Category: Touring

Waking up at 6 a.m., the sun is up above the horizon. I am watching two birds hopping above branches. I hear Nancy and Moe come outside and walk down the steps to my hammock. Moe is excited and stretches his back legs to put his paws on my arm. Nancy lifts and sets him on my chest. Moe is excited and I receive an uncountable number of face licks. It is time to get up. I set him back onto the ground.

Breakfast is over and the cleanup is done. We drive to the Marina to see if we can get ice there. Oh yeah, it is like a mall with a supermarket.

We leave the Park and head to Aztec, NM, to a laundromat. Washing clothes first, then off to the Aztec Ruins Monument.

It is humbling to stand in front of this city. The Aztec Ruins, a title coined by a civilization that has no understanding of the culture that created and left this behind. The skill, knowledge, and desire are gone. What lasts in this stone architecture is theory and to those of heritage, a pride that will not be forgotten.

Aztec Ruins history

Hot and tired, we finish up errands and head back to our nest overlooking the lake.

My last thought as I sway with the breeze in a hammock is, we have lost so much.

A slow morning, the sunrise fills my eyes. I look around and all is peaceful. The campground is quiet. I just lay moving with the slow wave of cool air. I realize that this will not last. The rising sun will soon take all this away until it sets below the horizon once more.

Today we will ride to the Salmon Ruins site where Nancy was on a dig unearthing this village fifty-two years ago. This is the history that I found on the museum’s website:

“The ruins found at Salmon, a large Chacoan Anasazi living complex, date back to the 11th century. Once the largest outlying Chaco Canyon colony, Salmon Ruins was occupied by an estimated 200 to 300 people. The structure stood three stories high and featured a central towering kiva, great kiva, and more than 200 rooms. The distinctive style of stonework used is the same as that found at Chaco Canyon (Chaco Culture National Historical Park). The first or Primary Occupation began A.D. 1088 and the Secondary Occupation began after the abandonment of Chaco Canyon and involved major modifications of the original architecture. The remodeled Pueblo became the largest on the San Juan River until it was officially abandoned in the late 13th century. Salmon is unique in that research at the site continues. In 2008 Salmon Ruins archaeologists discovered a Summer Solstice and Lunar Standstill Observatory”.

Nancy has a much better knowledge of this history than I, for a better understanding click here

We begin the tour by walking through the replica village, the introduction before going to the ruins.

Moe is very tired with the heat so we fill a water bowl for him to have while he waits for us to finish the tour in the car with the AC keeping him cool. He doesn’t like missing out on the adventures but I’m sure he is happy to not be walking in the sun for two hours.

The Salmon ranch in the 1870’s:

The Village:

Nancy and I are exhausted and thirsty by the time we get back into the car. Moe looks to be in better form than the two of us and happy to be united with his pack.

After a light cold dinner we walk with Moe to the rim of the lake. We finish the day with watermelon that has been in the cooler in ice water. A perfect ending.

Just before breakfast, Nancy came back from Moe’s morning walk. She went down the start of a trail and discovered that from the rim, you can see the Hovenweep Ruins.

We are breaking camp when Peter and Sarah drive by, saying goodbye. They are headed to their next campground; we will soon be heading to ours.

We will be crossing the border into Colorado, heading southeast. I see a road sign for Four Corners. I suggest we go off route to see the corner boundaries of Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. It is only five miles away. This was a big letdown, a tourist trap. The corner marker is surrounded by vendors selling worthless crap presented as art. Moe was not allowed in the circus around the boundary marker. I went back to sit in the car with Moe.

Back on the road, we soon enter Arizona, and then we cross into New Mexico.

We are now in our campsite on the rim of Navajo Dam. This is a much busier place than we left. We have a nice site with water and electric and a shade spot for my hammock. There is a shower here. I am relaxing and comfortable with four days of grime scrubbed from my skin. Tomorrow promises to be a busy day.

The sleeps outside in the hammock have been wonderful. The peaceful, cool air, almost cold, recharges my body from the heat of the day. I enjoy so much sleeping under an open sky, breathing in cool air.

This section of the country is such a contrast to New England, where I have spent almost my entire life. I love the newness, being out of my element.

Today, we need ice for the cooler and some groceries. The city of Cortez, CO, thirty miles away, is where we need to drive. Our campground is at the Four Corners, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico.

On our drive to Cortez, we see smoke billowing over the mountain range. We have lunch and do the shopping. On the return, the fires have spread over to this side of the range.

Back at the campground, we relax in the shade until 7:00 pm visiting with Peter and Sarah. We finish the night celebrating July 4th with margaritas in a can. Classy!

It is now and cool. I’m ready for another great night in the hammock.

Just before sunrise, I woke and looked at the sky. I closed my eyes for a bit more sleep.

This morning, Nancy made pancakes. We settled into the heat and relaxed most of the day. The ravens didn’t seem to mind the heat; two sat on the shade structures over picnic tables, moving between ours and the two other occupied sites.

But the shade is no match for the heat. Moe looks miserable moving from being near us to under the camper. He is panting, so I soak a face cloth with cool water and place it on his back, securing it by tucking it under his collar. This seems to be working.

Dinner is teriyaki beef over rice.  After the clean-up, we drive to Cutthroat Castle, where we hike to the ruins.

We then drive to Painted Hands Pueblo to hike the rim before sunset.

Driving back to our campsite, the sunset is on our right as we headed south.

I slept well last night with a cool breeze sweeping my face.

The warm sun on my face and light leaking through my eyelids awakened me to hear Nancy and Moe moving and talking in the camper. Putting my foot on the ground and doing a big stretch, I fill my lungs with morning air. There is no better way to sleep than under an open sky. 

As I light the cook stove with breakfast in mind, I feel the burning heat on my back. This is the moment I realize I am as comfortable as I will be today. The sun rises and the heat builds.

Somewhere in the move here, I lost my toothbrush. We are hours away from any kind of store. Aneth is the closest town that might have toothbrushes; Sinclair gas station is a forty-minute drive.

The small town with a handful of buildings only has this one option. Nope! The man behind the counter informs me that the Family Dollar in Montezuma Creek is my best bet. We drive another eight miles to hopefully find a toothbrush. Yes! They have what I need; I also buy a bag of ice, the campground doesn’t sell ice. The gift shop at the Visitor Center only sells useless memorabilia, nothing that would actually be useful to the campers they host.

We head back to the campground. It is now hot enough to melt shoes on the pavement. The ice survived and filled the cooler. Nancy, Moe, and I seek out tiny spots of shade where we scrunch, pretending to feel a bit cooler.

After a nice Ravioli dinner cooked by Nancy, we headed to the trail down into the canyon and up to the other side to hike the rim to see the ancestral Puebloan village.

The sun is setting, what a great time to be here in this light. The scenery is stunning. What a beautiful place to live life.

I fall asleep under a bright star-filled sky.

Last night I watched the sky while falling asleep.

I opened my eyes at 6:30. The sky is full of sun and light wind is blowing the hammock, tempting me to close my eyes. I hear Nancy opening the camper door to let Moe out for his morning walk. I unzip my sleeping bag and turn sideways to place my feet into waiting shoes on the ground below.

We start packing to leave. We are going to Hovenweep, UT, for four days. Here are ruins left by ancestral Puebloan farmers who lived here from 1230 to 1275 CE.

The drive to Ridgway and today’s drive to Hovenweep defy logic. We dropped forever to get to Ridgway, and as we start our drive today, we have a mediocre climb to the summit.  After we crest, we begin a descent that lasts thirty miles, averaging 6%. Now at Hovenweep, the elevation is about the same as Ridgway. The Escher stairway is real.

This is a primitive campground, with no water or electrical hookups. But each loop has a restroom with flush toilets and a spigot for water. There is a five-gallon per person a day limit.

After settling in, Nancy walked to see where the trailhead is located. We visited with some people staying here, a couple next to us, and a woman on the other side of the loop. It is quiet and relaxing. I am exploring for a place to hang the hammock. The sun is low, and it is now cool with a breeze. All the signs of a comfortable night.

I fell asleep last night with smoke in my nose and eyes. The warm night became cold by morning. The 46° smoky breeze felt close to uncomfortable. I woke at 6:30 and went inside the camper. I was awake but feeling that I wanted the warmth.

Today I feel lazy, so after breakfast and coffee, I cleaned the dishes and the three of us walked around in the park.

The sun is up, and when out of the shade, it feels hot. This heat is draining.

The sun has lowered, and the edge has eased. I feel like doing something, anything. I walk to the water tap, enjoying the sound of a recorder. This turns into a nice visit with the woman playing music, stories are swapped of our tours. They have gone to many interesting places.

We drive into the town of Ridgway. This town was the set for the John Wayne movie, True Grit. We have dinner at the True Grit Cafe; the inside looks like an old western saloon. We eat out on the front porch with Moe.

The nearby fire is now just on the other side of a small mountain range. Helicopters have been flying over us to suck water from the lake to douse the fires.

The day has flown by. While being in the moment, it was a slow crawl. It is 9:30 p.m. I’m in the hammock, ready to fall asleep. The overnight temperature will be the same as last night. Tonight I am bundled in warm clothes.

I wake up before Nancy and take Moe for his morning walk. Nancy is awake when we get back. I walk to the restroom and take a shower. Nancy heads over for her shower. I cook eggs and toast. Our neighbors Amos and Beth are just about loaded to leave. I make coffee. Nancy is back, and we head over to say “goodbyes”. They are headed north, and we are headed south.

Smoke is in the air, and the horizon is hazy. We drive over the La Sal Mountains. The climb to the summit is not long, and we don’t gain much elevation. Then! We drop down S-curves that wind down the side of the mountain. After ten miles of dropping, we enter Colorado and continue the drop for another fourteen miles.

The valley that we finally reached is a slope to another winding drop. We continue losing elevation that will end at Ridgway, CO.

Smoke is billowing up over a range ahead of us. Nancy pulls off the road and calls our campground. They are still open but on alert in case the fire spreads to their side of the mountain.

We arrive at a great campground overlooking a lake and views of mountains that almost look like small Alps. This is how the campground was described to us.

Once set up, we walk a short trail to the scenic viewpoint. The sun is now fading, and the air is heavy with smoke.

I will sleep in my hammock tonight.

I saved the best for last. Last night after our dinner, walking back to the car, I discovered a flask in a storefront window. This morning on our way out of Moab, I had Nancy stop so I could go to the store to purchase this flask. It is perfect in so many ways. I just need to have it. It is now in my possession. All the struggles on this tour are vindicated.

My breakfast this morning is leftover pizza. I put the three cold pieces into the broiler of the camp stove. A few minutes later, I am enjoying hot pizza. I relax in the shade as time slides by. It dawns on me that I forgot coffee. Well, with a slow shuffle, I gather the ground beans and boil water. The Aeropress sits with coffee over the filter. The moment arrives, boiling bubbles in the pot. I pour and enjoy the aroma before pressing. With coffee in a cup, I find my way to the waiting chair.

Time goes by, and I get bored. I suggest that we walk in the bike lane to the footbridge over the Colorado River. There is a trail into a small canyon. We walk the trail to the edge of bush whacking into brush. It is hot, and Moe is panting. We head back to the boat ramp where Nancy carries Moe to the river and gently lowers him into the water. He looks at me through eyes of mixed messages. He looks panicked and relieved to be cooling.

We had planned to go back into Arches National Park after dinner. But, somehow, we dozed off until 6:30 p.m. We searched and found The Spoke on Center, a nice restaurant with a dog-friendly patio. Great food and excellent margaritas. Moe was treated like royalty, a bowl of ice water, an ice cream pup cup, and pats and squees from the staff.

We get back to our site to see a full moon, red from the fires.