I took off last Monday afternoon and went to Martin, staying the night with Fr Tyler.. he drove me on down to Merriman Neb the next morning where we met up with Marty Blocker at 5:30 am… Marty and I spurred Silver and away we went, heading for the Poetry Gathering in Durango, Colorado…. we traveled good, there was never any quiet as we drove a long, we are good traveling partners… we both need to use the bathroom at the same time and felt the need for water and food at the same time also.. Marty was the Capitan and I was the Navigator… what could possibly go wrong?
We got to the north east edge of the Denver area and found us a trail around it… of course, being in Colorado, they evidently have better things to spend their money on than road signs….. we managed to get across the north end in suburbs… everyone was in a hurry and evidently the speed limit signs are just a suggestion.. and me and ol’ Marty know that the weak that don’t keep up with the herd get ate, so we whipped and spurred and stayed with them.. when Colorado passed the law to allow people to use pot legally, I am pretty sure they knew what they were doing as if you were smoked up and mellowed out when you got to any city, it would be a good thing, but my guess is that no one is using it before they drive, as they sure ain’t mellow!!!
We got around the mess, into the mountains which, while very pretty, are not the best for making good time… we made it to Glenwood Spring (where Doc Holliday is supposedly buried, but we never seen any proof).. every body in three states was wanting to go a different direction than us so it was a teensy bit exasperating for a couple of ol’ cowboys… Marty’s cousin finally found us and lead us to his brothers place where we had a great supper and conversation…then he lead us up a mountain road that no self respecting mountain goat would have traveled on as it would be just too scary… he was kind enough to go slow enough we could keep up and by then it was dark so we couldn’t really see to the bottom of the straight off drop off most of the way up… we sure crowded that canyon wall! We spent that night at his “little” cabin… evidently them fellers make better wages than me on ol’ Marty….early next morning (like 5 am early) we was up and at them.. followed him south, I guess, really hard to tell directions with out the sun and heck, in that country I bet they only get 3 hours down in them canyons…he said we was headed south and by golly, turns out he was right! We ate breakfast then headed out for Ouray and Silverton and then Durango… we never did leanr to pronounce Ouray like the natives… we did find a real nice gentleman there who tried to pass us with flashing lights and turns out he followed us everywhere we went, so thinking he needed to ask us something about cows or horses, Marty pulled over.. he did ask us a bunch of questions but wasn’t a one of them about cows and horses…. we must be popular as he had another feller with the same kind of car come over and visit with us also.. not sure why they was both so red faced… I think they must have had a cold and it effected their ears cuz they sure talked loud.. I bet they realized they was talking to fellers who don’t hear very well… didn’t matter, we sure heard them… he suggested that the road ahead was steep and windy and we might better slow it down, so we thanked him for the nice conversation and told him we needed to be getting on our way, so they both walked off shaking their heads… again, must have been the head colds… anyhoo…
We started up this twisty trail and man there was some nice views.. poor ol Marty was holding the steering wheel, so didn’t get to see as much as me as he had his eyes closed most of the time.. but I kept up a running documentary of what we was seeing and how well he was driving and encouraging him as best I could…I even got some video but can’t get my stupid camera to share much of it..
We finally winds down into Durango, and I had been their the year before so I was really showing Marty all the high points.. we found our lodging and they was good folks other than they sure try to crowd a lot of vehicles into a tiny spot.. some of the folks couldn’t even get their car doors open after we parked, but we could, so that was what really mattered… they always feed us a good breakfast in the morning also but wouldn’t let us in until 6 am, so we’d have plenty of time to visit and make plans before breakfast…
Not sure if I remember what all we did from Thursday night until Sunday morning as there was just so much and we only had 24 hours a day to jam as much fun into as we could, but I do remember a real nice little horse “ranch” we got to eat and entertain and listen to good musicians and poetry at… and the Starter Hotel hosted a bunch of us like minded folks and just plumb turned the place over to us…you’d think they’d know better, but by golly they been doing it for quite a few years…most had the good taste to take off their spurs and knock most of the trail dust off before they went in and sat down..we got to ride a tiny little ol train up a steep canyon, but they had the foresight to knock the rock off the edges enough in places to where they could sneak the cars by and only about half of the side of the car was hanging over open space, but shoot, it wasn’t but 100 to 500 feet down into that canyon and there was water flowing in the bottom, so I bet if you did fall off, you’d likely miss all them rocks and land in the water for a safe landing.. I was a bit disappointed when they told me I couldn’t drive the train, even when me an ol’ Marty both told them what a good driver I am.. heck, sit’s on tracks! How you gonna go wrong!
And then several of them fellers running around and working the train stopped me from getting up on the roof.. I was planning on surfing that train just like them boys out in California do and I seen fellers doing it on the movies so I knew I could.. and they watched me pretty close, like they was afraid I would go ahead and do it after I promised them several times I wouldn’t.. matter of fact, they watched me like a hawk… never could sneak away long enough to get out of their sight…
Marty and other performers performed all the way up and all the way back on 6 different cars.. up the canyon, where they turned the train around, they fed us and let some rest their legs a bit.. right purty little canyon, kind of windy and chilly but I had my flannians on so I was prepared…
We stuck around the Strater most of the time when we wasn’t out terrorizing the other people in that country, evidently they don’t get too many people with hats and boots..the food was always good tho’ they sure were proud of it.. we went out to a roadhouse and I got Marty to eat raw oysters with me and he said they was good, we never did find out what breed they come from…
Sunday morning we headed for home as I had checked the weather and they claimed snow was coming.. me and ol Marty, we ain’t afraid of no snow, heck we seen a bunch in our lives, but we sure didn’t want to be going thru’ them big cites with anything but dry pavement, I sure wish someone would teach them folk to drive… only took us about 3 big circles thru’ and around Colorado Springs to finally find the right road.. again, with their lack of road signs.. of course I was driving and Marty was navigating with the map, but them maps don’t show roads in and around them cities very well… QWe did stop and check out the Royal Gorge,, pretty disappointing as they wouldn’t let us drop a punk in’ over the side.. heck. they had some setting right close.. claimed we might hit one of them rafters or kayakers was down there over a 1000 feet below in the Arkansaw river, but we’d of never hit anyone, we got better aim than that.. and so what if we did, them folks must have a death wish anyway…heck a punkin ain’t gonna hurt no one dropped on their head… Some of the people discouraged us from hanging off over the railing on the outside to get a better view.. sure are a bunch of scared cats around there…we headed back on out and Silver flew thru’ the day and 11:30 pm found us back in Merriman and Fr Tyler picked me up and hauled me back to his place.. I slept a few hours and headed home, sure felt good to be back amongst people who know what a speed limit sign means and see grass and cattle.. we seen some cattle out their in Colorado but I am betting they are buying lots from this country cuz we didn’t see enough to feed even half the people we seen, for one meal!
It was a great trip and if we can get that restraining order throwed out before next year, heck, we’ll go back! But not Red Mountain Summit! Something about them wiggly side roads seem to bother poor ol’ Marty’s indigestion…
Dennisranch 