Month: June 2013 (Page 2 of 2)

Well it may be simpler to write a blog about The Black Forest Fire than to text those who have written me tonight. As Matt wrote earlier, we spent alot of the day in town repack and sorting our storage unit. We worked in the heat and some smoke while we repacked unable to see the fire from our vantage point on the south side of the Springs. The bluffs we used to hike so often, were in our line of site.

We monitored the fires progression on the radio as we are living at the Air Force Academy just across the Interstate from the fire. With the unpredictable weather – relentless heat and gusty winds, there is no way to know where the fire will go or when. We have gone everywhere together (including Abby) and carried all of our “to go gear” with us in case we couldn’t get back home for whatever reason. The fire has doubled back on itself at least a couple of times in some of the hot spots so you don’t know what it will do. The alternative northern routes to Denver have been closed and requests have been made that the Interstate be avoided if at all possible. With over 38,000 people evacuated (some of them our friends) and the emergency crews, fire fighters, officials and news crews trying to get access to the places that others are trying to flee, it has been a challenge. Matt and I tried offering our assistance yesterday with evacuees coming onto the Air Force Academy but were told that we weren’t needed. We are trying to interact with some of those who have evacuated but they are quite closed off emotionally and are tough to engage. We will continue to reach out.

We have been working hard to get ourselves ready to leave on Monday and have had a group of things to complete as Matt wrote about below. Continue reading

Silence is descending on the campground. It is dusk, the lamp post a few spots down has just come on, illuminating the trunk of a tall pine tree. Quiet time is still over an hour away but aside from the occasional laughter of children up by the volleyball net the stillness is welcome and relaxing. The contrast with the windswept prairie that we left last Friday is startling.

We departed the windswept prairie the morning after my last day at Raytheon. It was a welcome event in many respects. Finishing up the J.O.B. and leaving the campground at Buckley AFB…which had become a bit tedious after three weeks. It is a newer facility (year old) as far as campgrounds go but the constant wind and the repetitive drone of the Blackhawk helicopter got to be wearisome. For some odd reason the pilots would fly around in circles from early evening till 10pm and their orbit brought them right over the campground each time. Some sort of training mission I suppose but not sure of the purpose.

We didn’t really mind the F-16s even though they made a heck of a lot more noise because they generally left the area after taking off. Then there was the occasional transport aircraft heading out.

A transport plane lifts off from the adjacent runway

Arrival at the Air Force Academy campground was a refreshing moment. It felt really good to be back in our old stomping grounds, in the foothills with Pikes Peak in the background. We got checked in (super friendly staff) and found our campsite nestled in the pine forest. We got the trailer unhitched and leveled out and proceeded to “make camp” which has taken on a new twist.

We’ve had plenty of tasks to keep us busy here in the Springs as we finish up our purging and last minute acquisitions before we hit the road. We stopped into New Life Church on Sunday evening for the service and had an epiphany. Continue reading

Gee…who would have thought that hitches could be such a challenge. You never saw John Wayne have a bunch of trouble hitching up a wagon and moseying off into the sunset with the beautiful girl. I’ve learned way more about hitches recently than I really wanted. Getting the right combination pulled together into a smoothly operating rig can be a bit of a challenge but I think I have all the right stuff now. Horsepower…yep, wagon, hitch…yep, beautiful girl…yep, just need the right sunset on the right day 😉

Horsepower: comes from a Ford PowerStroke Turbo Diesel motor in a F250 SuperDuty Crew Cab 4×4 Truck. We wanted a diesel so there would be no question about towing capability in and through the mountains. The other important checkbox was towing capacity. The trailer (wagon) is pretty stout and weighs in around 9K lbs so we had to eliminate a number of trucks that were in the price range we wanted to stay in. We eventually found this truck which we bought from a dairy farmer up a little east of Greeley, CO. Being a work truck it is showing a little wear and tear but it had only seen two owners, has been well maintained and we even have the receipts to prove it. The only real downside was that coming from a dairy farm there was an embedded cow manure smell to the interior included at no extra charge After a couple of serious cleanings including Rug Doctor units rented from the local Home Depot and an Ozone device I bought we are finally getting it tamed. Which is a good thing as it has a pretty spiffy leather interior (Lariat Package). “Crew Cab” means it has four doors with a full-size back seat. Abby is pleased but still hasn’t mastered getting in an out yet.

The bed of the truck looked like a typical farm truck that got used to haul “whatever” and was pretty rough looking so I invested in a bed liner kit for it which made a huge difference. I also found a used toolbox to go behind the cab so we will still be equipped for repairs when the need arises (notice I said when, not if, no delusional thinking here). Most farm trucks are equipped with what they call a gooseneck hitch for hauling horse and cattle trailers and this one was no exception. But our wagon is a little more upscale than that and we need a fifth wheel hitch to tow it. So, I located a used Reese 16K slider hitch and had a shop in Denver remove the old hitch and install mine. The only thing I have left to do is install some spring helpers to give the suspension a little extra help when towing.

It also has 4-wheel drive which will come in handy given my propensity for wanting to find the “perfect camping site” unvisited by humans for the past hundred years. I suppose I’ll have to adjust my expectations a bit now that I have a 31ft wagon (containing dishes and other breakable things in it) bumping along behind me.