Colorado and Home!

Trailer with one trout pond in background; look how GREEN!

We stayed at the most amazing place on Saturday night (April 15th).  It was called "Spring Creek" and it was a "Trout Pond and Campground" in Big Timber, Montana.  If you're looking at the map, look for small font, because it's not a very big place.  But we loved the campground, and we finally had wifi.  The owners of the resort (because that's what it was!) delayed their (streaming) movie that night so I could blog.  They were very sweet.

John at the river; the rocks snagged the cats' leashes badly

We had 2 great cat walks - when we arrived and the next morning.  There is a (large) creek/river that runs through their property (Spring Creek?) as well as three trout ponds with fish bigger than Sammy!!  When they jump, so does he!!

They also had several (indoor and outdoor) cats, and Sammy was very defensive about our camp spot!!  I don't think the other cats noticed, mind you, but it was fun to watch Sammy puff up and get all "testosteroney".  Tawny just went the other way. She LOVED all the grass... and the rocks... and the creek.

Sammy, totally thinking he could conquer that tree... NOT!!

The Montana drive, both to and after Spring Creek was amazing in that we saw Antelope EVERYWHERE.  I have never seen antelope just hanging out on the hills, in the valleys - in great numbers!  They hang out with cows, horses, on cultivated land... it's so amazing!!!  I think the antelope population is doing well in Montana!!

Not a great shot, but the white dots are antelope... hanging out.

The mountain scapes, of course, are amazing.  We had great views of the rockies, and for once, we didn't have to cross them (in Montana) as we did that in Colorado.  A very different way home than our usual.  I love looking at them and knowing we don't have to go near them to get home.

We stayed Sunday night (Easter Sunday!) in Congrad, MT and it was cold and blustery, and we awoke to much snow on the ground... We shovelled off the slides as best we could, and had to extricate Tawny from under the bed as she was pretty done with the whole travelling in the truck deal.  A quart of oil in the truck later and we were on our way home!

Yay!!!!!!!  Home!!!!!!

The Alberta flat road... the (long?) way home!!!  Love the clouds

We got home about 7:30 pm on Monday, April 17th... after 68 days on the road, 12,145 kms travelled through 9 states.  It's always a good feeling to come home from our travels, and I love when the cats get out of the truck and they know that they're home.  This time, though, Sammy ran straight to the trailer (which we call "the Little House") while Tawny ran straight to the "Big House".  Well, whichever, they were both HOME... 

Morgan was watching the Calgary Flames hockey team (who made the playoffs!!! Yay!!!!) when we came in.  Unfortunately, they lost that game to the Anaheim Ducks (in OT!), so not sure we were good luck for the Flames...  Game 4 goes tomorrow, and it's do or die for them... GO FLAMES GO!!!!

Fall mums and allysum... blooming in April!!! (Thanks, Morgan!)

Our friend, Morgan, is turning into a  real plant guy!! In our absence, he got 5 of my (out of season) plants to bloom!!!  And he says he doesn't have a green thumb....

Pointsettia and Last year's Geranium... having a second bloom!

Tawny's Garlic Chives - thriving in the absence of her gnoshing them daily.

Sammy... enjoying the sunbeam in the kitchen.  awww... good to be home.

So, our adventure ends (for this trip).  We loved Southern Utah and hope to return again soon.  We loved visiting with family and friends along our journey, and are grateful to all who made this trip and experience possible.  I am thankful to all who follow our journey through this blog, and make comments, and send us well wishes.  We are home safe and sound, and thank you for all your good thoughts and prayers.  Until the next adventure... adieu!!     xo Sammy and Tawny, and John and Dawn

Wyoming - on the road home

 We’ve been 9 days without Wifi, and it’s a bit hard to catch up on that much blogging!!  I have to say that this trip has been a technology challenge.  If I have cell service, I don’t have wifi, and very often the reverse is true too.  It’s hard to believe that there are places that have no cell service but do have wifi (somewhat).  I am beginning to understand that “free wifi” means… “we maybe have wifi, as long as you want to access it between the hours of 2 and 4 pm and we are not at the end of our billing cycle and out of data allowance”.  Most places that advertise wifi really don’t have wifi… to speak of…

Neither John nor I have ever been to Wyoming, and the countryside is really beautiful.  We did not dilly-dally through Wyoming, but we did drive from the south end to the north end and saw the changes in the topography.  It is very pretty country.

We particularly enjoyed the Cottontail bunnies.  Well, DUH… it’s EASTER after all! 😊  There were cottontail bunnies pretty well from the time we entered Wyoming until we left.  Funnily enough, there don’t seem to be any bunnies in Montana…

Tawny LOVES bunnies (and Sammy too).  They love to chase after them, and it gives them (all) great exercise, and I'm happy to report that all the bunnies they encountered were MUCH faster runners than either cat...

Tawny, watching horses at Douglas, WY

We have seen lots of horses too (close up). Tawny is mesmorized by horses.  Sammy is afraid of them, but Tawny really seems to be intrigued and interested in them.

Sammy, IN the 5th wheel... never saw that before!! He didn't like the wind

Gorgeous view of ranchland in Wyoming

Sam, in Sheridan, WY

Tawny near Goose Creek in Sheridan

The weather has been cold and windy since we left the Denver area.  The wind gusts are up to 65-70 kms/hr and the steady wind doesn’t seem to be much less.  The cats are a bit freaked out by the wind, and we think it might end our hopes of ever having a campfire this trip. We have yet to have a campfire with over 2 months on the road!! We had the worst gas mileage ever driving into the wind today (April 15^th) and the best gas mileage two days ago with the wind at our tail!  It’s been a bit of a crap shoot, but the constant is that it is really freaking windy all the time, everywhere.

We just crossed into Montana today and we're a couple of days from being home.  It's been a great trip.  Happy Easter, everyone!!!

Denver area Visit with Cousins!

Pike's Peak: #30 of 53 mountains over 14,000 ft in Colorado

The trip to Denver was really pretty.  The Rockies are really spectacular; whether one is in Alberta or in Colorado.  There are 53 mountains in Colorado that are over 14,000 ft in elevation and have 300 ft of "topographic prominence"... meaning that the base elevation is at least 11,000 ft elevation.  By way of comparison, the highest peaks in Alberta are just over 12,000 ft, but the base elevation is much lower, giving the appearance of much larger mountains.







It is a difference, and a similarity, that both John and I love about Alberta and Colorado...










Saturday (April 8^th) we drove up to Boulder, CO to visit with cousin Julie, Todd and their boys, Ryan & Caleb. We visited Todd at Avery Brewery, where he’s been working the past year or so.  He gave us a tour, and we had an amazing lunch, including samples of several of Avery beers.  The food there is to die-for, and the beer selection is large and is really good (!)

Caleb, Todd, Julie, Dawn and John - at Avery's Brewery

John with cousin Julie and her son Caleb

Dawn & Julie - enjoying the sunshine and astro-turf grass patio at Avery's.

Kim and Eric at Zota's

Julie and Todd had tickets for a concert that night to celebrate their anniversary (we were shocked they didn’t want us to help them celebrate! 😊) so we met cousin Kim and her hubby Eric, who drove us up to Pine (Valley?) in the mountains.  We had a great dinner with them at Zota’s – a mountain diner – then they took us to one of their fav bars: the Bucksnort Saloon.  People attach dollar bills all over the walls and ceiling, and it’s just a super fun atmosphere. We had given Kim and Eric a $Cdn $5 bill a few years ago, and we found it attached to the ceiling near the bar area, signed by all 4 of us. Cool!!  I think it’s the only Cdn currency in the place.  The live band that night was great, and we just had a really great evening with Kim and Eric.

John, Kimmie and Dawn at Zota's

The dollar bills at Bucksnort's Bar...

Eric, Kim, John, Dawn, Julie and Todd on top of Mt Sanitas

Sunday (April 9^th) we met both cousins and families near Boulder to do a hike up Mount Sanitas. The views were really expansive, and the hike itself was really fun – mostly all up then a bit of a scramble hike back down… a nice remembrance of our Utah scramble hikes. 

I just love that there are so many hikes and biking trails within 15 minutes of our cousins’ houses in Boulder and Highlands Ranch (Littleton), CO.  The lifestyle is so active and healthful in the Denver area.  I love it.

Monday (April 10^th) we took our truck in to Costco to have the tires rotated and restocked our trailer with food… we were running pretty low!  The cats had a great day exploring and getting tuckered out. They had spent the past couple of days alone in the trailer and they were ready for adventure!

Atop of Mt. Carmel

Tuesday (April 11^th), John and I went for a mountain bike ride around the Bear Creek Lake park. Eric had recommended the trails and we decided to do one of the loops – up Mount Carmel.  Well, we couldn’t have been farther from the trailer at the far end of the “loop” when John’s chain broker.  I had a spare chain in my panier, but unfortunately, no chain tool (!) so John tried to install the thing using a pair of rusty pliers and sheer hand strength.  Unfortunately, the chain was not the right size and John’s choice of gears to get back home with were very limited, but he got to ride (versus pushing the bike all the way back UP the mountain and down) so we were feeling pretty lucky…   We got within about ½ a mile of the trailer (we could SEE it!!) and my back tire blew.  That is the OTHER tire; not the one that blew in KodaChrome State Park in Utah.  Really??  I bought new tires in Loa (but not new inner tubes).  So I walked my bike back to the trailer and John coasted with his chain slack and almost dragging on the ground. We were a sorry sight, I’m sure.

Dawn and Mia

John showered and tried to get most of the bike grease off his hands, then we headed to Kim & Eric’s for dinner.  Kim made an amazing dinner (as always! She went to Chef School, don’t you know!) and we enjoyed our evening with them very much.  Her Siamese cat, Mia, is starting to come around and get used to me… she’s the first cat that’s ever been a challenge for me, but she had definitely been a challenge – for 5 years!!! So happy that I can finally be in the same room with her and she doesn’t run and hide.

Wednesday (April 12^th) we were back at Costco, getting the lug nuts tightened on the truck, then we headed to Kim & Eric’s again – this time with a sack of laundry and both bikes!  John worked in Eric’s workshop in the garage (with Eric's bike tools) to fix our bikes, and we washed enough clothes to get us home.  It’s been a while between laundry facilities, and we were very appreciative to have access to Kim & Eric’s.

Julie and Todd came from Boulder for dinner and Kim put on an incredible spread – from crab and baguette appies with brussel sprout chips – to grilled halibut with pesto zoodles (zucchini noodles) and cauliflower mash.  And grilled Caesar salad with proscutto.  OMG… great dinner.  We had such a lovely evening with lots of food, fun and laughter with all the cousins.

Todd, Julie, Kim and Eric (with Francesca)

John and Dawn

Todd and Julie

The Girls (cousins!!)

The Boys (Outlaws!)

It’s definitely spring in the Denver area.  We saw such lovely trees and bushes in full bloom; we wondered what spring is shaping up like in Calgary.  I imagine it does not look like Denver!

But we're on our way home now... whether or not it is Spring!!

Bear Creek Lake Park and RATTLESNAKE!!!!!

I have to preface this blog post with SHE IS OK (!) but Tawny tangled with her first (and hopefully last!) rattlesnake at Bear Creek Lake Park (near Denver) on Friday (April 7th).  This was within 15 minutes of us arriving!  John was still levelling the trailer, the slides weren't even out yet - and I thought she was mousing.  Well... she was, in a sense.  I heard a loud squeak in the deep (dead) grass behind our campsite, and Tawny heard it too.  She jumped into the grass and skittered along with her front feet (presumably chasing the mousie) but I think what happened was that the snake killed the mouse and that's the loud squeak we heard, and then Tawny flushed out the snake.  I heard the rattle... but it didn't register right away. (Um... we're from Calgary!!)  Then I hard a louder rattle and my brain kicked in at the same time as Tawny jumped about 2 feet in the air. She came down heavy and I yanked on her leash so hard that it "calf-roped" her.  I grabbed her and hugged her tight to my chest, then RAN!!!!  But not before I got a real up-close look (too close for me) at the snake - and it was large!  Scared the bejesus out of me...  He was still rattling as he took cover under the dead brush again, and I totally thought he was chasing us, but now I think that unlikely.  He was probably heading the other direction, but at the time, I thought he was going to chase us down.  We couldn't see him under all the dead brush... and I ran with Tawny-girl until I got back to the truck.

Somehow, the snake did not bite Tawny.  She totally dodged that bullet.  I think now that maybe it either startled her with the loud rattle, or his tail might have touched her - and that's why she jumped so high.  But in that moment, I could not tell what had happened, and I was terrified.  I thought she was bit.

Sam, watching for mice from his favourite rock perch

We kept her quiet and watched for signs of swelling, blood, pain: anything that would indicate a rattlesnake bite.  And there were none. Two hours after the ordeal, John & I let out the collective breath we had been holding, and decided that Tawny was a very lucky girl... and us too! We love our Tawny!!!

We spent the rest of the time at Bear Creek Lake Park with a stick in one hand when the cats were outside. We beat the bushes  and the laid over dead grass before either cat was allowed to enter a new (unbeaten) area. So the mousing was not great for them, but Sammy did manage to catch one on Tuesday - and we were extremely grateful to see that there was no snake attached to it...

It's been a very mild winter in the Denver area, so the snakes are out and active very early - and this campground only opened five days before we got there, so the wild area around our spot had likely not been disturbed since last Fall.  Well... it has been NOW!! :)

Tawny, walking along one of the many bike/horse paths in the park

Sam, surveying the landscape from his 2nd fav rock perch!

The cats really enjoyed their time in Bear Creek Lake Park.  The paths are good for walking, and they spent hours mousing in the bushes behind our campsite.  It really was a great spot to stay in while we visited family in the Denver area (other than the snake....and the lack of wifi for 6 days!!)

Tawny, rolling around and loving up a clump of grass

Cortez and Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado

Tawny, with her ducks

Sunday, April 2nd, we moved the trailer from Monticello, UT to Cortez, CO.  We're 800 ft lower in elevation here and hoping that we won't get as much snow.  The tree buds are starting to open here and though we haven't seen any flowers, it does look more like spring than we've seen lately.

There is a large field behind the RV park and both cats have enjoyed their walks through the field - rolling in the dirt and checking out the numerous prairie dog holes.  Tawny found a small dugout that had ducks swimming in it!

John and I finally got haircuts!!  This is the first town we've found in over 2 weeks that actually has barbers and hairdressers in it.  Who knew there were towns (and counties!) without people to cut hair!!!  We're very thankful to finally get that done!



Monday, April 3rd, we headed to the Anasazi Cultural Centre near Dolores, CO to learn about the "Cliff Dwellers of Mesa Verde".  "Anasazi" is a Navajo word that has long been used to refer to the early people of Mesa Verde and the surrounding area, but it is no longer politically correct; the current term being favoured is "Ancestral Puebloan"to show a link to the modern Pueblo people of the southwest United States.  Unfortunately, Anasazi is still being used for museums, interpretive signs and the aforementioned Cultural Centre.  It will take a while to completely eradicate its usage.

On the way to Mesa Verde

Tuesday, April 4th, we battled 45-50 km/hr winds (with temps near 0 deg C) to explore Mesa Verde National Park near Cortez (where the cliff dwellers lived).  It's a bit of an uphill climb to get to!  Park Point and Point Lookout are at about 8,500 ft, then the Park angles downward and most of the cliff dwellings are at about 7,000 feet.

Dawn and her snow-friend at Point Overlook.  Brrrrrr....

We stopped at a number of overlooks but didn't dilly-dally as it was freaking cold and I had trouble holding my camera steady to take pictures with the wind gusting I'm sure over 60 kms/hr.

We spent a couple of hours going through the museum/interpretive centre (to warm up) and we were very happy we did.  Between the museum today and the cultural centre yesterday, we had a good background on the peoples who built the dwellings before we ventured out to see them.

Spruce Tree House; Alcove is 216 ft long & 89 ft deep; est pop ~90

What an amazing feat!!  These people built stone houses and villages into the cliff faces about 200-300 ft below the mesa top, and 800-1000 ft above the canyon bottom.  How the heck did they get their building materials into those alcoves?  Did they lower them down from the mesa top or haul them up from the canyon bottom?  Either way, holy freaking engineering nightmare.

These villages were all built between 1200 and 1280 AD.

Square Tower House; 4 storeys high; 60 of original 80 rooms remain

Note the retaining walls in front and towers and homes behind

They built retaining walls on the slopes below the alcoves to give themselves a flat surface on which to build their structures.  Their food storage areas (granaries) were also built of stone right into the cliff faces above or below their villages.  They traveled between the alcoves and to the mesa top via ladders and toe and hand holds that they chipped into the rock walls.

Cliff Palace: Alcove is 215 ft wide by 90 ft deep and 60 ft high; est Pop ~120

You can see where my other shots were taken, relative to mesa top

All my pictures are showing the "houses" (which are really villages) relative to the mesa top.  But to get a true appreciation of how far UP those alcoves are, here's a shot of the canyon below.  Incredible how they could live perched on those cliff faces... 

There are cliff dwellings on the sides of both of those mesas - one is called Wetherill Mesa and is only open late May to early September due to the higher elevation, and the other is Chapin Mesa, which is the one we visited.


This is a very interesting National Park to visit!  I don't know of anywhere else that had "cliff dwellers" - at least in North America.  How cool is that?  (John thinks they were nuts).