Van-Tramp adventures 2016

[Van-Tramp]

Minuteman Missile National Historic Site
http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/minuteman-missile-national-historic-site/


The Minuteman Missile National Historic Site (my 80th National Park visited) was our final stop in South Dakota before leaving the state. It consisted of three different properties spread out over 10 miles of Interstate exits. Not open very friendly hours, we had to try to see the site(s) before Kerri’s work day started.
We first dropped in at the Visitor’s Center to pickup my lapel pin and check in on tour times of the Control Facility (5 miles down the Interstate). The timing was not going to work for us, so we opted to simply go see the missile silo (10 miles down the Interstate) on our way back to camp. It was smaller than I anticipated. These “little” guys can do so much damage, so far away, and are the perfect examples of weapons actually preventing war(s). Luckily, none needed to be fired in anger.

 

[Van-Tramp]

Devils Tower National Monument
http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/devils-tower-national-monument/


What a crazy place Devils Tower National Monument (my 81st National Park visited) is. It could be seen from miles out, and it is completely unmistakable even from that distance. Still to the day a sacred place for many Native Americans, it was our home for a single night stay as we traveled back into Wyoming to avoid that mid-west heat.
As we entered the park and flashed the annual parks pass, Kerri asked about the campground to ensure there was space. The Ranger-girl chuckled and ensured us there was more than enough space and the campground is never full.  I’m almost certain she even pointed and laughed at us as we drove off. On to the campground we went, found a spot, setup camp, took the dogs for a walk, and then went straight to the Visitor’s Center at the base of the tower itself. The standard lapel pin was purchased and a couple quick photos, but we kept off the trail in the afternoon heat and crowds, instead choosing to do the hike around the tower in the cooler morning air.
After another massive thunderstorm in the afternoon/evening, and a good night’s sleep, we woke early… only so Kerri could lay in bed for two hours Instagram/Facebook-ing. Eventually we did get out to the trail and did our lap around the tower which gave us plenty of different view points of the tower in varying degrees of morning light. We even had some wildlife keep us company along the 1.3 mile trail.
Although Devils Tower would be a great place to spend an entire week, it didn’t take long after to have the trailer packed up, hitched up, and us driving down the highway again as we had other plans to get out of the heat.

 

[rvpopeye]

Thx for the update and pics !

 

[ArtW]

Wow I'm seeing a lot of national parks vicariously
Beautiful!

 

[Van-Tramp]

Fort Laramie National Historic Site
http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/fort-laramie-national-historic-site/


It’s been a wild ride visiting 8 new national parks in just a few weeks with Fort Laramie (my 82nd National Park visited) finishing off the list. We regretted skipping past it on our way North through Nebraska, but we hadn’t even realized it until we were well past a turn-around point. But, with family matters prompting Kerri’s return to California via Denver International Airport, we were going to slide right past the Fort again, so we made sure to stop in for a quick tour, which was moderately boring and uncomfortable in the heat (and bugs) of the mid-west plains.

Besides the bug bites to us both, the one thing that stuck in my memory of Fort Laramie was the placards around the fort describing just how “helpful” the military was to the local Indians; feeding, medicating, offering them trade and treaties, and educating them. This really pisses me off!

Originally established as a private fur trading fort in 1834, Fort Laramie evolved into the largest and best known military post on the Northern Plains before its abandonment in 1890. This “grand old post” witnessed the entire sweeping saga of America’s western expansion and Indian resistance to encroachment on their territories. – NPS.gov

Those final words that the National Park Service have in their description just doesn’t do it justice. I’m sorry, but the Indians deserve to have the truth told not this watered down elementary school version. And honestly, why aren’t our school kids being told the truth too? The truth is that these “forts” were needed only to commit genocide against the natives of this land, so we could further steal the land they have lived on for generations for our own profit.
The Indians only needed food because we stole their hunting lands. They only needed “education” to be indoctrinated into white-society. They only needed medical help because we were so filthy we killed a third of them simply by sneezing and showing them the ways of alcoholism. Those treaties we forced them to sign, we broke time and time again only to force them into signing a new treaty after our repeated broken promises. If they did not, we simply rolled in with the military from these forts and killed enough of them until they signed the treaty. It worked every time, and we continued to break the treaties every time.
None of this is mentioned on the placards. None of this is taught in our schools. None of this is recognized as a flaw of the American government, military, or people of the day. I got nothing nice to say here, so yea… we visited another National Park Fort and learned only lies.
I will be a happier Van-Tramp in my next post

 

[masterplumber]

Van Tramp, not to get too political, but I agree with you on the Native American issue. I am involved with a community in Montana and our powers that be are still doing it today, by enslaving the population to the handouts. I spoke to a tribal elder once and he told me his people would only be free if they refused all aid from the government and started earning their own way. He recognized that it would be difficult, but in his opinion it was the only way.

 

[Yogidog]

Vantramp u are top on my essential reading list, thank u for writing this hear ya fort issue. Beautiful area

 

[Van-Tramp]

Boulder County Fairgrounds
http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/boulder-county-fairgrounds/


Kerri needed to fly out of Denver for the weekend so back to Colorado we went. I got to hang out with my son for a few unscheduled days while camping at the local Fairgrounds in town. It is not the coolest place to camp, but it would keep me cool. The 30 Amp power would allow the A/C to run so the 90+ degree days would not kill me – or the dogs.
One of the risks (or benefits) of camping at the Fairgrounds is that once a year the Boulder County Fair rolls through. We just happened to be pulling in on the final weekend of the fair. This meant a nearly-full campground, but we squeezed into a site. Sure, the dump station would be our view for the week, but we have A/C.
On the final day of the Fair my son and I went to the truck and tractor pulls. Yes, a somewhat childish extreme sport from before time, but man is it fun to see these beasts to their thing. Only our second time going to an event like this, so it is somewhat special for us, even if just a little “Nebraska”.

 

[Van-Tramp]

Getting high again
http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/getting-high-again/


We finally got to leave the “low elevations” of Longmont (only 5,000 ft) after the work week was complete. No I take that back. We didn’t just leave, we high-tailed it out of there. By 8:00 am we were dumping our tanks. By 9:00 am we were finishing up getting a few new tires on the Airstream down the street, and just a few moments after that we were on the Interstate with our nose pointed directly at the Rocky Mountains.

It took no time at all for us to climb up Interstate 70 to the top, hang a left, and make our way to Leadville, Colorado – just 30 miles from where we were 10 weeks ago. We came here to get out of the heat. The 90-degree days in Longmont were killers, even with the A/C in the trailer. Here, at Twin Lakes, we only reach low 70’s during the days and have a view to match the perfect weather. We even got to meetup with Kate and Iain of the Scenic Route for a few drinks and laughs.

We did set out to find the top of the mountains one day – driving up Independence Pass to see what all the commotion was about. Along the way we found a few spots that we have been considering for a backpacking weekend but the elevations being in the 12,000 feet kept us just fearful enough not too do it. While we have our cool backpacking gear, 12,000 feet is a completely different animal, so we have opted to move on this weekend and explore other areas of Colorado before heading back into Wyoming in a few weeks.

 

[Van-Tramp]

Twin Lakes boondocking
http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/twin-lakes-boondocking/


I didn’t do a very good job conveying just how much I have enjoyed camping up here above Twin Lakes, Colorado. We were lucky to have scored the boondocking spot we have. The place is beyond beautiful with a full 270 degree panoramic view on our own secluded hilltop. From our spot we have views of Mt Oxford, Mt Belford, Quail Mountan, Virginia Peak, Rinker Peak, La Plata Peak, and even Mt Elbert just to name a few of them. The two not-so-twin lakes below us offer a spectacular reflection of many of those mountains, the reflective surface of the Airstream does the rest.



Within a few short yards are numerous trails that we can, and have, hiked with the dogs each morning. The nesting Osprey put on a show each evening as they hunt, far off the hunting grounds below but eye level to us. Moose has ample rodents to chase around and the freedom to do just that with enough space between us and the road to keep it safe. Byron never ventures too far anyway, so he doesn’t care either way. I have found myself sitting outside in the evening just to watch the clouds drift past. No books, no camera (as you can tell from my lack of photographs)… nothing else to distract me from the moment and the scenery. It’s been a great home for this past week.

 

[BobBski]

Great pictures/narrative. You give a traveler insight into places to visit...adding to an already huge bucket list. Thanks for the time, all the best.

 

[rvpopeye]

Those dogs must really love you guys for taking them along on these great adventures !

 

[Van-Tramp]

Those dogs must really love you guys for taking them along on these great adventures !

They seriously do. I doubt Moose could handle living the normal brick-n-mortar lifestyle. He needs the mountains and open range more than I do.

 

[masterplumber]

I love boondocking above Twin Lakes. Makes a great base to explore from, and much less crowded usually than just up the road closer to Leadville. HDR, if you're reading this there is a huge gold panning area to the south - people going through old tailings and quite often finding some color. It seems to be a respectful group, at least when I visited, with people leaving others equipment and spots alone in their absence and more than willing to share info with curious onlookers.

 

[highdesertranger]

someday I will meet you in the area. highdesertranger

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

Love Devils Tower. You can feel the spirituality around there. It's a special place for sure

 

[Van-Tramp]

Independence Lake Hike
http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/independence-lake-hike/

Earlier in the week we spotted what looked like some great backpack-in trails. It became quite a possibility that we were going to hang around through the weekend so we could do just that. However, during our planning we found that all trails – that we wanted to hike – led us above 12,000 feet. Not only is that extra hard, we really do not have the gear for the unpredictable weather of being above the tree-line. So, we chose instead to go for a day-hike up the Lost Man Loop Trail to Independence Lake.

First, we had to go over Independence Pass and drop down the other side a bit before we could even begin our hike, which still started near the 12,000 ft elevation range and climbed 900 more feet. This meant that every single step was a struggle in the 30% less-oxygen-than-sea-level air. We stopped constantly, taking the hike slowly to ensure we did not become sick from the altitude. The trail out to the lake was only 1.8 miles, but it felt like 50. Luckily, the scenery was beautiful – keeping us both occupied during all the breaks. Kerri’s California lungs take a big hit up at the top of the Rocky Mountains. I was concerned she would not make the hike up. One thing was on our side; the weather. The mountain air – only in the 50’s even in August – kept us cool enough to not have to fight that too.
We spent one-third of the time on our uphill climb sitting still, regaining our breath. What could have been a 40 minute hike out took us over an hour. We both struggled, not just California-girl, eventually passing over a crest with Lake Independence starting to expose itself to us and all the right ways. Here we found ourselves a semi-private spot, sat down for a meal of trail mix, and let the dogs wade in the water for a while before starting or trek back down the same 1.8 miles to the waiting truck.
We both agreed that it was a good feeling to exert ourselves for a change. We been pretty lazy lately, not doing much in the outdoors variety. This was a nice change, and with enough water in the tanks back at the trailer, a hot shower was in our immediate future as well.

 

[Van-Tramp]

Black Canyon of the Gunnison
http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/black-canyon-of-the-gunnison/

A planned stop – or at least one added to the plan once we realized we were coming back into Colorado – and another National Park that Kerri had not visited but I had; Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. We had to cross the continental divide again, for something like the twelfth time this summer, an after 4+ hours of driving we arrived to our reserved campsite in the National Park. Yes, we planned ahead for this one and had a site waiting for us as we knew we would be pulling in late on a Saturday.

After only basic setup of camp (staying only a single night) we immediately took off to auto tour the park. It doesn’t take long to tour as the road on South side of the park is only a few miles long with a couple pullouts to view the canyon.

 
We explored the areas we wanted, including the famous Painted Wall View. It is here that I brought my Son back in 2010, my Mother back in 2012, and now Kerri in 2016. It is a magical place, with a 2100+ foot cliff and the river in plain view below… the sound riding the breeze up to us at 2 seconds delay due to the distance it has to travel. My third time seeing this cliff, and I have not tired of it.

Afterward, we rolled right past camp and headed down the 2000 foot drop to the East Portal area. My first time seeing the park from the bottom, along the river. We strolled the trail as best we could and enjoyed the solitude of the off-the-beaten-path part of the park. A small campground was down here, bringing urges to setup the tent and stay a night.

 

[Van-Tramp]

From Black Canyons to evil public lands
http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/from-black-canyons-to-evil-public-lands


A lot happened since leaving Black Canyon, so sit right back and let me tell you the tale…

After our overnight in the National Park, we puled into Montrose, Colorado and dropped the trailer at the local park. Now free of the large appendage, we were able to scout a particular forest road that looked promising about 15 miles out of town. Along the way we came across what we thought would be our home for the week; a nice flat area just off the roadway with a huge view of Montrose and the surrounding areas. As luck would have it, it was only 5 miles or so out of town. We still scouted further down the road, but the lack of a cell signal solidified that we would stay at our newly found spot.

On the way back to pickup the trailer, we checked out a neighboring spot and found signs of weekend parties, poor public land hygiene, and a more than a few dead animals. Not the small rodent type, but deer sized, and more than one. While Kerri voiced concern, I just figured, “well at least we aren’t staying here” and continued on to get the trailer.

We returned with the trailer and wound our way through the trees and rocks to get right out on the cliff edge to have the best 360 degree view for the week. It took some serious effort, and even a few curt words to each other before we made it to the spot we wanted. Then the process of unhitching, unpacking, and settling in… all with a faint smell of something wrong in the air which only grew stronger with each passing minute. The dogs were off-leach and wandering around. Both were too quiet for things to be right. It was only after we were finished with the setting camp process did Kerri come outside and express her dislike of the “poop-like smell” the wind was carrying in. I’m a guy, and poop doesn’t bother me so much, so took note of her comment and set it aside.

Why were the dogs behaving so well? Were are they? Ah, there they both are sniffing a… oh wait, that is a rotting carcass of one of their own. Not 30 feet from the trailer, and up wind of us, was a full sized dog in the worst of decomposition. I knew I recognized that smell, and it wasn’t poop. Gag reflexes started to surface, Kerri ran for the trailer with a very stern, “we have to move” and I began the process of re-hitching up, which took less time than usual, but still a good 1o to 15 minutes.

Kerri took her seat in the truck and we started to pull out, but the dance with the trees and rocks proved much more difficult this direction. It took nearly a half hour with us on the edge of our nerves. Yelling… cursing… crying… you name it, it was as bad as we have ever been. The smell and the dusty wind did not helping calm the emotions either. Eventually we made it out. Eventually we made it 30 minutes down the road to a state Park. Eventually we were able to relax, crack open a beer, and let all the evil fall off us.

We stayed the rest of the week at the Ridgway State Park with no dead animals or trees conspiring against us.

 

[masterplumber]

Wow, sounds like a weird place. How is Ridgeway State Park these days? I haven't stayed there since my kids were little.