Fall in Telluride

Since the late 1980's when I first came to Telluride to hang glide this has been one of those magical places to visit. We (Bill, Cathy, Marlys and me) waited until the crowds from the Blues and Brew Festival had cleared out before heading over last Tuesday.

The storminess from the weekend and the previous week had broken and it was a beaut. The drive over took us just under six hours, but the views were spectacular even though the leaves had not started to change. Last week by this time we were past peak, but I think the late Summer rain may have had a part in holding off the Fall change over.

The camper allowed us to stay right in Town Park by what was (and maybe still is) known as the "Seizure" LZ (landing zone) as all of the approaches had some form of a obstacle. I am always amazed at how big a landing zone looks from the ground, and how small they look when you are flying into them. They still must be flying hang gliders and paraglider's in Telluride because both the Seizure and Leisure (big field outside of town) had a number of wind indicators.

One of our first stops after setting up was a bar I first visited 23 years ago, O'Bannons. The rear entrance framed one of those unforgettable up valley scenes for which the town is noted.

Phoenix and I use to stop in here for a Guinness on the way back to the condo after a day of flying.

It made for a nice place to relax after the drive over and we could walk back to the campsites.

It seems as if morning comes later (and evening earlier) in these valleys and the sun didn't make it over the peaks until after 8am the next morning.

After a trip to "Baked in Telluride" for donuts we started the drive up to Bridal Veil falls, but the road soon put a stop to that, as it was pretty rough, even rough then the road into Mt. Sherman on Monday. The look back into the valley to the west was pretty spectacular and you can understand why a number of celebrities call this place home.

Back in town we took the transit systems gondola over to the Mountain Village for lunch and shopping.

This is a great ride and its free.

After another night of eating and walking around the week was over and we headed back to Pinon Rock.

Summer is over and its time to get ready for the snow, skiing, and ....

Mt. Sherman

After a weekend in Breckenridge drinking beer and eating sausage and chili, it was time to actually get some exercise.

Bill had wanted to go up Massive, but with the snow storms during the week I had my doubts. During the drive up to Breck the peaks of the Mosquito and 10 Mile range weren't even visible due to the clouds and snow. I was not in the mood to do another Silverheel's trip.

On Sunday's drive back we stopped at the top of Hoosier Pass and glassed the folks doing Lincoln. They were in snow and wind, but seemed to be getting by.

Once back home and after checking weather and trip reports, we decided on Mt. Sherman. It is back behind Fairplay and although the road in is one of the roughest around, it is one I have been up before and I though we would give it a try.

We didn't hit the trail until after 7am the next day, which is probably the latest start I have ever had, but we were the second group on the mountain.

We felt a few wind gusts going up, but there wasn't a cloud in the sky and the forecast said we should have a good day.

By the time we hit the saddle between Sherman and Sheridan the wind was really blowing and a standing cloud had enveloped the top of the mountain.

The snow from the days before started just above the saddle and was pretty slick with the heat/freeze of the day before. Although I though of crampons (we had them with us) that's as far as it got and the trip up to top continued.

The wind intensified and now had snow/moisture in it making for what could be called semi-epic conditions, especially in the summit ridge climb where the exposure to the west is something to really consider with the rime icing on the rock. By this point the side of my face and fingers (in spring gloves) were numb.

We made it to the summit and waited for three guys from Kentucky who were right behind us to take pictures.

Took just under 2 hours, but the climb down on the icy rock was more intense.

Got home about 12:30, had a soak and got ready to head for Telluride the next day.

Oktoberfest Breckenridge Again

This year we planned a more extended visit to Breckenridge's OktoberFest and Bill and Cathy from Minnesota came out to attend also. Good plan, but the weather didn't really cooperate as it rained off and on all weekend.

Silverheel's in background & beetle kill tree cut in foreground.

We camped out in Frisco at the only campground still open. Luckily we had the Camper as snow had been hitting the top of the peaks since mid-week.

Beer Line

Even with the rain the crowds were larger then last year when there were perfect conditions.

The beer thought was great and the sausages hot so as long as your rain gear was working it was a lot of fun.

I even ran into an old buddy from working days...actually the first person from work I have run into since retiring.

Next weekend is Harvest Fest at the Abbey in Canon City, but before then Bill and I are going to go up a 14er (Sherman) and then we are going to Telluride for a few days.

More Bears, so far today two encounters

Marlys and I are really having bear encounter this year. Today alone we ran into a bear sitting in a gambel oak eating up by Myron's place. When it spotted us it looked like a kid caught with their hand in a cookie jar.

It climbed down and moved over to the road, so we though it maybe smart to not keep walking towards it and turned around, cutting our walk short.

This was the biggest one I have seen so far this year. It was a cinnamon color and maybe a full size male (boar).

After we got home I opened the doors (front and rear) to the shop and after about an hour Hallee started barking out back. I went to see what was going on and another big black bear was sitting and eating acorns(?) off a gambel oaks behind the slash pile. It didn't look big until it moved and I got a profile view. It was another good size one.

It stopped once Dusty ran up and squared off about 20 feet from it, then it saw me. We looked at each other for a few, then it ran uphill. But not far because I saw the bushes on the other side of the patch moving and it was right there. After a while it moved up toward the house.

Discovering Fremont County

Marlys and I discovered a whole new part of Fremont County as part of the monthly Search and Rescue team training...Shelf Road. This area in northern Fremont County, on the way to Cripple Creek, is a nationally known rock climbing area with over 1500 documented routes. It is a pretty incredible area.

We got to spend Friday night at "The Banks" area doing night time high angle retrieval system (mainline, belay and pig rig) practice on the limestone ledges and then we did more of it during the day on Saturday. I even got to rappel down a 80' cliff. Marlys is going to wait on that fun, since she is only 7 days removed from having her gall bladder removed.

We bivouaced in the back of the pickup, under the tonneau cover, for the night and got to use our new Jetboil stove on Saturday morning for coffee and oatmeal. I give the Jetboil a big thumbs up. One of the team members even made a boil in the bag omelet (See Tom and Joy Julkowski's recipe in the 2008 Anniversary post) in his, pretty versatile.

Walking through the parking lot there were people from all over the county, as witnessed by their license plates. It was also different being out in a remote area and hearing voices bouncing off the walls from climbers in different parts of the area.

By 4pm we were beat and headed home, but the training wasn't over as we were scheduled to get "lift ticket" training with the Flight for Life folks on Sunday to certify us to ride in a helicopter into and out of a search area during a mission. Alas, when we showed up at Canon City Fire Station 1 the training was cancelled because the chopper was needed. We are re-scheduled to take the training in October.

Busy weekend, but next weekend is Oktoberfest in Breckenridge!

A bear showed up at the house this morning

About 11am this morning a bear took a spin around the house and the shop, stretched a few times them mosed over into the clearing south of the shop, just as Marlys friend Mary Lynn drove in from Denver for lunch. According to her,  Dusty was having a stare down with it from the road to the house.

The house at Pinon Rock is finally done!

Yesterday was one of those rare rainy ones up here in the mountains. For some reason knowing I was going to be inside, and instead of surfing the inter-webs (just for you Derek), I got out the caulk gun and finished caulking the woodwork in the bedrooms and master bath.

That may sound pretty mundane and it is, but that was the last remaining item on the house build punch list.

It only took me five years to get to it, which gives you some feel for the type of job it is, but damn it feels good to finally have the house done.

The quasi-Molesworth Chair - As good as it is going to get.

Well...after 3 prototypes this is, what it is. It looks good, but the next one I would make a squatter.

Shane at Timberline did a nice job on the cushions. I wish, I had had more experience before doing the apron and the arms.

I still may add fringe in place of the black banding on the arms as that is more in keeping with a Molesworth, but alas I ran out of materials.

Speaking of materials. the wood is the left over from a tree, I took down last year, except for the Aspen columns on the back that came from a local sawmill.

The Padauk strips on the back were needed to add width, but they turned out real nice.

The weave is an authentic Chimayo from New Mexico, just as with the original Molesworth's.

Marlys did the engraving and painting of the buffalo head and arrow.

Newest Version of the Bottle Openers

The bottle openers have gone through a few versions since I first read about them last year, and started making my own.

I have moved away from the magnet to hold it to the refrig because they weren't strong enough and folks wanted to put them other places. So scrap the magnetic handles and back to the lanyard.

I am still using scrape wood from the shop and in this assortment we have from left to right: paduk, paduk, paduk, yellow pine (left in the ACPOA dumpster), yellow pine, tiger maple, tiger maple, purple heart and koa.

The sander, I got from Bill in LaPorte, works great to get them into shape, but there is still about an hour of hand sanding involved.

I have been finishing with three coats of hand rubbed lacquer, using a paper grocery bags for the rub out and then a couple of coats of wax.

The stainless steel fender washer has worked well for prying the cap off, so that's a keeper.

But what to do with all of the magnets.

A suggestion from Chris on the SAR team was to bury them under the washer to hold the cap from dropping on to the ground. It works great! After popping the cap it stays in the recess until tapping it on the edge of the garbage, or a finger and then it pops out.