Summer Trip 2013

[Foy]

Absolutely epic. Thanks for the immense effort your reporting must require. Durango/Mesa Verde brings back great memories of the return trip to DEN from the marina at Hite, UT following a 5-day oarboat trip down the Grand from Potash to Hite way back in 1994.

Ready for the UT report whenever you are!

Foy

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Really enjoying the TR. Epic as I expected. Stew brings the rain? That explains the weather on our trip over the holidays.

Have to agree completely about the quadra maggots. Observed one at our last visit to Heenan Lake. Apparantly a gated road and line of boulders blocking entry meant nothing to them. He went backdown the road a little ways, then completely off trail up the hill until he could drive along the hillside and drop down beyond the closed area and into the lake area.

It's about that time it would be nice for the DFG people there at the lake to catch them but that usually doesn't happen sad to say.
Frank

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Ski I just did a marathon read of the last 3 parts of the trip.Great photos as usual.
On a side note have you read 1491?A very interesting read.Puts a whole different light on what we all were tought in school about the "pre Colombian" people of the western hemisphere.
Did you ever find that meadow from the "True Grit" movie?
Liked both,am a huge Duke fan.Met him while aboard the USS Kearsarge to film "In Harms Way".Quite a guy.
Thanks for the trip.
Frank

 

[ski3pin]

Finally, it is all done. The story is finished...............................

Part Seven

 

[steelhead]

Ski3pin, sincere thanks for the major effort it must have taken to develop this series of trip reports. Terrific reporting of many of my favorite places on this planet. The only downside is that you have lit the fire in me to get back to them - asap. But that is a good thing - thank you!

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Ski just finished your wonderful story.Thanks for taking us on your trip.
Your report also brought back memories of some of the same places we had been but a loooong time ago.
Was the vulture maybe looking at you and the lady?
Frank

 

[takesiteasy]

I remember visiting Mesa Verde as a kid too. Now I want to go back. Thanks for your great report.

 

[Smokecreek1]

Ski just finished your wonderful story.Thanks for taking us on your trip.
Your report also brought back memories of some of the same places we had been but a loooong time ago.
Was the vulture maybe looking at you and the lady?
Frank

Agree Frank, this was or is a great TR -it shows how to properly use out FWC's-drive in and walk around! It sure brought back allot of memories of when I was sent by the BLM in the early 80's (Does that make me old) to the four corners area (Mesa Verdi, Crow Canyon etc., area for some great training on how to set up interpretive ark sites for the use of the general public-great training, historic sites-ark up the ying-ying and great German food and this TR makes me want to back there before I get to old to walk around. Again great TR Ski and the Lady and I too had to speed read through it, now I can take my time and go slow and enjoy it .

Smoke

 

[highz]

What a great getaway with adventures and meeting good friends and feasting the eyes on Natural Beauty. It goes without saying that I enjoyed the trip report. I have a cousin who lives in Moab. He misses the days before the "adventure boom".

 

[ETAV8R]

Brings back sweet memories from last years trip to the San Juans. I had the flippac on my truck during that time. I did most of the major passes/trails. The majority of my group took the Silverton-Durango train one day and I scheduled a Sailplane ride in Durango. It was awesome. There is so much to see and do out there and it looks like you two did it justice. I'd love to see a FWC do Black Bear Pass above Telluride.

 

[clikrf8]

Just want to chime in here to offer my thanks for providing inspiration and a wonderful adventure. Summer is my concert photography season and while Photoshop is busy batch processing, I read adventures on WtW and Expedition Portal. You really portray the experience with your images and words. I have many trip reports on the back burner and one of these days just need to update my blog. Maybe I will put together one on the road when we leave for our 5 week adventure coming up. Again, thank-you for entertaining us with your travels.

 

[ski3pin]

<snip>
On a side note have you read 1491?A very interesting read.Puts a whole different light on what we all were tought in school about the "pre Colombian" people of the western hemisphere.

Did you ever find that meadow from the "True Grit" movie?
Liked both,am a huge Duke fan.Met him while aboard the USS Kearsarge to film "In Harms Way".Quite a guy.

Frank, yes I've read and recommend 1491, great book.

Here's a link on finding John Wayne and True Grit

You Tube Video

 

[Smokecreek1]

Frank, yes I've read and recommend 1491, great book.

Here's a link on finding John Wayne and True Grit

You Tube Video

I read it too. Archaeology is a conservative science and it takes lot's of proof to change our minds on what happened in the past. Ski-that vidio actually points out why it's so hard to figure out what happened in the past , just think how much physical proof of that vidio will be left for future achaeologists to find say in 200 years, or 2000 years, maybe a few rocks and some charcoal? Now you you back in the prehistory of the new world, not much left of the out "physical past" to tell the story-just so many people and so few peices of "junk and other sign" they left for us future arks to find; now go back a few million and try and find some "Lucy's" and really early stuff. New tools like genetics is really helping us to explain what happened over time-ah to be back in the hunt again!

When I was in training to become a ark (in the dark ages before what was called Brinfordian Ark) , one of the first classes you take is called Method and Theory in Ark, and just about the first field exercise is this. They took us out to a juniper tree in a field; it had a rock ring around it and a few scattered pieces of bone, glass and a rock scattered around in the circle and and iron bar was just laying there-they then said "what happened here and when? One of the first things I told all my new troops when we went to the field was "#1 " picture how this place looked like as a couple of 100 years ago-what plants and things were or were not here then --then start looking for things. Some people have said that archaeology isn't a science just because frequently it's not based on so called that much "hard science" just allot of "maybe this and maybe that" backed up by some rocks and stuff, Me thinks most good arks could be good detectives because that's basically what we do, put together a good story based on what we find.That's why books like Graysons's The Deserts Past-A natural History of the Great Basin " are so important to prehistory-it makes you think!

Where is John Wayne when we need him!

Smoke

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Frank, yes I've read and recommend 1491, great book.

Here's a link on finding John Wayne and True Grit

You Tube Video

Ski thanks for that great video.I think there were several "Duke" films shot in that same area.A beautiful
area for movie shots.

These two pictures were taken aboard the USS Kearsarge CVS 33.
When the Duke came aboard the ship to film the on board scenes he made tours of the ship meeting and talking to just about everyone.
At the time I was new to the ship and working as a temp baker.
Now on a carrier for the milestones like landings and takeoffs a large cake is made so the pilots can celebrate.I had the idea that we needed to make a cake for the duke.The head baker thought that was a nice idea.We made the cake and decorated to read "the USS Kersarge CVS 33 welcomes aboard John"duke"Wayne on his 90,000 cattle drive".I made some cacti and cows with a cowboy for the top.When he came into the bakery and saw the cake I thought he was going to get misty when he saw what we made for him.
We all had some cake and talked with him.
Fun times,during the sad times of the Viet Nam war
Thanks for reading this.
Frank

 

[craig333]

Wow, fantastic story.

 

[ski3pin]

Wow, fantastic story.

Yes it is Frank. Are you one of the guys in the photo? Great looking cake too!

 

[ETAV8R]

Agreed. Wonderful story. Thank you for sharing.

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Yes it is Frank. Are you one of the guys in the photo? Great looking cake too!

Yes I am.I am the "newbee" in the left corner.This was Juneish 1964,not that I am showing my are.
Frank

 

[Smokecreek1]

Yes I am.I am the "newbee" in the left corner.This was Juneish 1964,not that I am showing my are.
Frank

Frank

Great story-about the Duke, in 1964 I was a PFC stationed at Fort Huhcucha (I forgot how to spell that), Arizona. Boy-Frank that's almost 50 years ago when we were young and dumb-are we getting old !

Smoke

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Frank
Great story-about the Duke, in 1964 I was a PFC stationed at Fort Huhcucha (I forgot how to spell that), Arizona. Boy-Frank that's almost 50 years ago when we were young and dumb-are we getting old !

Smoke

Smoke speak for your self,I am still a young kid.At least in my mind.
Wow, 50 years.Seems like yesterday.
Just been having fun the whole time.
Frank