Goat Packing?!

August brought unexpected extra time off for me.  I could have sat around and worried about the lack of $$ on my paychecks or I could embrace my new found free time.  I chose to embrace it!!

 

Jim and I did more stuff together and I tried to learn to relax A.K.A. sit on my butt and read a book all day.  We received an invite to go Goat Packing with our friends during that time.  Sure, why not, sounds interesting, entertaining, adventurous ... pick your adjective but you get it.  Two nights of car camping and one night of backpacking was the plan, how could we resist?  Did I mention this would be the Maiden Voyage for the goats?  Yes, they had done a few short hikes but not weighed down and not overnight.

 

So off to the mountains we headed -

4 Adults, 1 Teenager, 1 Dog and 6 (yes 6!) Goats.

 

Sit back and enjoy the antics that would ensue over the next couple days and nights.

Unleash the hoofed beasts!

After a slow drive (You can't haul as* around corners when towing livestock - OK I guess you can but I don't think they would appreciate it.) up to Silverton we stopped for pizza before heading to camp for the night.  The camp we wanted had a livestock pen but it was occupied when we arrived.  So we opted for another site for the night.

 Daisy offered Jim some help with setting up the tent.

Perhaps she was chagrined at his denying her because later that night she tried to climb on top of our tent.

 

Ol' Tom likes beer. 

Yep, he's right by your side when he hears that can crack open and fizz.  So I was wondering if he would like a sip o' wine.  Well, after a literal snootful (right up the nostril!) it dribbled down his lips and he was in heaven.  A few sneezes and a lot of lip lickin' and Ol' Tom became my new best friend.

 

After a fire and a few snootfuls for the adults we turned in for the night.  John was hoping the goats would just hang out in camp.  Kinda bed down for the night and call it good.  No such luck.  They went MIA sometime after midnight.  John quietly drove the road a couple times, more or less making sure they weren't chewing on someone else's camper or tent.  They were no where to be seen in the dark of night.

 

The next morning, the sky barely glowing and the humans without coffee, we went in search of the goats on the lamb.  All six sets of hooves were found, no harm no foul.  Coffee was made, then breakfast, then Jim, Pam and I set off on a hike up the trail we were planning to take the goats up the next day. 

 Jim & Pam

Behind them in the valley below was where we left John and Carter (their daughter) with the goats and dog for the day.  We needed to do a little scouting before the entire herd tackled this trail laden with packs.  Besides, John was hoping to lay claim to the campsite with the livestock pen as soon as it was vacated. 

 

 Jim at the first of three lakes at Highland Mary Lakes.

 

I am always amazed at the display of colors in the high back country. (12,000+ ft)



Forget your tent stakes,John?

Well, he got the new campsite by time had returned.

Another family had joined us for Night 2.  They brought a couple more dogs and two small children.



The ever industrious Rider, spent the better part of the afternoon rerouting the river with small channels.

 

I went about my camp cook duties as usual.  Only this time Chama made sure I didn't wander off, by securely holding my foot in place.  Jim & I aren't real versed in car camping and all the comforts you can bring along.  However, I scored this amazing 3 burner table top stove (thankfully John brought a table) just two days before the trip. 

Pre-yard sale shopping!

 

 Pam was right at home with their stove - complete with a large griddle that covers both burners for optimal cooking surface.

 

Jim entertained the kids by the fire until dinner was ready.

 

We all filled our bellies with warm food against the cooling air.  We circled the fire, roasted marshmallows and assembled s'mores as night fell around us.  We no sooner toasted the last 'mallow and ate the last bite of chocolate and the rain came. 

 

The rain lulled us to sleep with the pitter-patter on the rain fly of the tent.  The goats however, had no shelter.  As the rain continued into the night John donned his coat and shuffled the goats through the darkness and into the shelter of their trailer.  Smaller yet drier they slept without a sound.

 

Next comes actual backpacking with goats...

check back soon!

Mysterious Camp Visitor

The post you've been waiting for...

Our Mysterious Camp Visitor!!

Me & Doug

It all started on the afternoon we arrived at camp. Looking across the valley, I saw movement on the ridge line (top left corner of the picture above the cream colored streak angling to the left). It was something huge. At first Jim and I squinted and theorized on what it might be... a lost cow? Wild horse? Bear? Good Lord! If it was a bear it would have to be a grizzly to be that big - a moment of panic raced through my veins at the thought of sleeping outside with a bear that big cruising around the valley. Mind you we don't have grizzly bears in our area. I suggested a moose, Jim said we didn't have those in our area either. Whatever it was it descended on to the plateau half way down the valley and bedded down for the night (top third of picture).

AH-HA!! I WAS RIGHT!!

(I'm almost never right)

The next morning we awoke to fresh layer of white snow, making it easy to spot the movement of the great mystery animal across the valley. We watched as it descended, crossed the road, cross the creek and head straight up the mountain towards our camp. The dogs caught wind of his scent on the air, so I held them while Jim took photos. Nothing is more dangerous than a bull moose during the rut. However, this guy was pretty young and just seemed more interested in hanging out with us. He must have just recently been shooed away by his mother.

(Click on any photo to enlarge)

After a short time, he moved into the trees just up the mountain from our camp.

He stayed there all morning, coming out occasionally to check on us. Perhaps he could smell the coffee and pancakes with real maple syrup and was hoping for a hand out. We didn't have any leashes because the dogs are allowed to run free when we camp. I tied the loops of my hiking sticks through their collars, after a while we let them just hang out with the sticks still attached. They would try to walk but when they felt the stick drag behind them they assumed they were tied up and promptly sat back down.

We went down to where the moose had climbed the slope and Jim found his tracks.

Look at the size of that hoof print!!

As the sun warmed the slopes the snow melted off and we packed up. The moose never left the safety of the trees, except to check on our whereabouts. We said good bye and headed down to the truck. Aspen stood guard as we walked away, making sure he didn't follow us.




The strangest part of our encounter was where we were at... 12,000 ft and basically above treeline. (We had camped in the last stand of trees heading up the slope.) The moose showed no interest in the creek or the small lake below. He past them rather hastily in a rush and came right into our camp. Was it really his camp and we were invading it? In the video below you can see just how uneasy he was in this high mountain terrain. His footing is shaky at best in the snow on the rocky steep slope. Jim shot this during one of the moose's many trips out into the open to check on us. Enjoy.

Error in video downloading... I will try again later... Sorry...

Flashbacks.....

Our 3rd Anniversary

I love that Jim and I got married in October. It is always such a beautiful time of the year here. To celebrate this year, we drove up to Silverton for a camping trip. Some people commented that it might be too cold for sleeping in a tent - I reminded them that it was our anniversary. (wink wink)
With our packs loaded up we set off up the mountain to the original site of our wedding. We didn't have far to go (see the plateau in the top right corner of the pic), so we brought a few extra luxuries. Big packs filled with indulgent foods, wine, tequila, comfy chairs... the list goes on.

Half way there with the encouragement of Doug and Aspen.
Note Aspen's pack: she carries the dog food and water.

Jim relaxing by the fire - Yes ... In Flip Flops!!

Sipping wine in the kitchen.

Happy Anniversary Baby!!

(see the snow flake to the right? - not a camera glitch)

Sunrise the next morning and SNOW!!

What a glorious way to start the day.

After coffee, pancakes with real maple syrup and bacon we packed up for the descent.
The snow had melted off by time we left and we were thankful not to have to desend in such slippery conditions.

Along the road on the drive out we found bear tracks. Mama and Baby. See how the Mama holds a straight line of travel while the Baby wanders back and forth?

We also had an AMAZING visitor in the morning. A certain something came to join us for breakfast but was kept at bay by the dogs. We are sure that if they had not been with us the visitor would have come right into our camp.

What was it you ask?

Well, stay tuned for the next post and find out...

Our Son - STOWN EVEREST!!!

Stown is a typical 12 1/2 year old boy, always goofing off for the camera! He's the most wonderful son a parent could hope for and has such a vivid imagination. An incredibly intelligent kid who can converse with adults then turn around and do something so childlike you want to pull your hair out. He's tall, taking after his mother, so there are times you forget he's only a kid. He's very responsible for his age and therefore is given quite a bit of rope to hang himself if he chooses. Stown lives with his father in Lakewood California and comes here to visit us for holidays and summer vacation. Jim and I love having him here and showing him all the outdoor activities that Colorado has to offer. This past summer we went camping in the high country outside of Silverton for a couple of nights to escape the craziness of town over the 4th of July weekend.

Stown was a trooper! He carried all his own gear - tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, clothes and water. Jim and I split up the cookware and food. Remembering that Stown lives basically at sea level and we were hiking up over 12,000 feet, we didn't want to make it miserable for the kid. We hiked slow, taking rest breaks and snacking along the way. We made our way up the mountain in a slow but steady pace, until we came to a place to break camp just before a nasty wind and rain storm blew in. We all huddled into Stown's tent to pass the time playing "Pass the Pigs". After the storm moved on we went out to explore, play and collect snow to melt for water.


Stown was impressed with the amount of snow still around in July. After an early dinner, he build a Snow Goddess. Decorating her with wild flowers and a grass skirt, she stood strong against the night. Like a protector, she watched over our camp while we slept, then began to melt away in the morning sun.

On the last day, we headed back to the truck where we had left our snowboarding gear. Jim hiked up to a long chute to get a good steep run in. Stown, the dogs and I stayed low to catch more shorter runs. As Stown laced up Doug stood guard, then would follow him down the mountain loping through the snow until they both crashed.

Stown had a great summer in 2008. We also went to the Grand Canyon and spend time with friends in Big Bear Lake California. Stown took kayak lessons here in Durango on the Animas river for two weeks and got his first job. He worked for a local Old West Photography studio, where he would dress up and pass out fliers on the sidewalk. While Jim and I worked during the day, Stown was free to "roam" town. He had a pass to the local rec. center, his bike and his cell phone. He was responsible for keeping in touch with us and being at one of our offices at certain times of the day. Stown made sure he was never late to work and was always accountable for his where abouts. We are fortunate that Durango is such a kid friendly town and everything is connected by a beautiful bike path. Stown has thought about the idea of moving here to live with us. He is his own person and we respect his choices. He has experienced more freedom and responsibility during his visits here than he does back in the city in California. Stown is fast becoming a young man and growing into himself. He will soon make choices that we as parents may not agree with but need to try to understand and be supportive of. It is our job to give him guidance and provide him with the means necessary to make educated decisions, not crucify him for making what we may see as the wrong choice.

Unfortunately, our situation it seems to be the story of the country mouse and the city mouse. Each place has something to offer, it is just deciding which you like better. As for Jim and I, we will always be country mice.