Quick Silky Trip South

Tongue Tied Or Short Of Breath    Don't Even Try   Ooh , Try A Little Harder   Something's Wrong You're Not Native   You Must Be Stronger   Ooh Baby Try   Hey Girl  Move A Little Closer   You're Too Shy Shy Hush Hush Eye To Eye   You're Too Shy Shy Hush Hush Eye To Eye 

Kajagoogoo

White Feathers 1983

PAGOSA:

This adventure began with a little expedition up and over Red Mountain Pass. Also known as The Million Dollar Highway. Once that road was safely navigated , successfully up & over two 10,000ft/ 3048m summits , eastbound we drove along the ever so meandering two lane blacktop. Yahoooooooo000000 

Pagosa Springs is situated at the junction of two "major" highways , US 160 and US Highway 84. Pagosa can be found in the foothills of the lovely picturesque San Juan Mountain Range , boasting postcard perfect mountain views during every season of the year. The name Pagosa transcribes into the Indian term for healing waters. Stunning 360 Views 

Our resting location would be none other than the quaint Aspen Inn Lodge. And we just happened to scored the best room of the whole place. I say this because all the rooms offer standard two queens , bath/shower , dorm room refrigerator , AC , balcony , and TV. However , our choice room also showcased a south facing 6 foot by 4 foot window. Score 

After traveling in the automobile for just over 5 uneventful hours , The Dude & I decided that a hike would be our best bet. Stretching the legs , pumping some much desired oxygenated blood through the cardiovascular system , and listening to absolutely zero evidence of man. Just The Breeze 

The warm ( only 91F / 32c but 101F/ 38c. in GJ ) sunny day would be accompanied by a most pleasantly coolish evening making Pagosa Springs a real treat. My fingers were crossed in anticipation of afternoon thundershowers baby. We were slated for a 40% chance of afternoon shows the next day. Yes Please 

Of Course!!!  The Dude and I packed yet another ice chest full of prepared meals , soon to be meals , and numerous snacking options for the just because why not moments in time. Like real Boy Scouts , totally prepared. Hot Damn 

After the thee of us snacked , towards town we drove my friends. Downtown was a short downhill roll and the roadside was littered with Bambi sightings , birds of prey on the hunt , and swaying wildflowers as if they were waving a welcoming hello. Hellllllooooooo0000000

The main drag of Pagosa was a complete Sh*T Show because CDot has begun a two year new road project. The entire two lanes west bound are gone and dug down about hip level. The two lanes eastbound were converted into a 15mph/ 24kph two lane crawl. Well , its all in perspective because I was able to point out a few buildings of past significant meaning to my two passengers while creeping through the construction zone. Memories 

The photo above is the one I snapped off in Ouray. Robert wanted a photo of himself in front of the landmark waterfall there in town. We stopped for a coffee before adventuring over Red Mt Pass.  Now , back to the story ... 

Without thought , we parked directly in front of the Healing Waters Resort & Spa. Now , at the time of our first soak , I so didn't appreciate the true benefits of these healing waters. And for you chemistry folks reading this; traces minerals like Sodium , Potassium , Magnesium , Silica , Chloride , Fluoride , Arsenic , Iron , Lithium , Magnesium , Sulfate ( for that desirable eggy smell ) , and Zinc. Smiling  

The rest of my evening was discovering the powerful connection between Mother Earth and the blanket of stars twinkling above. I could almost feel the spiritual significance of this rich sacred place. If I was a wooden flute player , might have morphed into a wild creature for the night. Classic 

The next morning , first one up of course , I strolled my way on down towards the Continental Breakfast area. A beautiful cup of Joe in hand , I stood outdoors while rubbing the sleep from my eyes. A smile splashed across my face as I realized that I did not pack a flannel. Yes , I was introduce to a pleasantly crisp morning and coming up from the desert , Phuc That Flannel Action !! Giggled out loud that I actually might be cold. Come On Now 

With a happy belly full of goodness , off to the reservoir hill recreation area just south of Downtown for a round of Disc Golf. And what a course! 18 amazing baskets , two tee pad options , and a number of commanding views as an extra unexpected treat. Oh Doctor 

Each tee pad was labeled RAVEN or the alternative pad was titled EAGLE. Both tee pads were ideal for launching our driving disc from. What blew my mind was just how detailed each sign was. Not just the distance and PAR indication but the elevation gain/loss between tee pad and basket. A beautiful watercolor was a perfect touch I'd say. Way Cool 

Absolutely nothing like walking through those beautiful ponderosa pine trees as that aroma sure took me back to my childhood. I grew up with these lovely evergreens just North of Lake Tahoe and that tasty pitch smell is permeated in my nasal passage. That distinctive sound of crunching down on a pinecone , you all know what I am referring to here. Love The Forest. Love Smokey The Bear. And I Love Love Love Woodsy The Owl. Totally 

These two photos here are from the old iPhone8  LIVE features. The above photo is "bounce" mode and the "loop" mode was also pretty wild with The Dudes blue shirt. Below , this is the photo that I am entering into the Mesa County Fair in the next two weeks. I used the , my go-to , cartoon feature. Wish me luck on a ribbon this year. hhhhheeeeeee hhhhhhheeeeeeeeee 

What really blows my mind is that I purposefully recharged my proper camera's battery and intended on capturing a photograph for the county fair and never took a single damn photo with it. What The Flock Of Seagulls??? That camera remained in its case the whole trip. Shame 

I played fairly well and experienced three monumental moments. Well , if you all do not mind my bragging rights here. #1 I was quite pleased that I did not lose a disc #2 I not only landed three birdies on the round of 18 baskets but I drove the length of 18 and made that birdie putt!! Any bird on the 9th or 18th so totally makes your day #3 My drives were outstanding because of all the trees. Normally , I begin to OVER throw my drives or with a tired arm I will throw the disc way too hard for a poor result. This course sets the tone for a finesse style of play. And my putts have been stellar with my newest adjustment this season. Stop Overpowering  

The three of us enjoyed the reservoir area and took advantage of the cooler and calmer weather. But about noon time , the wind had picked up again and I was still banking on afternoon thunderstorms. Dig It 

Then , it was back to the healing waters. The hit of the day was the wonderful gal working was so impressed with us and how polite we were , she only charged us for two senior rates and my adult rate wasn't charged. Rock Star Status 

Healing Waters only charges $5 if you would like to come and go throughout the day. So after dinner , we coughed up another five spot each. We obviously stayed until the 10pm closing time and definitely one of my best sleeps in many moons. ZZZZZZZZzzzzzz

The next morning was an exact rinse and repeat. The only difference , three hot air ballon took to the clearing morning skies. No rain fell the day before and these morning cumulus clouds were it for the day. In fact , the rest of the trip. Bluebird days the whole rest of our holiday. Not complaining but not ideal for my time lapsing hobby. Oh Well 

The labyrinth above here was wicked cool and supper peaceful for sure. We hit the morning Farmers Market and I made photo calls from the Labyrinth. Pretty low key morning and then it was off towards Wolf Creek Pass for more exploring and sight seeing. Bring It 

After a short drive eastbound , we hung out here for a bit. Outrageously Gorgeous 

We hiked over to another ridge line and what a view of the hometown range. It wasn't like anything strenuous or anything and I could have worn my sandals to be honest with ya. But what a worthy trek indeed my friends. The below photo captures Pagosa Peak at 12,640ft / 3852m. Just beyond that is Cherry Carin 12,511ft / 3813m that I previously summited with The Boy Dog for his first two 12ers when he was just a pup. Just north of that is Eagle Mountain 12,007ft / 3659m and Queen Sabe 10,262ft / 3127m. Cross over to East Turkey Creek and its Burro Ridge at 11,850ft /3611m. The Boy Dog and I climbed Burro back in 2011 and then a climb up North Saddle Peak 12,308ft / 3751m back in 2013. The Boy Dog helped me bag a number of 12'rs as its rather common around here to claim 14ers. Miss You Shadow Boy

And check out my colorful pasta salad for our lunch along the rippling creek side. The Dude discovered a sweet little dirt road that we followed for about 20min or so. A pretty pullout spot awaited our company and the crystal clear waters awaited below. If you fly fish , you would be stoked beyond belief. Ideal shady holes for trout to hang around in. A sexy current for wading yourself into. All the ingredients for a prefect afternoon. Us , we just hung on the rocks in the shade and ate well. So Well

And then it was back to the Healing Waters Spa for another soak before dinner. This time around was top shelf for me. I camped out in the big pool and just enjoyed for what it was. No Stress. No Agenda. No Time Constrictions. We eventually pulled ourselves from the mineral enriched waters and headed for the hotel to eat something fabulous. After a bite , after a walk , after chatting with a local gal , after a peaceful sit on the balcony , we rolled back down the hill towards the Healing Waters. This is when it all occurred to my about just how lucky I am. Soaking under a canopy of bright stars with ZERO moon while witnessing those bats dive-bomb for bugs brought the biggest smile to my heart. Floating in the waters and watching all those satellites fly-by totally stokes me out. And like Triple J pointed out in a text , have my own planetarium here. And when we finally left at the 10pm closing hour , my skin was silky smooth!! My desert dry reptile skin was silky for almost three full days afterwards. Priceless 

We randomly met the guy in the blue shirt and caught his duo gig as we boogied out of Pagosa. It wasn't the four days , it was what took place over those four days. It wasn't the waters , it was the sensation in those waters. It was the night sky , it was living under those twinkles. It was three friends , it was a friendship from over 35 years now. The Dude & Robert met in 1988 over in Europe. Robert and Den first came for a visit with us in San Diego Summer of 1989. Time Flys 

BIKE NIGHT:

A casual 80's theme and we were on our way. All the cast of characters were in tow. Even the two youngster arrived and Robert couldn't believe that they rode the whole route without any tears. Nice 

The Dudes last count was 107 riders and we are guessing that about 20% actually participated in costume. I was under the impression that neon colors would be a hit. But Nope 

The two ladies behind bring their cat and dogs. You are reading this correctly, cat. The red and pink shirted lady carries a little dog in that basket and the lady with the black shirt has her cat in the front basket and two dogs in the child carrier. Surprising enough , all the animals enjoy the ride. No Barking. They never try and escape. They Simply Ride Along. Good Pets. Good Humans  

I am super bummed that we never took any group photos. The Dude wore is X Fest shirt from 1983!!! It is way too small for him but what a classic. Tom Petty , Ramons , Stay Cats , Bow Wow Wow , And The Police. Festivals back in the 80's were nothing like todays events. We ended here at Trail Life Brewery and chatted with some locals. The next night , we all went back as it was Robert's last night with us. He flew out on Sunday. I purposely wore my mom's husbands EAGLES shirt that he gave me. He and I have been exchanging shirts over the last few years. Of course she didn't notice and stayed laser focused on The Dude's every word. No Biggie 

JUNE NUMBERS:

Pretty piss poor for sure. These are all commuting numbers expect for the two Friday Night Bike Nights which average about 7mi / 11.2kms per ride. Something like that away. Certainly nothing to brag about, that's for sure. 

23 hours

135 Miles / 217kms

And I rode everyday EXCEPT for Wednesdays during the entire month of June. Why Not Wednesdays?? No Clue 

MELTING:

Talk about a true play on words here , like mind melting. I'm Melting!! Just added this to my bucket list. I have yet to attend The Sphere down in Vegas , The Dude & I loitered out front during March Madness , and I was under the impression that a Blue Planet style movie would be the Katz Meow. Until Now!! 

Totally Righteous,

Cheers