Gunnison, Colorado

Cowboy Country

 We moved across the Continental Divide to the big open valley of Gunnison. The temps cooled off and monsoon rains returned after a very dry few weeks. Overlooking a pond and surrounded by trees was a big change from the dusty, windy campground we were in the past three months.

Ranches with happy cows and horses line county road where we hiked and cycled. 

Driving up Ohio Pass Road

We arrived at the trailhead and met a retired couple from San Antonio, TX that comes to this area every summer.  They were happy to have someone to hike with and tell their stories after 50 years of marriage. They had me hustling to keep up.

The wildflowers had gone to seed from the frost over the past few days and looked like fall.

Our big Ohio Creek Valley view as we started up Swampy Pass Trail.

Marvin and Vickie, our new friends, gave us the low down on hiking Mill Castle Mountain.

We finished our hike and lunch as the thunder and rain started. Driving back, a 30 elk traffic jam had us waiting as they crossed the road as the rain got heavier making the pictures blurred. 

We had a couple of days to ride our bikes along the backroads of CR 730. It was 46F degrees on our second morning as we started. The sunshine had us warm in no time, along with our warmer clothes. 

The traffic jam on this road on Sunday was from so many cyclist on the road and few cars. My kind of traffic jams. It was great to ride from the campground for a 25 mile rides without a lot of climbing.

Mt. Crested Butte in the background.

Fall was in the air as the hay fields had been cut and colors starting to change. The smell of the cut hay brought back memories of the time Mike spent working on his grandparent's dairy farm in Vermont. I clicked away on my camera as I pedaled. Stopping for pictures while cycling is tiring to me.

We took a drive to the Taylor River Valley on a rainy day. A lot of cyclists like to ride this road. I voted to stay on our favorite county road.

As a young girl, after everyone was asleep, I would take a blanket outside and stare up at the stars. On our visit to Banff National Park in Canada many years ago, we put our pillows and blankets on the grass outside our condo to watch the sky. We still spend evenings wrapped in a blanket in our recliners looking at the sky.  It is a quiet time to reflect on our day and let our imaginations go while waiting for the space station pass by across the night sky. These are some big skies to look up in.

Mill Castle Trail

The scenic hike up the Mill Castle Trail to Storm Pass winds its way up the Mill Creek Valley thru the West Elk Wilderness. The landscape is unique with rock castles and formations with few visitors.

I checked my bear spray and reviewed how to use it. No sense waiting until you need it to remember how to use it. This trail had more wows per mile and around every corner.

The early morning sun gave some interesting shadows on the mountains.

We had several creek crossings. Fortunately, the water level was low making crossing easier. But I still managed to slip in a few times. I am glad Mike waterproofed my boots/

After an amazing hike, we headed to the food truck for a grilled peach salad for lunch.

What a fun visit to some new to us places. We were pretty tired after a week with fabulous fall like weather.

Topsy Turvy Times

Another change of direction

My vertigo was getting worse and I finally had to give in and go to the urgent care. the physician walked in without a mask which made my heart rate increase.
I will use a telemed doctor if I need to see doctor in the future to avoid thinking about the mask situation. The doctor felt the high pollen count was affecting my inner ear causing the spinning and isn't going to improve for several weeks. He recommended that we leave Greenville because once I finish the medication the vertigo would probably return. I am not crazy about staggering around and hate that whirling feeling and there are also more tornados in the forecast for this area. There seems to be a spinning theme here.

We took the doctor's advice, pulled up the jacks and headed west. It felt good to be on the move. The rest stops were closed in North Carolina. To take a break, we
found an empty strip mall parking lot. I am not sure what truckers do for a break. Tennessee's rest stops were quite nice and open. We made it to Crossville, Tennessee with enough
time to set up before the rain hit. Driving through the middle of the country in the springtime is not for the faint of heart, especially driving into the winds
coming out of the west.

During this pandemic, having our home on wheels is working out pretty well. We can move about the country while staying "home". Campgrounds have done a good job
of remaining socially distant but open. Our reservations are in the overnight box with instructions when we arrive.

We stopped in Crossville, Tennessee because it met our 250 mile criteria. After driving in the wind the previous day, we needed a break and took a 4 mile walk in the nearby Cumberland Mountain State Park.

This bridge was another CCC project.

Cumberland Mountain State Park began as part of the greater Cumberland Homesteads Project, a New Deal-era initiative by the Resettlement Administration that helped relocate
poverty-stricken families on the Cumberland Plateau to small farms centered on what is now the Cumberland Homestead community.

During the Civil War, Tennessee's families and neighbors were divided between joining the Union or Confederacy leaving many split forever. The eastern part state
remained with the Union and western towards the Confederacy. The war also destroyed so much farmland and families. People seem to be as divided today in our political
environment.

The bridge was built over Byrd Creek as an Eagle Scout project.

The rhododendrons were starting to bloom.

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We were the only people on the Byrd Creek Trail, maybe because we get up so darn early and it was cold.

We had visited the southern section of the Natchez Trace a couple of years ago and heard the northern section was even prettier.
The campground was right across the road from an entrance making a bike ride easy for us.
 My vertigo was getting much better.

We could picture the Chickasaw, trappers, outlaws and travelers feet creating the 440 mile Old Trace path.

Fall Hollow Campground is in a dead zone. No TV and very slow internet is making staying sane easier. I was listening to the news and people's
opinions more than necessary before leaving South Carolina.

We drove in the early mornings to dodge the afternoon storms and 70 mile per hour wind gusts to get through Missouri and Kansas as quickly as possible, avoiding Dorothy, Toto and the Wicked Witch of the West.

Our summer plans have been constantly evolving. We cancelled our Quebec plans and our volunteering positions. Now, we are back in our old stomping grounds of Colorado and will need a little time to reacclimate to the altitude. Oh yeah, snow is in the forecast! Do you think Mother Nature is trying to tell us something?

Another month in South Carolina

Springtime in Greenville

We signed on for another month in Greenville, SC. The storms keep rolling across the country and just skirting both north and south of us.

Other than our walks and bike rides from the campground, this was our first real outing in a while. I put on my earrings and lipstick in preparation for our drive towards North Carolina and the farm stands. Woo Hoo!

April is the start of strawberry season in SC. Strawberry Hill is located on the North Carolina border. People were buying the produce as quickly as it was being brought in from the fields.

I was glad to see that strawberry shortcake is an essential business. We donned our masks and kept our 6 feet distance while buying our carry out shortcake and sat on a stump across the road for our snack.

Along the Carolinas' border are Revolutionary battlefields and fruit farms. A short drive down the Chesnee Highway from the fruit farm was the Cowpens Battlefield.

The walking trails were open, giving us the chance to imagine the battles being waged. 

On Jan. 17, 1781, the Americans won a decisive battle against the better-trained British Army here. The battle was over in less than an hour giving the Patriots the moral support needed to continue fighting and win the Revolution just nine months later.

All of this social distancing is clouding some of our decisions. People are avoiding the ER with stroke and heart attack symptoms due to fear of the virus and in turn suffering permanent injuries. 

One morning at 3 am, I woke with the worst vertigo and a headache that wouldn't stop. I thought about visiting the ER but felt anxious. My blood pressure was high as I thought about entering the Covid 19 cave of the ED. I called the hospital to see which hospital was designated for non Covid patients and she encouraged me to go in. I took some medication and things finally started to resolve. It was stupid to not go in when I could have had something bad. Fortunately, I did get medical attention and am fine. But looking back, I might rethink my choice and let the medical people know my concerns.

 A 30 mile ride with hills and wind thrown it. Laying down was not the best plan with sweat and sunscreen running into my eyes. And then I had to get up.

Check out those calories!

South Carolina's govenor is starting to open some of the state parks and beaches. He seems like a reasonable and intelligent man in his daily briefings. We will see how the next few weeks unfold before we decide how we are going to make our exit from here.