On The Road w/ KC ~ August 6 - ?

[kcowyo]

Checking in from a sprinkling afternoon in Lake City.

I played the tourist today, taking pics at the lake and even the local cemetery. I never went there when I lived here because, well, why would I? I mean who hangs out in a cemetery?

I also visited some friends who are expertly trying to lure me back. Had a wonderful meal last night of fish tacos with tequila avacado suace at Mammy's Kitchen. I actually ate in the kitchen while visiting with the chef who is a good friend. And did I hear we have some Shiner Bock fans here at the portal? Well I had a few of those too.

Meeting up with the owners of Poker Alice Pizza for dinner tonight. I worked for them for a couple of years before opening my place. Wonderful people who I miss all of the time. I'll camp up Henson Creek again tonight, which is the beginning of the Alpine Loop that includes the popular Engineer and Cinammon Passes.

Tomorrow I'll make my way over Cinammon Pass into Silverton and down the Million Dollar Highway. For the holiday weekend I'm thinking of heading to Monument Valley to catch up with the Super Cool Chick and his wife Brooke. We'll see where I wind up!

BT- no sight of sis yet but I did see Tim pass me yesterday in a late 80's 4Runner. You'd be proud, it was even white!

Alaskadude and Alaskagirl rule! I wish they would adopt me! :jumping:

Scott, you know I hate to ask for help, but I know you've got some stroke. Can you do anything about the $3.35 - $3.50 I'm paying for fuel? Honestly, you'll see me soon enough. Please warn Stephanie.....

SWR - doesn't $360,000 seem like a lot of cash to spend, to buy yourself a job where you have to work **************** off for a slow return on your money?

Such is the paradox of Lake City, where a suggested town motto for the tourism brochure once was, "We're all here because we're not all there."

A few more pics from this morning -

 

[kcowyo]

Originally posted by Willie
Livin on the road my friend, is gonna keep you free and clean
Now you wear your skin like iron
Your breath as hard as kerosene


Oh yes, I didn't forget about you my little wordsmith.....

To all the girls I once caressed
And may I say I've held the best :violent-smiley-031:
For helping me to grow
I owe a lot I know

 

[OverlandZJ]

Boy i wish i could pack up and head off to meet you KC. My return to work only lasted 3 weeks...and i'm sitting home again.

Looks like your cruising around Colorado, myself and Cowboy saw some of the San Juans in the late 90's.

There was one road we really enjoyed and ran into some severe weather...it's called Last Dollar Hwy and it was awesome. It terminates at Telluride airport. Here's a pic of a scenic spot along the trail where we spent hours...you may be able to camp here also.

I can turn you onto a nice campsite in Gunnison NF if you get that far south. It's very close to "Diner Station".

Pardon the old crappy photo.

 

[kcowyo]

Oh, I knew you were kidding. Although I wish I had gotten $360K for it when I sold it......

What I meant was it is so interesting that everything in LC is for sale for a very high price. Unfortunately you have about 100 days to make your money here as the town virtually closes in winter. There is nothing to justify the high prices except that everyone wants to move here until they realize it is nearly impossible to come out ahead with any type of business.

I mean if you had $360K handy, first can I borrow some and second, would you use it to buy a restaurant? I think I'd just keep the money and live off the interest...:suning:

 

[articulate]

Oh, I knew you were kidding. Although I wish I had gotten $360K for it when I sold it......

What I meant was it is so interesting that everything in LC is for sale for a very high price. Unfortunately you have about 100 days to make your money here as the town virtually closes in winter. There is nothing to justify the high prices except that everyone wants to move here until they realize it is nearly impossible to come out ahead with any type of business.

I mean if you had $360K handy, first can I borrow some and second, would you use it to buy a restaurant? I think I'd just keep the money and live off the interest...:suning:

Of course! Everyone wants to live in one of those quaint mountain towns with fresh air, peace, and run a B&B. The economics never work, though. There is always something screwball messing with the market - like people with a lot of money.

A nice coffee shop owner in Ouray once told me, "If you want to lose a million dollars, buy a million dollar business in Ouray." His coffee shop is long gone now.

 

[bh4rnnr]

Kc, it was good to meet ya. Funny that is was just outside Silverton coming down from Animas forks rd. What are the chances:Wow1: . We will have to get together soon, longer than 10 minutes.... Enjoy the rest of the trip:beer: .

 

[durango_60]

Great camping with you on Friday night KC. Simon(my 4 yo) was a little dismayed that you were gone when he finally rolled out of bed, he is looking forward to camping with you again. Hope MV was good and I'm looking forward to more pics a narratives.

 

[kcowyo]

Greetings from beautiful downtown Silverton, Colorado!

The last few days have been some of the best of the trip. As Perry mentioned, we bumped into each other near here last Friday. Cool guy (best 'do on ExPo for sure!) and a sick little outfit! Wish I had a rig to keep up with him on some of the harder trails around here. Cinnamon Pass with the Condo is about as much as I need.

Later that same day I was able to weasel in on a camping trip that durango_60 had planned with his family and friends. Thanks so much for letting me in on a great hidden campsite in La Plata Canyon. I really enjoyed meeting Jonathan in Leadville in June, he's a great guy with a wonderful family. Cool wife, adorable baby girl and the coolest little boy, Simon, this side of my own wee man. J, please tell Simon I'm looking forward to camping with him again. I know you're proud of him and you should be.

Following a night camping in Durango, I made my way 3 hours west, to hook up with articulate and his wife for a 3 day-er in the Monument Valley area. In addition to MV, we hit Natural Bridges National Monument for some light hikes and later drove the awe inspiring Valley of the Gods. I have been looking forward to meeting MarkF'nStephens for quite awhile now as I'm a huge fan of his writing and photography.

I'll save most of my thoughts, comments and funny stories from that trip for his MV thread, but it was a great trip he put together. His wife is indeed the Super Cool Chick and they were great and easy going to hang out with. He's also put together a great truck for exploring and I really enjoyed his shower for washing away too many days of trail funk. I'm happy to say he's as good a guy as he is a writer and photographer. Inconcievable!

Although I was hoping to travel further into AZ, my candy ass can't take the heat and so I've retreated into Colorado, where I'll be camping near Eureka (between Silverton and Animas Forks) for a few days. I would love to take up those offers to visit our members in AZ & CA, but gas prices, heat and needing to be within a one day drive of home will keep me in the Rockies for now. The trip will be wrapped up in the next couple of weeks as sadly, all good things must come to an end.


"I love to hike with the class of people who come to see the Bridges,
since they all seem to have a little pioneer blood in their veins."
- Zeke Johnson, first Natural Bridges NM superintendent
Journal entry, July 1937


Trip stats -

• Total days on the road - 31
• Total nights camped - 29
• Total miles traveled - 4,551
• Total states visited - 6 (WY, MT, ID, CO, AZ, UT)
• Total hot hitchhikers seen - 2
• Total corndogs digested - pales in comparison to the # of Diet Cokes consumed

More pics of things I've seen -

 

[Pskhaat]

I missed you guys on the way down from Bluff on Sun/Mon! I tried calling a few times, but my mobile coverage was spotty at best and zilch in MV. Hope you had a great time.

 

[articulate]

Damn dude! This stuff came out better then I thought: dust storm in MV

...but on to saying something worth reading, folks, the front of his truck - after those 4,551 miles - was cleaner than the kcowyo himself. That ain't sayin' much. He has a solid (no, literally solid) collection of bugs, insects, road weeds, and cattle flesh plastered on the front bumper and the camper. Absolutely disgusting. And just the kind of guy you'd want to camp with for a few days.
:camping:

If it wasn't for our shower system, I'm not sure he'd have gotten one at all during the On The Road with KC journey.

Sweet MV shots. Good to meet you. Let the ****************** writings continue...

 

[articulate]

I missed you guys on the way down from Bluff on Sun/Mon! I tried calling a few times, but my mobile coverage was spotty at best and zilch in MV. Hope you had a great time.

Yeah, coverage was nuthin'. Sorry we missed you. Mr. ScenicWonderRunner is out there somewhere still, probably doing plenty of running around those scenic wonders. We never hooked up with him either.

 

[Scott Brady]

Hey Mark,

What's with the new license plate :ylsmoke:

 

[kcowyo]

If it wasn't for our shower system, I'm not sure he'd have gotten one at all during the On The Road with KC journey.

The shower rocked! Great pressure and smart set up. There is only one thing that could make it better......


You reeeeeaaaaalllllyyyy need one of these -

 

[blupaddler]

Hey Mark,

What's with the new license plate :ylsmoke:

:xxrotflma :xxrotflma

 

[blupaddler]

KC...

If you insist on staying the Rockies and continue posting all of theses pictures, I am going to have to unsubscribe to this thread. I can't take it much longer.

I REALLY need to get my butt out to Colorado.


Once again...:Wow1:

:bowdown: :bowdown: