Strange Times

 This has been such a strange month. I've had four or five people not make it and all the really difficult spots in the road are gone. There's still a lot of takes some work spots though. Couple people called and said their spouse almost had or was having a melt down. Guy in a stock Jeep Wranger said I didn't describe the road very well and it needs more clearance. I told him Linny had been driving the pass to school in her stock Jeep Wrangler since she was eight years old. Still another accused me of leisurely describing the road. I give refunds for cancellations to include the day of check in when it's highly unlikely I can re-rent it. If they can't find the place in the dark I have to go look for them. It's extra work for me and I take all the financial risk. Why would I mislead them?

We never get rain in July but we're getting in about every 3rd day for the last two weeks or so. The river goes up, drowns the beach, then goes down and the beach is larger, then drowns it, grows larger when it goes down. Last night, Wednesday, we had a violent rain on the north end of the property and the creek you have to cross just pass the No Trespassing gate had three or so feet of water in it and took guests coming back from Arches nearly an hour to go the last mile. Tonight we got a real rough one on the south end of the property and yesterday's creek had nothing in it and mine is pretty deep at the bottom of the Base Camp driveway. Guests showed up after dark and went to have them follow me next door in Linny's Jeep with their Jeep and when I got to the bottom of the driveway and swung the wide left I crashed into a three foot straight up wall that had been carved out in the last hour from the rain. Then something got wet that wasn't suppose to and it wouldn't start again and I was in the flood water. I tried 20 or so times to start it and got it on the 21st and went back to the lodge. I showed the guests a new path we made to get to Last Hurrah. It took them six or so tries and then I guided them over with a walkie talkie. It's going to be ugly-er in the morning.

Here's what the beach looked like this afternoon after last night's rain.