Moved On

Since I couldn't bring our jeep to California I have changed the name of my Blog
I can now be found at

http://berniencalif.blogspot.com/

Leaving Colorado

We have found our next job for the summer on the west coast and our excited to move on. I’ve made all of our necessary doctor appointments. I have even scheduled to have those dreaded taxes done. All is in place and I’m ready to leave. We have now spent two years in Colorado and now it’s time to move on.

Friday March 19 dawned with another wave of late winter storms rolling across Nevada, Utah and into Colorado that would last for four days. We were committed and had to be Arizona on Monday. I had resided in Colorado longer than I had planned and knew that if I didn’t leave soon I would become sucked back into a life of normalcy.

With a lot of well wishing from co-workers and guests in the park we headed west on interstate 70 into the storm. In Utah the snow would fall in places but not stick. We checked road reports and were told that are planned route south of Moab on highway 191 was clear and open. So it is decided we will take the usual route and should be in Payson in 9 hours.

We get no more than 10 miles outside of Moab and the snow is starting to stick to the road. It was quickly becoming apparent to me that the road was only going to get worse. We knew that going south towards Monticello we would go up in elevation.

That’s it, time to turn this beast around and back to the interstate. This has cost me an hour and a half of time. The only route left for me is to continue on 70 through Utah then south on 19 into Nevada. We were able to make it to Mesquite Nevada where we planned to get a room for the night.

Mesquite is a very nice town just across the Nevada border with several large casinos that all happen to be full this night. We’ve now been on the road for 12 hours and it’s time to stop. After locating an empty lot close to a casino we park to spend the night in the trailer.

After the $2.99 breakfast in the morning we’re on our way again with hopes that our luck has changed and the weather will permit us to go the shorter route through Flagstaff to Payson. After getting past Las Vegas and down to Laughlin we check the road conditions for Arizona. Once again the snow gods have it in for me. The report has 9 inches of snow in Flagstaff and ice on the road.

Now it’s on to Phoenix and then up to Payson. It turns into another 12 hour drive day. Along the way the snow slowly gives way to a beautiful green dessert. It has been a long time since I’ve seen this much green. We are starting to enjoy the views. After all I tell myself I am retired and this is only part of my life now. Finally in spite of the late winter’s best efforts I have made it to Payson and will be able to make all of my appointments.

Our time in Arizona is filled with doctor appointments, tests, or planned time with the Grandkids. Of course we do need to visit the local Mexican restaurants to recharge. It goes by fast and we did not get to visit with everyone we would have liked to.

All goes well and we both have a clean bill of health from the doctors. I have even changed cardiologists. The taxes go well and will get refunds from both states. Our luck has finally changed and the winter gods have lost their grip on us. Now it’s time for the final leg of our journey.

It should take us about 14 hours for the drive from Payson to our new home. I’ve decided to break the trip into two days. We drive as far as Banning just east of Los Angeles to stay in a KOA park that is part of the group that owns our park.

Finally we have an uneventful trip to Calif. I am continually amazed at how we traveled and didn’t kill each other before the GPS to guide me. Our worst disaster was travelling north on Hwy 5 and running into swarms of bees trying to pollinate the fields. They really made a mess of the truck and trailer just trying to do their job.

As we near our new home there are rolling hills with farm fields all around us. All are in various states of their process. Fields have been recently plowed. Some have their young plants covered with a plastic o aid in their initial growth. Others are close to being harvested.

Signs proclaim that we are in the “Strawberry Capital of the World.” Another claims we are in the “Garlic Capital” and we could smell the garlic. One more proclaims we are in the “Artichoke Capital.” We soon catch a glimpse of the ocean and can begin to smell the sea on the wind.

We turn off of Hwy 1 onto Moss Landing road on a small road that is lined with two Bed and Breakfast inns and Antique shops. There down the road on a corner we see the KOA flag and are relieved to know that we have safely arrived.

Winter in Grand Junction

As a professed “Snowbird” our plan when we started this midlife adventure was to spend the winter in warmer climates. This year it did not work out as planed so we have decided to make the best of it and embrace our new home. Grand Junction area is a small metropolitan city that is really a very nice family oriented community with a lot to offer once you get to know it.

The town is situated in a valley at the confluence of the Colorado River and Gunnison Rivers. Farming is a major economic activity here along with the oil fields outside of town. To the west of Grand Junction is Fruita, while on the east side is Clifton and Palisade with its farmland and wineries. We can see groves of empty fruit trees and vineyards everywhere.

The Grand Mesa is one of those Mecca’s for any outdoor activity you can think of. It is a flat top mountain filled with small trout lakes and streams. There are plenty of hiking trails and some of the biggest mule deer and elk around. The mountain even boasts the small ski resort Powderhorn which is less than an hour away. The mesa is still something we need to explore some day in Mini Me.

We quickly settled in to a daily routine here at the RV Ranch. Still tired from all of our running around in Buena Vista during the summer we actually stayed close to home. Much like bears hibernating for the winter we venture out for short trips in the cold weather to work and to pick up necessities.

Our excursions have been few. One day we ventured up to the Colorado National Monument. The trip took only half a day and provided a nice view of the Grand Junction valley. The sandstone feature reminded us of the Sedona Red Rock area. There was little else to draw us up there.

The next highlight of our stay has been wine tasting. I do not profess to be an expert at all of the nuances of good wines, I only know if it tastes good I like it. Wine seems to be the predominate alcoholic beverage of choice here. I have managed to find a micro-brewery in Palisade and the Rock Slide in Grand Junction. Both have a nice selection of micro-brews and specialty beers. Other than that it has been the mall and sporting goods stores.

The park itself is very nice and well maintained. However, it is not very exciting here now since the park is populated with mostly contractors or construction workers for the oil fields. It is easy to see that during the summer the park will be a much more entertaining location.

Work is certainly different than our first stop in Buena Vista. The managers Gene and Pauline have given me no definite direction on what needs to be done. For a while I was worried that I would have little to do. However, as usual I can always find something that requires some attention. I have developed this to the point where others working here have come to me looking for something to do. Oh! these poor souls have no idea what will happen to them giving me this power.

For about eight weeks we spent much of our time raking leaves. Guess that’s why it’s called Fall! Guess who found the easiest way to pick up leaves?

During the winter we spend our days cruising the park looking for frozen water lines and filling propane bottles. After the snow storms we would have to clear the sidewalks and parking lot.

Hey! its not exactly what I was use to but it is a John Deere.

Someone is always trying to use too many heaters in their RV’s to stay warm and blowing circuit breakers. People are very funny when they lose their power. There is a lot of denial until you start asking questions and pointing out how much power they are actually using.

Christmas came complete with a blanket of snow on the ground. We went out and found a small tree to decorate. We received a nice present early when our youngest showed up with the Grand daughter.
With New Years day it was time to look back at the changes in our lives for the year. I can honestly say that at no time have I regretted our decision to begin this quest. Along with the rest of the world I have some concerns about our future financial security, but I keep my options open.

I have enjoyed visiting with people from all over the US and even the world. Drinking beer with a Grandma from Germany or watching those crazy Frenchmen riding their ten speed bikes over the Rocky Mountains has added to my life.

I have worked with some wonderful people like Larry and Carol from Missouri. From our own Arizona is Frank and Trish here in Grand Junction. Tommy and Sarah the owners of the Buena Vista KOA were great and we learned from our first jobs. Most importantly of which we learned to keep it fun. I have greatly added to my resume thanks to Gene.

Whether I am wading the Arkansas River trying to catch fish or climbing Mt Princeton I have felt alive and that has been the best part.

We had originally planned to move on to a private campground in Estes Park Colorado called Jellystone which is complete with Yogi Bear. However because of some health issues that have come up and I need to take care of we have decided to stay here for now. This will give me some time to really explore the Western Slope of the Rockies for now.

Summer Fun in Buena Vista CO

Ok! For four days of the week we worked at the campground. We then had three days off to do for ourselves. One day is spent doing those mundane chores need to live. Wash our clothes, cleaning the trailer, and grocery shopping. One must never let the beer supply get too low. Not the most appealing part of any lifestyle to be sure.

Admittedly living in a trailer everything could often be completed by noon. So what did we do for ourselves on our time off? With the jeep and sometimes a map we could travel into the back country with our cameras looking for wildlife or old mines that litter the country. Again I was never lost in our travels only confused a few times. But, we always made it back as you can tell. We have also brought our bikes with us and several times rode them up on the Midland Trail system.

Sometimes we would simply hike back behind the campground on what is known as the spaghetti trails. Trails in this system have names like Macaroni, Meatball, or Fettuccini. Most of this country is managed Bureau of Land Management. Tommy would also organize a moonlight hike every month during the full moon. A group would gather after dark at the office to do an easy hike at night. It was fascinating to be walking around the hills by the light of the full moon.

One of the regulars at the campground was an elderly gentleman from Michigan affectionately known as Arrow Head Bob. Every year he would arrive in late May and stay for two weeks. Bob could be seen wandering the campground and surrounding hills with his walking staff and head down looking for arrow heads. The man is uncanny at finding arrowheads in and around the campground. He would always come back from his trips into the hills with at least one good arrowhead along with antler sheds.

Arrowhead Bob and Friends

Several times we walked with him back in the hills to learn his techniques, which he gladly shared with anyone. Bob firmly believed that one of the best ways to locate his finds was too as he says “listen to the animals.” If a deer or bird caught his attention he would go to where they had been to look. I must admit that often that was where he would find his best arrow heads.

Before he left that spring he was visited by a small black bear at his cabin during the middle of the night. The bear knocked on his door but Bob wouldn’t let him in. This became the only subject of his discussions for the remainder of his stay. As with any good story the events and activities of this little bear grew with each retelling.

The bear returned several times during the summer. He would go after the sugar water in the humming bird feeders or dog food that may have been left out. He was even spotted near the campground one evening and three of us set about to scare him off. I don’t think we had much of an effect on the little guy, since he would return whenever he wanted. One of the regular campers named Cinnamon for the color of his coat.

At least twice a month on our days off we would take day trips to explore central Colorado. We would drive up to Breckinridge to do our banking and explore the area. As a change we would drive down to a bank in Woodland Park or Gunnison.

With Leadville so close we visited it many times. Leadville is an old mining town that has survived by successfully making the transition to tourism. It helped that it is so close to many outdoor activities. Trout fishing, hiking, and mountain biking are advertised everywhere. Lance Armstrong even made an appearance for their premier bike race. Additionally, because of its rich mining history it is the home of the National Mining Hall of Fame.

Gold and Silver mining was the main industry for many years and the town has a rich history of unique individuals and their adventures. Early in the communities life a black lead compound was thrown away as a waste until silver was found combined with the lead. The locals have since embraced the hazardous metal in spite of the environmentalist feelings.

The Climax Mine is a working mine that is located just north of the town. It is one of the world leading producers of the mineral Molybdenum. Climax is presently in the process of ramping up its production.

Saint Elmo is another of the many ghost towns. A few people live here all season long but many of the homes are summer residents. There is one cabin rental and a Bed and Breakfast in the town. The General Store is the only building open for tourist and is surrounded by an acre of antiques. The store sells packages of seeds to feed to the herd of chipmunks that live in and around the buildings. A favorite activity of the tourists is to sit and hand feed the little beasts. There is also a wide assortment of humming birds that reside here in the summer.

St Elmo Beasts

Another trip found us traveling over Independence Pass into Aspen. I found Aspen to be a little too rich for my tastes so we quickly turned around and headed back. We then stopped at the Independence ghost town for some pictures. This is a town that is being reconstructed and no one lives there.

The Pass

Several trips found us traveling over Cottonwood Pass to Taylor Reservoir. From here we traveled up to the Ghost town of Tin Cup. Here is another town that does have some residents all year but most are summer homes. We enjoyed the unique architecture of the area and talking to the locals before having lunch at the local restaurant called Frenchy’s. They serve great sandwiches and hamburgers. For desert we shared a slice of their famous Fruits of the Forest Pie.

Frenchy's Resturant

When talking about Tin Cup undoubtedly the cemetery is mentioned. This is a required visit for everyone. It is situated about a mile outside of town on several knolls. Each knoll is assigned to a specific religious group. From the parking lot the first knoll you reach is for the Jewish residents. Across a small bridge the next knoll is for the Catholics. We found that it has received some recent residents. The furthest knoll out and possibly the largest was an area for the Protestants. The last knoll was of course called Boot Hill. The plots are populated with miners, cowboys, gamblers, prostitutes, unknowns, and local residents.

Tin Cup Cemetary

From Taylor Reservoir we could also follow the Taylor River down to Almont then up to Crested Butte. It’s is another community surrounded by mountains that is an outdoor enthusiast Mecca. Crested Butte is also famous for its Wild Flower and Wild Mushroom Festivals during the summer. One day as we were traveling back from Almont towards Taylor Reservoir we stopped to watch a group of climbers climbing and repelling down cliffs next to the river. Further up the road we stopped again to watch a small herd of Rocky Mountain sheep grazing on the canyon walls.

Residents on Taylor River

The final trip I wanted to mention was down to Cripple Creek. Here is another town that grew from the Gold Rush days and has survived. It has been transformed into one of Colorado’s three gambling towns. The towns buildings and casino architecture is great for pictures. Even if I didn’t gamble I left a winner when I was given a discount for lunch for being mistaken for one of the locals.

Cripple Creek Town Hall

One of my goals this summer was to learn how to fly fish. After all the Arkansas River is only a half a mile from our home and is world famous for its fishing. I decided to hire a guide to get me started. The KOA campground recommended Tim Hill from Colorado Fly-Fishing of Leadville. Besides he offered me a discount. We spent half a day on the South Platte near Antero Reservoir. While I didn’t catch anything that day it was money well spent.

He patiently showed me several knots for tying the lines and flies. A wind knot was not one on his list but one that I became very good at. For the first two months I spent a lot of time undoing these knots. As the time went on I got better at the correct knots and avoiding the ones that cost me time.

After my lesson I would spend as much time as I could on the streams fishing. The problem was that the snowmelt had caused all of the rivers to rise to unsafe levels and fishing was difficult for even the most advanced fisherman. For the next two months I tried but felt as if I was only practicing. Then in early July I was fishing the Arkansas near where Clear Creek feeds into the river when it all came together.

I had been fishing for fifteen minutes and had worked my way to a small riffle area. I was being brave with two flies tied on. Out went my cast and it went where I actually wanted. A short mend in the line to get the drift right as Tim had shown. I watched the indicator drift down and was shocked when it disappeared. This had never happened like this before so I stood there a second before realizing what was happening. Holding the line I lifted the tip and could feel it start to fight back. I reeled in the slack and worked the fish towards me. I pictured myself as Brad Pitt in “A River Runs through It” as I netted the fish. A brief moment of admiring what I had accomplished, a quick photo and I then released the poor guy.

My First Fish

I caught two more that morning but none as big or as memorable as that first fish. The ice was broken for me and I would catch more the rest of the season on both rivers. Several of the campers now staying were from out of the state and here to fish. I was now the resident fly fishing expert and a source of information for many of them.

As I had mentioned earlier the owner Tommy is an avid hiker and climber. He had organized a climbing trip for a church group camping with us. As I had the day off and no plans I offered to help for the day. Under his guidance we set up two ropes for climbers to ascend the rock face. Another pair of ropes was set up to rappel down the face. We all cheered and coached the kids or adults up the rock. Not everyone was able to reach the top but all gained a sense of achievement for trying.

Another goal I had set for myself this summer was to climb to the summit of one of the 14er peaks in the area. Tommy at the beginning of the season had promised that he would organize an attempt for all that wanted. There were less than eight weeks left in the season and I was ready to strike out on my own when it was announced that he was planning two attempts.

Everyone planning to go was to start training for the attempts by walking around the campground. I was already walking quite a lot at work. So my training consisted of driving up to trailheads at higher altitudes for a little walk.

Our first attempt was to reach the summit of Mt. Antero. The plan was to drive up to the parking lot and walk the half-mile to its top. I was very disappointed in this plan, after all a half-mile walk was nothing. However since I had expressed a desire in doing the summit attempt and I had a jeep that was needed to ferry people up the mountain I kind of felt obligated to go.

The road to the parking lot of Antero was a narrow rough boulder strewn path with switchbacks. Whenever vehicles met on the trail someone had to squeeze to one side. Mini-Me performed flawlessly as four of us literally bounced our way closer to the top. We passed others that were doing the climb the real way by walking and I thought that should be us.

When we reached the parking lot everyone piled out of the vehicles and strapped on our packs. Those that had been here before only smiled and offered words of wisdom or encouragement as we set out. The trail to the summit was marked and well defined at first. Then we would get into the boulder gardens and the trail would disappear. Our pace slowed as we neared the peak. I welcomed the breaks now since this was harder than I thought it would be. The air is much thinner up here. My earlier training had helped but it still was difficult to maintain any stamina. Others would pass us by and I didn’t care.

We all gathered below the final steep climb to the top. Those of us who have never been to a summit were put in front to be sure that we were the first to the top. Off we went to the summit. As I reached the top and could look down in all directions I felt as if I had scaled Mt Everest. I had spent the summer looking up at the peak of Mt Antero and now I was looking down. Everywhere I looked had that rugged beauty look. To me I could even detect the curvature of the earth from up here.

The Boys and Lady on Mr Antero

Everyone took pictures of the view and the group. Some called friends just to say where they were. At times we would just sit and try to absorb the enormity of it all. As we turned and started our return trip down to the vehicles I felt proud of what I had thought would have been a small accomplishment. We were back at the campground by lunch.

We then had a week to recover and prepare for the attempt on Mount Princeton. Again the plan was to take our vehicles up close to the trailhead and this time I was not as judgmental of our plan. The road up Mt Princeton was not nearly as rough. Again it was narrow. In places it was steep and rocky with several switch backs. At the start of the trailhead was a wide spot in the road with enough room for our vehicles to park.

The trail works its way around one of the lesser peaks known as Tigger. After that you can see the top of Princeton for the rest of the climb. The trail to the summit was much longer than Anterio and I reminded myself that I had asked for it. Again the trail started off well marked but then turned into boulder gardens. People would build little markers out of small stones to help guide you but these too would be confusing. At some point a rock slide had obliterated the previous trail and we managed to find the new one.

The day had started out partly cloudy and we all tried to keep one eye on the weather for fear of any lightning storms. We soon found ourselves above the clouds and would watch them during our breaks. I actually watched small clouds form below me then disappear. There was a blanket of clouds down the valley towards Salida and we were all relived to watch it burn off during the morning.

Again we gathered as a group below the summit before reaching the top. I was just as excited on reaching the summit as before. The wind was blowing and it was much cooler this time. The view was just as awe inspiring for me. Everyone tries but you cannot capture the expanse that lay before you with a camera.

The Boys on Princeton

As summer draws to an end we all started talking about the fall colors. The mountains in Chaffee County have some of the nicest groves of Aspens. With two weeks left in our season at the Buena Vista Koa we began the color watch. From the campground we would catch ourselves constantly gazing at the mountains looking for the first hints of any color change during our working day.

A storm blew through the mountains and dropped the first blanket of snow of the season on the peaks. With the day off we drove Mini-Me up to Cottonwood Pass looking for any animals, fall colors, and to see snow.

We were rewarded with both. Some of the Aspens had turned to their golden color and could be seen doing their dance in the wind. A thin layer of snow covered the ground at the pass. Now we knew fall was finally here. We would have to work the next four days but we planned our next trips as we drove down the mountain.

Cottonwood Pass looking North East

Over the final two weeks of our season in Buena Vista we traveled throughout the back country as much as time would allow. We drove up such roads as Aspen Ridge and Elk Pass in the San Isabel mountain range. Back up to Saint Elmo and Cottonwood Pass just to watch the passing of the season. We had never really been able to enjoy this season in Arizona. Each turn in the road would bring a new hill side that was in the middle of its grandeur. Each turned also brought the chance to view the deer and wild turkeys that called these hills their home.

Fall colors on road to Mary Murphy Mine

Our time here has come to an end. I have talked about many of our adventures but time and space will not permit me to mention all of them. Besides it would get really boring to you after awhile. The more we saw and learned about our slice of the Front Range the more we wanted to do. But it’s time to move on and so we did.

I had hoped to spend winter in warm and sunny Arizona, New Mexico, or Texas. However, we find ourselves staying in Grand Junction Colorado for the winter. We are preparing for the cold and have plans to drink lots of Hot Chocolate, reading, and planning our next summer. I hope to do better and keeping up with the Blog from now on.

We have accepted a job with the Jellystone campground of Estes Park Colorado. We will be known as the Sparkle Team with three students to help with the cleaning.

Workamping in Buena Vistal

We had pulled into the Buena Vista Colorado KOA campground and were immediately greeted by the owners Tommy and Sarah Martin. After a brief visit they showed us our assigned site and we began the task of setting up our home for the season.

The first order of business was to decide which direction we would set the trailer. This was actually a no brainier for me. Pointed east we have a beautiful view of the mountains out our back window. It was like looking at a huge mural painting on the back wall. As we learned later there were three peaks we could see from our site. To our left was Mt. Anterio. In the middle was the beginning of the Collegiate Mountain range with the most prominent Mt. Princeton. Too the right of Princeton is Mt Yale.

The picture is of Mt Princeton and what I would look at every day from my living room chair. Snow covered much of the mountain peaks when we arrived. Each day the line of snow melted away and crept up towards the top. In some areas it refused to give up its hold on the mountain and remained the entire summer.

As I had my morning coffee I would watch the many moods of the mountains from late spring, through the summer, and into fall. Each day brought a renewed appreciation for the majesty that lay out my back window.

We were glad to be here and anxious to begin working in our new jobs. But, it was not be. The owners insisted that we take the next three days to become acclimated to the 8,000-foot altitude. I felt great, why should I need to get acclimated?

With the time we decided to explore the area. I don’t think this is what they meant to be acclimated but, what were we to do? First we drove into the town of Buena Vista. The KOA campground may be called Buena Vista KOA but it actually outside of the town and located in Johnson Village.

A right out of the campground took us past two River Rafting companies over the Arkansas River through Johnson Village to highway 24/285. Buena is a small town and every direction revolves around the one stoplight in the center of town. The town hosts a local fly fishing shop, one grocery store, and one drug store.

We found several liquor stores so I set about to sample as many of the local micro-brewed beer that I could. No more of that mass-produced stuff for me. There is also a diverse assortment or restaurants, and one bar. A right turn at the light took us into the older part of town. Within five blocks we passed the locals favorite restaurants. It has no menu because you are offered only one meal. You have a choice of a salad with the house dressing, a Filet Mignon with a baked potato and bread. On Friday and Saturday is Prime Rib. There is a bistro with outside seating, the only bakery, and several sporting stores. It was a very typical small town main street. The road ended at a riverside park.

For a small town this park rivaled any that I have found. There is a baseball and soccer field that is part of the local school system. The park has a picnic area that is immaculate, as were the restrooms. A path led from the park down to the Arkansas River that is used for launching rafts and kayaks on the river. A bridge over the river is the head of the Barbara Whipple trail.

Going straight at the stoplight led us past more restaurants, liquor stores, sporting goods stores, and several jeep or ATV rental shops. There are three banks and more Realtors that should be necessary. Very tourist oriented to be sure. The road out of town follows the Arkansas River up to Leadville.

A left at the light took us out of town towards Cottonwood Pass. The pass itself was closed because of snow and would not open for another two months. We found Cottonwood Lake, as well as the Cottonwood Hot Springs and spa. There are several trailheads up this road.

Over the season we explored the countryside in our jeep Mini Me. I was definitely glad I had decided to bring the jeep along with us. There are a lot of the Colorado Mountains and forests to see in this area. That was a large part of my decision to embrace this new career in this area.

However, it is now time to get to work. As we were the first workampers to arrive we were the first to begin to get the campground ready for the season with the owners. In all there was to be five workamping couples to help run the campground.

Within the first weeks the other workers started arriving. I know the owners had gone to great lengths to make sure that everyone coming to work would be physically capable of handling the work at this altitude. However, within two weeks two of the couples were forced to leave. The 8,000-foot altitude and the stress of any physical work were a little too much for them. I guess the excitement of living in this picturesque surrounding was too inticing for them.

To start the campground season we set about opening the water supply. Winter had been harder than usual here. Within a weeks time I had become very proficient at repairing water leaks that seem to grow from the ground like so many weeds. These leaks could be found anywhere from 6 inches to five feet down. On the first day Tommy and I ended by digging a five-foot hole just to replace a water valve. He later confessed to me that he was surprised I didn’t leave that next morning after that hole.

As I had expected the work involved very basic electrical and plumbing repairs. Painting and some heavy cleaning was needed to get the campground looking nice. During the season there were many of those basic home maintenance jobs like replacing screens, or maintaining the one and only swamp cooler that kept us busy. Other jobs included maintaining the utilities, cleaning the fire pits and raking the individual sites.

The mule deer are very prolific around here leaving their droppings everywhere. We kind of ignored them during the cleaning. As far as I know no one complained about them since they are considered part of the camping experience.

Tommy has an old John Deere tractor with a box blade to smooth the sites and roads. The tractor is used from everything from hauling firewood to picking up trash. A few of us loved to use it and could invent the wildest excuses to jump on. This meant it was used a lot so there were some mechanical problems. When I drove around on it I whistled the tune to "Green Acres" thanks to my cousin Sugar reminding me of the show.

As the campers started arriving for the season we newbie’s learned about the many quirks of the traveling vacationing camper that arrive from a day on the road. People would pull into the campground and not pay attention to any of the signs or where to park. They barreled in just wanting to get in their site and relax. After a day at the camp most became totally different individuals. Many were even quite enjoyable to be around.

Buena Vista KOA is considered a "Destination Campground." This means that most of the campers came here to stay several days for some sort of activity. The exception was the bike riders. I was amazed at these hardy souls, all lean and fit looking in their spandex, peddling their bikes over mountain roads just to pass through this area. Some of these passes are well over 12,000 feet.

Others came to hike the trails in the wilderness area and of course to climb or summit a 14er. A few came to fish the Arkansas and South Platte rivers. Both are famous for their Brown Trout and caddis fly hatches. I’ll talk more about the mountains and fishing in the next installment. Of coarse some people came just to be there.

Visiting with this diverse group became one of my most enjoyable experiences of this new life. Campers came from all walks of life and from all parts of the world. A large percentage of the campers were of course from Colorado, followed by Texas. I’m not sure why the Texans would want to leave their state that they seem to brag so much about but these are the facts as I saw them.

People would come from Europe just to ride their bikes in the mountains, or to see the Rockies, and just to be in the American West. I had many enjoyable discussions with some of these guests. I have talk about humming birds with a lady from Amsterdam. I talked with a gentleman from Austria about the Rock Crawler jeeps that were putting on a show out our back door. I drank beer with a grandmother Berlin who was traveling with her grandson. I learned that people from England don’t like Root Beer because it reminds them of some sort of medicine. We had dinner with a couple from Nova Scotia that invited us to their little home next summer. I soon came to realize that many of these foreigners looked at us as experts on all things about the Rockies and the West. For me this led to all sorts of conversations that allowed me to embellish the facts perhaps just a little bit.

Tommy and Sarah had contracted with a company from Tucson to provide horse rides. They arrived with ten horses for the season along with the wrangler Kerry. Kerry is one of those unique individuals with a southern drawl that talked constantly has he led groups out the gates. He would still be talking as they returned. You could often hear him long before he topped over the ridge leading back to the corrals. The girls just loved him and his dog.

The days rolled on as more and more campers arrived. With Memorial Day the first holiday of the season it was very busy but it did not indicate how the summer would go. The season started out slowly. By the middle of June it was a steady stream of trailers and campers leaving in the mornings only to be replaced by more in the afternoon. Cabins and sites had to be cleaned and readied for the next visitor. Wood had to be stacked for the fires, and the restrooms needed constant vigilance.

Fourth of July weekend was the busiest time with all of the sites filled for four days. Many of our guest campers came from Denver area to play with their quads and 4 wheelers. Several extra events were planned for the holiday with all of the workampers in charge of some event.
Some of the workampers were loaded into our little horse drawn wagon and entered into the Buena Vista town parade.

Tommy organized a flag ceremony to kick off the evening activities. He had the wrangler ride up with a flag draped over a rider less horse to honor those who have given their all for the freedom we were celebrating. He then asked all of the veterans to stand up to tell the crowed where they had served. It was an emotional time for all.
Other events included a nice Smoked Brisket dinner, and an Ice Cream Social. A team of horses were hitched to the wagon for hay rides. The kids had face painting an arts and crafts booth, sack races, and bingo. There was even a visit from Mark Twain who gave a little talk around the campfire that evening. At the end of the day we were all tired but everyone had a great time. That evening we walked up to some rocks at the edge of the campground to watch the fireworks in town and eat popcorn.

Even if we did not have a full campground every day the pace was very hectic through July and August. It was all we could do just to get the sites ready for the next visitors. Repairs became patches until we could get to them later in the season. We were working Thursdays through Sundays and were really tired by Monday. Our days off became time to recover. The owners called this the "Storming Season."

It started to slow down near the middle of September. We still had Labor Day to get through since this holiday marks the official end of the summer season. Once again the campground was filled for the weekend. Our holiday activities were planned again similar to the Fourths. We served the Root Beer Floats were getting good at selling them.

The Brisket dinner was served along with the ice cream social. The hay ride wagon was brought out again along with Mark Twain. The children activities were similar to the Fourth of July events.

I was off that Monday and enjoyed sitting outside waving to everyone leaving knowing they were going back to work and school. I also knew that others had to clean up after them. Our work was slowing down and I could get back to relaxing and enjoying the area.

We had a staff meeting with the owners after Labor Day and the end of the season was outlined. They had decided that they did not have the funds for many of the projects they had planned for the end of the year. It was even decided that they would let some of the staff leave early.

At the beginning of the season we had started to paint the office/store building. We now had time to finish that small task. There were two projects planned to finish the season. The biggest was to replace the roof over the office/store and garage. The A frame was contracted out to have a professional replace its roof. We were given the task of replacing the garage roof. The other was to pressure was the outsides of all of the cabins. Some of the cabins needed new curtains and the men’s restrooms had a nice border painted on the walls.

I was working on the roof with another worker and we were setting the last piece of sheeting when I had the one and only accident. Without going into details the tip of my middle finger was cut and needed stitches. A quick trip to the ER and my outside duties were done for the season.
This gave me time to work on my skills in the office on their KOA Kampsight system. Within half a day I was bored silly. It was good that we only had a week left here.

We finished the week on Friday and began the task of packing up our home. We have our winter job lined up and they are expecting us.

The work here had been all that I had expected. We both met many interesting people from all over the world. We made friends with the other workampers and many of the local residents. Sometimes the work was hard but rewarding. We were in the great outdoors most of the time helping people enjoy their camping experiences. The campers who came here were here to have an enjoyable relaxing time so everyone was in good spirits. Sure we had the occasional rude person, but they were soon gone from here never to be heard from again.

What can I say? For our first season we had a great time never regretting our decision to become full time Workampers.

In my next Blog I will talk more about what we did and where we went on our days off in the Rockies.

For those who are interested here is the link to the Buena Vista KOA where we worked. The photo gallery is old and I am told they will be updating it during their long cold winter.

http://www.buenavistakoa.com

Our Journey Begins

As for the title of the Blog "Where’s Mini Me" let me explain. For years we had owned a dark green truck that was used to pull our first camper with. Later I had purchased this jeep for fun and to travel to work. Since it was the same dark green as the truck I felt it looked like a miniature version of the truck. I was reminded of the Mike Myers movie "Austin Powers" with the midget "Mini Me". When we began our travels I had decided to try doing a series of photo’s of the jeep in various locations to highlight where we have been.

AND NOW FOR OUR STORY

We left the Globe Miami area on a Monday morning just after 7:00. As we pulled out of the Mobile Home Park where we had stayed for the last four months a rush of emotions filled my head. We had spent our entire life here, owned a home, raised a family, and had made many friends. It was safe here, and we were comfortable with our existence. I can not explain why we would want to leave all of this and start a new life as the dreaded snowbirds. Why would I want to travel from job to job with nothing secure but the first job?

It seemed that we did not dwell on the many chapters of our lives we were leaving behind that day. We did not even stop to consider this would be the last we would see of the area for some time. We were much more excited about what lay ahead us. Besides I had more to worry about.

I had only pulled our trailer twice and only once with our jeep being towed behind it from Mesa and that had resulted in one very badly blown tire on the trailer that day and another to follow later. So we were very nervous as we traveled down to Mesa and the RV dealership for some last minute warranty work on our trailer. I think I pulled a muscle in my neck checking the mirrors for any signs of trouble. The tension I felt as I waited for something, or anything to go wrong was really wearing on me.

I felt an incredible wave of relief as we pulled into the Mesa dealership and completed our first leg of the trip without any problems. We spent a half a day of last minute shopping at the Cabalas Store to relax while our new home was receiving its final touch up. The trailer was ready, so we were set. There is nothing left to do. We had made every preparation for every event we could think of. We pulled out of the dealership and headed north during rush hour for the second leg of our first day.

Now not only did we worry about some unseen problem but also, would our truck be able to pull it as we believed and had planned? Our route took us from the valley of the sun up to Payson over some steep hills to climb and descend. No, they were not long grades but it would be a good test of how the truck would perform for us in the future.

We stopped at a campground in Payson for our first night. We had traveled for four hours total and it felt like ten. From here we were still only two hours from our starting point. Was it too late to stop and back out of this insane journey we were about to undertake? The excitement still had us strongly in its grasp and we did not even consider it that evening. We had done too much planning, too many preparations, too much to see.

This was to be our final night in Arizona for some time. We visited with our youngest family Orson, Trinity and of coarse Amanda. We had a nice dinner with them and said goodnight to spend our first night on the road.

As we left that morning we headed northeast and climbed the road up to the Mogollan rim. I was slowly beginning to relax and starting to enjoy the drive. Everything was working, and the truck was performing by handling the grades as I had hoped.

The plan was to drive up to Monument Valley on the Arizona Utah border. It was one of those places that you know about that is always close by but you never quite seem to go there. I had made reservations for a RV park at the entrance of the valley. The drive that day took longer than I had planned and I even got confused once or twice as to where I was. But, I was never lost.

The stay at Monument Valley was all we had hoped for and more. We both took lots of unique pictures there as we did the self-guided tour in Mini Me. We visited sites where the Duke filmed "A Yellow Ribbon" and other movies. It was obvious why John Ford had picked this area.

While there we decided to take advantage of the time and spent one more day. We head over to Page Arizona to photograph Antelope Canyon. Again it was all I had hoped for. We took the guided photo tour, which cost a little more but was well worth it. Our guide made it more enjoyable as she played her flute in the canyon. The music seemed to bounce off the walls of the canyon making the time we spent in there as almost spiritual. She was able to point out several areas on interest and some recommended settings. Sometime I listened and then again it was time to experiment. Now I enjoyed having the digital camera.

It is now time to leave and continue on our journey to our new life. We left Utah and headed back through Arizona and on to Colorado. We still had a day before we were to report to our new home so we decided to spend the night in Pagosa Springs for the night.

I found a RV park on the Internet that was next to a stream. They were still in the process of opening up so there was not much to the place. I had hoped to fish in the stream that was right out our back door. The winter snowmelt had the stream running so high and fast that I was not able to do anything but watch. We did go into town to look around.

There is some wonderful looking hot springs spas in town but oh what a smell. Lots of sulfur in the water. We found a Mexican food restaurant and decided to give it a try. This was to be the beginning of our realization that we were not in Globe Miami Arizona. The cuisine is not what we were use too. Perhaps in our new home, after all it has the right name.

That morning we arose early and fixed a quick breakfast. We are now four hours from our summer home. The truck had performed flawlessly. Nothing to do now but drive to work and enjoy the scenery.

We pulled into the Buena Vista KOA campground and were immediately greeted by the owners. It felt GREAT to be here.