The Best for Last

We got the Can Am back from the shop (small problem) so we took on last little outing while in Colorado and it turned out to one of the very best we made.  Toni and I took the ATV over to South Fork and did a 70 mile trip up to the little community of Platoro.

The entire forest going to Platoro was healthy and free of beetle damage!

We were here by around 1:00 and each ate an excellent burger and cherry cobbler with ice cream!

Here is a picture of a charming old couple we met while in Platoro.

A shot of Platoro from above.  This is 35 miles from the highway to South Fork.

                                                   Platoro Lake above the little "town".

Lots of beautiful views!

 

It is hard to read this on your computer but very interesting information.

 

 

This is a little cabin back in the area that can be rented on a dialy basis.

 

Our Can Am ATV average 29 mpg on the 70 mile trip.  We both enjoyed it and are thinking about getting license tags on it and street tires since it is so economical.  Ha.

Here we are back home on Monday.  The weather at home was actually very nice!

The length of this stuff is only 63 feet long and the legal maximum is 65 feet.  Yay, I can add on!



August 13th - Can Am to the shop

The Can Am kept blowing oil out of the front differential so I took it to the dealer.  He called the factory and it was decided that it needed a small part installed.  He had to order the part and it was ready for the 250 mile service so I left it in Lake City.  It is supposed to be ready Friday.

I am beginning to be bored being here and I don't believe I will be willing to spend two months in Colorado next year.  Maybe one month at Elkhorn in Lake City and a couple of weeks in South Dakota. 

Toni went with me on a 30 mile ride yesterday afternoon, which included the Bachelor Loop and a few other new roads and we both enjoyed it.  We saw two does and one really nice Mule deer buck.

I guess we are back to exploring around in the Jeep, which isn't all bad.

August 10th - ATV trip to Bristol Head

Toni was worn out after the long trip on the ATV to Wheeler Geologic so I took off to explore the way to Bristol Head.  It is a 24 trip by the highway towards Lake City from Creede so I trailered the ATV to the parking lot across from the road going to Bristol Head.  This was by far the most interesting spot of them all.  I highly recommend it for everyone that are in the area.

            On the way up, I did a little side trip to Crystal Lake.

 This shot was taken at the top of Bristol Head at 12,730 feet of elevation.  Those are people in the    distance.  The 20 miles of road to this point is good except for the last mile or so which turns very rocky.

              Photographs can't come close to capturing the view from up here.

Me.

A view of a lake down below.  If you look hard, you can see a pontoon boat on the lake.  Yep, you are right.  I can't see it either but a guy with some binoculars pointed it out.

Way down below is Creede.  You can see our campground and the airstip nearby.



This picture was taken from the spot where the people were in the first picture.  There were two Jeeps there at the same time and one of them is parked on the other point.

On the way back to the Jeep to load up, it started to rain like the dickens with small hail mixed in.  Very uncomfortable.  I had rain gear but had failed to purchase a helmet with a front visor so the sleet and rain against my face doing 35 miles per hour wasn't fun.  As soon as I got back to the MH, we loaded up and drove to South Fork to buy a helmet with a fold down face visor.  Back home the chances of this happening are slim but pretty frequent out here.

It rains almost every day here in August, which makes it hard to get very much outdoor stuff done.  I think we will avoid August next year and just suffer in the Texas heat.  I am trying to put 25 hours on our  new ATV so I can get the 25 hour service done at the dealer.  I still lack about 5 hours.

August 8th - Trip to Wheeler & Back

For our second trip with Toni on our Can Am, we went up to the Wheeler Geologic area.  It turned out not to be a real good idea since it was a 48 mile trip and Toni got somewhat worn out.

This picture was about half way up and she was still doing good!

This was at the parking lot after making it all the way up (24 miles, 13 of which were very rough.)

Here is a picture of the Wheeler Geologic.  I was aways off and didn't want to hike all the way!

Toni found several "Chipmunk" hills.  When we would go down some steep stuff, she wouldn't watch the trail but would just look for chipmunks.

August 4th - New Can Am ATV

Well, I just couldn't stand it.  I went back over to Lake City and purchased a new Can Am Outlander 800 Max XT with a used aluminum tilt bed trailer.  It is a 2 up for riding with a passenger.  It is a lot less punishing on rocky trails than the Jeep!!

I took it for a 25 mile ride yesterday and it performs even better than I hoped.  I went up a four drive trail north of Creede and took a side trip up to an old miners cabin.  It was the hardest trail I have been on to date here in Colorado and it made it without a problem.

Here is a pretty picture of the mountains with low handing clouds.

We love it in Colorado but this park isn't our favorite.  We have reservations back in Creede at Elkhorn RV for June and July of next year.  Hope everyone comes out!!

Sunday, July 29th - Church, food, Stony Pass

We went to the 8:30 church service in the park and afterwards watched the Olympics for a while.  As usual we got hungry early so around 11:00 we went to the Cottonwood Restaurant in order to beat the church crowd.  Who would think there would even be a church crowd way out in the middle of nowhere but we have learned there is.  Worst thing is, we forgot to drive about a half mile farther down the highway to Blue Creek to get pecan/cinnamon rolls for breakfast tomorrow.  We are such eatists!

After lunch we watched the Olympics a little more and decided to go check out part of the Stony Pass trail and re-visit the 30 mile campground that we stayed in about 27 years ago.  Boy, it is 12 miles of dirt road driving off Highway 149 to get there.  We got within about 12 miles of Silverton but it was too late in the day to go on over.

We drove a long ways up the road, past the Rio Grande Reservoir and took the following pictures.

                                   The Rio Grand Reservoir.

At church this morning, it was mentioned to the group that two ladies rolled their vehicle on the trail near Equity Mine yesterday, totalling it and putting one of them in the hospital.  Gerald, Wanda, Christi, Toni, and I drove that same trail earlier in the week and found it to be much harder than anything we had been on before.  Prayers for these two.

July 27th - Current & Future Location

I realized today that I haven't posted any pictures of this fancy wancy RV park.  Of course though, we are in the ghetto side.  You will soon see what I mean.  This is our location.

View down the "street".

OK, now a few shots of the big shots!

This place has so many rules that it is totally no fun!  They don't even want the children or a dog walking on ANY of the grass. 

Now to pictures of the place we reserved for June of 2013.

This is our site!  Plenty of shade and lots of room!

Lots of room in front of the site and the view is fantastic!

They even have a playground for our grandchildren, who are sure to come as well!!!!!

They have cabins to rent as well as rooms so it is a great place for families.  This is a view of the Rio Grande River from the front of the property.

View of the front office/restaurant.  The location is 8 miles out of Creede.

Here is one of the dining rooms.  We ate lunch here today and it was the best food since coming to Colorado, and reasonably priced.  After the main meal, we each ate one of their pecan/cinnamon rolls and OMG, we will be coming back for more!  Can you say ballooning back out again?!

This is a picture of the upstairs sitting/lounge area for customers.

The back dining room is the "John Wayne Room" since he used to come here and play cards.

Large covered picnic area for group gatherings

An old rail line runs along the river and people can take rides on it.  It was stopped at this site so the folks could come in to get a bite to eat and use the rest rooms.

Taken from inside the rail car looking down the track.

We are really looking forward to coming back next year!  Our plan is to stay at this site for a month then take the MH on up to Washington State for another Alaskan cruise.  Afterward, we hope to be able to spend a week or so at Glacier National Park before heading home.  Everyone is invited to come along with us!!