Working on "Hiatus", thinking about moving day. |
To get there, we traveled a different road than the one we arrived by to the Tetons. It did not have the road construction the other one did, but I guess when you are in this part of the state of Wyoming that we are in (or any part for that matter), it is desolate between towns and there aren't many of those, so the road choice is a toss up.
We crossed over into Colorado on a stretch of road that wouldn't be a stretch to say it was like riding a bucking bronco with an RV on your back. I've suggested to Miki numerous times that if the people in charge of the road construction would drive these roads with a 5th wheel trailer behind their truck, all roads would be a little smoother. But I guess they don't. I guess that was the trade off trying a different road to Colorado. The road to the Tetons had some road construction that slowed us down (I guess those people drive RV's) and the other road away from the Tetons we took didn't have any road construction, but should have (I guess those people don't drive RV's).
My vertebra started to realign when we arrived in the area of Steamboat Springs, CO. Last year as we were leaving Colorado to come home, after visiting a couple of weeks to see the aspen turn, the aspen weren't quite at there peak and we had such a good experience the previous year with unbelievable colors (confused?). To clarify my rambling, last year's colors okay, not quite prime...two years ago they were spec-tac-u-lar. Approaching, going through, and leaving the other side of Steamboat was spec-tac-u-lar! The closer we got to Summit County (Dillon, Frisco, Breckenridge area), the more hopeful we became that we hit it right again this year. So far, spec-tac-u-lar.
Words don't capture the color, or photos for that matter. |
Our site C31 is located in Loop C (clever, huh?). This loop is where most of the "campers" that want more of the amenities of home (the hookups discussed in a previous post). All the other loops have water available, but not at each specific campsite as in Loop C. But our water spigot at our site has been rendered useless due to the broken pipe somewhere underground, I didn't ask where or I might have started digging to repair it. Not to worry, we have a 66 gallon freshwater tank for just such occasions. If you can imagine one of those 55 gallon drums you may have encountered...that is a fair amount of water. With our previous email notification of said waterline break, as we entered the campground we went straight to the available water spigot in Loop B and filled our tank before setting up at our site (even though our learning curve is still pretty much like climbing Everest, we are semi-mediocre learners and grasp what we can). We pull away from our lifeline with an extra 500+ pounds of cargo and head for our site.
C31, Loop C |
If I told you we tried this 100 times, you'd think I was exaggerating. But by the 83rd attempt, my fingers were blistered and and on the verge of bleeding from the theory of, just one more time will do the trick. It did not. Instead of beating my head against Miki's, I started to take deeper breaths to increase the oxygen flow to my brain (stop laughing, it worked). I started at what would be the "breaker box" in your house. In our RV we have both breakers and fuses, depending on whether or not you are hooked up to "normal" electricity or running off of the two car batteries stowed away underneath. Everything appeared normal and by normal I mean nothing was smoking, flaming, or in any other way looked alarming to the novice eye.
Breaker Box...Fuses on top, breakers on the bottom. |
The control panel. Not quite up with the "Bridge" of the Starship Enterprise from Star Trek, but close. |
No picture of the pump because I had already put the
cover back in place and really don't want to pull it off
EVER AGAIN.
Last spring I bought a multimeter. A what? Don't worry about it, I don't much. To my knowledge (using that word rather freely), it lets you know if electricity is flowing through something (don't laugh Willie). I used it to check my two batteries in the RV to see if they need charging while they sit there, begging to light up the kitchen or run the TV. Back to the pump predicament. I was thinking, if the pump was to be running, it would need juice (electricity for the layman). If it was getting juice at the wire connection to the pump and still not working, then the pump must be bad (I hope). I stuck the two little probe things, one in each wire nut connection and shazaam, there was juice getting to the pump...Wa La...the pump must be bad! This was Sunday night.
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Your average multimeter |
With that confirmation, Miki and I make a road trip up and through Eisenhower Tunnel and down to Golden. The mountains were glowing with the aspen's gold and orange leaves, highlighted by the fresh dusting of snow on the higher peaks from last night. Camping World was easy to find and had what we needed (I had called ahead just to be sure). While in the "neighborhood" we looked up REI, the mecca for all outdoor stuff and stopped by for some footwear. I started out this trip by choosing not to bring my good, high top boots for hiking. I still can't figure the logic in that decision. I did have a pair of Keens and tennis shoes I felt would be a good summer substitute. I threw the Keens away after our first hike after proving painful and realized the tennis shoes I had my Epic Day in were not up to snuff for the rest of the trip in Colorado although they stood up pretty well, just not the right stuff. After futile attempts at locating a replacement in Jackson, REI was a given since we were here. Once again, REI could have it's own posting. Searching for stuff online at REI is overwhelming enough, but in person...I'm sure the surveillance footage would show a gaping mouth with drool, while bumping into displays and mannequins while excusing myself to them. It was just sensory overload to the 3rd degree. I am wearing them right now, breaking them in while in the resting position, preparing for the many breaks that will be taken on the trail in days to come. Now, where was I?
Near REI, the entrance ramp onto the highway takes you right by the Denver Broncos stadium, a.k.a. Sports Authority Field...really? |
Old downtown Georgetown. A couple of blocks long...probably would have stopped, but I was |
The view of Dillon/Silverthorne as you get to the bottom of the pass on I-70. |
We will now settle into a new routine here in Dillon. We are in more familiar territory here, as we have been here many times in the past. We really enjoy this area both in summer for hiking and fishing, but also for skiing in winter up the road at Copper Mountain. There is a farmer's market on the other side of the lake (where I would love to have a condo someday, I wonder if they would take a trailer as a trade in!), bicycle paths everywhere around Dillon, Frisco, and up to Breckenridge if you so desire (I don't so desire). The hiatus is over. The carrying of buckets and buckets of water crisis averted and it is time to blend in with the locals.
Our new view with the continental divide in the background. |
My Zen from the Road: I am not quite there yet, but as these traveling interruptions (RV crises) crop up, I am learning from them as they beat me over the head with "it will all be okay." As much as Miki stays calm, I get irritated. For a variety of reasons I seem to not see the light at the end of the tunnel, only the darkness of the tunnel walls around me. Maybe by the time I have redone this trailer from the wheels up (since I've already done two of them) I will adapt to the idea that when things don't go my way, eventually they will again and getting irritated doesn't seem to help matters any. But in a sick way it feels good at the time...maybe I have an addiction to being irritated...now that's sick!
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