Landmarks and a Comet

The girls were off doing their thing in the Pueblo sector, and we were left to our own to do as we may. After removing the doors and then the top from our transport, wandering about discovering various oddities in the surrounding desert seemed the best course of action for the day.  

Just north of Penrose, we found things mostly abandoned and lacking any sort of road maintenance.  We came nearly full circle on the road without locating the lake my comrade felt certain should be there.  Referencing our map found we were decidedly in the wrong part of town.

We missed the turn for Brush Hollow.  There had only been one sign from the beginning, pointing in the general direction of the site, but no follow up instructions about accessing the lake. With a little help from the map, we got there, though found a lake mostly giving up on its only task.  Mud flats encircled most of it, a sign of the long-standing drought in the neighborhood.

Pressing west from there, we stumbled upon a gated landmark offering some insight into the past.  Alone at side Phantom Canyon Road, it pays respect to efforts by the Works Progress Administration.  While not entirely certain, it is likely the solitary monument is immediately related to the nearby roadway; that is, unless there is something special about the particular field in which stands.

A meandering straight line from there into Cañon City led us to consider pausing for reflection at the Abbey and deeper examination of why we were unable to turn off overhead lights.  They had been illuminating daylight for the entire morning and every instruction indicated we should have them off.  Going through every fuse, we finally discovered and interim solution, bidding nuns in attendance a fond farewell, leaving them to their TikTok antics.

While it is nearly impossible to visit this region and completely ignore the primary tourist attraction site, we have accomplished that task a few times.  It is interesting to return every few years and see what has changed.  The last time we were out to the Royal Gorge a few years ago, or on this visit, we noticed they no longer permitted traffic across the bridge.  We only wandered out to the middle and back on this occasion, walking and talking about whatever came to mind.

Our departure route found us doubling back, after not finding an overlook that we thought had been left at the campground.  We ended up skipping along the edge of another overlook closer to the entrance of the park but are not entirely certain that it was the intended location.

  

The view is amazing as any other, in all directions, and afforded us an opportunity to view the status of the ranch in the distance.  We could tell that the girls were on their way home, so decided we would begin to make our way back.

The travels of the day had been good and satisfying.  These times are some of the best. It never ceases to amaze me at how many oddities one can uncover, when there is no timetable or plan.

My chauffer for the day decided we needed to make one last stop on the way back.  Skyline Drive is another of those unique experiences on can never quite get enough of.  However, winding along that ridgeback, with no top or doors could make some change their mind.

Our day complete, catching up with the girls back at the ranch, we remembered that C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan Atlas was scheduled to fall from the sky for the next several nights.  Turning our attention to Venus, we set about preparing to capture the phenomenon.  We enjoyed good conversation as clouds frustrated attempts early on.  A little patience paid off though, and the atmospheric disturbance eventually broke up enough to offer a relatively unobscured view this ancient Oort Cloud comet making its way through the solar system, never to be seen by anyone currently on the planet again.

Dunes, Aliens, Eggplant and Rainbows

The dunes appeared just as we had left them the night before.  Indeed, they seemed much the same as the last visit 20 years ago, give or take a few million grains of sand in one direction or the other. 

Making our way down to Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, we dropped by the visitor center for a closer examination of the situation.  It had been closed on previous visits, so it was good to take some time to become more familiar with the lay of the land and the forces at play.

Visits in the past focused on accessing the dune directly, so this abbreviated adventure for the day would overlook it all.  The 1.5 km trip to the terminus of the Dunes Overlook Trail provided the perfect opportunity to gradually move up the relative alluvial desert, through fading Aspens surrounding dry creek beds, finally arriving atop a ridge with an expansive view of the formation.  

Along the way, there were plenty of opportunities to pause enjoy the view of the nearby dunes, or simply relish the unique feeling of prickle pear piercing the skin.  The top of the ridge is most ideal though.  A wooden bench enables solitude between invasions from other explorers, but we departed before any had the chance. The delay from the day before created a bit of a time crunch and we still had to make it back to the other side of the Sangre de Cristos.

We paused only briefly a few times on our way north from the dunes. The first instance occurred just north of Hooper, in order to investigate the mention of alien life forms.  They were begging for money though, and it hardly seemed fitting to encourage that sort of thing in the middle of what is mostly desert.

On the second stop we paused along the road to admire Mount Shavano and the Sawatch Range of the Rocky Mountains, lurking below partly clear skies at Poncha Pass.  This was followed almost immediately by the third stop near Mass Junction.  Nearly a mile of traffic backed up in both directions as workers meticulously rewired Poncha Springs or some other destination needing a resupply of electricity. 

The ordeal did not create too much of a delay and we slid into Salida just in time for a late lunch.  The Boathouse Cantina had been recommended for its riverside seating, but something compelled us to Pizza Rio, just next door.  It also offered outdoor seating with a view of the Arkansas river, refreshing beverages and the most delicious Eggplant Parmesan.  The stairs were something navigate, a dire warning to continuously monitor intake levels, lest them become unmanageable.

Satisfied, we explored the riverwalk below that we had been observing throughout our dining experience above.  Up and down the river, the leaves had begun to change and free themselves from the bonds that held them through out summer. The mid-20s °C of the day enabled children to run amuck in the nearby park and in some cases, splash around in the chilly waters.  While we were unable to completely fulfill of our desires on this particular date, we did enjoy the brief walk about, prior to heading back to the semi-arid high plains near Florence.

Heading towards our destination and base camp of origin for the trip, we encountered another unexpected traffic jam on US-50.  The delay was not too awful and enabled optimal viewing of rainbow offering some hope of better times to come.  This was more than welcome, considering how the trip had begun.  We had just traversed an addition 500 km without another glitch.

Cautiously Forging Ahead

Up relatively early, and savoring every bite of a delicious and satisfying breakfast, we executed the plan for the morning.  My comrade headed off to visit with a group of shaman to receive prayers and positive reinforcement that all would turn out, while I headed into town to learn more about our vehicular affliction.

Discussion surrounding the issue pointed to likelihood of something bad in the gasoline.  The agent at Advanced Auto recommended introducing another batch of chemical cleanser known as SeaFoam, and a full tank of premium to assist in ensuring the problem got sorted out.  The next step was to run some of this mixture down the highway to see how it worked out.

A 30 km trip out to Spike Buck Gulch seemed sufficient to test the effort.  Leaving the car running at that location and wandering about for several minutes, I found a bit of peace in the quiet little spot.  All seemed well enough, so I headed back to connect with the crew to relay my findings and discuss further action.

With the decision to move on down the road to the originally intended destination agreed upon, we hit the road again that afternoon, though following the relatively safer route of I-25 to Walsenburg.  The jump from there to Fort Garland felt as if it might make for a more tense situation, with more remote areas involved.  However, more traffic than anticipated allayed fears of being stranded in the middle of nowhere.

Mount Mestas welcomed us into La Veta Pass and on to Fort Garland, where we enjoyed a brief intermission the relatively new establishment, Mountain View Diner.  Their particular brand of comfort food, along with a slower pace encouraged a cautious sense of accomplishment here in the San Luis Valley.

The last 42 km of the journey for the day ended with a phenomenal view of the Great Sand Dunes and the San Juan mountain range in the distance from our humble geodesic dome at base camp.  An unexpected array of clouds, later sprinkling a bit of rain, determined there would not be much to see this particular night in this dark sky region.  Temperatures plummeted into the single digits as well, but we were mostly oblivious.  Satisfaction in having made it this far without further complication allowed us to at least suffer the void of noise pollution that blanketed the remainder of the night.

Adventurous Interuptus

The rocket ride west began only slightly different than usual, though it culminated in missing our intended destination on the first day out.  Consequently, we were forced to seek aid and comfort with family before proceeding.

The only exception to the usual route came through choosing I-70 as our exit from city, encouraging a visit one of our new favorite spots in Topeka, Juli's Coffee and Bistro, along with a quick peak at the Kansas capitol building.   The last several outings have convinced us that I-70 is preferable to the I-35 gauntlet through Johnson County, which is traditionally littered with individuals that either believe they are in the Indianapolis 500 or have completely forgotten they are on an interstate.

Satisfied and caffeinated, we eventually departed the 4-lane chaos just west of Salina, barreling southwest towards Great Bend.  While the landscape is not a lot different, it offered a slightly different perspective on the plains.  It also presented an opportunity to sneak a quick look at the Kansas Wetlands Education Center.  While not very wet this season, the facilities offer a nice presentation for this lesser known feature of the prairie. 

One thing led to another and we ended up in Garden City and needed gas to make a bit more progress.  Research uncovered a Phillips 66 proclaiming the cheapest prices in town, and it only required a little bit of wandering through multiple stop lights to arrive at the corner of Taylor Avenue and Mary Street.  The location seemed a little sketchy, though not much different than most we have encountered.  Taking a chance on this place proved a relatively fatal mistake, or maybe it was not.  It is hard to prove either way but we are convinced they were the cause of our later distress.

Traveling another 250 km, with only a brief interruption at the Colorado-Kansas border rest area in Holly, we landed at a Wal-Mart in La Junta to gather a few provisions before making the final jump to the dunes of the San Luis Valley.  

Unfortunately, disaster struck.

We found our transport suddenly uncooperative.  

The vehicle hesitated, gasping for gasoline, lurching forward for a mile or two before stalling again.  This repeated a few times and a state of serious concern ensued.  The nearest auto repair suggested it was open, but that was not the case.  For them, five o'clock had come a half hour earlier than the clock on the wall and none of the other shops were open.

Heading to the nearest parts store, the O'Reilly on Dalton Avenue turned out to be some help.  The parts guys said that it sounded as if we might have gotten some bad gas and recommended dumping some Heet Injector Cleaner and Water Remover into the gas tank (the red one).  That seemed reasonable enough, so we bought some.

Overhearing our dilemma, another customer (and mechanic) backed up this suggestion, and came out to have a look.  He said there might be something to do with the fuel pump and/or filter.  It the problem item were accessible enough, he said that he could help replace it right then and there in the lot. However, he found there was no way to get to the pump without removing the gas tank , so suggested finding a parts store that could capture some codes for us.  Until then, turn on the Heet.

With the recommended substance in our gas tank, we tested the road again.  It was not any more cooperative than before, offering only the same response.  Getting in touch with family we had not intended to disturb for a few more days, we explained the situation and that we would be attempting the 150 km detour to their place, sooner rather than later.

As an afterthought, we considered that perhaps the Heet had not mixed in well enough, so stopped in at the next station to fill up with premium gasoline.

The problem evaporated. 

Somewhere along the way, the "idiot light" had popped on though.  One more stop at an Advance Auto Parts in Pueblo found codes P0087 and P0627 related to our concerns. 

Cautiously continuing with the modified plan for the day, we arrived at the relatives tired and a little disappointed, though happy we had not been stranded in the middle of nowhere.  They greeted us warmly, with smiles all around, reassuring us that all would turn out, in spite of our distress.  We enjoyed their good company, talking away the remainder of the evening, continually circling back to guessing at what could be the issue with the vehicle.

Every possibility was entertained.  From water in the tank, to dust and dirt, to the possibility of an Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) from higher-than-normal solar activity that day and the previous.  Anything was possible.

All that we knew for certain was that tomorrow was Sunday and the day after, a holiday.  Diagnostic options were available, though nothing would be available to treat symptoms. 1100 km separated us from home and we had no way of knowing what exactly was happening.

Ultimately, we came up with a plan to reset the "idiot light" first thing in the morning, drive to town, see if the problem recurred, and have Advanced Auto Parts in Cañon City run codes again.  We could always buy the parts and fix it ourselves, if that was what it required.

All of these thoughts raced in circles until sleep finally took over.

Missing Stop Sign

Started using the system that the City has for reporting issues.  It is clunky, but a means, I suppose.

The first request was for the Stop sign that has been missing for the last few years, ever since someone ran it down.  I also turned in a couple of street lights that were out over by the community center.

Request: The STOP sign for southbound traffic on N.K was damaged in an accident a few years ago and was never replaced ... not sure if that is by design, but it continues to create hazardous conditions for those traveling east-west on NW.Terr.

Someone from their office responded today, after about a week.

I have reviewed the City's traffic code and there is no ordinance for a stop sign at this location. I will review the area to see if a stop sign is warranted.

I have no idea what this person is talking about.  There has been a stop sign there for the last 50 years, until that accident.