The Road to No Where and Mesa Verde

Cliff Palace-photograph by Horst Kelly

I didn't post yesterday as there was nothing to report....the car was not ready and I just did some cleaning in the Casita, took and hour walk around the perimeter of the camp and read up on Mesa Verde...I did learn that the city or state has built a road in Durango off of 160...only thing the "planners" didn't make sure they could get all the land they needed and proceeded with the project....until they hit the fence...private land and the owner said no...so now the City has a road to no where...


This morning I got a call around 0930 that my car was ready....only a minor mechanical problem...though the repair bill wasn't that minor....but that's ok....came back to the campsite and got stuff organized and headed out for Mesa Verde...36 miles to the entrance and another 20 miles to the "fun stuff".....

The Anasazi inhabited Mesa Verde anywhere between AD 550 to 1300. These people were mainly subsistence farmers; they grew crops on nearby mesas. Their primary crop was corn, which was also was the major part of their diet. Men were also hunters which further increased their food supply. The women of the Anasazi were famous for the elegant basket weaving. Anasazi pottery is just as famous as their baskets; their artifacts, even today, are highly prized. Since the Anasazi kept no written records, their artifacts are the only link to understanding their interesting culture.

By 750 AD, the people were building mesa-top villages made of adobe. By the late 12th century they began to build the cliff dwellings for which Mesa Verde is famous.

Mesa Verde is best known for cliff dwellings, which are structures built within caves and under outcropping in cliffs — including Cliff Palace, which is thought to be the largestcliff dwelling in North America. The Spanish term Mesa Verde translates into English as "green table."..ok..that's the history lesson.....

Cliff Palace-photograph by Horst Kelly

Now lets talk about the tour...Cliff Palace is a guided tour, cost is $3.00......they say it is a strenuous hike...well I walk between 6-10 miles on a daily basis....so this couldn't be a problem......right!....its only a quarter mile......its like the last quarter mile of Mt. Everest.....the hike includes five 8 to 10 foot ladders, including a 100 foot vertical climb to exit....and I was carrying a 20 lbs back pack of photo gear....let me say that if you have one or more of these issues  you may want to reconsider...first, if you have a issue with heights, second, if you have an issue with balance... last if you haven't got accustom to elevation......having said this, there was a guy in front of me that probably  weighted 350-400 lbs and had a real oxygen problem and made it....how I don't know....so the bottom line if he can do it so can I and everyone else...he was my hero of the day(haha)!!! The tour takes about an hour and the Ranger did an excellent job with the history of not only this dwelling but also the entire region of Mesa Verde...... 

Cliff Palace-photograph by Horst Kelly

This is one of those experience that will forever be etched in my memory...what a great day...since it was mid day, some of the photo's aren't the best...but the experience, and the memory where!!
Then I did the perimeter drive with 15 or so outlooks...what a day....I  took over 200 photo's...hopefully 20 or so will be keepers.....tomorrow its  north on the million dollar hiway...thanks for checking in....Horst sends

The Good....The Bad......The Ugly...and the Good

The Day started around 0430...couldn't sleep for some reason....had a couple cups of coffee....prepped the camper for "road ready", and then time for some early morning photo ops of the Sand Dunes...these are a few samples...remember all are untouched....as I do not have the capability for "Dark Room" work while on the road...A little info about  the Dunes....Most of the sand originated in the San Juan Mts, over 65 miles away.....the larger gain came from the nearby Sangre de Cristo Mts.
Wind and water are the primary forces of getting the sand to their location....They estimate that the age of the Dunes are from 12000 to a million years old....class dismissed!

Great Sand Dune NP -photograph by Horst Kelly

Photograph by Horst Kelly

Photography by Horst Kelly

 

Sooooo, I got back to my site about 0830..hitched up the camper...and sat outside taking in the views with one last cup of coffee...then hit the road really feeling good about this adventure.....I moving along...south to Alamosa on Rt 17...get gas...and start heading west on 160.....about 150 mile trip......the towns roll by, Monte Vista,  South Fork and hamlets in between...then I start my climb...I think its called Wolf Creek...my name for it was "You Son of B...."I am a mile from the summit in 3rd gear, going about 40 or so and I hear a "POP"...I thought ok its one of the camper tires, though it didn't seem loud enough for a "blow out"...I was in luck as there was a DOT snow cabin area, and plenty of space to get off the road...the Camp Gods are still with me...I do the walk around...no tire problems...and then I see the stream of green stuff exiting from the right front side of my Xterra..... open the hood...why I don't know....but I do see steam coming from the overflow bucket....though it doesn't make sense as my heat indicator NEVER showed a problem....and I have been watching it this trip....I let things cool off...mainly me...and add almost a gallon of water..while the engine is running...it is still leaking...so I will NOT try to go to the summit and coast down for nine miles.....I call my friendly insurance company...with the weak reception..went to yes no answers....long story short, the tow guys came within the hour, put the Horse on the flatbed and towed the Armadillo....called for a campground in Durango and got into a Nissan place.....this tow company was the best!!!!!! ...ok they could have provided me with a six pack of Coors.....for lowering my blood pressure.....Yes I 've had better days but ...S... happens, and if you're going to be stranded.....Hay Durango...its not so bad...it could be worse...Butte Montana, no offense ......So hopefully I'll find something out tomorrow....I'm thinking the overflow bucket cracked...but what do I know.....later

Wild Hogs....and more.....and the 27th of Sept

I have seen signs that said Deer Crossing, Free Range Cattle Crossing, School Crossing.....but I have never seen  a sign that says " Wild Hog Crossing"...ok, .maybe on Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras.....

Today(26 Sept) was my travel day for a north west destination....got on 40 west at Amarillo until Vega and then headed north on 385.......385 is the "Twilight Zone Road".....there is nothing there...do not get on this road with anything less than a full tank, especially if you're pulling your wagon......there is no "way-stations" until Channing....a booming town of 363, if you count the headstones...oh I forgot...half way there is Cal Farley's Boys Ranch.....sorta like Bing Crosby's  Father Flanagan Boys town.......the rest of the journey was for the most beign....when I got to Trinidad, Co on I-25, I made the decision to spend the night at their rest stop...after 2 hours and 6/7 truckers coming in with fumes that where lethel...I decided to move on....and the camping Gods where with me...I headed west on 160 toward Durango....and saw  the Lathrop State Park....a couple miles west of Walsenburg, Co...I will tell you it ranks as one of the  best parks I have stayed at....Colorado has a design patten made for campers...they have loop(rings) and they put the spaces around the loop, 98% are pull through...electric and a sewage dump....this campground has a lake and even a city golf course...so bring your sticks.....it is treed for the most part and spaced so that you don't feel like you're sitting on top of the next camper....and the views...wow.....this was the view looking out my camper...GOOD MORINING AMERICA111.

Photograph by Horst Kelly

needless to say, I spent alot of time in awe.....it is a great place to spend a day or more....This morning got up and walked for a hour...came back, cleaned up and rolled on...west on 160...my goal was to go to the Great Sand Dunes National Park...only a short drive.....to keep this short, I did not stay a the park...the price was right, but the sites are really set up for tents...so I opted for San Luis State park, about 8 or so miles away...again all pull throughs with electric....this one has 3 or 4 loops, overlooking a lake and the mountains...not as nice as the other, but still ok.....

Photograph by Horst Kelly

Can't beat that for a "back yard"........I thought I would treat myself and grilled a steak, with a side Greek Salad...and some Turkish style bread......looking at the view and watching the sun set....

Tomorrow I head off to the Durango area, where I hope to find a campsite in a central location to use as a "homebase", while I venture to Ouray, Silverton, Ridgeway, Telluride, Mesa Verde, Shiprock, etc.....

Sand Dunes are the lower set of peaks-photograph by Horst  Kelly

With just my net book I won't be able to enhance(darkroom stuff)...so I'll have wait until jouneys end before I post photo's to my website....woe is me...till tomorrow.....I loving this!!!!

Deaf(Deef) Smith County and other stuff....

photograph by Horst Kelly

Before I start my ranting , I would like to acknowledge and thank fellow Casita Travelers Jerry and Wanda  for being the first folks to be members of my following......I have been following their blog... "Eggrolling"  for some time....thanks Guys and also Thank-you for the positive comments....

Woke up this morning about 0530.....got my cup of "wake up" and sat outside....the sky was clear and a 100 thousand stars where "winking" back at me......makes one feel really small and insignificant.....but also a touch of...like hay...I'm part of this larger than life team called the "Universe" and that's a pretty damn good feeling......after a couple of cups, I decided todays adventure would be south(about 80 miles) to Caprock Canyons......

Saddled up the Xterra and headed south on I-27....I started noticing that everyone was passing me like I was stopped at a traffic light...looked at my speed.... there I was doing 55mph...I guess you become a creature of habit...hitched up or not, 55 it is......Sooo, as I'm going so slow, I start reading the road signs...first one says entering  "Deaf Smith County", a little further down the road is a sign that indicates next exit for "Happy, Texas"......A little further South is the town of "Wayside"...my exit is Tulia, their sign says "The richest land and the finest people"

I can't let this just lie there, so I goggle knowing full well and there won't be any info this stuff....oh ye have little faith Horst....so as Paul Harvey use to say......

Deaf Smith County.....named after Erastus "deaf"(pronounced... Deef) Smith,....a soldier and scout, served in the Texas Revolution and the first person to reach the Alamo after its FALL.... timing is everything....county seat is Hereford texas...its known as the beef capital of the World...

Happy, Texas, population 640...motto is "town without a frown"....movie made in its name, though not filmed there....

Wayside, Tx..population in the year 2000 was 35....ok folks, with that size population there has to be in breeding, or maybe a couple of good goats....more research needed... being serious...these are the type of communties that make this a GREAT nation!!!!! I will pit them against any major city and they will come out on top......

Before you know it I'm at Caprock Canyons...also the home of the official Texas Bison Herd....it's very differnt than Palo Duro Canyon....you have both a upper and lower Canyon view....the down side iss it's hard to photograph....but to me it was a magificant canyon experience...the other nice feature was the solitude....I met two cars on my almost 4 hour adventure....no mountain bikers, horses, etc.....it also has 2 primitive camp grounds and two for campers(with electric and a dump station) as I recall it was $13 per night....has about 4 to 5 hikr trails,  I did the Eagle Point trail....

If I did this trip again I would reverse my homebase....say 3 days at Caprock and day trip to Palo Duro....but thats just me.......

All in all it was a great 1st leg of my journey....tomorrow I head towards Colorado.....I am going to an Rv Service place here in town as I have couple of minor issues to get looked at...so depending on how long that takes, will determine where I end up tomorrow evening....First stop in Colorado is Great Sand Dunes National Park....then off to Durango....more to follow....thanks for stopping by!!!!

Photograph by Horst Kelly

Palo Duro Canyon, Texas

OK...I left Abilene State Park about 0830....it was a great early morning sunrise....I was so in awe I forgot to take any photo's.....Hey, I'm a "senior citizen"....get over it!!!!!...Traveled west on I-20 until Sweetwater Texas,(known as the rattlesnake capital of the USA) and then headed north on Hiway 84....and boy between Sweetwater and Lubbock there isn't much as far as scenery...couldn't even find a "road kill"........from Lubbock to Canyon Texas was all on interstate 27.....going 55mph gets you a lot of angry looks and sometimes a "hand signal" of sorts.....oh bother....I decide since its getting late and I really don't know where I'm going... that I won't try to venture to the Palo Duro TSP campground and instead go to a commerical site about 10 miles from the park...so happened it is called Palo Duro RV park..how cleaver......it's nothing to write home about, but it has numerous perks, other than the "wow" factor..but its close to places I want to visit, and that's what's important.....

Last night it got down in the 50's and by morning my throat was sore, I was coughing and felt like I needed a "do over"...my version of lets start this day over....which I did...and it worked....

So I was off for Palo Duro Canyon a little after nine......my goal was to do some hikes with the main event being the six mile round trip "Lighthouse Trail" hike......trying out my new "trekking poles" my knee doctor recommended I use after the surgery......not as easy to use as I thought.....but then I always had trouble chewing gum and walking at the same time.....just watch my golf swing sometime...not a pretty picture...

You enter at the top of the Canyon and don't really have the same type of views  and sense of awe as one has at the Grand Canyon or Canyon de Chelly ......as you descend down the Canyon, you have a lot of pull offs with good views and some nice photo ops.....the sky was not as clear as my might expect...I lot of wind kicking up sand....I did the road tour which is a ring around the base of the Canyon....with all my stops it took me about 3+ hours..then off to do some hikes that would present some photo ops.....I was disappointed and frustrated...there are 4 groups of folks that use the trail, runners, hikers, bikers, and folks on horses...the trails themselves are not that wide and numerous places have washed out sections...on what I encountered, the mountain bikers and horseback folks out number the runners and hikers by a wide margin.....and the bikers can get up to speeds in excess 0f 30 miles an hour....which made my hike more of an  "obstacle course" then a hiking trail...it would have been a more relaxing hike if there was someway that they could have had a split trail system.....

Since the day not yet over, I decided to go and find the "Cadillac Ranch"...this where the fellow put about ten Cadillac's in the ground...story has it that he bought one from a dealer, took it back as it wasn't working and wanted another one, dealer said no ....so the guy said "hell", I'll buy all your cadillac's and "bury" them...you SOB...and he did, hehe...

All in all it was a fun day.....tomorrow I plan on going south to Caprock Canyon....hopefully I'll feel better...I'm only alloted a few "do overs"....ok, I'm going to try and post a couple photo's......don't hold me accountable if it doesn't work...you know I'm old......

Cadillac Ranch-photograph by Horst Kelly

Lighthouse-photograph by Horst Kelly

Camp Ground-sunset-photograph by Horst Kelly

First day on my Fall Adventure...points west

My first post on the road.....I'll keep it short....I got the old grey mare hitched to the wagon about 0900 yesterday morning, got propane and headed north towards Abilene...Some great small towns on the way Junction, Menard, Eden, Winters,  Buffalo Gap......and about 280 miles later I rolled into Abilene State Park...probably 20 or so miles south of Abilene, Tx.....What a great and secluded park....all sites are back in, 30 and 50 amps, water and a dump station....the sites are treed and you far apart...cost 12/18 dollars...Numerous deer that are not the least bit timid....


I arrived close to 4pm...got set up and walked around a bit...made myself a salad and tuna sandwich for dinner.....and called it a night pretty early.......woke up with a mean pain in my small toe....can't figure out what I did to it.....woe is me....BTW, I have Verizon with a unlimed data plan and got good reception...I did purchase a Wilson Sleek bosster(cradle) which does help alot....


Soooo, today I'm off to Palo Duro Canyon, close to 260 miles away, will stay there a couple of days, enough time to see, and hike the Canyon, and hopefully get some Photo's...still need to learn how to down load them to this blog thing....oh bother...Have a GREAT day...and if its going lousy, just have a "do over", and start again.....Later

A New Venture...Using Blogger

Since I have my web site( www.texasreflectionsphotography.com ) built using Apple products, and when  on the road I'll be using a windows net book, I felt the easiest way to be able to report in the Field would to create a blogger account linked to my web site. We'll see how this works out....as my first trip is coming up in a couple weeks.


Since I wasn't able to do my 4 month Canada/Alaska trip due to my knee surgery, I thought I would take a trip out West.....


The Plan....Spend my first night at Lakeside Park, Tx...then head to Palo Duro Canyon,Tx...spend a couple days hiking in the Canyon, dodging rattlesnakes...then head west to New Mexico or Colorado...for a destination of Durango, Co....if I head straight to Co., I will take a "timeout" at the Grant Sands National Park.....if I stay south...I would meander to Taos, N.M. and other places...I would appreciate any suggestions...Getting to Durango, I'll set up camp at a central location and travel the "million Dollar Hiway".......and also go to Mesa Verde.....from there head to Monument Valley, Canyon Lands, Arches, Canyon de Chelly, and other points of interest...then its west;  Zion, Bryce Canyon, Slot Canyon, Capitol Reef, and a million other places....nothing is in cement.....but that's the initial, kinda, sort of, maybe, plan....I want to thank all the folks on the Casita and Fiberglass Forums......they have provided me a wealth of GREAT information...Thanks a lot ALL!!!


I hope to update this blog daily when I'm on the road...internet permitting......I'll include photo's....if I can figure out how that's done....also I'll add some meat to the "Blog Bones"....again as I learn how to navigate this blog......