Our Wrecker Service

We had quite an adventure yesterday.  Toni and I on the Can Am, Ben and Lynda Redler, a couple from camp on a RZR, and Chuck on his carbureted 4 wheeler went over the pass to Silverton.  On our way to Silverton, we ran into one of the worst rain storms ever.  We have learned to totally suit up at the first rain drop so we made it to Silverton all dry underneath.  We beat the train in so it was easy to find a place to eat. 

We went in to Grupy's Restaurant and I removed my rain jacket.  I had taken my billfold from the storage unit on the Can Am but realized I still had my pistol on.  I laid my billfold on a table and went out to store my pistol.  Having forgotten my billfold, when I got back inside, a guy had my billfold and was asking those standing around if anyone knew Clayton Carroll.  Lynda was standing nearby and we both spoke up.  He compared my driver's license picture to me and gave it back to me.  Really nice guy!

After we ate lunch, we went up Stony Pass to look at the flowers.  Lo and behold, Chuck's unit quit due to vapor locking.  We got it headed down hill and he rode it downhill until he could get it running again.  Yay, we thought our troubles were over.  Not.  We took California Gulch back towards Animas Forks.  This is the route Bryce took his Toyota last summer and two of our boys have been there on a trip years ago.  We really like the area!  It is up high where there is a very pretty blue/green lake.  Chuck's unit quit again just before the top of Hurricane Pass.  I pulled his rig to the top of the climb.  He rode it down a ways but had to be pulled again even to get to the bottom of the pass.

Before we attempted the next climb, our friend, Ben, got his map out and figured out that we need to take Cinnamon back instead of Engineer, since Cinnamon Pass was a little lower.

Toni and I had to pull him up one of the steepest and rockiest areas.  I had the Can Am in low gear and four wheel drive running wide open.  A lot of the times, all four tires were spinning.  I am surprised we have any tread left but we finally made it to the top.  The next downhill was real long and, after riding to the bottom, it started up and made it the rest of the way back.  Chuck admitted that he needs to have the carb jets changed.  Later, we told him that none of us wouldn't be making anymore rides with him until he gets it fixed.  He said he will.

The Toyota FJ40 club was having a really large rally coming out of Ouray and we were constantly meeting a group out on the trail.  I asked one of them how many were registered and he said 250.  I think we met every one of them three or four times.  Next year, we are planning on learning when they are having the rally and stay off the trails.

We rode over 90 miles, which pretty much wore us out.  We didn't realize how tired we were until after we got back to the MH.  The really bright spot was when we saw a huge bull moose just a little ways from the trail and we watched him graze for quite a while.

This summer may not be our last in Colorado but we definitely plan to spend our time in Silverton instead of Lake City.  The really fun trails are all near Silverton and it won't be necessary to spend about 3 hours going back and forth over the passes just to be able to run them.

American Basin and Rocky Carson

Yesterday after church, we rode up to American Basin on the Can Am to see if the columbines were blooming.  They weren't.  But............we enjoyed the mountain air and had a picnic before heading back down.  On the way back, there was an entire herd of mountain goats in the road and beside the road, many of them babies.  I was too lazy to get the camera out so we didn't get a picture.

There was a "road closed" sign at the base of the trail that went up to the Carson ghost town.  Having previously ridden the trail several times, I wanted to see for myself what the problem was.  We found a giant mud hole in the middle of the road that could nearly swallow a Jeep.  From the looks of things, several had tried it since there were several logs in the bottom of the hole where folks had attempted to get out.  We weren't sure but whether there was a Jeep beneath the logs. 

There was just enough room to go around the mud hole so, after Toni got off, I drove around.  She then walked around it and got back on and away we went to Carson.  Yay!  Fun!  When we came back down, she decided to be a brave girl and rode with me around the mud hole.  All in all, it was a good way to get out of the motor home.

The Longest Ride

Toni and I, along with three friends, took a ride 104 miles long back through the area past Deer Lakes, east of Lake City.  This was by far the longest ride ever on our four wheeler.  Saw some wonderful territory, a logging operation in action, a new lake (for us), and really great roads.  We also rode the old stagecoach trail again!

Pictures of Lake City - Tuesday, July 7th

Monday, July 6th

We weren't going to ride the Can Am today since we went on an 88 mile ride the day before.  Toni thought it would be fun to take a ride over to the Arrowhead Restaurant on the Can Am to get a hamburger so away we went.  Any excuse to eat out works for both of us.  It is a good gravel road through some beautiful country involving 55 miles total.

Tuesday, July 7th

We thought it might be interesting for those that haven't been in Lake City to see some pictures of the town.

 

This is the Packer Saloon where you can get drinks and some pretty good food.  It is named after Alfred Packer who ate several people one winter at a spot about a half mile from the current town.  Of course, this was before the town was here.

This is the building where they annually have the play and next to it is where art is sold.

The previous three pictures are of the park in the center of town.  Lots of activities are held here.

Picture of the library.

 

 

Several businesses downtown.  Lake City Sweets is where we buy our frozen yogurt.

 

 

This is the most popular spot where all the fatties get their ice cream, including us!

 

 

Lots of unusual gift ideas here.

 

 

Local bank.  We love banks.

 

These are just a few of the businesses here.  There is Poker Alice where you get pizzas, The Sportsman that sells camping equipment and where I finally bought a pair of duck boots for riding the ATV in the rain, a general store, a small lumber yard, ATV/OHV dealer (where we bought our Can Am last year), a liquor store, and three gas stations.  Also, a couple of places to rent Jeeps.

 

We didn't do much this day since we rode the Can Am two days in a row and needed to let our old bodies recuperate some.  However; we did eat ice cream.

 

If you actually read all this and looked at these pictures, I betcha you are glad you did!!  Ha!

 



July 4th Parade and July 5th Stagecoach Trail

 

 

July 4, 2015 - Lake City, Colorado

We watched the Lake City parade.  It was really cute.  These are only about a fourth of the pictures we took but the internet connection was so slow that I became tired of waiting for the to load.

After the parade, we took the Jeep up to the summit on Cinnamon Pass.  It was a good trip and we saw a lot more snow on the mountains.  After we got back, I washed the Jeep and aired the tires back up.  On both trips to the passes, I had aired the tires down to 18 pounds, which made a huge difference in how smooth it rode.

Bryce and Deborah climbed the highest peak shown in the following picture while they were in the area last year.  It is over 14,000 feet tall.

 

 July 5^th

We left the MH this morning at 10:00 to do a ride with the Can Am up to the Deer Lakes area off of the Slumgullion Pass.  We rode all the way over to the work center, where we ate our little lunch.  On the way back, we rode the old stagecoach route back into the country.  It was a 12 mile trip and very interesting, thinking about the fact that stage coaches actually went through rough country.  The entire trip was 88 miles, which was the most we have done on one day.  It starting raining like crazy while we were out so we put our rain suits on but riding at 30 to 40 mph in the rain has a tendency to drive it into every crack the water can find.  When we got back to the care to load up, it was 49 degrees!

 

The miracle of the whole trip was the fact that it didn't hurt Toni's shoulder.  Yay!  She is cured!

 

 

 

Lots of Snow

We went in the Jeep up to the summit on Engineer Pass.  There was more snow than ever before.

After we got back to camp, I didn't have my fill of fun so I got on the Can Am and made a trip back up to the Engineer Summit.  It rained on my for a while so I put my rain suit on, which is why I look so goofy.  Of course, I know I look goofy most of the time anyway.