danger on the high seas!!

(ok Abiquiu Lake....)

but real danger...

this is the lake the last time we went out

the put in at the boat ramp

it's smooth sailing in the morning

find a good spot to put out

make a little shelter from the sun

and head home before the storms come in

WELL

yesterday we saw the storm clouds over

the mountains to the west

pretty standard not a worry

then we heard thunder behind us to the east

holy crap - a squall was right on us

we started packing up furiously

we heard some

lapping waves on the kayaks 

but just thought they were the wakes from

the powerboats going by

when we turned to look the lake had whipped itself up

into 2 feet waves, 2 feet apart

there was NO way I was going out in that

we were miles from the boat ramp

we would have been swamped in a second

and it was a good thing that we were slow to leave

or we would have been out in the water when it came up and capsized for sure

(this is not my photo - I didn't have my camera - but the waves

were way worse than this, trust me.....)

SO

I just knew I could not go back in to the water

squall after squall was coming

even if we could start out between storms

one could hit us while we were out there

there was a mountain behind us and we were losing daylight 

and I did not want to spend the night out there that was for sure

no,we would have to walk out

I would rather take my chances on land

though I was worried we would not find the way out as

we were not sure where we were

still we dragged the boats up the hill and stashed them

behind some large willow bushes,

pushed everything we did not take with us

far up into the boat and turned them upside down

looking back down at them as we started up the hill

we had to walk up and around several arms of the lake as we went inland

at the end of one of the large arms 

we finally we saw a road in the distance

and a possible way to get to it and relaxed a little

this is canyon county - you can't walk straight to anything

( again not my photo but it sort of shows the sides of the reservoir 

it was a long walk to the main highway

oh yeah, in the rain, thunder and lighening

thankfully

the first vehicle picks us up

tentatively - we looked like crap

and yet drove us all the way to the boat ramp where our car was

when he heard the story

and we regretfully had to just drive home

knowing that early the next morning we had to go get our boats and gear

if they were still there

I am happy to report that early this morning

we walked back down the road 

(we could not drive down the road as it was private with a big gate

at the highway)

and across the ridges and down to the kayaks

that were undisturbed - except for some ants who found the empty cookie container

(I checked the whole boat for snakes first....)

then we dragged the boats back down to the water and headed out

for the boat ramp

it was early and the lake was calm

but now that I have seen it in its raging glory

I am not likely to forget

****************

of interest in August

so I guess the only thing they are sheltering

is taxes

so the thing about this for me is

that they are clearly saying

I have come for a photo op and not to help

you don't wear khakis and heels expecting to get your hands dirty

or your feet wet

the Pacific Northwest is on fire

over 100 years of managed industrial forests are to blame

millions of acres of the same age tree, the same species

bad logging practices causing the soil to wash away

and weakening the trees............

ok I will stop now

she had been a inspiration to me many times

I am sad to hear of her passing

but we should all be so lucky as to live to 90

with a smile!

this is the kind of shit that scares me.....

and as Obama once said

still alive to tell the tale....

xxoo

you can have Colorado

and other misadventures on the way to Wyoming

you know the kind of trip 

starts out bad and goes downhill from there.....

the plan was to drive through Colorado

and visit my brother in Wyoming.....

we took the backroads north from New Mexico

the scenery was beautiful

but there was so much traffic it was hard to see any of it

cars lined the small 2 lane we were on

fancy new cars with bikes, kayaks, trailers, motorcycles

and everyone was in a big hurry

why weren't they out recreating

instead of on the road.....

first night we stayed in a small cabin

that was on an intersection in the middle of nowhere

that cars came and went from all night

the mountains were very powerful

 but it is the wildflowers that I loved best

the wild lupine, and yellow daisys

the roadsides of northern New Mexico and

southern Colorado were thick with sunflowers this year

fields of them

we stopped at this beautiful lake

 with the mountains in the background

and here I am smoking pot legally

outside at the lake - in Colorado!!

 we rented a cabin in the Medicine Bow Mountains of southern Wyoming

with my brother

(spent one night and then headed into town for a warm and dry motel)

 this is called the Snowy Range - it was a few miles up the road from the cabin

most places you have to hike quite a ways to get to the alpine lakes

above the tree line

but here you are starting in the high desert at 7,000'

and climbing to the top on the road at about 11,000'

the mountains were full of wildflowers too

and still some snow

these are wild columbines - very special and growing all over

not sure what this rock is made of but it was 

such a lovely color

my baby brother and Willi

notice the clouds and coats?  

this was one of the nicer days...

the mushrooms were out in full force

these are amanita muscaria - psychotropic and very poisonous....

and no, we didn't try any

back in Saratoga

 they have the Hobo Pool

a free and open 24 hrs hot pool 

it is a lovely pool and very hot

and right next to it in the river

were natural hot pools

it was perfect because it was cold and rainy

so the hot springs made our day! 

(this is not my photo - too rainy to get out my camera...)

on the way home from Wyoming

we crossed the Overland Trail just outside of Saratoga

wow - those were a hardy people

nine miles from here to cross the North Platte River!!

next stop - Fort Collins

besides seeing my brother this was the best stop

to visit some very special friends

and to buy some very special art!

this is the one!!

I am a big fan of her work!!

next stop was Greely, Colorado

we were planning on staying in one of these cool yurts

on the South Platte River

it was just too cold and rainy

the river was flooding 

and the road to the yurt had deep mud....

so

they let us stay in the Fort.....

this is a 250 acre property on the Platte

the front part was built as a private residence

they gave us the master bedroom

as no one was there

(a little western decor anyone....)

then it was sold 

and the new owner added 3 more sides

and created a "fort".....

it is used for weddings and things

as the weather was still cool and rainy - we headed straight home

through the ag and cow land of Colorado

a little lunch on the drive - almost home

 SO

crowds, strip mining, huge meat factories, huge agro business

did I say crowded?

you can have Colorado - legal pot and all!!

xxoo