SUV/ Couples Trip to Copper Canyon - 04/08

My third visit since October to the Copper Canyon. Some people ask why and I say why not.

Instead of my usual dirt-bike trip down there, this would be a couples "luxury" trip with SUV's and nice rooms. It doesn't get much better than that.

Sandie at Paquime! I tried to visit this place before but it was closed. It was written up in National Geographic for being very interesting and it's on the exact longitude line of Chaco Canyon and Chimney Rock. Interesting! How did the "ancients" do that?


An aerial view of the settlement! People lived here from around 1,000 A.D. to 1,500 A.D.


This display of a complete mariachi band made from scrap metal was in front of an art studio. I play the drums and couldn't resist this shot with a "compadre".


This is inside the cave dwelling just outside Creel. 50,000 Tarahumaras live in the five major canyons of the "Copper Canyon" system and many of them use cliff overhangs for living quarters.


Everyone said this apron was really me. I said maybe I could wear it in the garage when I work on cars and motorcycles.


All the tourists in Creel have to visit the valley of the "mushroom rocks".


The Tarahumaras make lots of crafts and they seem to be just about anywhere you stop.


This church dates back about 300 years. It's the San Ignacio Mission.


We always try to take a supply of toys and candy for the kids. In the places I like to frequent, they seldom see a tourist and are very shy.


In the "Valley of the Monks", you'll see many of these rock formations. That's Sandie, John, and Tina.


We enjoyed a wonderful picnic lunch at the remains of a hotel or lodge on Lake Arareko. Camping is available next to the lake for $1.50 per night per person. I plan to return in the future with my MoHo to do some kayaking, Mtn. Biking, motorcycling, and hiking.

That's Rhetta, Sandie, Jack, Tina, Milo, and John.


Tina demonstrates how to pull a plow. We saw several Tarahumaras plowing with these all wood plows behind a horse or couple of burros.


Cusarare Falls! We parked by the highway and hiked a couple of miles past Tarahumara log cabins to see it.


You drop from 8,000 feet elevation at the highway as you drive the 40 mile dirt road to Batopilas. It's at 1,900 feet. That's a fun drive!


"Switchback City"!


Batopilas! One of the many suspension bridges in the canyons. Many of them are the only way the Tarahumaras can get to or from their villages when the rains come. You can see 20 feet of water under this one during that time.


Too nice! I'm not used to this style. It's the hotel Real de Minas and the rooms are wonderful.


Standard Tarahumara wear!


The Lost Cathedral! Satevo!


Sandie and I had a blast driving the roads in our 1971 Baja Buggy. It works really well.


Always looking for opportunities to practice my Spanish, I shut the Buggy off and said Hi to this cowboy. He was heading to church.


Wow! 500 or more years old stuff. Our hotel in Nuevas Casas Grandes mentioned that we could have a look at their private museum. This is all original pottery from the Paquime settlement.


Milo Muterspaugh and Helen had driven on ahead of us. Tina Sverdrup and Sandie are in back. Rhetta and Jack Bergman in front. John Strathman was out of the Pic.

A great adventure! I'll be back!

Ski Time in Colorado - April 2008

What happened to winter and Ski Time in Colorado? When I hear about something or someplace, I almost always say, "I wanna' do that"! and this year I think I tried it. Sandie and I bought passes to Copper Mountain but only made it up there this week, for the first time.

My schedule has been a little crazy.
Nov. Copper Canyon - Dirtbikes
Dec. Baja, 3,000 miles - Streetbikes
Jan. Trevor and his family to Colorado Springs
Feb. Climb Mt. Kilimanjaro and safari with Sandie
Mar. Copper Canyon (again) - Dirtbikes

We took Dakotah, Baylee and Taylor.


Copper Mountain - "Bunny Run"!

Taylor and Dakotah with Sandie in pink sleeves!

Some of the runs at Copper!

I spent most of the day helping the girls learn snowboarding but took a ride to the top for a "shredding" run down "Andy's Encore", a fun bumpy/ blue run. Great day!

Havin' fun!

Four Corners - Four Days - Spring Break Trip

Wahatoya Peaks - Named by the Ute indians - Meaning "Breasts of the Earth". Now called Spanish Peaks. Just west of Walsenberg.

When our granddaughter, Jordyn was twelve years old she announced that she'd like to see the Four Corners on her spring break. She wanted us to take her in our MoHo and it sounded like fun to us.

Now Dakotah (granddaughter number 2) said it was "her turn". We left home Wednesday morning for a 900 mile fun-filled excursion. If someone says "go", Sandie and I are both grabbing for our hats.

Dakotah on the left with her friend Bree.

First stop at the Great Sand Dunes National Park.

Hiking up to the tallest dune (750 foot climb). That's Sandie, Dakotah, and Bree.

Looking north on the way up to the high dune.

"On Top"! The wind was blasting but we loved being up there.

We took a couple of plastic sleds but the sand was very soft and the sleds barely moved.

When we went with Jordyn, we used cardboard and the speeds were very scary.

Dakotah rolls a dune!

Our campsite cost $7 (half price with the "Old Timers" Golden Age Passport).

Leaving our campsite we spotted these Mule deer and a bunch more on the other side of the road.

We loved the views all four days.

Next up was a stop at Pagosa Springs to soak in the hot springs.

The complex has a bunch of soaking pools, each a different temperature ranging from 93 to 108 degrees fahrenheit.

It was so nice that I was able to take a nice nap laying on the rocks after my first session.

That's snow on the ground but laying around the pools in the sun was warm and comfortable.

Mineral deposits from a lot of years accumulation.

Some of the pools, the river, and town.

Hangin'!

Dakotah does her "traditional" backbend on the four corners.

I did one as well but it was so pathetic I can't show it.

Bree does a nice one as well.

If you're anywhere near the Four Corners you must get your ticket punched for eating a Navajo Taco.

Watahe! Hello in Navajo. I tried using "Mike" on the Taco cooker but didn't realize the new word I'd just learned thirty miles away was Ute for hello. Oh well! There weren't any fights or anything.

Oh boy! Mesa Verde! I never get tired of visiting here.

Four stories of fascination!

Cliff House Ruin - Biggest in the park.

One of my favorite camping sites (Walmart). This one is in Durango.

We stopped at the city park by the river on our way into town and grilled some chicken, then staked out our campsite.

Treasure Falls on the west side of Wolf Creek Pass.

Looking west from Treasure Falls.

We were back home by 6 PM on Saturday night.

P.S. My MoHo has the Ford 6.0 Powerstroke diesel engine. I bought it mostly for the turbo-charged diesel power but it probably gets around 20% better mileage than a gas motor would?

Now that diesel fuel is running close to $4 per gallon and the MoHo gets 10 MPG, a lot of people gasp when they hear about making a 900 mile trip in four days. But,,,,,,,,,, do the math.

$400 in diesel fuel includes sleeping, eating your own food, and lot's of fun.

Or, if we had taken my van.

$200 in gas in my van + motels ($225) + restaurants ($240) = $665.

Of course you don't figure the depreciation, up front $ layout, Etc. since I decided a long time ago that I love the MoHo lifestyle and had to have one. I use this same logic on Sandie when she mentions all my motorcycles, tractor, kayak, musical instruments, boat, Etc.

Later,

MegaMel