It's been a rainy day for Colorado. Cloudy when I woke up this morning (with the usual dozen crickets under the rain fly--they go away during the day). Rained on me when I was hiking. Cancelled the Mesa Verde program.
I was much in the mood for the MV program tonight, and it was one I would have liked very much--astronomy (presumably the laymen's kind, of identifying stars & planets). There weren't any stars to see, though, and so I am hoping very much for clear weather next Wednesday, as it's my last chance to learn something about that which I have been very interested in all summer. Finding constellations and tying knots are 2 skills I've never aspired to much, but now feel quite motivated to. I did get some nice quiet time in the amphitheater to write postcards and read my Lonely Planet USA book. Decided it is worth going to New Mexico on my day off Sunday.
The view of Cortez, with an arch of clouds over it and the fuzz of rain coming down, all backlit by sunset, was really eye-catching on the way up Mesa Verde. Then, in the spot at the campground where deer always are, there were 4 bucks just a few feet from the road. Of course I didn't bring my camera. When I looked for it back at the Homestead, though, I found it in my backpack...which had been with me the whole time. So you'll just have to picture 4 bucks with big racks, grazing in knee-deep grass on the side of a small windy road with an unusual number of people walking up & down.
I did have to work today, and I did hike a bit. I was picking up HOR near Silverton, and the directions said to stop by an old mill and waterfall and walk the remaining 1/2 mile to the group because the road is too rough for our vehicles. Thing is, there are a lot of old mills, and they're ALL by waterfalls...that's why they're there. So when I saw one where the road narrowed, I parked and started walking. I was already late because I had very little time to make the road lunch, then, when I went up the hill to get the van, discovered that it needed gas, and the back seat was out (SO glad I realized this; getting 2 hours to the trailhead to find that we don't have room for everyone would have been a first-class disaster). Also very very glad I took my raingear with me. After about 1/2 mile, I crested a ridge and did not find our group, but could see the truck our marketing guy drove in the distance (he often meets groups for the last day or two of a section to film the goings-on). It was a ways off, but walking back to the van would have taken longer so I continued on. It started to rain. I was wearing cotton, shorts & t-shirt no less with new snow on the mountains, was long past hungry, stressed about being late, and really wanting a bathroom. Slung my rain jacket over me and my daypack and pressed on. It was exceedingly beautiful, misty with a lot of waterfalls, but no time to appreciate it.
As I got closer, the truck drove away (from me). So now, instead of walking to the real parking area, I had to walk up the hill beyond. The upside was that seeing the truck in profile confirmed that it was in fact, ours. The other upside was that I passed a latrine, so became marginally less miserable. I'm not a great one for walking uphill, let alone walking fast uphill when I'm desperately hungry. I still didn't know where the group actually was, or whether they were seething at me. At last, I encountered Richard, the marketing guy; and George, the photographer kid, walking down toward me. Rarely have I been so pleased to see anyone.
Fortunately, the group wasn't too stressed out, even when I told them I'd forgotten to bring a rig bag to secure their packs in the pickup bed. (the chips, which I'd also thought I forgot, turned out to be there after all) Richard & George drove me down to the van, which was far enough away to garner sympathy, and Cat, the leader, claimed triumphantly that she knew it was a problem with directions. After being in the backcountry for 18 days, the entire group was over the moon about sandwiches with real bread & cold cuts, and loved the egg salad Seth & I made. Even if it did start hailing once we'd spread the food all out on the tailgate of the truck. By this point, I was wearing my raingear for warmth as much as water repellancy, but lunch was a speedy affair, and I was riding in the truck (with the heat on) with Richard & George in no time.
Having a chauffeur back to Mancos was a rare treat. I never get to just admire the scenery. Silverton is really cute; all old buildings, and touristy, but not in an offensive way. Beyond town, there's all kinds of old mining relics, and a lot of hiking opportunities. Much like my summer in London, 2 months here has only revealed to me how much more there is to see. And made me a little complacent, too--once we got close to Durango (a feeling kind of like the Wayne County part of 104), I actually went to sleep.
That's probably the last time I'll be up that way for a good while. In my ever-evolving scheme, the 3 days off I figure I have left will be spent at Hovenweep, in New Mexico, and tying up loose ends. Time here is running out--I made a list of evening activities I have left to do, then tried to plug them into the calendar...and I have more activities than evenings. I'll probably only be able to talk with my 3 phone buddies once more each; maybe another time in Seattle, but it'll be tight. I actually want to spend a little time with my colleagues before I leave. We're having a 3-way birthday bash on the 7th. Each honoree gets to choose a food item to be served--I hear Seth has chosen fresh peach cobbler! Then there's all the packing, laundry, errands. Yikes!
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