the driver/guide also provided us with significant information about the area.

The Crater Lake trail (3.6 round trip) is a steep and especially towards the end, a very rocky pathway, as one is climbing an ancient rockslide the created Crater Lake. Given the accessibility of the trail, the solitude that I seek that often accompanies hiking was difficult to achieve. But I am always so happy to see families especially out hiking with their children, that acceptance of what is the NOW brings satisfaction in a different way. The trail was boulder strewn and rough going. Kili was not very happy about this hike and he kept looking back and trying to go back. It became a drag the dog up the trail event. The heavy and dense storm clouds had rolled in and the cool drizzle began about three quarters of the way up. The drizzle increased its intensity and I finally caught up with Tasia and Amara who were, yet again, crouched under their ponchos in the woods.

We opted to have lunch after we hike out so I began to head back down while Tasia and Amara did a bit more exploring before they headed out. Kili was like a new “man.” He was staining at the leash and it was smooth sailing. The most fascinating person I saw on the trail was a young woman in 4-5 inch platform sandals carry a shopping bag with a bottle of wine to enjoy at the lake. I cannot even imagine her making it up and then back without a broken ankle or leg. I was being so cautious with every step, especially with the wet rocks and mud. Lunch was sitting on the shores of lovely Maroon Lake, enjoying the wildflowers and mirror images on the lake.

Back in town with a cell signal we made only the necessary texts and phone calls and were back through substantial rain to Lost Mans Camp. By some miracle just a bit short of the camp it was not raining. However a very damp chill 50 degrees was not conducive to sitting around outside (as if the tents weren’t the outside). Being impatient, we ate our bags of crispy noodles and back beans and rice, and were in the tents by eight. That way we did not have to deal with rain or flies and mosquitos if the presented themselves. There was a bit of sadness on my part because this was to be the last camping night with Tasia and Amara as we would be heading into Boulder and Longmont for the week-end to spend some time with Amara’s Aunt Amy (her father Stephen’s sister) and be in motels. Then it would be off to Denver Airport on Monday morning for Tasia and Amara’s return flights to Oregon.