Rocky Mountain High (not weed)

Bruce, my good friend of 40 years, and I just returned from an exciting event filled trip to the high country of Colorado.  We had a wonderful adventure with thrills, spills and motorcycle theft.  The next six posts share our story-enjoy!   BT

Breathtaking Scenery and "White Knuckle" Trails

John Denver sang, "Rocky Mountain High"-he must have ridden the tall peaks for inspiration for that song. This country is truly a gigantic "high" or "rush".  You get a "WOW" rush from the beautiful scenery and you get a "Whoo" rush  by riding the off camber boulder strewn ledges and trails.  At 12,000 feet you are above the tree line-just rocks and snow plus beautiful alpine flowers.
     The place is filled with "wonder"-old gold mines, abandoned log cabins, waterfalls and beaver dams. Bruce decided to opt for a beaver dam bath and helped build their dam at the same time.  I was busy trying to make snow angels.  I believe too many people constantly worry what others think-don't take yourself too seriously-have fun-these are the good old days!

"Sleeping With the Ladies"- Boondock Camping

I love camping-especially in the national Forest.  There's good news and bad:  it's free and the scenery is beautiful and you may camp anywhere; the bad is no frills-no water, no electricity, no toilets, etc.-it's the wilderness!  We pitched camp in a beautiful high meadow-among the pine trees.  Apparently the "ladies" liked this area too.  This is open range-no fences for cattle.  Every day the girls would parade through our campsite, munching away.

Tin Cup-Old West Mining Town

This place is beautiful-you think it is the year 1830-dirt streets, old buildings, open range (cattle are free to roam-no fences), and only 5 residents in winter.  There are two businesses-the Tin Cup General Store and "Frenchy's"-a quaint log cabin restaurant run by Diane and her daughter-the food is great!

Impossibe Trail to Old Gold Mine

We set off to find the old gold mine that the guys in "Frenchy's" told us about-unfortunately we got on the wrong trail-the "Trail From Hell".  Here is where Bruce rolled his Grizzly and really hurt himself.  He was lucky to be able to ride out of there as the only alternative would be a chopper.

Motorcycle Theft-Rocky Mt. Trip

After Bruce's accident we decided to go straight home, skipping our planned riding in Montana. We were driving about 800 miles per day so we could be home in 2 1/2 days.  On the last day we stopped at a motel in Zanesville, Ohio and parked the truck and trailer in front..  At 3:30 in the morning the hotel manager was banging on our door saying that my motorcycle had been stolen.  I went into the parking lot where I was greeted by three police cars and officers.  They received a radio call stating that they found my bike.  Apparently a man and wife were returning from a casino and noticed two men taking a bike off a trailer and pushing it into a housing project-thank goodness they called 911.  The thieves abandoned the bike an got away. The police took me in the back of a squad car (first time for me) and drove me to the project where my bike was stashed.  I rode it back to the trailer in my "jammies"  By then, we were too "jacked" to sleep so we headed home.I am a truly lucky guy to get my bike back-I carry only liability and that was a new fuel injected XT250.  All's well that ends well (except Bruce's Injuries-he went to the hospital with broken ribs).

What makes a good Picnic?

Other than good friends and drinks, you need some interesting and delicious food.  My son built this "giant" smoker/cooker from an old oil drum. I purchased 40 lbs. of pork shoulder and 40 pounds of chicken thighs.  The pork was in the smoker for eight hours-it was really good. Plus, cooking "on site" kicks it up a notch.

     Another crowd favorite is home-

made chips.  I have an old fashioned slaw cutter and thinly slice russet potatoes and sweet potatoes.   I peel only the latter.  Droop them in boiling oil (I use Canola as some are allergic to peanut -other oils have a lower boiling point and tend to smoke).  Put them out on trays and add some sea salt.

Picnic Fun- Kick the Bucket

     A good picnic needs to have some fun games.  Yes, horseshoes and volley ball are fun, but not if the heat and humidity are high.  Here is a little game I made that folks seem to love-especially little ones-but , you can challenge someone-you each get one "swing" at each other.
     I rigged a "bucket" on a one- way hinge and placed a cup of water inside (I find adults don't mind getting a little wet, but.... ! I have a shoe tied to a thin rope and suspend it

from a tree branch.  You have to swing the shoe in an arc and have it hit the bucket from behind-to dump the water.  It is not as easy as you think.

Picnic Games-a mixer

I find that at many parties and picnics people don't mix-they chat with their neighbors or co-workers.I set up and easy game that folks seem to really like.
     I collect old and unusual tools-ones that are difficult to identify.  I place 15 of them on a table or trailer-number each-give couples ( you must play with someone you don't know or are well acquainted with) a pencil- and they attempt to guess the

use of each tool.  After a period of time, we give the answers-they check their papers and we give bottles of wind to the winning couple.  Some of the answers get quite suggestive!

Beautiful Clearfield County, Pa.

Interesting VW's on parade in Scottsdale, Az.