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T2T’s 2020 PhxCruiser JourneysT2T’s 2020 PhxCruiser Journeys
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T2T’s 2020 PhxCruiser Journeys

December 2019 - April 2024
Our 2020 motorhome travels in the Phoenix Cruiser ... exploring Colorado and a road trip to the Black Hills of South Dakota. Read more
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  • Two to TravelT2T’s 2020 PhxCruiser Journeys
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    Back Home

    May 29, 2020 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F

    A couple of pitter-patters as we were eating dinner last night. And that was it. No sign of the forecasted rain ... though we did hear some distant thunder. Oh well … hopefully some of the thunderstorms forecasted for every afternoon next week will actually bring some beneficial rain to the area.

    A quiet evening at home … a good night’s rest. Once again we were up just before 5:00a. We had a simple breakfast of cereal … a cup of tea at the picnic table … dallying a bit as we took advantage of the warming rays of the sun trickling in through the pine canopy. Then it was time to get started on the chores for breaking camp.

    Shortly before 10:00a, we were on the road. A few errands on base — getting haircuts being a priority — and we were back home by noon, just in time for lunch. A quiet afternoon of chores and errands ... a tiny sprinkling of rain that rewarded us with a double rainbow over the plains.

    All in all, we had a successful first camping trip in the Cruiser. It wasn’t an exciting trip, but going to Peregrine Pines accomplished the goals we had in mind … enjoying a change of scenery … walking and hiking somewhere other than in the neighborhood … figuring out customizations needed to make our home-on-wheels more comfortable.

    Mui will bring the Cruiser home tomorrow so that we can continue working on the list of items we came up with. Some are quick and easy fixes ... others will require some thought and research before we implement them.

    We hope to get out again next weekend. But the rec area we have in mind is only open on weekends and takes reservations on a week-by-week basis. We won’t know if we’ll be able to get in until we call on Monday! Fingers crossed.    Read more

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    Camping @ Farish

    June 9, 2020 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 34 °F

    The Farish Rec Area — formally, the Williams Stamps Farish Jr. Memorial Recreational Area — is a USAFA operated military facility that is described as a mountain resort in Pike National Forest. It is situated on property donated by the Farishes to honor their son, who was in the Army Air Corps during WWII. I’m not sure when Farish was built, but according to the plaque near the office, it was “dedicated to the cadet wing of the United States Air Force Academy … August 27, 1959.”

    What attracted us to Farish was the promise of peace and quiet to enjoy, as well as mountains, meadows, trees and lakes … and plenty of hiking opportunities … even if the trails were at some 9,000+ feet … 2,000 or so feet higher than where we live in Colorado Springs.

    Since Farish sounded so delightful, we decided to see if we could go there for our second camping outing with the Cruiser. Easier said than done during these pandemic times! We almost gave up on camping there since it took so long to get a call back for a reservation. Glad we didn’t as the place is as lovely as described … even if the luster of the resort facilities could do with a good polishing.

    When we made our reservation last week, the weather forecast was good. With each passing day, however, that started to change. Suddenly, there was snow in the forecast for Monday night into today. Oh my! Oh well!

    Indeed, when we turned on the TV this morning, the weather-heads were showing pictures of snow in Woodland Park. The small accumulation was on the grassy areas and the roads were clear, however, so we decided to keep our reservation. Sure it was only 39F when we left the house around 10:00a. Sure the wind was still blowing strong. But the day was quickly improving.

    From Woodland Park, which is about five miles from Farish, we had to drive on FSR 309 ... unpaved and incredibly washboardy. I thought that we would surely shake everything out of the cabinets. But we made it OK. The bonus … with all the aspens we saw along the way, we now know where to come within easy driving distance to enjoy the fall foliage.

    It didn’t take Mui long to check-in once we pulled up by the Farish office. Only one person allowed into the office — mask mandatory. No problem … we were the only ones there.

    Odd is probably the best way to describe our site at the Lake Grace Pavilion, one of only three 15A electric sites here. (The other two are over by the office and nowhere near us. It’s the closest we’ve come to feeling like we’re boondocking … but with some facilities. There is nothing marking our site … except perhaps the electric pedestal … outlet actually. We found the least uneven area to be next to the picnic shelter and parked parallel to it. Even then, it took us a while to get level.

    Behind us is the “barn.” A peek through the windows uncovered that it is a dormitory that can sleep 12. The only reason we were able to get the RV site is because no one has reserved the barn for a group event. Down the road from us are two camper cabins … very basic, very rustic. Both are empty at the moment. No weekday reservations are currently being accepted except for tents and RVs, so I expect they will remain unoccupied until Friday, which is when we’ll be leaving. So we have this whole area to ourselves. It’s quiet, it’s peaceful, and we’re at one with mother nature. We’re more than happy with our site and our surroundings.

    After lunch, a quick vacuum and swiffer took care of our chores for today. We were then free to go exploring. So, we set off to check out Lake Grace. One of the three Farish lakes — reservoirs, actually — LG is just down the road from our site. Maybe a few hundred yards. With the sun out and the temp comfortable despite the occasional wind gusts, we enjoyed the beautiful scenery as we strolled towards the far end of the lake to check out the lodge and the cottage — unoccupied at present. Likewise, the day use area was also deserted. The Lake Grace area of Farish was all ours to enjoy.

    Pine trees and aspens were reflected on the calm water … huge boulders protruded out of the surface of the lake. Birds flitted about … many more chirping away unseen in the trees. Ground squirrels were running about … standing upright to scan the area when something caught their attention. A pair of mallards came out of the water to see if we had a handout for them … no we didn’t. Peaceful … quiet. Gorgeous landscape.

    When we left the Cruiser to check-out Lake Grace, we intended to just reconnoiter the immediate area. Well, one thing led to another and before we knew it we had hiked to Lake Leo, where we took a break and sat down to watch the swallows. From their metallic blue-green feathers and white fronts, I am guessing they were tree swallows. No way to photograph them as they were flying about at lightning speed. But it was delightful to just sit and enjoy the peace and quiet. The bonus for taking the time to chill? We saw a mama mallard escorting her brood — I counted six ducklings.

    From Lake Leo, we followed the road to Lake Sapphire. And that’s where we got lost. Well, not really. But we did get a bit discombobulated. So, we decided to follow the trail to the office as we knew we’d find our way to Lake Grace from there. This worked out in our favor when we left the path to climb a hill — which turned out to be Wedding Ridge. It was from this high spot that we enjoyed the beautiful sight of the snow-frosted Front Range of the Rockies and the north face of Pikes Peak … with trees, trees, trees everywhere, both pine and aspen, and ofcourse Lake Sapphire as well. This was also the spot where we caught a single-bar phone signal that was just strong enough for texting family that we were OK and would be incommunicado for a bit.

    Once we made it up the hill and got to the road, we followed it back to Lake Grace. It was then that we wondered if the Wilson signal booster we’d installed in the CR-V when we were full-timing would help us get a cell signal. Nope. You need to have a signal to be able to boost it. And we had nothing … zip … nada. No matter.

    Having driven to Wedding Ridge to test out the signal booster, we swung by the office to ask for a trail map. The bonus for making the detour … broad-tailed hummingbirds were flitting around two feeders. And they were not shy about posing.

    Once we returned to our site, we sat outside in the sun for a while. But with the wind blowing it grew too cool after a while, so we sought refuge in the Cruiser. It was 7:00p by then … time for dinner … a light salad tonight.

    Not only is there no cell signal way up here at 9,100 feet — thus no Netflix to watch — there are no over-the-air TV channels either. We are totally unplugged. Next time, we’ll download a couple of movies to entertain us. In the meantime, Mui put on the DVD of our 2007 trip to Banff in Alberta, Canada. It’s nice to re-live our travels this way. Tomorrow night we’ll go to Jasper 😉

    Mui went to bed around 9:00p. It’s now getting on towards 11:00p. I’m all caught up with today’s story. Time to get some rest. With no one around, all the window shades are open and I’m hoping I can see the stars from bed.    Read more

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    Camping @ Farish ... Day 2

    June 10, 2020 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    I woke up before 6:00a, but snoozed until the sun broke over the trees to shine into the bedroom. That was around 6:30a. It was 32F outside. The cold temp did not come as a surprise really … we are at 9,100 feet here.

    A steller’s jay was visiting outside. Alongside were smaller birds. All in search of sustenance. Hopefully they found something to eat. One bird — I believe it was a yellow-bellied flycatcher — was busy carrying clumps of grass for the nest it was building in the eaves of the barn. The sounds of chirping birds wafted on the air, advising us of their presence even if we could not see them. A bunny was scampering in and out of the tree line ... several ground squirrels were scurrying about. No bears or deer … nor any evidence of them having visited overnight.

    By breakfast time the temp had risen to 46F … though that might have been misleading since the temperature gauge is on the side of the rig receiving the morning sun. In any event, it was too cold to eat in the picnic shelter which was in the shade of the Cruiser. We’ll have other opportunities for al fresco meals, so no worries.

    By the time Mui completed a few of the projects on our “customization” list, it was nigh on 11:00a. Time to have some fun.

    Incorporated officially in 1891, the “City Above the Clouds” — as Woodland Park is known —is a home-rule municipality in Teller County. It has a beautiful setting up in the mountains, with views of Pikes Peak and the Rampart Range.

    When my family was visiting back in January, we drove up to Woodland Park from Manitou Springs. We didn’t see anything exciting, so we turned tail and went home. Since we were camping so close — a mere five miles — we wanted to make sure there wasn’t anything to see here before we wrote it off our sightseeing list entirely. Plus, we wanted to see if there was a Lowe’s to buy a matching rug for the living area of the Cruiser. So off we went down the mountain.

    Somehow, we got ourselves turned around leaving Farish and ended up following a different forest road into town. No matter. This route was neither better nor worse than Rampart Range Road and it took no longer to get into town that way.

    Once we were back in the “land of cell signals,” we pulled over to see if there was a Lowe’s nearby. There wasn’t. But we found something unexpected instead.

    The road into town passed by Memorial Park … a lovely green space with a fishing pond — complete with three fountains spurting sprays of water. The park was originally dedicated in 1944, but was restored to its present look and re-dedicated in 2017. With its view of Pikes Peak, the place invited us to dally a bit. That it was a good spot to check emails and such was an added bonus.

    There were a number of people taking advantage of the beautiful day — it was sunny and 56F by then. A couple of kids were fishing; several were riding bikes … one of them almost took a header into the pond right in front of us; still others were running around under the watchful eyes of their mothers. There were people of our age group as well … pretty much relaxing on a beautiful summer morning. Not a single face covering in sight, but plenty of social distancing.

    After a while, we moved on. A drive through town revealed there were a few things to do — a museum about the area’s Ute history … and a Dinosaur Discovery Center. Neither appealed enough for us to shell out the cost of admission or the suggested donation. But the drive did unearth several very nicely done murals depicting the history of Woodland Park, so our time wasn’t wasted. The highlight of our drive? We spotted a wild red fox that had mistaken someone’s front yard as a bathroom ;-)

    The jiggled part of our plans for today called for a hike from Farish to the Rampart Reservoir after lunch. But first, we thought we’d drive to the reservoir on our way back from Woodland Park and check it out. The four-mile drive to the reservoir from the Rampart Road turn-off — just short of the Farish gate — was extremely washboardy, but the scenery was beautiful. At the entrance booth, the attendant said we could go in for a look-see free since we weren’t planning to stay long or take advantage of any of the facilities. That saved us $7 … or $3.50 with our America the Beautiful lifetime pass.

    The landscape of the park is beautiful … even with the eyesore caused by fire damage here and there. Pikes Peak was visible in all its majesty from a number of places along the road. We stopped at a fishing spot where I got a nice panorama of the reservoir, but we didn’t go all the way down to the dam. At the Promontory Picnic Area, I did a quick wander and determined that the beach was too far down to attempt a walk today … didn’t want to take advantage of the attendant’s generosity in allowing us free access.

    As we drove back to the gate, we decided that Rampart Reservoir deserves its own camping trip. So we checked out the USFS campgrounds within the fee area … all dry camping. Doable for a couple of nights … especially if we can get into one of the sites with reservoir views.

    Returning to the Cruiser around 2:00p, we had a light lunch inside … too cool to sit outside with the sun hiding more than it was seeking. Mui then set about finishing a few projects before taking a nap. I used the time to catch up the journal. And I also downloaded and weeded through the photos from today. Bonus sighting as I sat working? Two mule deer — bucks with velvet-sheathed antlers — came to graze near our site.

    We set out to do a short hike after 4:30p … more for cardio and exercise than for sightseeing. Following the road first and then a trail we found through the trees, we ended up at Lake Leo. By this time, the sun was fully hidden behind clouds that looked like they might be portending rain. So, we didn’t dally.

    Before heading back to the Cruiser, we walked up a steep road on the far side of the lake to check out the view. Turns out the road leads to one of the sites of the Falcon Telescope Network. Apparently this network allows for the simultaneous observation of a single object from different geometries. The dome was open, so something was being observed. What? That I don’t know.

    Instead of retracing our steps back to the Cruiser, Mui found a non-trail path that dropped us down to Lake Grace. I’m not sure it was a short cut, but it got us home.

    The temp is now down to 55F … which feels even cooler with a light breeze blowing. No sitting outside for us. But we did get to see four mule deer come to graze in the grass just on the other side of our picnic pavilion. The does were shy and sprinted away quickly, but the bucks hung around for a bit. I think that’s a great way to wrap up our day.    Read more

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    Camping @ Farish ... Day 3

    June 11, 2020 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F

    Woke up to a lovely morning with quickly warming temps. After a light breakfast and a few chores, we left the Cruiser to hike the Peakview Trail. We drove the car to the conference center and parked it there to save our steps for the hike. It was 9:30 when we started off on the short, ½-mile connector trail down to Lake Sapphire to get to the trailhead for Peakview. We could have driven down to Lake Sapphire and parked at the trailhead, but by doing it this way we added another mile — or more — to our hiking plans.

    Peakview is a 1.9-mile loop trail through mountain meadows and a mixed forest — pine, fir, spruce, and aspen trees. It is considered an intermediate trail, with a gradual grade … and a few short, steep sections. Nothing that we couldn’t handle, though we were glad the elevation gain was a mere 176 feet since we are still getting acclimated to high-elevation hiking.

    As the first part of the trail winds through the forest, there’s not much entertainment — meaning views — along the way. Just past the halfway point, we came to a couple of open spots with views of Pikes Peak. The first spot probably had a magnificent view at one time, but it is now blocked a bit by trees. This was the highest point of our hike … 9280 feet by the compass on my phone.

    The return leg of the loop trail took us down to the meadows so it was flatter. I’m glad we hiked the trail in a clockwise direction. Otherwise, we would have been climbing up on the return section of the loop. It’s always nice to have the easier hike on the way back to the trailhead.

    Since there were no views to entertain us on the way up, you’d think that we’d manage to get the hike completed within an hour. No, as always, we took longer … about two hours by the time we got back to the car. Our entertainment consisted of wildflowers adding color to the trail … though not in any great numbers. Along the way, we saw bear scat and a couple of paw prints, but no actual sighting. Same with the deer … there was “pellet-evidence” but no sign of the deer themselves. Lots of chirping birds hidden in the canopy and a too-quick-for-the-shutter woodpecker were also companions on the trail.

    Before returning to the Cruiser, we stopped at the office to ask about two dry-camping sites overlooking Lake Sapphire that we thought would be perfect for us … level and with a view of the lake. Turns out that even though we can fit into the sites, they no longer allow hard-sided campers to book these sites. When Mui asked why, he was told that people have damaged the trees and vegetation trying to squeeze into those sites. Bummer.

    Back home, the sun was out and it looked like it would be warm enough to dine al fresco. We did so, despite the wind that picked up as we were eating. Mui afterwards took a nap while I stayed outside to download photos and write the journal. It was a little chilly at times, but it felt good to sit outdoors.

    My reward for braving the slight chill? The two bucks from yesterday appeared out of nowhere. Actually, it only felt like that because they approached so silently that they were already on the move by the time I saw them passing right in front of me. I followed them from a distance to take a few photos. That’s when I noticed that they had stopped in the clearing behind the honey bucket. Funny … one of the bucks was “doing his business” back there!

    Around 3:30p, we headed over to Lake Grace for another quick walk to enjoy the views. Then we collected the car, and drove up to the office to get another copy of the trail map. The broad-tailed hummingbirds birds were at the feeder again ... and quite willing to pose for a few more photos.

    On the drive back to the Cruiser, we detoured to sit on one of the benches at Lake Leo. Unlike the first day, there were very few swallows flitting about. Nor did we get to see the brood of mallard ducklings today. We did, however, catch a visiting mallard pair “sharing some 💕” until the resident 🦆 chased them away.

    I expect that we’ll have another quiet evening at home. Maybe watch one of the old movie DVDs we have in the Cruiser to entertain ourselves.

    I should mention that there were a lot more day-trippers at Farish today. All were of the angler variety. A number of tents have popped up in the camping sites, and we noticed the cabins being readied for weekend visitors. Regardless, it was still peaceful … still quiet. And, of course, there is no one but us at the Lake Grace Pavilion.    Read more

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    Back Home from Farish

    June 12, 2020 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 68 °F

    And we are once more digitally connected to the world ... though we didn't mind being mostly unplugged these past few days.

    After another good night’s rest, we were up and at ‘em early. By 8:00a breakfast was finished … Mui was taking his first shower since arriving at Farish on Tuesday. What can I say? When you don’t have water or sewer hook-ups, nor a bathhouse, you make do!

    With only an electric hook-up to disconnect, it did not take long to break camp. A walk around Lake Grace was the “fun” part of our morning before leaving Farish. Though the temp was only around 57F, the sun was out. Combine that with the lack of even a light breeze, and it was warm enough that we actually had no need for our jackets on this outing.

    We wanted to test how the Cruiser would handle steep grades with the toad attached, so we hooked up before leaving the campsite. She did really well.

    I neglected to check what time we left Farish, but we disarmed the alarm at home shortly after 11:00a, so I am guessing it was about 9:45a when we drove out the gate that marks the Farish boundary. The washboardy FSR 309 and Rampart Range Road were no fun, but we managed. Once we were on paved roads, we made good time getting home.

    After a light lunch at home, Mui was off to run errands. Chief amongst his to-do items was picking up the window awnings we ordered for the Cruiser … cha-ching! We'll be installing them before we head out for another short camping trip next week.

    For anyone interested in seeing more photos from our Farish camping trip ... here’s the link to my SmugMug gallery: https://eenusa.smugmug.com/PhxCrzr/CO-Day-Short…    Read more

  • Two to TravelT2T’s 2020 PhxCruiser Journeys

    Privacy and Sun Protection

    June 14, 2020 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    Our Phoenix Cruiser has a nice big awning on the patio side. It’s great for shade protection when sitting outside. What it doesn’t do is afford any extra privacy inside the rig ... especially at night when the lights are on. Sure we have shades for that purpose, but not being able to see outside makes me feel claustrophobic. And it’s a security issue as well IMHO.

    Enter into the picture window awnings. We had these on the Phaeton and they served our purpose beautifully. And in addition to the privacy they gave us while still being able to see out, they stopped the sun from warming up the interior of the coach ... especially important when hot-weather camping.

    We ordered the awnings from the local Carefree of Colorado dealer about 10 days ago and were notified that they were ready for pick-up on the 12th ... the day we drove back from Farish. We installed them on Monday — Mui doing the work ... me supervising to make sure he followed all the instructions 🤪. They’re looking good, if I do say so myself.

    Looking forward to testing them out when we head out on our next camping trip ... coming up on Wednesday.    Read more

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    Camping @ Cheyenne Mountain SP

    June 17, 2020 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F

    We’re off camping in our own backyard again ... so to speak. Though with the smoke from wildfires in southwestern Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico, our outing is not off to an auspicious start. Fingers crossed that will change.

    Cheyenne Mountain State Park is one of the newest in the Colorado parks system. It is only 25 miles from where we live ... an easy drive from home. Though we were an hour ahead of the official check-in time, the ranger promptly completed the paperwork and sold us the two vehicle passes we need in order to access Colorado state parks.

    Since Mui turned 64 earlier this year, we were able to get the Aspen Leaf annual pass for the camper and a discounted pass for the CR-V. This pass also gives us $3/night off camping fees on Sunday through Thursday stays, so we’ll recoup the cost of the two passes quickly enough.

    By 1:00p, we were settled into site 10 (FHU-20/30/50A ... as all the sites are at this SP). We’re in the Raptor Glen Campground, which is the highest loop here @ an elevation of 6,450 feet. That’s actually some 500 feet lower than where we live. And, of course, we’re nowhere near as high as were when we were at Farish last week.

    This loop backs up to the foothills of Cheyenne Mountain on one side and has expansive views of Colorado Springs and the urban sprawl on the other side. Though site 10 is incredibly spacious, there’s not much in the way of vegetation to afford us privacy. Nor any trees for shade. Certainly nothing like our Farish camping experience last week. Nonetheless, we like the site and look forward to enjoying it.

    With temps topping off at 93F today, we didn’t go hiking this afternoon as we had originally planned. The air quality was so bad that doing anything even slightly strenuous was out of the question anyway. So we relaxed in the Cruiser, waiting for the sun to drop behind Cheyenne Mountain before venturing out for a stroll around the other campgrounds. Map in hand, we made note of a few sites that would afford us more privacy for future stays.

    By the time we got back to the Cruiser, the temp was down to 81F. But it felt a lot cooler now that the mountain was providing shade cover. The wind helped, too. Any other time, we might wish for calmer conditions, but we’re hoping the wind will continue to blow the smoke from the fires out of the area, so we’re not complaining.

    We sat out on the patio for a while, enjoying the cool evening. As night fell, we watched the lights of the urban sprawl twinkling in the distance. Even as I sit at the dinette now, writing today’s footprint, I am watching those lights through the windshield. Despite being so close to the city, it’s peaceful and quiet in the campground. The haunting sound of Taps is wafting on the air at the moment. We’re close to Fort Carson, which is just aways down the road. We’ll probably wake to reveille being sounded in the morning.

    The weather forecast promises much cooler temps for the next couple of days due to a cold front moving in from the north overnight. There’s even talk of a drop of 20 degrees or more. We’ll take it. In fact, we’re looking forward to it so that we can hike at least some of the 23-miles of trails here at Cheyenne Mountain State Park.    Read more

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    Camping @ CMSP ... Day 2

    June 18, 2020 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 70 °F

    The winds sure howled hard and loud overnight and well into the morning. Luckily, our north-south orientation in site 10 meant that we were not rattled in the motorhome. The good news? Thanks to the winds coming from the north, by the time we were up and about, the skies had been mostly cleared of the wildfire smoke that plagued us all day yesterday.

    The temp was indeed down from the miserable highs of yesterday. In fact, it was only 55F when we woke up, but we were warm and cozy inside the Cruiser. Even though it was only about five degrees warmer by the time we set out for our hike, we were quite comfortable wearing light windbreaks over our t-shirts. A beautiful blue-sky day with sunshine to explore Cheyenne Mountain State Park.

    The land on which the park sits was once the sprawling JL Ranch on which John Lytle ran cattle. He was far from the first to inhabit the land, however. Before him, the Ute, Comanche, Kiowa, Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Sioux all hunted buffalo and other game here.

    It’s thought that there used to be some 20-30 million bison roaming North America back in the day. But then the west began to be settled and the bison population suffered greatly. They were heavily hunted not just for their hides and meat, but also for sport ... being shot from trains no less. By the beginning of the 20th century, it was estimated that the population was down to some 1,000 heads.

    So, I guess it was no surprise that we didn’t see nary a bison on our hike today. (Though, admittedly, in northern Colorado there is a herd that is flourishing). In fact, we saw very little in the way of critters today. Only the western fence lizard, with its brilliant blue belly, lingered long enough for a photo op. The wild turkeys were well into the trees when we spotted them, and though bird songs accompanied us along the way, they remained out of sight in the trees and bushes. No bears or cougars either. At least there were ample wild flowers to exercise my shutter finger.

    Of the 23 miles of trails at CMSP, today we opted for the 4.2-mile Blackmer Loop. To get to it, we did about 1/2-mile each way on the Boulder Run trail. Plus, we had to walk from our site to the trailhead, so I am guessing that our feet got nearly 6 miles of exercise today.

    Rated moderate, with a 482-foot elevation gain, the trail was fairly easy, though it was strewn with rocks and tree roots that we had to keep our eye on. The steepest section turned out to be towards the end, but I don’t think it would have mattered had we started clockwise as that section was pretty much down most of the way. One way or another we would have had to climb.

    Blackmer Loop runs mostly through the forest — pine and oak prevalent. Even with the temp only in the 60-65F range, the shade felt good. The open meadow sections afforded us views of Cheyenne Mountain. Thus we ended up being entertained even as we got our exercise. There were mountain bikers on the trail ... infrequent and very good about announcing themselves and how many more were behind them. We ran into a few other hikers, too ... but they were very few and far between, so we felt like we had the whole place to ourselves. Peaceful ... beautiful.

    It was almost 1:00p when we returned to the Cruiser. The wind had died down in our absence. We debated having lunch at the picnic table, but with no shade it felt a tad too warm ... even though the temperature had not even reached 70F yet. No matter. We enjoyed tea at the picnic table later in the afternoon. And I even managed to sit outside to write this footprint.

    We’ve decided on a six-mile hike for tomorrow ... if weather permits. The forecasters have been mentioning the “R”[ain] word for two days now, but we’re keeping fingers crossed that the wet stuff will at least hold off until the afternoon. In the meantime, we’ll continue to enjoy a relaxing afternoon on the patio of site 10.    Read more

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    Camping @ CMSP ... Day 3

    June 19, 2020 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 57 °F

    I love falling asleep to the sound of rain on the roof. Last night, we had no shortage of that delightful pitter-patter that portended a good night’s rest inside the Cruiser as beneficial rains fell outside. A light, rhythmic pattern of rain drops, broken occasionally by downpours that increased the volume of the sound.

    This morning we woke up around 6:00a to dry and calm conditions … not even the hint of a breeze. Even though it was only 53F when I stepped outside an hour later, the sun made the temp feel much warmer. In fact, warm enough to have breakfast al fresco. Unfortunately, by the time we were ready to eat, the sun had left the small patch of blue sky to hide behind the cloud cover that was now stretching out in every direction. Nonetheless, we bundled up and persevered. It was quiet … it was peaceful … only the sound of birds chirping unseen in the trees. No one stirring in the neighboring sites.

    The morning remained overcast and cool, with a light breeze adding a chill factor. The humidity was in the 50% range — quite unusual hereabouts — so it was a bit muggy as well. Nonetheless, we were in the mood to get some exercise. So off we went to put our hiking plans into action.

    We left the Cruiser and drove to the Limekiln parking lot from where we would be starting our hike. Our plans called for hiking parts of three trails — Zook, Talon, Sundance — that we had kludged together to create a 6-mile loop. These trails run through mountain meadows … far more open than the Blackmer Loop we did yesterday.

    The All Trails website lists the elevation gain as 918 feet over 6.3 miles. We didn’t feel like we gained that much in elevation … perhaps because we somehow detoured to the portion of the Sundance trail that is open to equestrians on the return portion of our hike ... thus missing the hike up. The website also describes the trails as being moderately trafficked. Not today. Though there were a surprising number of cars in the parking lot, we didn’t come across too many others — either bikers or hikers. Nor any equestrians or “signs” of horses having preceded us 😉

    It was nice to have views of Cheyenne Mountain most of the way during our hike. Birds were plentiful — in song, if not in actual sightings. There were flowers adding color to our walk. What I didn’t care for much was the traffic noise from CO 115. It was a dull roar much of the way. Par for the course, I guess, when a state park is so close to a city.

    We were back home for lunch shortly after noon. While eating a light meal, we discussed what to do in the afternoon.

    Literally across the road from the turn-off to CMSP is Fort Carson, a US Army installation that is home to the 4th Infantry and the 10th Special Forces Group … amongst several others. We’d been wanting to check it out for a while now. Since there was heavy rain in the afternoon forecast, we figured it was a good excuse to drive over and explore it today.

    Just outside the gate to Fort Carson is a museum dedicated to the 4th Infantry. But we weren’t in the mood for a museum visit, so we continued on through the gate to just drive around and run some errands instead.

    I’ve got to say that we were quite impressed with the measures they are taking at this installation in an effort to deter COVID-19. Our errands took us to the post exchange (mall), the commissary (grocery store), and the military clothing store. At each building, we had to show our IDs, wash our hands in portable sinks set up outside the doors, and answer questions about COVID-19 exposure and our recent travels. Once we ran this gauntlet, we were allowed to enter the building … but not before having our temperature checked at the door. It goes without saying that masks were required before we even approached the buildings.

    We were in the commissary, picking up groceries to replenish the larder, when the skies opened up. We couldn’t see the downpour, but we sure could hear it. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was some accompanying hail, too. The wet stuff was barely a drizzle when we left the commissary … and not a drop was falling by the time we got back to the Cruiser.

    Even though the storm was already on its way to the plains, it was still a little breezy and way too cool to sit outdoors. Instead, we made ourselves some hot tea and enjoyed quiet time inside. This was a good time for me to write the journal and download/process the very few photos I took today.

    After a light dinner, we sat down to watch Ice Station Zebra. An ancient film, I know. But it is one of the few DVDs we have in the rig at the moment. We need to remember to download movies from Netflix before we leave on our camping trips … in case the cell signal that provides our data is not up to the challenge of streaming.

    Tomorrow we will be leaving CMSP. But before we do so, we hope to do a short hike. Assuming, that is, the weather lives up to the forecast.

    P.S. When my friend Sue asked if we might move to a site with trees to get some shade, I told her that there are no trees here. I mis-spoke. I should have said that there are trees … and plenty of them. But none that provide shade at the camp sites. The mountainside sites in our loop, as well as several of the pads in the lower loops, have vegetation … no shade, but the bushes and such do help with the privacy.

    As busy as the Colorado state parks are, we had just the one site to pick this time — take it or leave it. We’ve done what we usually do at a new campground ... reconnoitered the sites. Next time, we’ll start making plans earlier and hopefully be able to make an informed choice with more sites available for consideration.    Read more

  • Two to TravelT2T’s 2020 PhxCruiser Journeys

    Back Home from CMSP

    June 20, 2020 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 81 °F

    We are back from our short camping trip to Cheyenne Mountain State Park. Our timing getting home was perfect as we were welcomed by the hawk that frequently comes by to perch on the tree in front of the house. I was alerted to his presence by the Brewer’s blackbirds singing their hearts out.

    The hawk doesn’t usually stick around for long. Today, however, he sat on the branch for nearly two hours. Changing positions occasionally. Grooming his feathers at times. My guess is that he might have had his eyes on the blackbird chicks hidden amongst the branches of the tree.
    I wasn’t on the terrace when the hawk finally flew away. There was no commotion, however, so I am guessing that he left empty-handed today.

    So, that’s what happened when we got home. How about what happened earlier in the day ... while we were still at CMSP.

    When I got up at 6:00a the sun was shining bright. No wind. And the temp was merely 48F. Definitely not the temp one would expect on the first day of summer. No matter. We were cozy inside, with Mui deeming our mini ceramic heater a best buy.

    By the time our minds turned to our morning meal, the temp was up to 51F. I stepped outside and determined that it was definitely an al fresco breakfast kind of morning. This time the weather cooperated with our plans … no extra layers required at the last minute.
    
After breakfast, we took care of our chores and began to break camp. By 9:30a, we were all set to leave our site to go for a short hike. Taking the Cruiser down to the Limekiln parking lot meant we wouldn’t have to worry about getting back to our site in time for the noon check-out deadline. Turns out that we didn’t have to worry about that.

    The Limekiln parking lot has three sections. The first one had twice as many cars as compared to yesterday. But the second lot was empty … perfect. We parked up the car and the Cruiser and set off on our hike.

    The plan was to do part of the Zook Loop, connect to the Medicine Wheel by-pass, and then get back on the Zook Loop again. All in all, I expected that we’d be hiking about 1.5 miles, with an elevation gain of 127 feet at a comfortable grade.

    Well, we did gain that elevation — pretty steady uphill from the get-go — but our plans didn’t quite pan out. We relied on the trail map in the parking lot because we didn’t have the paper map with us. That map showed that we’d have to take a short jaunt on Blackmer between Zook and Medicine Wheel. So, we kept looking for the purple trail marker. No such junction.

    Looking at the paper map later, we should have taken the first orange marker to get on Medicine Wheel. Darn. I’m guessing the trail junction was changed at some point. And, of course, it is easier to re-print paper maps than it is to change the signage boards. Oh well, we ended up doing just over a mile instead … all on the Zook Loop. Better than no hiking I guess, but that’ll teach us not to leave the paper map at home.

    Short though our hike was, we enjoyed it quite a bit. Except for occasional sections strewn with big rocks, it was relatively flat. Despite the number of cars in the lot, we again had the trail mostly to ourselves, running into the occasional biker or hiker. No critter sighting; and flowers seemed to be few and far between. But the scenery was beautiful.

    The temp was 72F by the time we got back to the Cruiser a little before 11:00a … up 12 degrees in the hour or so we were out on the trail. It felt a heck of a lot hotter in the sun. After hooking up the toad, we were on the road, heading back home. No issues with Saturday traffic. By noon, the Cruiser was snuggled into its spot at Bill’s Storage and we were at home.

    Our next camping trip isn’t until July 2 and we will venture a little further afield.    Read more

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