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.
Doe with fawn hidden in the grass.
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.
Sunrise
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.
Can I sit on your lap?
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.
A Shepard with his flock.
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.
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.
After breakfast, Nancy walked over to the stile to get into the nature preserve behind the campground. Moe did a vocabulary of sounds in protest.
Today is a laid-back whatever happens day. It is hot and windy. Laundry is on the list; there is a nice laundry room in this campground.
The day drags, and just like that, the time is 4:30. Moe gets his dinner; Nancy and I put in a takeout order from Moab Canyon Pizza Company. Nancy comes back with our dinner; this is great pizza. Moe also gives his approval.
Now it’s time for Nancy and me to drive into Arches National Park. Moe has no idea and is a bit confused as to why we didn’t follow him into the camper. The door closes, the car starts, and Moe has begun counting all the forevers he must endure before our return.
Early evening is a wonderful time to be in this park. The crowds have dwindled, and so has the heat.
Pine Tree Arch
Hike to Landscape Arch at sunset.
The sun gives way to the moon. At Landscape Arch, we meet Allen, and we visit on our return to our cars.
Driving into our site, we see that we have new neighbors on both sides now. We hear Moe as we walk to the camper door. Moe is happy and relieved that we did not stay away an infinite forevers.
Why are “good intentions” never good outcomes? I had a bundle of “good intentions” last night. I would get up early and start riding before the heat. But instead, I start cooking breakfast at the time I had planned to leave. As a result, the day is already blistering. I stop at the camp store and buy three 20-ounce Gatorades. I drink one and fill both my insulated bottles with the other two. Before riding out of our site, I stuffed food and a third bottle of water into a sack that is strapped to the rack on the bike.
Out of the campground, I pause at the busy double highway that goes into Moab. At first chance, I zip through an open slot of traffic to the center turn lane and wait for my escape to the trailhead of the bike trail that I will follow to Arches National Park.
I wait in line for my turn to enter the Park. I get to the window, and the Ranger asks how she can help. “I would like to ride to the Arches.” She tells me to just go ahead; I’m riding a bicycle.
I am climbing the switchbacks up the side of a cliff. I gain five hundred feet of elevation in the first mile.
The Park road is a gradual climb through the rock formations.
I am at the Arches named the Windows. This is my turn-a-round for today. There are pit toilets; that’s it.
No place to sit and eat, so I plant my checks on the bottom rail of a fence and eat peanut butter crackers. I am also enjoying ice-cold Gatorade from an insulated bottle.
I start following the road back to the Park entrance. The wind has picked up and is, of course, a headwind. I am now on a downhill grade, but I need to pedal into the strong wind.
I get to the switchbacks and gingerly make my way to the bottom and stop at the Visitor Center and find a bench in the shade.
I get onto the bike trail that will bring me back to the campground.
Colorado RiverCrossing the river.
It is now Nancy’s turn to go to the Arches. Moe and I sit in hard-found shade, and I rehydrate. Nancy returns with excitement and plans for tomorrow. We sit eating sandwiches and watch the moon light the sky.
We are awake and getting ready to leave. It is sprinkling as the car and camper are being loaded. We opt for an easy, relaxed morning, so breakfast is not on the menu. At least not now. Montrose is a few hours down the road, and with searching, we find some options for a late breakfast.
We drive into a parking lot next to the Backstreet Bagel Company. They have seating outside. Moe is glad to be joining us.
We drive through scenery that looks a lot like Utah, with the Christmas melody playing in my head.
Route 50 brings us to Interstate 70. Every mile looks more and more like Utah. The melody is ever-present.
I notice that now the mile marker is posting Mile 1. Nancy and I agree that we must be in Utah. Around a bend, we see the state sign.
We drive past the entrance to Arches National Park. Our campground is just a few more miles ahead. We turn into Sun Outdoors Arches Gateway Campground. We are here before 3 pm and the check-in is easy. We drive to our site and set up the camper. I can finally shower. No showers at the last campground. Nancy does a load of laundry. I am back at the site, clean and fresh. Nancy heads to the shower house. I keep Moe company while he works through his separation anxiety. His mommy is out of sight oh no.
Moe and I are visiting with the couple in the next site. They recommend the Broken Oar Restaurant. We call and ask if Moe would be welcome in the outdoor patio. Yes, he is.
We arrive and meet a couple with their granddaughter, Amelia. Paul and his wife. In the nineteen-nineties, they had a cabin in Wendel, MA. Once seated on the patio, our waiter Vinnie comes over with a water bowl for Moe. I order the smoked brisket, Nancy the shrimp and chips. Moe tastes each, and all is safe to eat. Moe has second thoughts, doubting his certainty, so another testing is needed.
For dessert, I choose the chocolate mousse cake, and Nancy orders the berry-lemon mascarpone. Moe agrees with our choices.
Now we settle into the night, enjoying a cool, dry breeze.
