It is well past my bedtime because it took me an hour to get on line tonight. I think I have identified an electrical interference issue as the cause. So I might as well enter a few items since it took me so long to get online.

At 10:15 it is already 35 degrees outside. But we are toasty inside, as long as the propane lasts.

Today was fairly uneventful. Took a drive to Steamboat to pick up a few items, including a denim jacket to supplement my fleece jacket! On the way back stopped off to visit a new acquaintance at a campground about five miles down the road, Gordon and Marlene. We connected because he also has a Datastorm system, and we exchanged emails after seeing each other nearby on the map. He had split some firewood for me. Another item I picked up in town is a small sledge hammer and a wedge so that I can split wood. I have an axe but an axe alone is inadequate. I also bought a small electric chain saw. And I brought Gordon ice cream as a meager reward for the firewood.

I have been talking to a guy in the campground from KY that is tent camping in these freezing temperatures. His buddies are further up the mountain elk hunting. He is trying to find a place to fish. CO proclaims itself as THE place for trout fishing. What they did not tell this fellow in the brochures that he ordered is that almost everywhere there is a bag limit of zero or one fish, and all others must be released. Being a law abiding person, he is very frustrated because he would like to have enough fish to actually have a meal. Such expectations! If you want to actually eat fish that you catch, better find another state. Or you can use my solution, as I catch all the fish I can eat (see below)!

Speaking of fishing, I sent a friend a picture of my catch. So I guess I should post it here, as I am rather proud of it. I decided to keep this one, and not release it! Annie wanted me to release it… to her.

And can you believe the absurd political accusations occurring over the hurricane?

I used a catalytic heater on low last night, so it was only 50 inside.

I wondered how Barth would stand up to cold weather – surviveable if one has plenty propane.

Yesterday I gave a fellow camper a battery jump – about four times. Seems that after starting, his car would not continue to idle. I wished him well as he drove out with one foot on the accelerator and the other on the brake.

Reminded me of the fellow in the Yukon, Canada, that I exchanged a battery jump for some information. Seems he was stranded exactly at the place that I was lost. He wished me God-speed as he drove off.

Today I heard Annie, who was outside barking. After a few shushes I heard a timid knock on the side of Barth, at the end opposite Annie. When I exited, I saw a young woman literally whimpering “Can you help me?”

Seems that she had attempted to make a U-turn at the wrong place, and had hung the left front suspension of her full size full-time 4WD pickem-up truck on a boulder. Three of her four wheels were spinning in gravel and had dug themselves in. The other front wheel was not helping – such is the nature of full-time 4WD.

After carefully inspecting her predicament, and congratulating her on her decision to not try to go forward, I retreated to Jeep and pulled out a tow strap I carry.

I hitched my Reese hitch to her Reese hitch with the tow rope, instructed her to be sure that her truck did not lurch and run into mine, and let Jeep do her thing.

In a flash her whimpering turned to big smiles, and the lady with her hugged me and told me that God would reward me.

Little did she know that I got my reward a year earlier when a lady used her full size 4WD pickem-up truck to do exactly the same thing for me on a sandy river beach in Alaska. That time my 4WD was non-functional. Even used the same tow rope – keep one in your trunk.

Just before dark I decided to walk around the small lake near the campground, probably close to a mile total. On the way I passed a stranger that was van-camped in an at-large location (i.e. free, not in a campground). He had a minnie-pooch named Annie. Exchanged pleasantries, and proceeded. His Annie smiled, and my Annie growled.

At the lake one poor soul was fishing, but had caught nothing. I exchanged a few pleasantries and proceeded with my goal of walking around the lake, which is named Dumont Lake, of course.

All was well until I reached the ‘upper’ end opposite the dam. It was overgrown with willow thickets about waist high. Annie had a very hard time tunneling through them, but was a trooper, with some stern encouragement. There were fingers of streams. At one I tossed her across, and before I could jump it she waded back to my side.

The end of the lake was elusive. It seems that beavers were hyper-active in the region, and where I thought the top of the lake should be, hidden by all the thicket, there existed a cascading series of beaver dams. These extended an unbelievable distance, more than doubling the distance I thought I was going to travel, and most of it a struggle through the willows.

I was panting as hard as one can, not being of young years and being at a high elevation. Annie was completely exhausted also. I had thoughts of “If I have a heart attack here, it will be a week before anyone finds me.”

I looked up from my panting, and saw the stranger walking toward me on the path I had finally come across. It was the fellow at the place I started, with the minnie-pooch called Annie.

He walked back with me until our paths led different directions to our respective camp areas. In the brief second encounter I found out he is a Forest Ranger in Nevada, currently in Colorado because his father is dying with cancer.

I wonder, was it a coincidence that he was hiking opposite the direction that I was, arriving at the time that I was most exhausted? Is there really such a thing as a coincidence? What moved him to do so?

Well, Annie is passed out, and I am smelling like weeds and willows, so I will close this saga and de-weed. Poor Annie, hoever, is still sniffling, and won’t get a bath to remove the weed and willow residue. She has allergies, it seems.

P S: It was 30 degrees last night, 65 today, and no Katrina fallout. First time I have gone three days without rain in about a month.

Where is Dumont Lake CG?

Today we traveled from the great RMNP to the Northwest through the tiny town of Kremmling, population about 1600, I think the wind-chime sales lady told me. Small towns like this are the essence of heartland of America. And they could bring back some of the values of 40 years ago if they only realized they have the power to do so. But alas, one would have to live there to experience it today.

The official town sign:

Susan, who directed me to this campground (indirectly):

And the shop in which she served me coffee:

Susan calls Denver home. While I had my coffee and waited for the shop owner, the actual local campground expert to return, we somehow had a wandering discussion that originated about K, and wound up on the topic of Copper Canyon, Mexico. A pleasant and entertaining pause.

The campgtound they referred me to is located about 20 miles South of Steamboat Springs, a popular ski town and summer resort town. Here my campsite looks something like, actually exactly like this:

And the view from my front porch (if Barth had one) looks like this, which is reminiscent of ‘Big Sky Country’.

Refreshing change from my recent campsites, which were in tall trees and dwarfed by huge mountain backdrops.

I think I will stay here a few days. Very pleasant location.

I have been to Steamboat to get a loaf of bread, more on that later, but I would like to travel back to Kremmling, perhaps traveling some of the side roads in the area.

I did notice on the Datastorm map that there is another Datastorm-er just down the toad. I will try and visit him.

And amazement of amazements, from this mountain top I actually have cell service the first time at a campsite since, well, home, probably from Steamboat.

Where is Timber Creek Campground?

Spent last night and tonight at the Timber Creek Campground inside the Rocky Mountain National Park. My campsite looks like this:

My observations about National Parks is that they are only useful to drive through. They usually offer some good views, but if you look at a tree cross-eyed you will be violating some rule. You can walk on well defined paths, with no dogs allowed, but do not spit on a piece of grass, as that may annoy some cougar. Somehow dog poop is not natural, but cougar poop is.

National Parks have a place, I suppose, but it isn’t for full enjoyment by the populace. They are kind of like Disneyland. Get on the black asphalt rollercoaster and drive from one entrance kiosk to the other. At least Disneyland has street sweepers.

National Forests are much more fun. National Parks should be designated wilderness with the roads closed. Let the cougars, bears, and wolves have them. They would be much more useful in that function. They are only a tease to humans.

Having said that, I will try to find some pictures to post. A miscue on my behalf ruined any panoramic views I would have posted, but perhaps some of the individual shots provide a worthy view.

This is the meek beginnings of the mighty Colorado River. Here it is a small creek:

A below-the-tree-line view:

Somewhere down there is my campground:

Most of the peaks are above the treeline, but no higher, and less rugged, than the range in the Silverton/Ouray area. Besides, a National Park does not allow on to take any back roads, “Service Road Only.”

I did not see much in the way of wildlife. It was much more abundant on the Alaska via Canada trip last year. I guess that is Annie’s fault. She did dare to venture onto a secluded trail or two. The shameless hussy, no respect for things natural!

Another deer view. I call this one, “Hey, is that Walt Disney over there?”

That is about it for the pictures. I have more, but these mountains look very much the same, wherever one looks. There are basically two views, above treeline and below treeline.

I will be leaving this oasis tomorrow morning. I have not decided where I will be headed. Unfortunately, if I decide to go Northeast, I will have to drive Barth over the twisty/windy mountain road through the Park, or back track a long distance to the South. I will try to keep Annie from behaving like an animal in the meantime. Guess I will have to train her to use the smelly outdoor johns (err, I mean ‘Vault Toilets’) so that some bear will not be offended.