Utah Birthday Ride

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CHRISS HORSTMAN

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It is October 22 2008, my birthday. I just got out of the hospital yesterday. Today I feel depressed and lonely, I need to be cheered up. I push the big Kaw C14 out into the sunshine. She smiles at me, here we go I thought. I plan a route that will take me on a Click....big scenic loop on some of the best canyon roads. From Park City, Utah I go west until (exit #134) then north on Rt 65 Emigration Canyon road. This leads me into the Wasatch-Cache National Forest and eventually into the town of Henefer. Now 84 to I-80 east to the town of Evanston where I start my loop back on highway 150 towards Mirror lake at +10,000 feet and once again into the Wasatch-Cache National Forest.

The canyon roads are great for extreme motorcycle riding. No traffic, no police just one tight turn after another. I give my care to the wind as I power out of each turn with my knee dragging while leaned over. Oh!! I hope and pray my tires well worn from this trip holds, as we bank from one turn immediately into the next. I am feeling better already. The big Kaw handles much differently riding solo. It is as if she is happy Carol is gone and we are alone together. I find a deserted stretch of straight road and give her my nod..... Silver pulls me down onto her and holds me tight. With a laugh she jumps to 120 MPH, then 130, now 150. Silver stops laughing and just smiles as we near 160 MPH. I sit up and thank her. "Enough is enough" I say, at least for today. Both of us now spent we slow back down and cruise at 120 MPH. So straight and solid she runs, even hands off at this speed, I am in love again and it feels so good.

I stop at Mirror Lake and take some pictures of my GPS showing the altitude and date. In the slide show pictures you can see snow has already begun in October at the +10,000 MSL level. The rest of the ride back down the mountain is just as much fun as it was on the way up. It's now getting dark and cold as the sun sets. I ride dressed in all black with a dark smoke helmet face shield. Because of the dark face shield it is not an easy ride. Why do I ride dressed in all black? It is because I must keep up my image, as my riding nickname is "NightRider". You understand, boys and their toys.

Soon I am out of the National Forest. I see a few cars as I ride through the town of Kamas then once again onto Rt 40 and home. We are back safe and sound, I put Silver to bed telling her she has done me well. Once again I have found something to put my trust in. It's a man thing. The ride was exhilarating. I return tired and exhausted. I have extinguish some pain and memories, touched the edge of fear and came away feeling............ well, just great!!!!!

Chriss Horstman

Double Click On Pictures To Enlarge

Highway 166 Canyon Road

Great Road For Canyon Running On A Motorcycle

Mirror Lake Overview 10,722 ft. Oct. 22, 08 With Snow

It Is Cold And High

Mirror Lake Scenic Byway: A Real Jewel

It's Getting Cold And Soon Dark For The Ride Down

Chriss Horstman

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UTAH - TANGO UNIFORM

Hi Everyone:

I am writing to you after the fact. I had a narrow escape here in Utah. While I was working on my motorhome I started to feel sick. I am one for not giving up so I continued my work. Soon I became very ill and decided to go into the RV and lie down. I never made it to the bed. I was on my way to passing out. I quickly got down on my knees before falling flat on my face. I then started throwing up. To my horror it was what seemed like gallons of blood. I knew something was drastically wrong but I was so sick on my stomach and continuously throwing up that I was unable to call for help on my cell phone. Bucket after bucket, finally I got a call through to my ex-wife. She in turn called my son in a nearby town. He and his fiancee came to my rescue. They rushed me 40 miles away to the University Hospital of Utah. I had two great nurses who took very good care of me, thank you both.






Once at the hospital it was discovered that I had a massive upper GI internal bleed. I had a rupture inside my stomach and was bleeding to death internally. I was later told I had lost over 50% of my blood. The hospital told my ex wife to gather the family. I was rushed in for an operation. It has been a long road to recovery. I've had two more stays in the hospital. Even now at Christmas time I am still weak and have a very low blood count .

Family.... My son Christon his fiancee Liz and grandson James

It's December and I am back home in NJ. My friends often ask me if I have heard anything from Carol. I am sad to tell them no I haven't, not one word. I do know she was made aware of my emergency hospital stay by mutual friends from our church and our motorcycle group. Recently retired as a nurse Carol's expert knowledge would have offered encouragement and support. I will give her credit, she did tell my friends she still had my house key if they needed it. I thought that was nice of her.

This was a sad way to end my trip. While I was in the hospital my RV and trailer was put into an impound lot. Eventually I place my RV, trailer and motorcycle in long term storage and fly back to New Jersey. I arrive just in time for Christmas and 2 1/2 feet of snow. What a change from 105*F at the start of our trip.

I never give up........ I will return to Utah and finish the trip on the route originally planned by myself and Carol. Glacier National Park and Alaska here I come.

Christmas and New Year's has come and gone. I spend it alone in New Jersey. I don't see or hear from Carol ever again. There is no one to blame for this, a good person she is, just two good people looking for different things in life. I, wanting and thinking I was in a committed long term permanent relationship while Carol looking only for a "Good Time Charlie". I am sure we both will find our way. I know the new year will prove to be a great one.

Chriss Horstman

Utah, The End Is Near

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Hi:

Well, I am now in Utah, what a great state. If you are interested in any kind of outdoor activity it's available here. I did some more mountain hiking. I found some real neat back country rural RV sites and made myself at home.

Great news!!!! With prodding from my family I swallow my male pride and call Carol. After many attempts she accepts my call. We talk for a long time and to my surprise Carol agrees to continue out trip. This is great I thought. One stipulation she say's....... I can't meet you until the28th . I said sure that is ok, what's up? I find out that her very big sister has already flown in to replace me. Together they will continue to travel our original route. Carol tells me they will end up in Phoenix, Arizona where she will put her sister on a flight back to Philadelphia. Carol agrees she would then fly to Salt Lake City, Utah to meet me and continue our trip. I ask her to consider this carefully. Once again I ask for her to be sure and to give me her word. In response Carol said to me " her word isn't good anymore" but she does not see any reason why she would change her mind. I said ok, see you on the28th.

Close to the 28th I receive an upbeat cell phone message from Carol. She says she has too much baggage to bring on the flight to Salt lake City, therefore she will need to ship a few things. Great I thought, here she comes.

The28th of September comes and goes .................. WITH NO CAROL. I went to the SLC airport and waited for all inbound flights to arrive. To my disappointment she does not show up. I try to call her but my calls are not answered. Soon her phone is turned off. I drive back to Park City very disappointed. Hey!......who is that in front of me on Route 80? It is a silver car just like Carol rented. It has Nevada plates on it like Carol's car. There is a blond woman driving it. I am happy again. Carol has driven all the way from Phoenix just to get us together again. She turns off the highway into town and parks her car. I pull up and park next to her. I get out and approach her car. I see a very surprised blond headed woman looking at me. She has a slightly fearful look on her face......... it isn't Carol?????? I am shocked and embarrassed, what a coincidence. Go ahead and laugh, I am as I write this to you.

A few days soon pass and I finally receive word from Carol. She sent me a very short "Text" message stating only "I WILL NOT CONTINUE". This is the last contact I have from Carol. I never hear from her again. What a sad way to end a relationship. There is nothing worse than loosing trust in someone who you truly believed in. I still believe in Carol, I guess she is right..... "I don't get it." As I said in the beginning of this blog I will "tell you no lies". More to come.
Chriss

Moab And Beyond

Chriss Horstman Out West Looking For Carol Ann Hoff

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Hi To All:

Well I am now heading north to the Park City area. I plan on meeting my son to do some rock climbing and hiking, after which I will head west toward the Bonneville Speedway. From there on to Wendover, Utah/Nevada. This town is known for its gambling casinos, glitter and night life.

Along the way to Salt Lake City I make a stop at the Green River State Park. The park has 42 sites and is a great RV stopover. The rest of the trip is uneventful. I do appreciate Utah's high desert country even though it is arid land with sparse vegetation, so different to me but beautiful landscape. While in the Park City, Utah area I do some "High Back Country" deep woods hiking. My knee was still hurting from the Moab bike crash but I could not pass up a mountain climb.

The rock climb with my son is exhilarating for me. I did well for a 66 year old man. I completed all my climbs except one. This is a sport I wished I had taken up when I was young, what fun. I encourage all young people to do everything they can when young....... careers are for "old" people.

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I am now on my way West to the salt flats. The weather is slightly gloomy. This is a shame because the color of the terrain does not stand out brightly without the sunshine. Lucky for me I pass the Bonneville Salt Flats when there is some racing activity going on. The Bonneville Salt Flats is one of the most unique natural features in Utah. Pure white sand stretching over 30,000 acres, the Bonneville Salt Flats is a fragile resource administered by the Bureau of Land Management. It is located along I-80 near the Utah-Nevada border near the city of Wendover. It is the gambling city.

The next morning I take in The Wendover Air Show. I meet a lot of interesting people and have a good time. I return to Park City, Utah to regroup and some rest.

Chriss Horstman

Moab A Few Days Of Fun

Hi Again:
Yes Carol Ann, wherever you are, I did get up early all by myself.
This morning I didn't eat a big breakfast as I am not feeling well. I have planned to rent a Mountain Bike and go to "Slickrock Bike Trail" for some off trail riding. Everything goes well, at least in the beginning. I think the riding here is outstanding. The rocks remind me of Red Rock Canyon near Las Vegas, Nevada.

First the good........ you can ride on some very steep trails over these mountains as the stone surface is like sandpaper. So much fun and the scenery is beautiful. Now the bad in two parts.............

First, I meet a really good looking female rider who chats with me before we start. I think I will stay with her at least until I learn the ropes. Wrong, I can't keep up but I don't let her know that. At a fork with a wave goodbye I turn off onto another trail, my bad as now I don't know where I am going.



Second, I am really beginning to feel poorly, maybe something I ate? I feel sick and don't pay attention while going down a new trail with a steep drop. I find myself with too much speed and eventually go "head over heels". I cut my knee quite badly. It is a deep cut and for some reason it won't stop bleeding (more on that later on). A few riders come quickly to my aid. Lucky for me one has a liquid bandage kit and takes good care of me. Soon it is time to return the mountain bike. What fun I had even with the spill.

Back at camp I meet more real outdoor family types. It is so refreshing to chat with these honest, down to earth family's. I am invited over for their campfire but decline as I still don't feel well. I get a late start next morning and do some "outback" hiking. and picture taking. Once again, my pictures don't do justice to the beautiful landscape. As I suggested before, a search on the Internet will yield professional quality work.

It is now mid afternoon the 3rd day. I receive a very short "text" message from Carol. I am afraid I must report bad news. She sent...... "I cannot go with U Please do not call It is best us to just get on with life be safe Carol" Actually I was hoping for a person to person call and discussion. No such luck. I call her back and someone turns the phone off. I am really surprised by this. During our 17 years dating each other we have had some "on/off" times, but nothing like this. I am puzzled........ this isn't like Carol.

I decide to pack up camp and head NW. I love to explore the USA. As an International Airline Captain I have flown all over this world and find nothing compares to the good old United States. We have it all, north, south, east or west all different. Soon I am on my way and remember that Carol and I use to sing.... "on the road again". Note! She was always on tune but not me. More to follow.

Chriss Horstman

Moab Here I Come!

Chriss Horstman

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Once Again Hello:

I have been here at Mesa Verde for about a week. I stayed longer then originally planned as I really thought I would bump into Carol. I had always believed we would patch things up and continue our trip...... no such luck, so far.

I finally was able to make cell phone contact with Carol. She had just arrived in Buffalo, Wyoming. She was at her brothers. This was to be one of our original stops. Carol wouldn't talk to me in the house and sat in the car parked in the driveway while we talked. I suggested we meet somewhere and finish our trip together. She said that she presently had commitments and would let me know in a few days. In the meantime she was going to spend some time sightseeing with her brother. This too was our original plan. I said "OK' and left it at that.

I had a very difficult time loading the motorcycle into the trailer by myself. The ground was soft gravel and not level, I finally rode it down to the park office and was given all the help I needed. The camp manager was so nice and cooperative. Once loaded up I was back to my campsite to clean up and hit the road once again.

Where to I thought? I might as well start heading north if I was going to hook up with Carol. Moab seemed like a good choice. Maybe we could come back down south and see the Grand Canyon; I suggested this to Carol. It was a beautiful drive to Moab. Along the way I stop at "The Hole In The Rock" attraction. The scenery was so different. This trip has really been worth all of the effort and sometimes agony.


I reach Moab without incident and decide to camp in the "outback' instead of the National Park Campground. This proved difficult as the outback roads are not easy to traverse with a motorhome. While looking for a site I am worried because it is very difficult backing up with a large motorcycle trailer. I can't see the trailer behind the RV and it might become a problem if I need to back out while exploring for a site. I meet a nice fellow on a motorcycle who volunteers to go ahead and scout out a camping spot for me. He finds one for me. I am all settled in for a few days. Tomorrow I will explore.

Chriss Horstman

Mesa Verde The Scenic Ride

Chriss Horstman

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Hi Again:
Today is the day for the scenic ride. I will start from the city of Cortez traveling north on Hwy 145 to 62 then 550 south to Ouray Hot Springs. Here I will take a lunch break and sightsee. The route back will be south on 550 to Durango and once again west to Mesa Verde. This loop is known as the (Click)...San Juan Skyway.



Well I got off to a slow start getting gas, buying a "sub" for lunch and making my way thru the city of Cortez. My first stop was the town of Delores to see the "Galloping Goose" belonging to the Rio Grande Southern Railroad Company. The entire ride was spectacular, calling it a scenic ride does not do it justice. I love riding high altitude twisty mountain roads. I will only post a few of my pictures as there is so much better information and pictures posted on the Internet. Check my "blue" hyper links. Once back I will need to change camp sites. I plan to wait awhile longer for Carol to return. If she does not, then I plan to push on northward as we originally planned.

Chriss Horstman

Masa Verde Regroup

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Hi Everyone:

Once again this morning is the start of another bright sunny day. Like before I am up early, breakfast dishes done and I am off to see the wizard. The plan today is to take out the big Kaw C14 and do some canyon riding. Right off the start I have a problem. When Carol was here she helped me unload our motorcycle from the trailer and it didn't get any further then the soft gravel next to the motorhome. The spot where it sits is uphill in soft deep gravel. I tried very hard but I could not push the bike out and up onto the road. There wasn't any help around, our camp area was now empty.

Well!!! It was a wild ride out with the rear wheel throwing a gravel roster tail. Within a few feet of the soft gravel was the camp road. It was a blacktop trail with a 6 inch jagged edge which I had to go over at sharp angle. I made it, but with more speed then I wanted. Now with a quick turn I was headed downhill on a narrow twisty blacktop trail with way to much speed. So much for a souped up highly modified temperamental engine. No need for canyon riding now, I just had all I wanted. Anyway, off I went in search of the highest point in the park.

What a beautiful park. The road up the mountain is in very good condition with tight to sweeping turns. The C-14 has so much extra HP that one must stay in control or pay the price for an airborne flight. I stop at as many lookout points as I can. This is difficult at some turnoffs as the compound angle and grades can be very steep. I find without Carol and our heavy bags my motorcycles suspension is now set way to high and stiff. I am on my very tip toes at every stop. I must be careful or a tip over could happen.

I eventually stop at Spruce Tree house, once again hoping to see Carol....... no joy. I do meet some other riders. It is amazing how many couples are on long distance trips together. While on the road riding we just don't have the opportunity to stop and talk with each other. I arrive at the highest point in the park planning to make a cell phone call to sweet Carol. I am very disappointed as my batteries are weak and the phone continuously shuts down. Another rider comes along and loans me his battery to make a call. I need to find out where Carol is and if she is OK. Her phone rings a few times and then stops. I call back and can only leave a message. I wait but have no return call and soon I must return the borrowed battery. It will be a few more days before I can try a call again.

The ride back down the mountain was spectacular. Mesa Verde is a beautiful park and stretches for mile after mile, sometime as far as you can see. I push it hard on the way down, only to be flagged to a stop near the bottom. It was a park law enforcement officer. I am told in so many words that they have a lookout near the highest point and can observe fast traffic going down the mountain. I say I don't think it was me, but if so I am very sorry. I am giving a dirty look followed with a head nod that meant "get the hell out of here and don't do that again". With a quick yes mam I am gone. So kind she was.

I ride into town looking for a cell phone store where I could purchase a charger for my phone. Once again...... no joy. I return back to camp with tomorrows plan. I will ride the scenic loop that Carol described in our first Mesa Verde post. After dinner I attend another Ranger campfire. I meet a few new campers and turn in early.
Chriss

Mesa Verde, A New Day

Hi Again:
It's another new day, I am up early for a change. Breakfast and cleanup finished before 9:00 AM. What is the world coming too? Carol would be proud of me for sure. I decide to take the Motorhome and drive up into the Mesa Verde Park. My first stop is the Far View Visitor Center. From there onto Balcony House (tour ticket required). I stop along the way at Spruce Tree House. This is where yesterday Carol and I had our problem. While sitting at the trail head lookout point I ponder what went wrong?

Throughout the day I will meet many interesting couples. When the discussion turns to my travels I pour out my story. I will tell anyone my sorrows. Sometimes I will get a laugh and other times I am given compassion. I think it makes me feel better, at least for a short while. At Spruce Tree House I meet another couple who too are on a motorcycle trip. They are from Minneapolis, she is a horse trainer. You can see her in the picture wavering to me from the trail going down to the cliff dwellings. Nice people they are. She rested on the way up. Carol didn't. No wonder Carol was so white when she got to the top where she proceeded cut me a new, you know what.

The Balcony House Tour is the most challenging of them all. It requires a lot of strenuous climbing on tall ladders. I posted some hyper links for you to click on as my pictures and writings can not do justice to the wonders of this park. I look for Carol everywhere I go, thinking surely she must still be in the area. I just know we will bump into each other any minute. Oh, I think I see her...... nope.

Eventually I become "toured out" and head back to my campsite. I do dinner, clean up and go to the Amphitheater for the Ranger talk and camp fire. As I step out of my RV I get hit in the forehead by a bat. I have a small cut, it bleeds but I don't worry about it. Looking back, I think I should have reported it. The Ranger talk and campfire is enjoyable and I meet a few more interesting couples. I think to myself, it isn't the same when you are a single.

Back at the RV I try to call Carol on my cell, I am starting to worry about her. I really thought she would be back by now. I wonder to myself, where could she possibly go or want to go right in the middle of our trip. I find I have NO cell phone ability in my area. Also, Carol took the charger and my battery is very weak. This will prove to be a big problem later on. I take a shower washing off all the smoke smell from the campfire and go to bed. Tomorrow I will take the bike out and ride to the top of the mountain to try another cell phone call.

Chriss

Mesa Verde Disaster Strikes

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Disaster will strike before the day is over.

Chriss Writes.............

Hi Everyone:
It's morning, our second day at Mesa Verde. We wake up to a pleasant sunny day, bright and crisp. I do love the altitude, I guess it's because of all the years I spent above 50,000 feet as a test pilot. It is so clear up here on the mountain. We have breakfast in the RV and start to discuss today's plan. Carol looks at me and drops her bomb. Without warning she asks me to take her into town. She states that she is going to get a rental car and leave...................

Shocked, I say what!!! Then I ask her why!!!! I am told "you just don't get it". I then ask what does that mean? I am told "that is the problem, you don't understand."

To make it short Carol gathers up her belongings and I take her into town to find a rental car. We ride in silence. I with hurt pride won't say anything. Who knows what is going through Carols mind. We find a Hertz car rental facility and Carol goes in to the office. I wait a very long time before Carol emerges. She gets into a car and drives over to me. She seems to have a confident grin on her face.

I load up her trunk. For the first time realize how much stuff we must have packed on the motorcycle portion of our trip. Her car is now full. I drive off without saying anything and never look back. I drive into town to get a much needed haircut. Now I start to talk, I tell the barbers what just happened. They have a big hearty laugh over my situation and offer their advise, none that I would follow.

While in town I do some much needed grocery shopping. Without Carol things are not as fun. In the past we did have a good time together. Now I am feeling really low but decide I must push on. I go to the Walmart Mall and buy a replacement lawn chair, as Carol took both of hers. As I am on my way out I hear a car pull up behind me. Someone shouts out "hey sailor, that's a good looking haircut." I turn around and it is Carol. Of course I light up. It has always been that way for both of us. I stick my head into the passenger window and say "Hi" with a big smile. We make short talk. I soon say "We can turn this around, all you need to do is return the rental car." Carol smiles and says to me "I can't, I have commitments." I'm taken back by this and I ask her "what about our commitments, the ones we made to each other" I also ask "what about our promise to finish this trip together and never give up". Carol just looks up at me. I then say, "we gave each other our word". Carol doesn't have an answer.

We stare at each other for a second. Now as I look back I wonder what Carol was thinking at that moment. She looked at me and asked "do you want to split a sub"? A sub is her favorite sandwich. I ask if she is toying with me. I tell her if so just leave me alone. She grins and says "OK" and drives off. That was over 3 months ago. I never hear from Carol again, how sad.

It becomes more interesting as time goes on. More on that later. I return to our campsite feeling quite lonely. I make dinner, go outside build a fire and sit in my new lawn chair. I look up at the stars and remember how fascinated Carol was with the night sky. Looking back I wish I could have done or said the right thing when Carol first told me what she intended to do. Who knows, maybe it was male pride or as Carol said to me "you just don't get it". I didn't get it therefore a great 17 year relationship ended.

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Now you may understand why I re-wrote and continued our original blog. You may think I wanted to "bash" Carol. Well I am here and I can't do that. It was really fun and enjoyable rewriting our blog. While posting our adventures I again experienced the joy of each day of our trip. This trip was fun, yes I would do it all over again. Carol has been special to me and always will be. Any heart ache has been well worth it. I am grateful that I have known Carol Ann and can only wish her the best. Quite a Gal she is.))))))))))

More to come, you may find it interesting.
Chriss

Mesa Verde, Colorado. Our Arrival

Notes from the Mountain at Mesa Verde

Hello again:
Carol writes......
We arrived at the Morefield Campground early in the day, a first for Chriss. The lady who checked us in was such a wonderful happy person. She told us she used to live in New Jersey like us and we had a long chat. As matter of fact, everyone in the office/store were so nice to us. Once in the campground we did our normal thing...... that is the same thing we do in a restaurant, we looked at and even tried out almost every available table..... I mean campsite.

Round and round we went with the aid of our wonderful camp host "Jerry" leading us in his electric kart. The sites were very narrow and short. It was very difficult to find a site that Chriss could maneuver our RV with its motorcycle trailer while backing into our site from the narrow camp road. Chriss said I was such a big help to him. I waited at each site as Chriss drove the loop again and again looking for the best site, which we eventually found.

Yesterday we met our next door neighbors, Peg and Pete and their dog Willie. They are from Colorado. We learn they are about our age and not full time travelers like so many that we meet. Peg and I hit it off very well and leave Chriss and Pete to fend for themselves. Peg and Pete leave this morning for the Grand Canyon. Even though they were parked next to us there was heavy thick shrubs between us. Therefore our site remained quite private but with a nice backyard view of the mountains.

After returning to our trailer last night, again Chriss and I sat outside under the stars. If possible the sky was even brighter than when we were at the Great Sand Dunes. So many stars, I saw the milkyway like never before. It was so incredible, our universe is so big. Chriss and I discussed this for a long time while looking up until our necks hurt. After a while we got cold and came into the camper, the temp this morning was in the 40’s but the sun is warm.

We are all settled into our site and are presently at the Laundromat at the park store/office. We are washing eight bags of dirty clothes in four washers. Life does go on even while on vacation. I was very happy we didn't need to go back down long curvy mountain road to the local town laundry. One of the nice things about traveling in a motorhome is that after doing our laundry we simply went to the parking lot and made lunch right there looking out at the mountains.

After lunch we drove about 20 miles further into the park. The road went up and down mountains and around amazing hair pin curves on a narrow two lane road. Our destination was one of the best preserved cliff dwellings with self guiding tours. This is an amazing thing to see. Postcard pictures don't do it justice. After walking down a winding half mile paved trail at the mountainside a beautiful cliff dwelling is visible. It is built into the side of the mountain under a rock overhang, construction was done in the 1200’s by the native Indians.

In the information/bookstore (Chapin Mesa Museum) there was a short slide show with narration giving a lot of information. We learned about the natives and their life style. The whole community was abandoned after a 23 year drought and they just moved on. It is amazing that this happened in this area that would become the USA all before 1492 when Columbus paid his first visit.

Anyway life on the Mesa continues and we will write more tomorrow.

Love to all,Carol and Chriss

Chriss writes...............

Carol was such a big help while I was backing into our campsite. The longer level sites were at a premium and hard to find. We even needed to trim some overhanging branches to get both the motorhome and motorcycle trailer into our tight site. There was barely enough room to be off the road.

In the museum we meet another RV couple. We are at ease with each other and exchange stories about our travels. Later while watching the slide show in the museum at "Spruce Tree House" I started to feel poorly and told Carol several times. After the show I told Carol that I was going to the restroom and would meet her outside at the top of the trail head that leads down to the cliff dwellings. It turned out to be a very long walk to the mens bathroom. Not feeling well I was gone a long time. Upon returning I could not find Carol. I looked in the museum and everywhere else but couldn't find her. By now I really wasn't feeling very well. I started down the trail (which was fairly steep) only to the first turn looking for Carol. Once again.... no Carol. I came back up to find Carol at the top of the trail. Mad she was, the look on her face. This is not normal for Carol.


After spotting me coming up the trail the first thing Carol said to me was " DID YOU GO DOWN THERE WITHOUT ME." I said "yes" this was my bad. A male pride thing. I was angry because I couldn't find her. Now I was really feeling bad and surprising out of breath and all sweaty from my short climb up. I should have told her "I No honey, I only went down to the first turn looking for you." Carol angerly walked past me and went all the way down to see the ruins without me. I waited patiently for her. Eventually she comes back up, we walk back to the RV in silence.



We are parked on top of the other side of the ridge line. We are in a gravel overflow parking lot all by ourselves. I get some binoculars from the RV and go sit on a very narrow ledge over looking the canyon below. I find another small cliff dwelling that I feel may be unreported. With excitement I go look for Carol. Finding her I take her by hand and lead her to the cliffs edge. Surprising she comes, while saying...... "What, are you going to push me over the edge." I say no, it's going to be a lovers leap. Carol stills comes with me. We sit together on the edge, watching the sun set behind the far canyon wall. It is a beautiful sight to behold.

It gets dark and we return to our motorhome in better spirits. We make dinner before starting our journey back down the mountain to our campsite. During the descent we will stop many times to look with our binoculars at anything we think we can see through the darkness. We lean against the RV holding each other trying to stay warm taking turns looking into the night. Soon we are back at our campsite and to bed we go. I think to myself, Carol is always there for me I am so thankful, we have such a good time together.

Good night.
Chriss

Finally, Notes From The Road Again

Hi to all:

We are now underway to our destination goal of Mesa Verde near Cortez, Colorado. We are plan to stay there for a week, much to see and do. There is a scenic loop North of that area (Route 145 to Rte 62 and back on Rte 550 to 160) which would make for a great motorcycle ride. We will take the bike out of the trailer and go for an extended ride, therefore we may be out a couple of days.

While at the park in Mesa Verde we will not have any electrical or water hook ups and it may be difficult to send e-mail to keep up this blog. Thus, it will be as it was at the Dunes, we will do our best. We will take the laptop with us on the bike and maybe even find a WiFi during our travels. We are really looking forward to motorcycling riding again. You see, feel and smell so much more when on a bike ride.

We will shortly be at a McDonalds in Alamosa that has WiFi so I will send this message from there. It is the same one we used last time.
Carol and Chriss


Chriss writes............
It will be a late departure as usual. I can see Carol's anguish over my lack of departure discipline. I suggest "we are retired and on vacation." Even though I got a dirty look Carol did say "not to worry." Awhile back we both agreed to continue this trip to the end, no matter what, never to give up. That was our given word to each other. The one thing that I cherish above anything else is the bond and trust Carol and I share.

We have a stop at Walgreens in Alamosa, then Mc Donald's and Walmart before leaving town. I notice a couple with their RV trailer parked in the Walmart parking lot as we leave. We will meet them personally later on.

We didn't get very far down the road before we decide to pull off into a nice roadside rest area for the night. Now it is morning the next day........ no!! it is 1:00 PM and we are as Carol says...... "crawling out of our cave." We just get outside and into the rest area pulls the trailer we saw yesterday in the Walmart parking lot. We go over to say hello and find a very nice interesting retired couple to talk with. To our surprise we find they had been camp hosts at the Great Sand Dune Park we just left. Like us they are on their way somewhere else. Off we all go.
Chriss

Notes From The Mountain Top

Carol Ann Hoff Dictating Her Blog From Mountain Top

Carol Writes..........
Hello again:

Today was an interesting day, we crawled out of our RV cave about noon to a beautiful day. (I think Carol is becoming disappointed with my wake up time) Chriss looked out at the mountain top behind us and said “Lets go”. I looked him in the eye and said “What are you crazy”
but go we did and I am glad I am with that crazy man. We just started up the side of the mountain through the trees and brush. We started our climb behind the last campsites and directly across from the Dunes. It was a steep climb on small to medium stones and small rocks interspersed with cactus and flowers. We saw deer scat and a small bear poop and a large foot print I couldn't identify. That takes care of the ground but it was the scenery that was amazing. We were above the top of the Dunes and could see the mountains behind them. The sun was warm and the breeze cool.

With our binoculars we could see the tops of surrounding mountains with what looked like caves in the shear side walls. The birds were flying below us. Through all the trees we could see our motor home as a little white spec down in the campground. Also in the distance we could see the town of Alamosa and the Rio Grande River that flows through it. In the RV we had made our lunch. it consisted of 2 sandwiches, a banana and two bottles of water and a few cookies. Now we are on top of the mountain and once we got done "oohing and ahhing" at the scenery we decided to sit down and eat our lunch. To our disappointment and found that neither Chriss nor I had packed the sandwiches. All we could find was just a banana and two water bottles between our two packs. I later found the sandwiches in the refrigerator (we ate them for supper).

Anyone who knows me knows how I love trees. This climb was a paradise for me.
Such interesting trees. Junipers, some twisted junipers, and other fur trees. All of them were more than 10 feet tall. The dead ones were as pretty and fascinating as the live ones. As the afternoon progressed we watched the weather change and Chriss’s experience as a pilot diagnosing weather problems came in handy. There were black clouds, gray clouds, 3 different rain storms coming down in the distance, increased wind speed from all directions at once with clouds moving in different directions. His diagnosis of the weather was interesting in determining which would be a real threat to us. My solution was "Let’s get out of here” and that is what we did. We got to within 100 feet or our campsite when we felt the first drops of water on our faces. What lucky hikers we are, because the sky open up with a hard downpour. Anyway we were back in our camper eating our "left at home" sandwiches with tomato soup. When there was a knock on the door. It was our neighbor Kendall and her Dad, Don bringing us fresh made "somemores" roasted over there campfire. A real feat in the rain. One someore was made with strawberry flavored marshmallows, very good. We already enjoyed a yellow squash right out of their garden and a piece of blueberry birthday pie from Collin’s birthday. What nice neighbors. Don, Holly, Collin and Kendall.

It is still raining hard. We are so glad we are snug in our camper but just in case you are wondering we do miss riding the motorcycle but not tonight.


Chriss Writes...........

Carol is such a wonderful companion. The climb was steep and at sometimes rugged. The bear poop could have turn us back but Carol wanted to forge on. She always sticks with me on the outdoor adventures, you should see her when we winter camp. Well that is another adventure story for later. Maybe we ( I ) should go to bed early tonight so that we may get an early start tomorrow..... Not!!!

Good night, Chriss and Carol Ann

Still More Notes From The Dunes

Hi Again:

Well today was the day that we did it. We climbed to the top of the Dunes. Honestly, at 8,000 feet the long walk through the sand flats to get to the Dune's base was harder then actually climbing the Dunes. At the base of the dunes is Medano Creek. This time of year it is just a wide shallow trickle that we were able to cross without getting wet. We had to jump over some shallow runoffs. Yes, we could have taken off our shoes and wadded through it but that would have been to easy.

MEDANO CREEK WHEN SHALLOW

Once we were up on the dunes there was a nice cool breeze. Although the sand was too hot to be barefoot.The sand was very fine and multi-colored, red, black and light sand color. Surprisingly once up there if we stayed on the dune ridges it was pretty stable. We were told the loose surface sand blows off the ridges and what is left is hard packed and relatively easy to walk on. The view was great and we could see our campsite with our white RV. The terrain up there was high ridges with some deep pot hole valleys which small amounts of green vegetation was actually growing. We saw a storm approaching in the distance and came down off the Dune. The Rangers had told us to be careful of the lightning.

Once back down fro our dune climb while walking in the park we met a family with a pop up trailer that looked like it was the child of a Hummer. It was very high, bright yellow with big knobby tires, truly a real backwoods camper. We stood and chatted for a while and and was offered a yellow squash from their garden back home. We soon learned it was their son’s birthday and was invited over after dinner to share birthday desert at their campfire. Later that evening it began to rain very hard. We thought the night was a bust but soon there was a knock at our door. There they were all wet from the rain. We invited then in, they had brought a piece of blueberry Birthday Pie to us. What a surprise and what a delicious blueberry pie, berries the size of marbles. The best part, it was cooked over their campfire.

Blueberry Birthday Pie Hot Off The Camp Fire

The heavy storm never materialized, the rain stopped. It did cool off significantly, at this elevation it has never gone above the 80’s in the day with low humidity and in the 50’s at night. We are still meeting very interesting people. We met a man who has been traveling around the USA on his motorcycle for a year now and plans to continue for another year. We saw him pull in and set up camp. Later we invited him over to our campfire. He is definitely a free spirit at 50 years of age. He has only had seasonal jobs and has lived from Alaska working on crab boats to the Caribbean living on his own boat. His adventures provide great entertainment as we sat around our campfire. . His appearance does not lead one to identify his life style. He is clean cut, shaved and well dress in all the right camp gear along with the appearance of an educated businessman. Very interesting to talk to.

See Our Short Video Of The Great Sand Dune Avalanche.......

Till tomorrow, Carol Hoff and Chriss Horstman

Continuing notes from the Dunes

Good Morning:
This morning we considered the possibility of changing campsites, possibly one on higher ground overlooking the sand dunes. We walked up the hill to find another couple also considering making a change. We soon entered into an interesting conversation with them and admired their young golden retriever. After giving it some thought we decided to stay right where we were nestled in some shade tree with nice privacy and a big backyard. Carol decided to take the garbage to the dump. She inquired where it was. “down the road a bit:, etc.” So off she went only to find out it was about ¼ mile up and down hills. At 8000 feet no hill is really appreciated. Carol said you really feel the hills and will think twice before doing that again.

Today was laundry day. After a hand wash in the camp laundry sink. The Horstman and Hoff laundry rope was strung up between our RV and the bear proof food storage box. Hanging in the hot sun and low humidity after 15 minutes our clothes were dry. Good job we did.

Later in the day a wind storm developed. Carol and I tried to secure the RV's awning with additional tie down line. We had quite a web going before we decided to give up and retract the awning. At that point a young woman walked up to our campsite and asked if we had any duck tape. It seems their tent blew down and incurred some damage. They moved to a site near us trying to get out of the wind. They had three young children watching while Mom and Dad struggled with a flapping tent. We pitched in to help, which was a difficult task in all the wind. The wind continued well into the night along with some rain. I got up twice to check with a flashlight, I found they were snug as a bug in a rug.

Now the next morning again it is beautiful. We had a visit from the park host and two very sociable park rangers who sat and chatted with us while admiring our motorcycle. Later they helped us move our picnic table. Remember awhile ago what we had said about the Colorado Park Rangers? Well it is completely different at this park, what a nice bunch of Rangers, so very helpful.

We take it easy the rest of the day, relaxing while enjoying our site and talking with neighbors. Carol and I always find someone interesting to meet.

Chriss & Carol