Wed/Thur

On Wednesday I went to town. I'd been hearing for a few days there was a spot on the other side of Hurrah that was deteriorating. They were right. When I got back from town I planned to email everyone and see what they were driving and maybe meet those that didn't have the right vehicle.

Three or four hours later on the way back I got to the spot and it had a temporary fix. Someone did a nice job on it so I cancelled my planned emails and figured I didn't have anything to worry about. Didn't take any pictures so random pictures I haven't used.

As I'm coming down my side of Hurrah there is a family working on the bad spot on my side. I pull up and ask them where they are headed and they say "Last Hurrah". I say "That's me. You don't need to work on the road I can guide you through it."

A few hours later I get a text and an email from an incoming guest saying they are stuck coming up Hurrah Pass. I text back I'm on the way. Mike who has been staying here four or five days says he's bored and jumps in the truck. We find the guests on top of Hurrah having hiked up to get better reception escorted by some folks in a side by side. I tell them I got them and we drive back down to the spot I thought was fixed and looked pretty good to me and still did but somehow they got sideways coming up the think and were back down at the bottom in a gully with the rear bumper up on a rock in their F-150 same as mine. I'm glad Mike was with me and he drove it while I tow strapped it up the tough spot. While we're getting them situated my other check in drives up it and right by us. Everyone follows us back to the lodge.

On Thursday the road building guests ask me to take them to Skinny People. Just the second or third hike I've been on since Jax departed. Still tough to go without him.

The Critters: (Courtesy Tami)

It's nice having Tami and Chris here doing the brunt of the work. I see them both working so hard all day and am a bit amazed I've been doing it mostly by myself for much of the time. I'm enjoying each of them getting more familiar with the critters.

It takes three to five hours sometimes to clean the main house depending on what kind of shape the guests leave it in. I dreaded cleaning it but Tami has made some friends that hang out there and watch her.

Packages

I go to the post office expecting my ink for the printer and there are four boxes, none of them the ink. Both Chinle Miller and Rich Curtin put out new books. I finished Curtin and I'm still on book 2 of Miller. At the moment collectively they are writing faster than I can read.

I had a birthday, the 68th, and Linda sent me this. Pretty cool.

I don't think I ever acknowledged Jenn, Nancy, Devin, and Brena for the neat notepad they gave me.

Mike and Penny brought us all cheeseburgers from Milt's. I could show you the wrappers but the burgers didn't last long.

Last year Debbie and Wayne stayed here and they ask me for a pitcher to make tea and I searched the whole property and couldn't find one when usually I have ten. There is a pitcher thief. They said they'd send me a pitcher when they got home and one of the boxes I picked up had these in it and a scarf.

Peter and Sabine rented one of the hogans for three weeks saying they were looking to move out here in the boonies somewhere and they decided the best way to learn for sure what they were looking for was to live in the hogan for three weeks and ask questions learning as much as they can. In exchange they said they didn't know what to give "the man that had everything". But they sorted it out because I didn't have this.

Who's That (Courtesy Tami)

Chicken Corner: On the way

Talking to Tami and Chris a few days ago they had never been to Chicken Corner so with few guests at that moment we headed out.

In the first creek bed on the way is this artifact site with a dwelling. Can see the stairs cut in the rock leading into the dwelling.

A ways further before the intersection to Lockhart Basin just off the side of the trail is a natural bridge.

This is a mystery. Previous ownership told me that one day he found a horse in the camel pen and followed it's tracks back to this spot where someone had fallen off his horse and died. He told me that each year around New Year's somewhere that the wife would come out and they would jointly go out and mourn at the site. To expect here each year and give her a ride out. The first year around New Year's somewhere a lady came and ask for the previous owner. I told her that he had sold and moved and it was me now but I knew why she was here. We went out to the site. I stayed in the Jeep. After 15 minutes or so she came back, I took her to the lodge, she left and I never saw her again. Bill and I had put a rock for a headstone out there and Bill put a cowboy rope around it.

Then a few years ago this showed up at the spot. So who was the lady that I drove out there with?

This is false chicken corner. All the professional maps show it as Chicken Corner but they are wrong. One day some guests called and ask how long the motorcycle and helmet had been at the bottom of the cliff. On the walkie I told them "Never." They said they were there now so I called SAR and they came out to the site. As everyone was getting ready to repel over the side they took a radio call saying a guy had just walked into the Grand County Sheriff's Office and said just in case somebody saw his motorcycle and helmet at the bottom of the cliff he got off before it went over and he was fine. A few days later I was out hiking with Kobae and saw a trailer go by with a bunch of rope and a winch on it. Next time I drove out to this spot the motorcycle was gone but the helmet stayed down there for a few years before it disappeared.

Chris and Tami at False Chicken Corner where the dirt bike went over.

The snake fossil on the back side of the trail around Chicken Corner.

The view towards Needles coming out at the end of the trail around Chicken Corner.

Looking up at Dead Horse Point from Chicken Corner.

Looking at the river bending around just beyond Chicken Corner. At the top in the distance is the White Rim trail. Behind the large wall in the river bend is The Grotto and if you want the best echoes, sometimes nine or ten, aim your voice at the black section of the wall about half way up.

Travels and Curiosities: Elaine

I got an email from Elaine asking how goes life with the Covid thing and life goes fine with the Covid thing. No issues here.

Elaine said that they had redone their page and if you scroll down a little, and I did, there's a feature article on Base Camp. The best thing I read said "Discover the place that inspired this blog." Jeez, I couldn't be prouder.

https://www.travelsandcuriosities.com/explore

Elaine is such a gifted writer. I feel so fortunate.

Full

Over Memorial Day weekend I'm full for the just the third time this year and a lot of disc golfers.