Colorado

Hello from Jackson Hole, Wyoming!

I am not writing about Wyoming, but we are at a Mikey D's using the wi-fi so that we can update the Colorado portion of our trip. I just typed for half an hour and lost all my typing to my ignorance of this rickin' frackin' blogging sheite.
We trekked through northern New Mexico which was beautiful arid western farmland. Rolling hills, pine trees, cactus and other mixes of mountain and desert. We stopped in Pagosa Springs, Colorado for lunch alongside the San Juan River. It was a really nice tourist town without the auspices of needing to have a butt-load of money to live there. Get over my cursing, I can't stop, it's not me to stop. I love eating at hippie-outdoorsy type cafe's especially along a river. The veggie tacos were good exceptin' for the hot sauce that brings you real close to satan. I think of Dana Carvey when I type or say "Satan". Anyhoo. We cruised through Durango, Co. It was packed. I guess the PBR event going on there (not beer, but bulls) had it a little more busy than the regular tourist traffic. We only stopped for the gassing up fiasco. All of the gas stations were tiny. We had a small marital spat that ended in my saying "do you want to drive this !@#$ing thing!. That shuts Kim up quickly, she is terrified of driving the R.V. with car in-tow through a gas station. It really isn't that bad, but for now I have the leverage. We landed in a camp site north of Durango 40 miles at five o' clock p.m. The camp host informed us that the sites had been filling by 2:00 every day for two months and we were very lucky. He was a talkative chap from Siloam Springs, Arkansas. He patrolled all 40 or so sites with a golf cart and was all too helpul. He gave me an escort bacwards against the one way arrows through the camp ground as this was the only way I was going to pack our rig into the "last" camp site. He informed us that in site 3 was another Fayettevilleian. I was too shy to explore, but found out in the morning that it was Mark Porter, I have worked for him several years and know of him since I was 13. What a small world. We had a small chat, then we stole his site. It was overlooking Lake Haviland and was much nicer.

The next day we took the Mazda to Silverton and Ouray. These passes are steep, curvy, and guard rail deprived. I have to admit I was a wee puckered looking down, straight down, 300 feet to certain metal crunching, gas tank exploding, burning and bleeding to death, with Kim at the helm of my ship 0' destiny. At that moment we passed a guy standing behind a Dodge Caravan with an overgrown skateboard leaning on the guard rail, putting on a helmet . "Turn around Kim, I've got to get a picture of this! Hellooo, I'm very serious over here. Turn around!" Too late, a blue and white flash zooms by followed by the tan mini-van. We caught up with them at the bottom. He was proud to have me take a picture of him with his "street luge". He was glad were were excited "cool" instead of excited "pissed" about his escapades.

Silverton was cold and rainy, but we waited around for the Durango-Silverton narrow guage train to come into town. Steam engine hooting was cool. The local brew pub was very quaint, the local town drunk was sitting next to me philosophising and reliving his mining camp days. We had a "ripper" with chili for a snack. It was a deep fried hot dog, with canned chili and fake cheese. This is nasty even by my standards, but I did eat it, simply 'cause I didn't want to offend the Bartendress that reccommended it you know.

We trekked north to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison in Central Colorado. It was high desert, but the nights were cool. Kim is "Killin' " me. A hike a day will keep the fat bastard away is her motto. We hiked around the rim of the canyon and looked way down in there to the rushing Gunnison River. There have been many a precarious slash steep drop to canyon bottoms so far. I have discovered that Kim is a frady cat when it comes to these situations. I have assured her that I have not pulled any large life insurance policies on her, so no biggy. I could handle the scrutiny of the local sherriff, but I don't know about 20/20 or city confidential. The hike along the Curecanti Creek in the Curecanti Park of the Gunnison was the most favored so far. It was beautiful, steep and terminated at the Gunnison River in the deep Canyon. Pictures Included.

Morning bike ride, 14 miles along the rim. "It is level it will be easy." Yes it starts at 4264 feet and ends at 4257 feet, it's what it does between that is key! Holy Schnikies! I am out of shape! Kim is killin' me. She did want us to fill out wills before we left, things that make you go Hmmm? Off to Flaming Gorge Park in Northern Utah.

Flaming Gorge is very nice. It has higher mountain campgrounds and lower desert camp grounds. It is a big resevoir on the Green River. Below the Dam the Green River has beautiful clear waters and lots of trout and trout fisherman. "Oh, we must hike down in." It was like looking into a trout aquarium, 1000 trout, 20 trout fisherman, no trout on hook = smart trout.

North to Jackson Hole, Wyoming talk to you then!