Banking on laziness

My theft deterrent will be calculated to require 2 to 4 hrs of work for anyone inclined to steal from me.  I'm banking on the fact that thieves are disinclined to put in that much work.

Scared to Go Back

I'm afraid the scum bags who stole our stuff returned and stole everything else.  We'll find out shortly.  I've been racking my brains trying to come up with an acceptable theft deterrent that wouldn't injure my family or land me in jail.  So I think I have a plan:

Part of the middle ledge section has a narrow three foot passage.  I will construct a lockable barricade at that narrow point and place any lockable valuables beyond it.  I will also attach bowling balls to items with padlocks. I'm encouraged these seems doable.

The Sound of Water and other Considerations

As far as siting and construction these are my priorities:

1) Within earshot of the rapids.  I've always wanted to fall asleep to the sound of a river.

2) Made safe from falls

3) Made safe from floods

4) Theft deterring location and setup

With this in mind I am looking at the sheer wall next to the lower ladder.  

Kerith Ravine Colorado version

So I was ripped off up top.  A band of white trash tweekers deprived me of buidling materials, generator, tools, and climbing equipment.  Since the rim is not secure I will then descend into the depths and make my hermitage on the sandy banks below.

King David preferred to put himself into the hands of God rather than of men so too will I put my fate in the God's hands next to the river.

Sobering read though about the year 1905 when the river reached 13000 cubic feet/second in this section. Normally 1500 is high for this stretch.  Don't imagine there was a patch of non-submerged ground in the gorge with that staggering amount.

The 1905 record was not a flash flood rather it appears to have been the rapid melting of snow pack in the mountains.  So I imagine those in the gorge would have seen a gradual increase and could take shelter above.

Moreover, there are hundreds of diversions upstream that did not exist at that time.  The river for better or worse has been largely domesticated-they can turn it on or off like a water tap.

Still thinking about elevating my keep 10 feet above the sand bank-this would provide some flood protection as well as deter lazy thieves from plundering my camp again.

A bit of Ketchup

A bit of ketchup is in order.  Went to the property a month ago eager to put in safety rails for the fam so the little ones could come too.  To my chagrin, I had been robbed blind by some tweaking mofo's eking out an existence on their own 5 acre patches of nothingness.  Never felt so violated.  Anything of value short of the trailer and the pump were carted off.  I'm estimating $1000 to $2000 gone.  No chump change for a struggling family like ourselves.

It has taken me this long to want to go back again.  The discouragement of having lost so much and the possibility of future theft put me in a dark frame of mind-rigged up explosive devices-all the fantasies of the wronged and helpless ran through my brain.  But things have now settled down.  I have a new plan.

The Gorge Begins in Colorado

Unbeknownst to many the Rio Grande Gorge starts in Colorado about 6 miles north of the New Mexico border. It is typically considered to begin at the Lobato Bridge (AKA Stateline Bridge, Costilla Crossing), a beautifully restored 1890's steel girder and wood bridge leaping across the still broad river before it funnels into the Gorge.

Twin Peaks Hike

There are two black pyramid-like hills that have been beckoning me since I first visited the Gorge in February.  Today I announced to my son, "We're gonna climb those peaks."  He shrugged his shoulders and said, "Okay" in keeping with his easy going nature.

Fording the river at 400 cfs was a bit trickier than I imagined.  We had learned from previous crossings to avoid the narrower rocky rapid part as the water becomes swift and scary.  We made it across and while making our way downstream encountered a large beaver lodge wedged between a massive basalt boulder and the west gorge wall. This was no doubt the very large beaver I had seen swimming about several weeks before. I envisioned angry beaver teeth emerging and gnawing my shin bone as we went over the lodge hearing splashing and smelling musk.  We crossed over without incident.

The next leg of our journey was a game trail (antelope?) that utilized a ramp like structure for descending and ascendinf the 100 foot gorge.

We removed our life jackets and water shoes and climbed up to the baking desert plateau of the BLM.

As we trudged the two miles in a beeline fashion toward the hills, I coached my son on rattlesnake etiquette, hydration, and noting landmarks for the return trip.

When we reached the base an hour later I had this strange notion that I was a patriarch leading his son to the top of a desert mountain in the Holy Land (This part of Colorado can do that to you).  On this particular "mountain" the Lord provided swarms of gnats, piles of droppings from some rock rodent and an incredible view of the Taos Plateau and San Luis Valley.  There were windshelters made of volcanic rock on both peaks erected by some unknown party. Like us, they too were drawn to these distinctive black hills.