Day Whatever – And We’re Back!
The ride home began ahead of schedule. Remarkably, we left the cabin about 8:30 and were determined to cover much ground that day. After an early lunch in Colorado Springs, we turned east. Looking in my rearview mirror reminded me of the view I saw as a kid. I remember approaching the mountains and seeing a faint outline of the mountains became clearer and clearer as we approached. Unfortunately, this time it was us driving away and looking out to the great(?) plains that signaled the end of our time out west.
Trying to nail down a place to stay tonight, we discovered the state softball championships were taking place in Salina, KS, so we went a little further to Abilene (the boyhood home of Dwight D. Eisenhower).
Not far out of Abilene, we stopped in Topeka, KS, home of the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site. The landmark Supreme Court decision was actually made up of 5 cases, the named case being filed by 13 parents of 20 children who attended this fine school for black children. It reversed years of “separate but equal” segregation which had been the law of the land.
From there we continued east and made another historical stop in St. Joseph, MO. It was there that the outlaw Jesse James was living under an assumed name in this small house. As he reached up to adjust a crooked picture, he was shot by fellow gang member Bob Ford, to collect a $10,000 reward.
Our second night was spent in Coralville, IA. Coincidentally, we stopped in this exact area during our trip out to Colorado. We swam, had pizza, and reconnected electronically with the rest of the world for the first time in a long time.
A mere three hours on the road the next day and we were home.
After unpacking, one of the first orders of business was to do a more thorough washing of the Escape. I decided to try the hose at home and it worked out well. Much more flexible than the the stiff high-pressure sprayer at the car wash, it was able to reach places that were clearly neglected during my earlier attempts. Especially underneath, there will be mud coming off the vehicle up until it’s sold many years from now.
Another thing I’ll try to remember for next time – if possible, arrive home early. Leave yourself a day or two to unwind and catch up on things before going back to work. It was also nice having only one work day before the Independence Day holiday. Two weeks off, one day on, three more days off. I could get used to this arrangement.
Day 10 – Relax and pack
Our last full day at the cabin was largely spent relaxing and enjoying the nearby surroundings. After travelling hours and hours over the past couple of days – and with a whole lot more travelling staring us right in the face – it was nice to just lie in the sun for a bit.
Of course the vehicles still looked like crap, so we decided to head into town for a car wash. This would be second wash for me on the trip since mud seems to be very common where we are staying. After the first washing I noticed a shimmy at higher speeds, so I was looking forward to cleaning the wheels a second time to try and alleviate the problem. Not learning from the first washing encounter, I still managed to spray muddy water on myself during the process. I’m very happy to report that the second washing took care of any caked on mud around the tires and it rolls like a charm once again.
Others in our group wouldn’t be so lucky. We all washed our vehicles at the same time and took to the interstate simultaneously. The out-of-balance issue worsened on one other SUV, so he decided to go back and try again. After washing it a second time it was still not right, so he knew it was time for professional help. A local garage was open and available to do the work. It turns out the spokes of the wheel were hollow and mud had caked in behind them throwing every tire out of balance. After a thorough cleaning and rebalancing he was back on the road. Grand total for the job: $42.
We also took one last ride through the field on the same trail the boys and I took at the beginning of the week. Everyone was along this time and was able to enjoy the view of the mountains from a different vantage point.
As I write this, the kids, with whom we’ve shared a room this week, are packing up in preparation for tomorrow’s departure. Hannah and Cari are keeping me entertained as they perform the sniff test on various articles of clothing. I’m not exactly sure what music I’m listening to, so I think I’ll have to wrap this up.
Day 9 – Pike’s Peak
There were adventurers among us, and there were shoppers among us. We headed to Colorado Springs for the day Thursday to either ride the cog wheel train to the top of Pike’s Peak or hit the Current catalog store. Hopefully, you know me well enough to put me in the Pike’s Peak group.
After a late start to the day, we had to motor to make the noon train. Along the way, we soon realized that we wouldn’t make it there in time and the 1:20 train would be our goal. Of course when we get there, that one was sold out, so the 2:40 train had our name on it.
It’s about an hour and a half ride up, and you get to spend 30-40 minutes at the top before your train returns to the station. During the ascent, we were treated to spectacular views, witty remarks from our guide, and only one crying child near us. About half way up we made an unexpected stop to drop off two crazy hikers. Apparently, taking the train to the top is for wimps. Color me wimpy.
Pikes Peak is one of the two mountains in the area that are also accessible via car (Mt. Evans is the other). Closer to the top we were able to see some of the roads that are used for this purpose. Although quite wide, there were no guard rails, many hairpin turns, and it was crushed gravel. We were told there is an annual race up the mountain with the current record holder making it to the top in just over 10 minutes. That’s averaging over 100 mph. Maybe his motivation was the bathroom at the top. I’ve been there.
About 5 minutes from the top we were asked to close the windows that had been open the entire ride. It had been getting progressively cooler as we rose to higher heights and we were about to round a bend where the winds were whipping. When the train came to a stop at our destination we were greeted with mostly overcast skies, a balmy temperature of 40 degrees, very windy conditions, and much snow. Most of us headed for the bathroom which was conveniently placed at the back of the building. This allowed you to walk past the fudge stand, the fudge-covered donuts, and the racks and racks of souvenir clothing.
It was now picture time. Although the lighting was less than ideal, everyone on the mountain was snapping away. The girls had to do their “stand at edge and take a self-portrait” pictures, while I was mostly trying to capture the perspective of where we were. It was a pretty good crowd for a mid-week visit. Families waited in line to take portraits in front of the official sign, southerners were taking close-ups of the strange, white, cold precipitation, and a bro-fest (thanks for the term, Cari) was using a baseball bat to knock rocks out of the park. Funny, but wrong.
We found out the train runs year-round, although not quite as frequently during the winter months. Thanks, but I’m happy to stick with summertime rides. The gift shop at the bottom had some great historical posters of the different trains used throughout the 150+ years and the snows that needed to be cleared. The ride down was quieter as we reviewed the sights we saw on the way up. Some napped, some sat and stared, and some continued to take pictures. Oh, and some snacked on treats. The fudge is fabulous.
Day 8 – Royal Gorge
Who in their right mind stands at one side of a ¼ mile span that is 1000 feet deep and thinks, “There should be a suspension bridge across this.” Some crazy dude did exactly this outside of Cañon City, Colorado.
We spent the day visiting the greater Cañon City area including Royal Gorge on Wednesday. On our way to the gorge we stopped at the local historical society and learned about the town and its most famous citizen Dallas “Dall” (insert last name here). He was a successful businessman, entrepreneur, world traveler, and big game hunter. Many of his kills were on display in the former city municipal building that served as the museum. Other item in the collection were some fantastic old music players, including one of the first jukeboxes that played a selection of 16 songs each on their own cylinder. Being a rather large group, we were lucky enough to have our own personal guide for much of tour – maybe she didn’t trust us alone.
Back to the bridge. Leaving town on the way to the bridge, I couldn’t help but draw similarities between Cañon City and Wisconsin Dells. Take a natural (the dells) or a man-made (bridge) attraction, build up an entire city around it, and commercialize the hell out of it. I’m sure I’m over-simplifying it, but it felt like I was driving through downtown Lake Delton.
We arrived and bridge and were smacked hard in the face with the $24 per adult entry fee to the attraction. Really?!? One hundred dollars per family to see this thing? The bridge itself was obscured perfectly from the parking lot so you couldn’t cheat and just look through the fence. To be fair, there were mini-attractions on both sides of the bridge that were included in your “passport.” I guess “passport” sounds better than “ticket.” Come to think of it, the passport was just your cash register receipt. We didn’t even get a commemorative ticket stub. Due primarily to the high cost, almost all of our clan decided to skip the bridge and do some exploring around the area. Knowing full well that I wasn’t going all the way across, Clare and I were the only ones to venture through the gates.
Our goal was to get in and out in under an hour which earned us a $7 rebate on our ticket price. I guess they wanted you to stay and shop and eat for the better part of the day. We took our requisite 100+ pictures that will in no way capture the magnificent beauty of the site, the bridge, the gorge, the rafters in the waters below, and the crazy people in the tram gliding over the span. The first part of the bridge is over rock that is only a hundred feet or so down. I was OK walking out over that part. Barely. Clare was much more brave than I and wandered out well past the shorter part to peer over the edge at the river below. Thank you to camera manufacturers who developed zoom lenses so I didn’t have to follow her out so far. We hit the lookout points nearer to the beginning of the bridge and then decided to take a ride to the bottom of the gorge on the near-vertical train (one of the attractions included with our “passports”). You get to stand in a cage during the descent, so most of the pictures and video have red or blue iron mesh running through the frame. We didn’t spend much time at the bottom, but did get a sense for the how high (and tiny) the bridge is by looking up. A quick ride back to the top and we had seen pretty much everything we came to see. Time check. Fifty-six minutes. Perfect.
Day 7 – To the top
Tuesday’s plan was a split squad affair. Some of us wanted to tame the west peak, while the remaining crew opted for a little local shopping.
I’m not really sure what to call it, but it seemed a lot like a state park that has a path from a trailhead to the treeline on the west peak. It rose 800 feet in elevation over the course of 2.5 miles. Beyond the treeline, the peak rises 1600 more feet over a mile of rock – no trail there.
The ride up to the trailhead took a couple hours, and it was a rugged trip. Dirt roads, no guard rails, and an ever-increasing incline were a constant source of entertainment. It was a little surreal to look straight across the road and not see anything…until you look down. Trees were everywhere and there was very little else. Beautiful.
At the trailhead there was one other vehicle – an open top jeep from Texas. We got our bearings, picked our trail, packed our water and snacks, and headed out. The trail was what you might expect in a state park. It was clearly marked, well worn, and very easy to follow. We knew our destination was 2.5 miles away and that most of the trip would be uphill. It was a little rocky in some parts, smooth in other parts, but the views along the way were spectacular.
Again, the weather plays a role in this story. It was cloudy and a bit chillier than expected when we parked, so most of us threw on our sweatshirts right away. At about the halfway point, we pretty much knew that we would not make it to the end of the trail due to the darkening clouds. It wasn’t raining, and we weren’t quite sure which way the wind was blowing, but it was about time to halt our progress. Reluctantly, we turned around and headed back toward the vehicles. Lucky us, the skies decided to open up and…wait for it…HAIL. That’s right. Not rain, but hail. Our pace quickened as we were being pelted from above by the relatively small bits of hail. Small, yes, but painful nonetheless. I’m very glad I was wearing a cap plus a hoodie. Those without anything on their heads were complaining the loudest on the way back and I don’t blame them a bit. Hail is much better viewed from inside a house than from an open trail.
I almost forgot about the jeep. You might guess what the inside of the Jeep looked like when we arrived back to the parking lot. HA! Piles of hail in the back seat and on every other flat surface.
Not really knowing what to expect for the day, I didn’t bring my camera because I didn’t want to carry it. After the first half mile I was wishing I had it with me. At the end of the trek I was glad I didn’t bother to bring it.
Day 6 – Great Sand Dunes National Park
The plan for Monday was to head a couple hours west to the Great Sand Dunes National Park. Monica and her family had been there when she was little (where haven’t they been?), but the grand-children and sons-in-law have never visited.
As you approach the dunes from a long, flat, straight road leading to the park, you see them in the distance and they seem like a moderately sized pile of sand in front of some mountains. Great. We drove all this way to play in a sandbox? As you get closer, however, you begin to realize that they don’t call them dunes for nothing. Of course there is a visitor center where you learn why this particular place in the world is home to over 30 acres of sand and the accompanying dunes – the wind currents and the placement of the specific mountain ranges are just right to dump these tiny pebbles right here. From a distance you can also see visitors making their way up and down the dunes…some of them climbing to the top! Let me reiterate that these are not small hills. These are massive dunes, hundreds of feet high. We find out that you can take about a two-hour guided tour to the top. (Guided? Really? You’re at the bottom. Climb to the top. How hard can it be?) Nobody was really up for that – we were at the park at mid-day and with my sandals on I can attest that the sand was freakishly hot. After walking through the unexpected small creek at the base of the dunes, we did manage to climb and rest at the top of some of the lower, front dunes.
Some of the visitors brought sleds to try and glide down the dunes. That didn’t work so well. Mostly they just sank in too far to go anywhere.
Instead of taking the same route back to the cabin, we decided to circle around both of the Spanish Peak mountains to complete the loop. It took a little while longer than anticipated, but we saw some great scenery along the way.
Day 5 – Explorers are we
With yesterday’s excitement behind us, today started off sunny and warm. Hooray! I wonder if the road will be dry enough to travel…
It was decided that the day would be spent exploring the property on which the cabin sits. Given that it’s about 1000 acres, we had our work cut out for us. Several trails were marked on the big map and we made plans to try and find the healing creek spring about a mile away from the cabin.
Before getting too crazy, we couldn’t help but notice the new cabin that is being built by the owner up on the hill. As a preview to a more major excursion, we headed up the short (but steep) hill. It was apparent immediately why this location was chosen. It was flat, it was the highest ground in the immediate area, and the view was breathtaking. Both Spanish peaks were in full view with the morning sun shining on their majestic facades. All 15 of us made it to their porch and took hundreds of photos and many minutes of video.
With the sun beating down on the vehicles all day, the mud from yesterday began caking nicely. I don’t envy the person(s) who will be cleaning that off. Oh, right, that will most likely be me.
A bit later a bunch of us took off to find the healing waters. Some were so confident that this would be a luxurious hot spring that they wore their suits on the excursion. Others were not as certain and just wore normal hiking gear. A few hikers were not up to the full trek, so they peeled off and headed back early. Clare and I didn’t quite make it to the end, so we were back ahead of the rest of the crew. I should mention that the entire trail is uphill and coming back down was MUCH easier than climbing it on the way up. The peculiar part is that the uphill portion is so subtle that you don’t realize how much vertical distance is covered.
According to reports, the group did come across the spring but it was quite small, quite cold, and quite gross. Obviously, nobody did any swimming.
A separate adventure later in the day took four of us in our mud-encrusted Escape on a more smooth and worn path. We followed the ATV trail that is often taken by hunters out to their stands. Of course, the tire tracks of the vehicle were wider than the ATV tracks, so we were blazing a trail most of the way. I figured I’d take us out as far as we could safely go. Never really sure if we were on the right trail, we were pleasantly surprised when we made it out to a parked camper trailer that is sometimes used by more adventurous campers/hikers/hunters for overnight stays. A few dead flies and many confused moths were the only inhabitants that we found. After locking it back up, we made it another couple hundred yards before having to call off our progress due to a steep, rocky incline. Back at camp we regaled the rest of the family with our adventure.
Day 4 – Mud and more mud
Saturday was the big day that we finally arrived at the cabin. We knew this place was off the beaten path, but we had no idea how far off the path it was.
At this point I must mention the rain. The only day that it rained happened to be the day that we would be on a dirt road. Going uphill the entire way. The combination of these things led to quite an exciting trip.
As we headed to Aguilar, we transitioned from an Interstate to a state highway to a local road to a gravel road to (finally) a dirt road. It’s the dirt road the would be our nemesis. Our travel companions were both in four-wheel or all-wheel vehicles, while we were in our front-wheel drive Escape. We were cruising along just fine most of the way up the dead-end road until we reached an uphill turn where the mud was especially thick. We dropped a little behind the rest of the group and had to really give it some gas to try and get around this uphill turn. When we got about half-way through it, we saw the trailer hopelessly stuck off to the side. It had been unhitched from its vehicle and both of the other vehicles had been lucky enough to make through the turn. While we were stopped to investigate and help, I had a feeling we would have trouble continuing on. I was right.
After backing up and giving the muddy turn another try (did I mention that mud is flying everywhere during this adventure?), we resigned to give up and wait for one of the other vehicles. Wow, this was going to be a mess. Either they try to tow us up or we leave the vehicle here until the rain stops. Either way, we’re playing in the mud for a while.
When the vehicle came to rescue us, it was decided my passengers would waddle through the mud and head to cabin first; they took with them whatever they could carry. Back in the Escape I felt renewed energy and decided to give it another try. The vehicle is now much lighter and might have better luck getting through. I backed it up to get a good running start and hit the turn with some serious momentum. White-knuckled, I actually made it up and around in one piece. I caught up to the other vehicle in time to make it through the gates to the cabin.
You will recall that the trailer is still stuck in the mud on the infamous turn. We decided to empty the trailer and see if that would allow us to get it unstuck. Long story short, it worked. A couple of car trips with stuff from the trailer and it was light enough to maneuver into a better position to hook up and pull out.
With limited water supplies, the vehicles and the trailer are all sitting at the cabin caked with mud. Like knocking snow off in the winter time, we tried to clean them off as best as we could with little success. If we ever get back into town, one of our first stops will have to be at a manual car wash.
As expected, internet access at the cabin via cellular network access is hit or miss (mostly miss). These updates will come as often as is possible. The children are especially excited when they can actually send and receive text messages.
Day 3 – Kansan excitement
You get a real *cough* appreciation *cough* for how long some states are when you spend time travelling their length. I’ll never forget driving the length of Indiana from top to bottom with amazement at how long that little state is. Today it was Kansas from east to west. Oh, boy, what excitement. Once you get past the big cities on the east end, there is absolutely nothing but fields. We would go miles and miles between farmhouses wondering out loud why anyone would live in such a place. Where do you shop? What about school and church? What if you need new carpeting? Does UPS deliver to such places? I realize that wherever you live has drawbacks, but I just don’t get the appeal of the plains.
The day’s highlight was near the end of the trip to Garden City when we passed the airport on the outskirts of town. I was impressed that it had a control tower. I was less impressed when we realized it was about 10 feet high. The funny part was that a 10 foot elevation is plenty high to see for hundreds of miles. Funniest…tower…ever. There was also a lookout point along the route that left us scratching our collective heads. Really? I guess it was at a high spot in the road. I think my yard slopes more than the entire state of Kansas.
A late dinner at a local steakhouse, then a quick dip in the pool. Yesterday’s snafu left us a little behind schedule, so there will still be 4 1/2 hours in the car to get to Pueblo tomorrow. We’ll grab some groceries then head to the cabin where the real fun will begin.
Day 2 – First derailment
You know what they say about the best laid plans…
Everyone was up early on day 2 ready for a long day in the car. The preliminary destination was going to be Dodge City, Kansas. Since I used the preliminary, you can probably guess that that’s not where we are as I write this. Due to an unforeseen bout of forgetfulness, one vehicle was forced to return to Wisconsin to retrieve some very important items. Ouch. Six hours there, six hours back.
Now what? New plan. Those of us that remained decided to press on to Kansas City, a mere 3 hours away. The returning Wisconsin crew will only come back as far as Des Moines and meet us here later in the morning.
So instead of spending all day in car today, we will spend a good deal of time in the car tomorrow. No worries. That’s why you leave early. That’s why you pad your travel schedule. Unexpected delays are just as described – unexpected. But they’re nearly always there. Luckily, we got ours out of the way early. Hopefully, this will be the only major one.
The silver lining is that we’re in Kansas City. And I like barbeque. A lot. What better place to spend the night? I think it’s dinner time.
