As I noted in my last post, Labor Day weekend was going to be a busy one. I left directly from work in Glenwood Springs and drove to The Lot on Friday evening to open the RV and get ready for Saturday.
The burn pit was open so Saturday was a busy day; I managed to get 4 loads of slash and junk wood loaded and hauled away. Three of those loads involved using the ATV to get the aluminum trailer near the wood piles. That was interesting…I had to cut a few aspen to make another wilderness road in the saddle. And, as we move closer to the top of the lot, the terrain gets a little steeper. Still I was able to move the trailer in and out OK. Pam had arrived Saturday afternoon and helped with the final load of the day.
Jerry loading another load of burn pit wood
We did not get all the slash cleared out; there was just not enough time to get everything over to the burn pit. Next weekend I should be able to get out two more loads, which should eliminate the rest of the slash we have piled up. I’ll also bring home a few larger chunks of pine to be used as firewood. The pine is part of two large old-growth trees that had fallen down on the lot. (They smell great when cut into.) By the end of Saturday the house site area was looking much more attractive – and accessible.
Sunday was a day for other chores. We used the ATV and 2-wheel cart to find and bring more rocks to line the circle in the driveway. Pam has been planting daisy plants [she is transplanting from flowerbeds in De Beque] around the edge of the circle, along with transplanting a few small pine trees from the cleared area. With the addition of three 2-wheel carts full of mulch, taken from under a few of the large pine on the lot, the circle is looking quite nice!
Pam and circle drive both looking pretty good
I mentioned we have two old-growth pine logs trees that had fallen on the lot. The stump ends of both will be converted into rustic benches. I used the ATV’s winch and moved one stump end up the lot to a place where there is a good view over South Park. One of the tasks for the next trip is to make this into a seating bench. I’ll need to put another chunk of pine under the cut end to level it out and then use the chain saw to cut a flat spot to sit. Hopefully I’ll have a couple photos of this after the work is done.
We will use the other log in a similar fashion but have not yet picked a spot for it. Most likely it will be on the path that leads up to Pavilion Point, as we have to stop to catch our breath to get there and a bench to sit on would be handy.
I loaded some firewood into the truck to bring home. The wood is small stuff that we had originally thought we might use as dog enclosure posts. That didn’t work out so now I have a bunch of small diameter trees to cut up and use as firewood. It all burns!
We also built a rudimentary fire pit using local rocks along the back side of the gravel driveway. In the two years we have owned the lot we’ve never enjoyed a campfire. (Last year outdoor burn bans were in effect almost the entire summer.) Pam (+ dogs) left for home Sunday afternoon before we could try it out, but I did light a fire Sunday night and it was very nice to be able to sit in front of the fire, watch the stars appear, and just enjoy the ambiance of the evening.
Campfire adds ambience
The “mouse wars” continue. Pam found a live mouse that had a foot caught in a trap, so she donned her latex gloves, took the trap outside and up the lot, and let the mouse go. She did not have the heart to kill it so the mouse may end up living a long life as a field mouse. I just hope it doesn’t find its way back to The Box.
I did trap two other mice, but the traps remained empty Sunday night into Monday. I would like to think that with the latest hole patched and several mice removed maybe the war is over, but I’ll see on my next trip.
So Saturday and Sunday were quite busy but also productive. We wish we had a few more days, though, just to enjoy being in the mountains. As mentioned, Pam drove back Sunday afternoon, but I stayed over as I planned to take an ATV trip on Monday before I headed home.
No other projects are planned for the rest of the year. One more weekend to finish clearing the slash and pick up a few more bits and pieces of firewood, and another weekend trip to bring The Box home for the winter will close out our activities for 2014. We might make a day run or two in late September or October as there are standing dead trees that could be cut for firewood if we feel so inclined, or to view the fall colors (some leaves are already turning gold and red) or just to get out of town. It’s too early in the year to quit going up to Sanderling completely.
We are satisfied in knowing we completed all the projects we had planned for the year, and are particularly pleased with our clean-up efforts that were made possible by having put in the driveway extension. Last year was an “acquire” year; we bought the F-150, the RV trailer, and a new chain saw. This year we spent more time actually working on the lot and completing projects.
Next year we move into more of a “lot development” scenario as we hope to put in a well, septic, and small off-grid electrical system to power the RV (it would be nice to use the microwave) and expand it when we put in a structure. All it takes is money, and we may not get all of these things done, but you have to have a goal and a plan to get there. We may look into the availability of a loan to pay for some of these projects as the cost breaks down like this: well: $9k, septic: $9k, solar: $4k. Total: $22k. Lot clean up will continue, but we have most of the “line-of-sight” areas now cleaned up so this task will not have a high priority next year. (We will be cleaning the lot for years to come.) Some work we can do, some we will have to farm out, but it is time we moved into another stage of the development cycle.
On Monday I took off on an ATV trip. My plan was to complete a loop from Breckenridge to the old mining town of Montezuma. I had passed the turnoff to Montezuma on my Swan River ATV loop and had wanted to explore this side trail when I had the opportunity.
I’ll not go into a lot of detail about this 29 mile excursion other than to say that much of it is above 11,500 feet elevation. Stretches were rocky and steep; I used 4-wheel drive, low range on more than a few occasions, including some downhill stretches. The loop is very scenic, goes past several old mining sites (and 1 town site, Saints John) and offers even more side trips that I didn’t have time to explore but hope to get to in the future. As it was I took almost 6 hours to make the loop. Below are a few photos taken along the way.
Restored church in Montezuma
Deer Creek
Flowers blooming in protected spots
Stone wall of old cabin above timberline the high country
Grasses turing fall red
I saw four skittish mountain goats but no other large wildlife. The goats looked to be in their full winter coats. The hillsides above timberline are beginning to change into fall colors of reds and browns. Some flowers are still blooming – as you can see in a few photos – but the columbine are done and others plants have gone to seed. There is fresh snow on a few of the highest mountain tops and the high country is getting ready for winter. My days of being able to ride my ATV in the high country are starting to dwindle but I do hope to get out a time or two yet when the fall colors are at their peak.
That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!
Pam’s Two Cents Worth:
It’s been great to have the dog run to put the dogs in while working on the property –that has worked out super. Bru, of course, would rather spend her time in the RV, but Blondie and Jo utilize pretty much the entire dog run.
I still hope to enjoy one campfire and see the aspen grove in full color before the season concludes.
Happy Trails.
