The Evenings

For the third sunset in seven days Linny and Tom have spent it on the far side of Hurrah Pass rescuing guests headed for the lodge. The road is deteriorating and a mini van or passenger car is no longer an option to get here. SUV or up is required.

The Mornings

Most morning Linny and Tom go out riding their trials bikes before the day heats up. For the last week they've been practicing and today is the first morning Tom has set sections for Linny to ride. Between the in gate and out gate each time you place your foot on the ground you lose a point. Zero (clean) is the best you can do and five is the worst.

Minute on the Porch

Side-blotched lizard, maybe Who's Up, Colorado Chipmunk eating, baby Hummingbird with mother next to it, Eurasian Dove mother who has made her nest. Then Kobae and baby Hummingbird up close.

Three

Still sorting pictures Tom finds three monuments to Kobae. The third a little eerie.

Oset Does Hurrah

For the last four days Linny and Tom have been testing the battery range on Linster Oset electric trials bike. Today they have topped Hurrah and descended the east side and then returned to the lodge. About an hour and a half riding time and 12 miles. Tomorrow they will stretch it further.

Rabbit

There has been a rabbit relaxing in Kobae's house for the last few hours and Kobae, though in there, has surprisingly left it alone.

Kobae Monument

Tight

When you attach the Go Pro to your hat make sure it's tight.

Together Again

Wednesday Evening

Reminder

Patrick reminds Tom there are a couple more decent shots of the Saddle.

Night Sky

Rainbows

Saddle

Since Tom is apparently laid up for a few days it's a good time to go through and sort pictures. Here are some of his favorites of the Saddle.

Magoo, You've Done it Again

Tom hadn't been to a hospital in 20 years until last winter where he managed to make it twice in ten days. First he fell off the Anti-Cline and chipped a bone in his rotator cuff. Then in 60 years no allergy had ever showed up but that was the hospital analysis after a day of testing. Not sure what. Something ate or touched. They said since it had taken 60 years to show up the first time a second time was unlikely but about a month ago it happened again and Tom had to wake up guests to tell them he was going to the hospital and didn't know if or when he was coming back. Yesterday Tom is at the river helping Kristin get her kayak out since the river had overflowed and something bit or stung him on the right foot. Tom felt it but he was buried ankle deep in mud so didn't pay attention but today he is not able to get even a sandal on the swollen right foot and it's feeling like another trip to the hospital is coming.

Rabbit

Since the feeding of critters began in earnest Tom has always been a little nervous he's changing the way things work naturally. The only change he's seen is he hasn't seen as many rabbits as he used to. Perhaps because he feeds four Gray foxes pretty regularly it's tipped the scales where they are healthier now and can get the rabbits easier. For the last month or so he's seen three rabbits come to eat early morning and early evening just as they used to a few years ago and he'd never seen more than three at a time so perhaps things have worked themselves out. Thought being now that maybe the Gray foxes are too fat to catch the rabbits. Nature has a way of working it out.

Amasa Back (Still Day Fifteen)

Tom has followed the Rock Stacker trail and found a way to the river but it's at least a mile and a half terrain from the village and with the size of the pottery sherds that he has found, especially around the rim, he can't imagine hiking all the way down there to hike back with what's probably not much more than a couple of quarts of water which could easily be consumed just to support the climb. It's Tom's conclusion that either the water source they had is no longer or they lived there part time.

Amasa Back (Day Fifteen)

It's been over three months since Tom has been able to break away and further explore the Amasa Back and he has still one lingering question. The village that Tom found, where did they get their water? Tom has not found a spring or other water source that would sustain them on a permanent basis. He did find a couple hundred pot holes a half mile or so away that would hold water for a winter or a month or so of summer but not year round. Today he plans to explore the far side of Amasa Back and see if he can find a way from the village down to the river.

Lockhart Basin

Tom travels down Lockhart as far as his supply of gas will allow and doesn't find anything suspicious on Lockhart either. He does find a second gate the cowboys left from when they were here in winter which is open.

Everett Reuss

Checking

Not finding anything out Chicken Corner way that might explain why someone has been closing the cattle gate Tom visits some of the side canyons to see if any of the Indian artifacts and the like are missing.

River Rising

The Colorado snow pack is at 150% of normal. With temps in the 90s the river has been rising fast for a week. Tom walks to the bottom of the hill to see if his stairs and tie downs are in the water but can't get there as the tamarisk bushes are all flooded. Heading for the boat ramp it's the same, the trail is flooded.

Suspicious

Somebody has been putting a gate across the trail to a popular overlook at Chicken Corner. Today Tom drives down and wires the gate open. If somebody wants to close it again it will take some time and effort to close it. Tom will be watching.