We wouldn’t have left Friday morning even if the rig had been ready. The weather was too rough. Woke up to rain, with snow and high winds to the west, east, and south of us; and we don’t want to go north. Blue sky in the afternoon, coach done by six, we’re out of there by seven. We didn’t really want to wake up in their parking lot again, so we left. Did the big bend to the east around Denver on the 470 loop. Stopped for the night just south of Colorado Springs; a good start. Driving south on I-25 Saturday morning, we discovered it was blue sky all across Southern Colorado, and the weather permitted a drive west at Walsenburg on highway 160, over La Veta Pass, through Alamosa, Monte Vista, South Fork, over Wolf Creek Pass, through Pagosa Springs, Durango, and into Cortez. All in one day. No big loop south through New Mexico at all. Clear roads all the way.
Plans change
We woke up in a parking lot this morning. Funny the places you’ll wake up when you get a little drunk the night before. Okay. If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll know we stayed here on purpose at the Freightliner shop to get a couple things fixed. How hard could that be? Well….. two things to fix requires three parts, none of which were in stock today. We’re in the parking lot again tonight. They have all three parts, all from different places, on the way, air freight, and they’ll be here by mid-day tomorrow. After that, we’ll be on our way to Cortez. We won’t make it there in one day of course. It’s a two day drive to get there, but no problem. We’ll still have that half-day cushion…… won’t we?
Plans change
We finished the Bailey job, so we decided to go out to Pawnee Grasslands Thursday and Friday, and get the chestnut collared longspur. But they’re burning patches of the grasslands over the weekend, so that wouldn’t be a good place to stay. We decided to leave early for Cortez, go straight across the high country, spend the night in Grand Junction, and get some work done on the motorhome Friday at a truck place we like there. We want them to look at the dash air and the exhaust brake. A Freightliner shop can do that. Then, since we’re not going out on the Colorado plains to get the longspur, we could loop out through Utah on the way south to Cortez and pick up the juniper titmouse. But there is a winter storm going on in the high country, so no going west. No Utah. No juniper titmouse. Plan C. We’re in the parking lot of a Freightliner repair place out north of Denver just off I-25, plugged into electricity. Tomorrow morning, they start on our coach at 6:45. I’m sure they’ll be done early, After all, how hard could it be to fix the dash air and check the exhaust brake? I figure we’ll be out of here by noon. Then, we’ll go south over Raton while the weather is good, loop around through Santa Fe, and back up to Cortez. We’ll go to Cortez without going west through the mountains. Drive Friday, and Saturday, and have all day Sunday in Cortez, before we start work there Monday. That’s tonight’s plan, anyway.
Bailey
I love that drive, I love that drive. It’s a slow scenic four miles to get out of the park. The speed picks up when we get on the C470 freeway to head west then north to Hwy 285. That’s where we turn into the mountains. Highway 285 is modern four-lane all the way to Conifer. Through the hogback, then the narrow winding canyon section, past Tiny Town, Windy Point, and the Meyer Ranch Open Space. Past Aspen Park, and Conifer, traveling against any traffic. Commuters live in the mountains and drive to Denver in the morning. After Conifer it gets even better. The road reverts to the older two lane highway. It gets a little rougher. It gets a little slower. Past the Black Mountain Inn, the house that looks like a castle, Shaffer’s Crossing, and Pine Junction. Past the twin traffic lights of Deer Creek, to the top of Crow Hill, then two miles of seven percent downhill to a hard right turn, directly into the middle of Bailey. Forty miles, the first ten, driving next to the mountains looking at them, the next thirty driving through them. What a ride! A good morning at work, a trailhead into Lost Creek Wilderness Area for lunch, and a good afternoon at work. Then I got to see the backside of everything on the way home. And know what else? I get to do it again tomorrow! It’s all good.
Chatfield
A short drive, a short day. From Colorado Springs to Littleton, Colorado. Arrived at Chatfield State Park by lunch. We arrive on a Sunday. We’re setting up while everyone else is leaving. We’ll be gone before the next weekend rush. Tomorrow, the commute to the mountain town of Bailey. We wouldn’t normally stay forty miles away from a job, but no choice. No RV parks in the little town of Bailey.