Back in the Rockies, Arizona Trail Scouting Postponed

My 72nd birthday… celebrated driving to Colorado to return to work… to earn money for car repairs and backpacking gear.  Yippy, hooray.

Worked at Meadow Lake Campgrounds in the White River National Forest in the summer of 2012 (you can look at photos for Summer 2012 listed in right column here).  I was just rehired for the Summer Season 2016 with better employment conditions.  I will not be isolated at 10,000ft with  not communications with the world.

North Fork Campground is set in a towering aspen grove on the western slope of the Colorado Rockies at an elevation of 7,800 feet. This is an ideal setting for guests seeking recreation and relaxation.

This is where I will be for the summer. Come visit.

Good news, bad news. I am safe at basecamp. I go on payroll tomorrow (5/18). Yippy. Bad news... no Verizon signal here, now what do I do with 17 Gb of internet per month???? All the chatting and texting I was doing on the phone has stopped. SPOT notices can still go out by satellite.  I will have no signal unless I go to town... but for sure will never be able to use 17GB or even 10 or even 4.

Good news, after arriving at base camp last night, my boss gave me hot chicken soup and told me to take the day off today.  I will set up my solar to charge my house batteries, and settle in.

I am using the company Wi-Fi, I will be limited most likely in how much time I will be online.  Please, if you visit my Facebook page, remember to comment as you please, but refrain from hitting the LIKE button on posts and photos as that eats up too much of my limited time.  I will be blocking people who do not respect my repeated requests.  Thank you.

This employment will allow me to save fund to repair my van  (last month had to replace an 02 sensor and cat. converter on Bank 2, and now I think Bank 1 is going) and to also obtain gear needed for the Arizona Trail hike, which I may postpone til Spring 2017.  I appreciate your continued support and the advances I got for gas to get to CO will be repaid very soon.

Below are photos of my trip.  I hope they will all load.

Had a COPD episode from visiting homes with pets on the way, lost a crown from my tooth and had to find a dentist, an hour later, I broke a piece off another tooth.  Geez, what a birthday my 72nd was.  It can only get better in the future.

Lots and lots of water in the Colorado River.  Look out downstream.

This is the North Fork of the White River… I’ll be camped up that way another 30 miles.

There is snow on the distant peaks.  We can not yet get to Meadow Lake Complex… the road is still closed.

I had forgotten how very beautiful it was up here in the Rockies.  My lungs are loving it.  I am happy to be back working with Judith Cottrell, who was my supervisor in 2012.  She is a jewel (and makes very good chicken soup).

Diary Notes, 2012

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

MARCH

Quartzsite, AZ

March 3, 2012 – went rock collecting with Pete Suppes.

March 8, 2012 – Hiked all day long collecting rocks.

March 9, 2012 – Can’t walk.  Bought crutches.  ICE.  Missed working as a sawyer that day at Rock Club.

March 15, 2012 – went Rock collecting again with Pete Suppes.

March 16, 2012 – again I can’t walk and had to cancel working as Sawyer at Rock Club.

March 18, 2012 – busy with paperwork, packing and scanning.

March 22, 2012 – left Quartzsite, after shopping at Hardies for rock boxes and #10 Lense.

March 23 – 2012 – In Parker at Dr. Kings re knee.

March 25, 2012 – 7pm, back up computer.

March 30, 2012 – work on the sketch of Robert for my sister Cathy.

APRIL

Rifle, CO

April 18, 2012 – Training session for CLM with Wayne O’Neal.  Discussed emergency procedures.  Was told to see Kyle Gambley with National Forest to get a radio.  Learned it’s 2.5 hours from Rifle to Meadow Lake Complex.   First Responders are Garfield County Search and Rescue.  Joe Fazzi with Nat. Forest is responsible for the Roads.

MAY

May 10, 2012 – took free shower at the Fairgrounds in Rifle, CO.

May 11, 2012 – I was late for a meeting, because no one called or left a message for me with the time and place.

May 14, 2012 Laundry, bills, bank

May 15, 2012 Training session at Elks Lodge in Glenwood Springs, CO.  Introduced to all the other local personnel with Forest Service.

May 17, 2012 – Suspended Wireless cell service as I can’t get a signal at my campground.

May 18, 2012 was promised a golf cart, didn’t get it until June 21, 2012.  I used my personal van on 5/21/12 to haul trash.  Last time.  Today was my first payday, paid for six hours.

May 21, 2012 – Arrive in Meadow Lake for Camphost job.  Saw 3 does  and two yearling deer in camp and also two bucks.’

May 23, 2012 – It snowed 3”.

May 24, 2012 – Road is very bad and I was only able to work 1 hr. due to weather and roads.

May 28, 2012 – My SPOT tracking device renews automatically and good thing, as I was not given the promised radio and have no way to call for help if I need it.  No radio, no cell service, no internet service.  I wanted remote, but this is just too remote, and I would never had accepted the job had they not promised me a radio.

JUNE

June 1, 2012 – Payday

June 2, 2012 – Sleet at 2pm.

June 9, 2012 – wrote my blog post

June 12, 2012 – Kayaked lake from north to south, distance 1 mile in 12 min.  Then around the lake a couple times for a total of about five miles but stopped as it got too windy.

June 13, 2012 – Made cornbread in solar oven.

June 14, 2012 – Attended Staff meeting at Marvine Campground, using my personal vehicle to get there.

June 19 and 20 – Days off, stayed away from Camp.

June 21, 2012 – Returned to Camp.

June 22, 2012 – Judith came to camp and brought tape and other supplies.

June 26 – 27 – Days off, stayed in camp.   Kyle came up to visit and had a flat tire.  Three fisherman helped us change the tire.  Was told I would not be getting a radio.

JULY

July 2-3 – Days off

no notes for rest of July

AUGUST

August 21, 2012 – Glenwood Springs Elk Club, staff meeting, Recognition Event… they gave us a cup.  Whoopee

August, 22, 2012 – There is a forest fire nearby and I was painting picnic tables when Forest Service Came by to alert me we may have to evacuate.

August 23, 2012 – Forest Service told me to Evacuate.  I secured things the best I could, took ALL my possessions and headed down to my supervisors camp.  Spent the rest of the day preparing my final report and recommendations of what got down and what didn’t get done.

August 24, 2012 was my last day of work.  Said they would Close Meadow Lake and would not let me go back up to do it.  I HATE ending jobs this way.  I like to FINISH things.

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

October 1, 2012 – My son, Richard Bailey had hip surgery, a total hip replacement due to a deformed ball joint that I never knew he had.

See people on way to Quartzsite:  Larry Hill, Cottonwood, AZ; Vickie W, Paulden, AZ; Steve B and Tori, AZ; Glenn Holle in Show Low; Sherry Selm in Tucson; Andy Beals in KS.

Buried rocks in Quartzsite, one as Dog Grave, 2) tree across the wash from my fav campsite, 3) hi Jolly in bushes.

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER