Chicken Corner and the journey there

For old times sake, Kristin, Jax, and I went out to Chicken Corner.

KaM8Jvu3Al4BioZJYcrntwG6oDj1UZlFvlrqEOE3HH-nH7QDqeJ6EOBbwS2Sc4DTgklWcyRQ-Q1Hd-2H4qRwi5zUeiQvHn6szshmIrN9AaXi7-dgJ-mbqcMkPbvCBlpwfKo/s4608/DSCF0019.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; ">

Mike and Kristin Russo

Kristin Russo came by last week for four days. Mike and Kristin were some of the very first guests I had 20 years ago. They said they went hiking with Bill who was the first person who ever worked here. The family would come out from back east and collect rocks, fossils, and just enjoy nature. I don't know how many times. When they would leave they would have a Jeep station wagon full of rocks and fossils. I ask them if they had a rock shop or something and they said "No, they just liked rocks."On their departure as their Jeep would go over Hurrah Pass there would be a slight gravitational pull in the planet as all the weight went to the other side. Many times while the family was out hiking Mike would stay and just go around and fix things. Then years ago when I decided to remodel everything I was trying to decide who I could trust to do the work cause I didn't have time, and didn't want to supervise. I realized I didn't have to worry about the guy that had been working for free for ten years and actually paying me to stay here. I hired Mike and a few weeks later I picked him up in Grand Junction at the airport and the next month or so along with Johnny and Sarah it was some of the funniest times I've ever had here. In particular asking them to put the insulation back up under the lodge and listening to them discover all the skunks that were living there, somehow without incident. Five or so years ago Mike passed. Not long after Kristin came out to spread ashes at some of their favorite places. Thank you Kristin. Miss you Mike.

Bears Ears

Jax and I out hiking on my property one morning which a couple weeks ago was in Bears Ears and now it isn't again.

One Down, Ten to Go

Because of the temps, outdoor activity is limited. But just for another day or two so getting all the storm damage cleaned up only has an hour or two each day. I want to spend mornings with Jax hiking, administrative work during the days in the AC, then outdoor work when it cools some, then Kobae shows up, pees on the floor in the kitchen, lays in it to cool down, then comes out on the porch to eat and not long after when it gets dark and time to feed all the little people that show up. But on this day I got the wood pile finished and then went in the garage to drain gas from the big tanks I fill up in town and then distributed to side by sides and trucks. The floor is very deep in dirt, next on the list. Even hay and straw bales took damage. Maybe I should have had benches made when I got here instead of bales but who knew, not me, I'd be here 20 years later.

Desert Cabal

When I moved here I use to read a lot. I bought books about nature. One of the first books I bought and heard about was Edward Abbey. He was revered as the expert living out here. I remember reading things he wrote in Desert Solitaire and then walking out the door to go see if what he said was true. It was easy for me. I lived in the desert, cliffs, canyons, plateaus, and lands he wrote of. I learned much early. One of the first days here I walked out into the back yard 50 feet or so, then walked as far west as I could. Not far as the tamarisk and river are there. Moved north 50 feet and walked as far east as I could, 50 feet north and then as far west and so on and so on. I have grid searched ten or so miles to the north, the east, and the south. River is in the way to the west. Ten years later I did it again. I had learned so much there were probably things I missed because I didn't have the desert knowledge the first time. A few weeks ago I was looking for something in the office and found a small book called Desert Cabal, Amy Irvine author. She has lived in various boonies mostly her whole life. I don't remember buying it but I have hundreds of books so not unusual. This book, some about her personal life, some retrospect on Edward Abbey, some, alot actually political, in the sense that she's against everything that doesn't agree with her views, and really against them. There's no middle. This book is mostly an imaginary conversation with Edward Abbey 20 or so years after his death. One of Obama's last days in office he created Bears Ears, a national monument south of me. The argument was how beautiful the area was and it had to be protected. Though one could argue, it has remained beautiful all this time and is already protected. Trump came into office and shrank it. Biden massive expanded it above even what Obama had done. What use to be 50 plus miles south of me, expanded and surrounded five of my acres on the other side of the Hurrah Pass road. Trump just shrank it again and I got my five acres back.

This is the book with my magnetic Kobae bookmark I use. One thing we do agree on, the more people you tell about something, the more some of them will want some of it. She blames Edward Abbey for all the people coming to the boonies because his books were so famous and how people enjoyed them and wanted some of what he experienced. She blames herself some, as this is I think the 4th book she's written. People have read them and want some of it. I remember the day after Obama created Bears Ears, the very next day, somebody pulled up and wanted to know if I had a map of Bears Ears. You think it's being protected by being a National Monument and telling everyone about it?

Moon Between Branches

Hurrah Pass: 5:30am

Couple weeks ago Jax and I hiked Hurrah Pass at 5:30 and it was a little bit daylight, Now, losing a minute of morning daylight every day it's dark with just a glimpse of light in the distance.

As we hike up Hurrah the sun comes up over the Kane Creek Anti-Cline on the other side of Hurrah and begins lighting up the plateaus, cliffs, and buttes on the other side of the valley.

Always with me is Jax. Michelle and I didn't work out many years ago but the gift of having Jax as a friend is way more than worth it. I thank you for that Michelle. I haven't talked to you or heard from you in years but Jax is fine and much enjoying life. Call me if you would I have something to pass on.

Years ago, twenty now, when I moved here I use to pick up all the trash I saw everywhere. Going to town I picked it all up. Required stopping the truck or Jeep ten or so times each way. Then after years of that I saw a glove on the side of the switchbacks one morning taking Linny to school. I left it. I wanted to know if other people were picking up all the trash or was it just me. I decided to see how long the glove stayed there. It was around seven months. I decided to just pick up the trash starting on my side of Kane Creek, up and down Hurrah and all the way out to Chicken Corner. A couple times Linny and I spent Christmas Eve at the Wind Caves just picked up trash. People would take refrigerators and TVs out there, shoot them with weapons and leave them. I talked to the BLM about it and they said if I wanted to use their dumpsters it was ok with them and they appreciated it.

Then a few years ago I found an arrowhead and piece of pottery out Lockhart Basin. Usually I would take big finds to the museum and rock shop in town and learn about them, then put them back. I put my finding on this blog. Somebody reported me of course and i got a call from the BLM, New guy, chewing my ass, could fine me, give me a ticket, turn it in at the BLM. I told them I'd take it back once I learned about it as I always have. Wasn't good enough. Two guys drove up from Monticello the next day and took them both. Two hour drive to get here, two people. Then they wanted to know where I found it so they followed me out to Lockhart Basin, another hour, we hiked back and I showed them my footprints and where I found it. One guy didn't believe me. I could have lied and said I found it on my property and nothing they could have done about it. I told the truth though. Then a few weeks or so later they called and wanted to know where I dumped my trash and I told them sometimes in the BLM dumpster. I got the stern warning again, the as chewing and the threats of discipline. After 15 years or so of having a good relationship and leading the man hunt on my side of the river when Ranger Brody got shot it seemed like somebody was out to impress somebody. I didn't bother to tell them I had permission to put trash in their dumpster from previous management, I was just done with them. I rarely pick up trash anymore and hiking up and down Hurrah I saw the same trash that was there two weeks ago with some new stuff. I do still pick up vehicle parts that have fallen off so no one gets flats and I have a pretty good collection of lug nuts from side by sides.