Indian Summer in the Gorge

Back to the property after a 6 month absence.  As I stared at the mesas from the hospital in Raton, my longing for an unpeopled wilderness grew intense-away   from the reach of alarms, call lights and phonecalls-The demoralizing demands of the world of man.  Not to be subject to human capriciousness and morbid self-centeredness.  I longed for the property where I am free of these things.  In the gorge the 21st century disappears.  Jesus often went into desert places.  I can appreciate that impulse.  To be away from man's manic pace and yet be still in the presence of God.

Arrived at 1 pm.  The weather was pleasant and warm.  A bit of wind up top, an occasional gust down below-but as the winds was from the South it was warm and not unwelcome.  River running at 50 cfs yet it still looked lively and beautiful.  As the water has become shallower, fluorescent green carpets of hairlike algae cover the pebbled riverbed especially on the West side that sees longer hrs of direct sunlight.

We found green airsac like pods reminescent of the plankton we saw on the Pacific coast earlier this summer.  Is there a freshwater variety that I was hitherto unaware of?  We waded downstream to a pleasant grass covered shore that seems to be quite happy with the rejuvenating effects of the rise and fall of the river.  The mud beneath this grass is deep and has earthworms in it.  Appears very fertile.

Decided this would just be an overnight.  Once again tried to make it as easy as possible for the kids as previous visits have felt like forced labor camps to them.  Do not want to taint their impression of this lovely place.

Alas the stairs did not come to fruition this summer as we had hoped.  Instead we spent a month at the cabin and two weeks on the road.  It is ok.  Perhaps time will soften the kids' impression of this place and they will once again be on board for the stair project next summer.

Tried to keep our gear to a minimum.  Hope to leave as much down in the Gorge as possible so we don't have to sherpa or zipline as much.

Opted out of the generator this time too, as unless we need to operate powertools it only powers a lightbulb at night and an ipod or two.  That saved on hauling and fighting to get extension cords up and down the gorge walls.

We basically each brought in a pack and that was it.  I want it to be plug and play as much as possible so we will be more inclined to return.

Hipcamp wrote me about submitting the site.  I am kind of excited at the prospect.  Still not sure how to make it user friendly with the ladders and ledges though.  Would like to set up hammock brackets along the gorge walls.  That would be alot of fun.

Also have fantasies (along w the stairs) of mounting wind turbines and/or solar panels on the rock face to provide power that cannot be so easily stolen.  Am glad to say that there is no evidence of trespassers on the property above or below-excepting the little turd of a rodent that has still managed to get in despite all of our screen, steelwool and pebbles we have used to fill in gaps.