Author: admin (Page 57 of 66)

Stunned! OMG…Driveway Quote Received! $25,550.00!

March 18, 2013 / admin / 3 Comments

Just say we are stunned. Here is the quote for putting in the driveway:

Driveway quote – OMG!

🙁 🙁 🙁 🙁 🙁 🙁 🙁 🙁 🙁 🙁 🙁 🙁 🙁

The first time I had spoken to Peter, last fall after we closed on the lot, the price was much less and the proposed building site was on the other side of the lot! We had come up with the $5,000.00 number based on his rate of $1,500.00 per day plus materials, guessing 3 days of equipment work. The quote above includes 12.5 days of equipment work. Are you kidding?

Guess the river rock is out.

On to the next plan…I’ve asked Peter what he can do in a couple day’s work just to get the drive built from Sanderling Court up into the first 200 feet or so, which would get us up to the start of the big curve. That would, at least, allow us to get onto the lot proper. And, more importantly, that would allow us to meet the County specifications on slope and entrance to the drive, things I probably cannot do myself. The upper part of the drive, and curve, will just have to be done later with rental gear. We will have to start looking at alternate retaining wall materials.

Speaking of the driveway, here is a bit from the notes on the permit:

Notes from driveway permit.

As you can see, the County is very particular about the entrance to the driveway. If Peter can do this bit I can probably handle the rest of the construction, which aside from setting up the retaining wall, is mostly digging. I can rent a blade for the back of the 8N for leveling and grading if it comes to that.

I am bummed out, and cannot believe that $25,000.00 quote. We looked at lots where the drive would have been much harder to build; I wonder what one of those drives would have cost? Really, we were going on our conversation from last fall, and this quote has really blindsided us. 5 times our expectations. Oh well, we’ll just move on to an alternate plan.

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Driveway quote and Plan B

March 17, 2013 / admin / 6 Comments

Last Friday I took off from work and drove over to the Sanderling lot to meet with Peter, our driveway contractor. We needed to finalize a route for the drive and go over some options, such as materials for retaining walls.

The day was partly cloudy and breezy with temperatures in the upper 50s. Very nice! Peter looks to be in his 40s and seems quite competent. The meeting results were a blend of good news and bad. Bad: The best driveway route would involve removing a (large) tree, something we had hoped to avoid.

Driveway corner.

Tree on right of photo above would have to be moved. Peter thinks he can save the tree by moving it downhill from it’s current spot. (Drive would come in near tree on left.) Blue lines indicate the placement of the retaining wall and the outside edge of the driveway curve. Basically, moving the drive closer to the fence line (seen at the back of the photo) would create a to-sharp corner that would not pass County specifications, and swinging out to avoid the tree would require a huge retaining wall and much longer curve, complete with culvert, to get back to the ridge. As it is, the wall would be about 75 feet long and will require fill material behind it. The fill can come from where the drive would meet Sanderling Court, as that part of the drive has to be dug down to the current road level. Although we are not keen on moving the tree – odds are it will survive relocation with a small root base – it seems to be the best compromise for us.

Good news: Most of the driveway work is just digging, which is the cheapest rate.

Peter and I discussed material for the retaining walls. The drive entrance will require a small wall on the down-slope side of the drive. That wall, which cannot be seen from the road, will consist of large (2 feet wide by 2 feet high by 8 feet long) concrete blocks. These cost about $40.00 each, not bad. Blue lines indicate where the blocks will go.

Lower drive will require wall on left side

We wanted the curve-and-corner retaining wall to be more attractive as it can be seen from the road approaching the lot and will be a focal point. Peter suggested river boulders, a natural material which meshes with our wish that we avoid “foreign” materials, such as interlocking blocks, as much as possible. River boulders are large enough to hold the load of the drive (bottom course would be 2 ton rocks) and when native soils, grass or flowers are added the result is very attractive. Not cheap, though, as the rock has to be hauled in from Buena Vista and this, plus the cost of the rock itself, will raise the price.

We also need one, possibly two, culverts. Peter said he would work on the quote this weekend and get it to us in the next few days. Now it is “wait and see” until the quote comes in. We hope it is in the $5,000.00 range.

Unfortunately, our plan to put a structure on the lot has already moved on to Plan B.

Peter mentioned (and we later confirmed) that the County will not allow us to build a garage before we build a house. Apparently Park County has been burned in the past by people building garages and sheds and then living in non-sanitary conditions. This is a blow to us, as we had hoped to put up a garage and use it to store tools and gear for a few years until we could put up a cabin. (Cabin requires a septic system and running water.) So, what to do now? We really want to be able to spend time on the land for both esthetic and practical reasons. It is hard to get any real work done when you have to drive 7 – 8 hours to get there and back, and renting a hotel/motel room for overnight stays at $100 per night. Plus we just want to be in the mountains for a while, particularly in the summer time.

Pam has (reluctantly) suggested we look at getting a used toy hauler. These rigs have some storage space along with basic kitchens and sleeping areas, and have fresh and waste water tanks. Elk Horn Ranches (the homeowners association for the Sanderling property) has an RV dump site, free for us to use, so we would tow the rig to the dump site from time to time to empty the waste water tanks and fill up with fresh water. It seems many land owners in the area follow this routine. Drawback is such a purchase takes money away from the construction fund. The trade off is having immediate use of the land and a place to stay overnight, along with the ability to move forward on lot clean-up and other jobs, or keep the money toward building a cabin in 5 – 7 years. (Well and septic would run about $20,000.00 and would have to be put in before we could get a building permit.) We are strongly leaning toward a toy hauler (storage for tools when we are not there) and taking advantage of the property while we are able to do so. We’ve checked out some toy haulers on-line, and depending on the driveway quote, will start looking at units in the next week or two.

There are RV dealers in Grand Junction, about 35 miles away. Here is an interior shot of a toy hauler for sale:

Toyhauler has a basic kitchen and bath.

Beds flip up in this basic toy hauler. Not fancy, although you can get fancier ones than this, but for an overnight stay it is probably sufficient.

Cargo area of a toy hauler

So folks, the land saga continues. In my next post I hope to have a definitive word on the driveway, and maybe even that work has begun!

In other news…

Son Toby is moving ahead with getting his Indiana referee credentials and arranging summer work with various softball leagues around South Bend. We hope this works out for him, and we have offered to help with any expenses he may have updating his equipment or paying for training. Toby is currently working for a carpet installation and cleaning service. Pay is not great but he seems to be making ends meet. The referee jobs would add a little cushion to his income.

Daughter Felicity will be singing with her Sweet Adeline group (Northwest Harmony) in Boise, Idaho late next month. The Sweet Adeline organization has a regional meeting and competition planned and we will be driving over to visit Felicity and listen to her group sing. More on this as the date gets closer. (Should be interesting to see Felic and her music ladies, she has to wear theatrical-level makeup and have her hair done to sing with this group. Totally not her natural look.)

Spring is arriving here in western Colorado. Grass is turning green and the lilac bushes are just starting to bud out. Still, below freezing temperatures are in the forecast for a few days this week, so I cannot say spring is fully arrived. It is nice to be working outside without wearing a heavy coat and the dogs are spending much more time outside as well. We had rain last night so everything is a bit wet right now, but we will get the lawn raked and maybe even put out some grass seed to patch a couple bare spots this coming week.

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s two cents worth:

I’m not much for camping, so a bit negative on RV’ing. For one thing, the vehicle we have that can pull the weight of an RV is Jer’s 1976 International Scout II, which has not proven to be extremely reliable. (The Subaru can’t pull anything heavier than an aluminum trailer, it seems.) For those of you who have lived in Colorado, you know licensing for vehicles is based on age and weight, and can be quite expensive annually (2010 Subaru Forester costs hundreds of dollars per year to license). Vehicle insurance is also expensive, since each legal Colorado driver is paying for uninsured motorists (illegals up from Mexico, mostly). Then, what to do with the RV once you have moved on and no longer need it? Most of them seem to be left out in the weather to rot away, not so very attractive. However, since Coloradans have so many “toys” – cycles, snowmobiles, ATVs – toy haulers seem to be holding their value a bit better than traditional trailers, and enjoy a resale market. My main concern – how are the dogs and I going to get any sleep when Jer starts snoring in one of those tin boxes…

Toys, mostly…

March 10, 2013 / admin / 4 Comments

Spring is getting closer, although we had snow (mixed with rain) yesterday. Forecast is to hit low 60’s by the end of the week. A robin family has decided to stay, and geese are on the move along the Colorado River. I have decided it’s time to look toward Spring and get some work done on a few of my toys.

I put a new front tire on the motorcycle. To do this I had to pull the front brakes, and inspection revealed the brake pads need replacement. I now need to check the rear pads and see if they need to be replaced as well. Other than that, plus the regular oil / filter change and general cleaning, I should be good to go. I’ll order the pads shortly and add the replacement to my “to do” list.

“The Griz” (ATV) has received a winch mount. I had picked up a cheap 12-volt winch a couple years ago that I used to load stuff in the trailer, and plan to put it on the ATV. Not that I expect to be stuck a lot, but I think we’ll be using it on the Sanderling lot to move logs, rocks, and perform other utility work. I’ll have a few photos of this after I get the work done. Installation is another item on my “to do” list.

Not really a toy,* but we have added a dump cart to our inventory. It can be pulled by either the 8N tractor or the ATV. Getting this cart now was Pam’s suggestion; I had been checking out various carts for the last year or so. We had received a 10 percent off coupon and decided to apply it to the cart purchase. Saved $30.00. The intended use is on the lot for moving rocks, wood, dirt, and landscape material.

Manual for our new dump cart.

Here is a shot of the cart loaded up at Tractor Supply Company and ready for the trip home:

Bringing home the dump cart

I am sure I’ll have photos of the cart in use before very long.

We’re planning a trip to Boise, Idaho in late April. Daughter Felicity is singing at a Sweet Adeline convention in Boise and we plan to meet her there. Pam has made our hotel reservations at a dog-friendly Motel 6 as we will take all 3 on the trip. We may visit the Snake River area while Felicity is occupied with her convention responsibilities, so the trip will be dual-purpose — family and scenery.

The days are getting a bit warmer, some grass is turning green, and our tulips are starting to poke up. Spring must be near. I have not packed up the snowmobile yet, though, as Grand Mesa just received another 8 – 16 inches of fresh snow yesterday. I hope to get in another ride or two before the season ends. Last Saturday I took a back-woods trip along a marked but little-used trail. Happened to meet up with a couple of guys I know out of Grand Junction, so was not riding alone in the back country. Riding solo I would have stayed on well-traveled groomed trails.

Back-country travel is fun. One gets into territory seldom visited and the snow conditions are great. You have seen those pictures of a skier coming down a hill with only his tracks doing “S” turns in new powder? You can do something similar on a snowmobile… 🙂

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s two cents worth:

* Really, the new dump cart is not another Jerry toy?

Elinor, remember to give Pat our phone number “just in case.”

Miscellaneous musings

March 3, 2013 / admin / 2 Comments

This is one of those weeks that has no particular event to report or theme that holds it together. We do have a couple of items to cover, though, so will get into a list of miscellaneous happenings that have occured since my last post.

Tractor update:

I changed the transmission and gear oil in the tractor. What a mess! The transmission, rear axle, and hydraulic lift share a common source of oil. I knew the stuff in there had been contaminated over the years and needed to be changed. When I drained it – draining required removing 4 different drain plugs – the stuff that came out didn’t look much like gear oil. It was yellowish in color and had an unpleasant odor. (Some people think any gear oil has an unpleasant odor. They would be wrong.) 🙂 When moisture gets into oil it reacts with the oil’s phosphor and turns the oil a shade of yellow. Microbes start degrading the oil, giving it a particular odor.

Old oil – looks bad, smells worse

The oil capacity is rated at about 5 gallons; only 2 gallons drained out. This seems to be another example of little or no maintenance done over the years on this poor old 8N.

While the oil was draining I pulled the PTO (power take off) shaft out of the back of the tractor and replaced it’s oil seal. The old seal had been leaking as evidenced by the buildup of greasy dirt around the end of the shaft. Since the oil needed to be drained to accomplish this repair it was an opportune time to get this work done. One more task done, one that (I hope) will result in fewer oil leaks on my parking pad.

I put new gaskets on the drain plugs and reinstalled them, then put in the new gear oil. After starting the tractor I worked the lift a few times, up and down, and all seems to be OK. I suspect I will replace the oil again in a few months after I work the tractor for a while. Any old stuff left in the nooks and crannies will get mixed up with the fresh oil and should be drained out in the next change. The oil costs about $50.00 plus a few bucks for the gaskets, not a huge investment to make sure the hydraulic lift and gears get the lubrication they need. Getting the gear oil changed is another task to be marked off the list of needed repairs and maintenance.

Fresh oil comes in 2-gallon jugs

Next task: Reinstall the air cleaner system. The tractor has been sucking in unfiltered air for some years, I suspect! The air cleaner, which is known as an oil-bath filter, was sitting in Mom’s garage when I brought the tractor to Colorado so I have the parts, but there is a junction at the hood that appears to be damaged and will need work.

Sanderling driveway update: No movement. The contractor wrote that 2 more storms and a strong wind had come through this past week and dumped even more snow on the lot. He will keep us posted.

The cats were jealous that I posted dog photos in my last post and wanted equal time. Here is a recent cat photo:

London (left) and Antonio

I had my motorcycle out for the first ride of the season before the last snow fall. Not much of a ride – 26 miles – but it was nice to get up on 2 wheels again. I checked my log and found I had ridden 8,420 miles last year. This included a long trip to Ohio, not in the works for this year, but I do hope to make it to California. A CA rally is tentatively scheduled for mid-July.

We had the rear struts replaced on the Subaru. $614.00. Not fun, but has to be done as we expect to be pulling the trailer to and from the Sanderling lot more this year than we did last year. Next up is purchasing a new set of tires. We are still running on the factory original rubber after more than 85,000 miles, and it is about time for a new set.

Days are getting longer and most of the recent snow has melted. Forecast is to hit 50 degrees this weekend, close to our normal of 48, and we are ready for it.

Pam bought a roller caddy to help haul her briefcase + purse + lunch bag + misc. to and from work. Because she works at home 2 days a week, Pam brings home a lot of material. Rather than trying to carry all of this stuff in her hands, sister Becky suggested Pam investigate wheels. Pam decided to try this L. L. Bean roller caddy.

Pam’s caddy rolls nicely

Caddy has many storage pockets.

We’ll see if this arrangement prevents Pam from taking another header into the ice, as she did on Valentines Day…or will she just skewer herself with the roller caddy next time?

I must be getting old. I will soon apply to start getting funds from my Wisconsin Employee Trust Fund retirement account. It won’t be a lot – $600.00 per month before taxes – but it will come in every month for as long as I live. Just got the application packet in the mail…oh my. Much reading to do before I submit the paperwork. Pam, as my “designated survivor,” would continue to get these funds should I “go” first. Plan is to put these funds in a (457) Roth IRA available to me as part of my current benefits package. Roth plans require after-tax contributions but no taxes are paid on the funds, or their earnings, when you start withdrawing them (mandatory requirement) at the age of 70 and a half. We hope the account will earn big (tax-free) bucks in the next 10 years, but we have to get everything set up and that will take a couple months. (The Wisconsin Employee Trust Fund folks sent me the large envelope with “RET” stamped on the front, gives me some hope I may actually “RET.”)

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Snow Day!

February 24, 2013 / admin / 2 Comments

We awoke to 4 – 5 inches of new snow this morning. (The forecast was for 1 – 2 inches.) I decided to take a few photos of this snow day while doing chores.

Main deck partially cleared.

I grabbed the shovel and started clearing the main deck and ramp. Pam started working on the back deck with a stiff broom. The snow was light but had a layer of ice at the bottom due to snow falling on warm surfaces at the beginning of the storm.

Pam had swept a path on the ramp.

Pam had swept a path down the ramp but left the final clearing to me. I finished the deck and ramp, then started on the driveway and sidewalks.

Clearing the driveway.

I did my regular clearing, then started work on neighboring sidewalks. By the time I was done Pam had the dogs outside enjoying the fresh snow and a “doggie snow day.” (Hope Eli enjoys the pet photos.)

Blondie in her winter coat.

Blondie and Bru at play

Jo and Blondie check out the snow.

Bru, Jo, and Blondie enjoyed the snow for a while.

We don’t have much planned for the rest of the day, just the regular routine of cleaning and around-the-house chores. More snow is in the forecast throughout the day, and although it looks like any new snow may simply melt on hard surfaces such as the driveway and sidewalks, we may see some accumulation on grassy areas and the decks. (Our shoveling may not be over yet!)

Due to high country snow last week I didn’t meet with our driveway contractor, who contacted us and said the Sanderling property had received about a foot of fresh snow. He’ll let us know when the conditions are right for him to be able to give us a good estimate on the driveway construction cost.

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

—————————————————————

Pam’s 2 cents worth:

At this time of year, I don’t mind the snow falling in great profusion in the high country. Here on the high desert, however, the ground is not thawed or receptive to snow melt, and the moisture pretty much runs off into the (very muddy) Colorado River, or sits on the lawn in great puddles. Better to have high country snows now, when the ski areas can take full advantage of it. Then, let the snow melt rush downriver in the late Spring, when the high desert soils are ready for it.

Spring? Not quite yet.

February 17, 2013 / admin / 2 Comments

Pam pointed out a couple of iris plants starting to poke up in one of our flower beds. Even though we enjoyed temps in the mid-40 degree range yesterday (our normal average), I don’t think spring is around the corner. The forecast for the next week shows high temps in the well-below-average range. I’m betting this winter goes down as one of the colder winters on record in the high desert.

Still, there are the iris plants and the robins Pam spotted a few weeks ago. On my last snowmobile trip I saw evidence of snow beginning to melt and exposing bare ground on one of the lower trails. Maybe the end of the winter is in sight. We shall see!

I’ve been in contact with our mountain driveway contractor, Peter, and I will probably meet with him at the Sanderling property sometime this coming week. Peter said he generally can begin excavation work around the first of March. Although the route of the first part of the drive is established, the final route to the saddle where we want to put the building is still unresolved. We can make a sharp turn left, up the hill, or swing out in a more gentle left-hand curve (around a slope) and go up-hill diagonally. The latter option would require a good amount of retaining wall and fill, but would result in a more gentle grade — plus the drive would be in winter sunlight (helping to melt winter snow cover).

The red line is the shorter but steeper route, the blue is the second option:

Driveway options

We hope Peter can give us an opinion based on his expertise in building driveways in the area, and his knowledge of county regulations regarding percent of incline. At this point we really need a driveway to be able to move on to other tasks; the driveway is a priority.

In other news…my old leather coat, a gift from Pam more than 20 years ago, finally died. The zipper will no longer stay shut. It’s like losing an old friend. Pam has ordered me a new L.L Bean coat to replace it (item # TC187484), but I may try to find a shop that will replace the zipper so I can continue to use the old coat for around-the-house chores.

Yesterday was a very nice day so I went for another snowmobile ride on the Grand Mesa. This trip totaled 128 miles, probably the longest ride I have been on. I carried extra fuel just to make sure I could get back to the parking lot OK. (Tabitha: Some sleds have reverse, this one does not.) Most of this ride was on forest service roads so I was able to make good time. Here are a few photos. (Hooray, more snowmobile photos…)

Heading up the trail

Buzzard Pass Divide

I saw a female moose and 2 wolves on this trip, all on Road 265, and all within about 3 miles of each other. On the photo above note the extra gas can. Behind it, in the green sleeve, is my tripod. I did use both this trip!

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Valentine’s Card to Pam

February 14, 2013 / admin / 3 Comments

My Valentine’s Card to Pam:

Note:

After you click the Play button move your cursor just up from the bottom of the screen to reveal the Player’s control panel. You can adjust the volume, go to Full Screen, and stop and start the clip. I can’t get rid of the advertisement at the end as it is embeded with the video, but it does have a convenient Replay button and I know you will want to watch this more than once! 🙂

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

There’s A Storm Across The Valley….

February 13, 2013 / admin / 2 Comments

This last weekend it was snowing in the high country both Saturday and Sunday. Forecast was for 1 – 2 feet of snow, and we could see the clouds from our back deck. Since I didn’t want to ride solo in those conditions I left the snowmobile at home and took out my ATV. The weather was good enough for a short trip – about 3 hours – into Wild Horse Mesa. Yes, there is that much change in weather between our 5,028 foot elevation and the 10,000 foot plus elevation of Grand Mesa.

As I was heading out the words of John Denver’s “Home Again” stuck in my mind, particularly the phrase “There’s a storm across the valley, clouds are rolling in…” To my left I could see snow falling on the south side of the Colorado River. (Ahead of me a cloud bank was on the horizon.)

Storm across the valley…

The sun was shining so I knew I had some time before I would need to turn around for home. Here is a shot of the landscape as it looks about 8 – 9 miles out. Note the unusuall purple colored rocks in the center. There is a band of this color throughout the region, but it is particularly evident here.

Landscape about 9 miles from home, Wild Horse Mesa

The road, dry at the beginning of the ride, went through a couple of transitions. At about 11.5 miles out it turned muddy as the snow was melting, mile 13 saw a mix of mud and snow, and by mile 15 the road was snow-covered and frozen. It doesn’t seem like the change in elevation is that great, but the changes in road conditions are a reminder that the farther you go the higher you get.

I rode for several miles observing the landscape and looking at the animal tracks. I didn’t see any wildlife, except for a few birds. As I went I kept an eye on the sky knowing the forcast included a 70 percent chance of precipitation. When I saw this cloud bank coming toward me I knew it was time to turn around and head home:

Clouds are rolling in!

The fact that it was already beginning to snow – lightly – reinforced my decision. I was 19 miles out and it had taken me about 90 minutes to get here. (That time included photo stops.) The mud and snow zones cut down on my over-the-road speeds and I was not in a hurry. I knew it would take me as long to return as it had to get to this point.

The ride home was uneventful – but colder – as the clouds continued to build and block the sun. I had to stop once to warm up my right thumb as the ATV has no grip or thumb warmers. (These are available as after-market add-ons but I don’t have a set installed on The Griz.)

Once home I parked The Griz and proceeded to fix myself a nice hot cup of tea. While it was steeping I fired up the Mac, started looking at the photos, and began to plan this post. It was a nice way to finish off the day’s ride.

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Sunday Catch-up post

February 3, 2013 / admin / 2 Comments

Well, today is Super Bowl Sunday, neither Pam or I are too excited about it. We just hope it’s a good game (with excellent commercials!) Most of the pre-game pundits have picked Baltimore to win, but the ’49ers are closer to home for us so we will be rooting for them.

A recent post by Pam’s sister Becky was a trip down memory lane. It got me to thinking abut digital photography. Going back, it looks like I bought my first digital (a whopping 1.2 mega-pixles!) back in 1999. Boy, has that technology advanced! I don’t have many decent digital images from that time, and those I do have need to be run through an editing program to see if they can be improved. Still, this one caught my eye:

Caitlin and Felicity, March 2000

Becky’s daughter Caitlin and our daughter Felicity show off their (temporary) tats. Taken in March of 2000. I have no idea why Felicity’s arm turned out that color. Too much flash, I guess!

Little new since my last post. The weather got warm enough to melt a lot of our snow, with standing water that now has nowhere to go. The high temps are all below freezing so it’s back to “normal” winter weather.

I took another snowmobile trip yesterday, this time to a place called Stevens Gulch. It was a nice, bright day in the high country. Early morning frost had covered the tree branches and turned them into ice-covered art:

Ice-covered branches are winter’s art.

Here is a landscape shot of a similar scene:

Winter landscape in ice.

The Stevens Gulch trail offers some excellent views of the Elk Mountain range. I enjoy this route and the scenery along the way. Here is a shot of me pulled up along the trail’s edge and using a tripod to get into the picture:

Elk Mountains from Stevens Gulch Trail

I had parked at the Visitor’s Center on Grand Mesa. Here is a shot of the car and sled as I’m getting ready to return home at the end of the day. At this point I had ridden 102 miles and the gas gauge showed 1/4 of a tank left. I still have to put the tie-downs and cover on the sled before I head for home.

Car, trailer, and snowmobile.

There were dozens of other snowmobilers out, along with some cross-country skiers and snowshoers. (No fat tire bikes this time!)

And for Becky: Yes, grip and thumb warmers are now standard on all snowmobiles and have been for some time. They are independently adjustable – grips on one switch and thumb warmer on another – and the heat is very welcome on cold rides!

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

In The Bleak Mid-winter

January 20, 2013 / admin / 3 Comments

Hmmm… 10 days since my last post. I like to keep the interval down to about a week, but some times there is not a lot to blog about. This post will cover a few events that have transpired recently.

It’s still cold. The story is not just the sub-zero temps, but the number of them in a row. From the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration:

“We fell below zero once again this morning in Grand Junction, marking the 20th day this has occurred this winter season. Interestingly, looking back at the records through 1893, the most days with a minimum temperature below 0 F is 21, which occurred during the winters of 1919-20, 1924-25, 1962-63, and 1990-91. Last winter, we did not even fall below zero. Anyone else looking forward to spring?”

We have set several new low-for-the date records during this stretch as well. Mostly these have been in the 8 to 12 below range for us, but other parts of the state have hit 24 to 40 below. It’s cold outside!

As an anomaly, for several days temperatures have been higher as you go up in elevation. The Grand Valley, where we live, is suffering from an inversion. Cold air sinks into the valley and warm air rises, making places like the top of Grand Mesa (10,800 feet) warmer than Grand Junction (4,800 feet).

The answer is, of course, to go snowmobiling!

I took my Mountain Max out yesterday to the top of Grand Mesa for the first long ride of the season. My trip before Christmas ended early as heavily falling snow made it hard to follow the trails. Complete opposite this time: beautiful blue skies, groomed trails, and warm enough to not need the grip and thumb warmers.

Heading west on Land’s End Trail

Trail grooming makes snowmobile trails easy to follow and safer to ride. I was able to go for a total of 72 miles this day, a good outing for a single ride.

Approaching Land’s End lookout point from trail SP1.

The Land’s End trail is always wind-blown and the snow is not as deep as one might expect. You can see tufts of grass sticking out of the snow.

My Mountain Max near Land’s End Point

Last year (the first year I had this sled), I had a few mechanical problems that limited my number of rides. This time the sled ran perfectly.

It was a good afternoon to get out. In addition to others on snowmobiles I passed cross-country skiers, a couple people on snow shoes, and for the first time, snow-bikers. Snow-biking (aka fat tire biking) is relatively new to Colorado. Take a mountain bike, add huge balloon tires and very low gearing, and you have a bike that is capable of riding on snowmobile trails. It looks like a lot of hard, cold work, but the sport is gaining in popularity quite rapidly. Below is a stock photo of one of these rigs.

Snow-bike, also known as a fat tire bike

I had heard about them but hadn’t seen one on the trails until yesterday, when I saw a total of 4.

Today it is back to more mundane stuff, like solo grocery shopping (since Pam is still recovering from the head cold I gave her) and other household chores. Football is on this afternoon and I will take in some of the playoff action. Too bad my 2 favorite teams, the Broncos and Packers, will be watching from their homes as well.

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Author: admin (Page 57 of 66)

Stunned! OMG…Driveway Quote Received! $25,550.00!

Driveway quote and Plan B

Toys, mostly…

Miscellaneous musings

Snow Day!

Spring? Not quite yet.

Valentine’s Card to Pam

There’s A Storm Across The Valley….

Sunday Catch-up post

In The Bleak Mid-winter

Categories

About Photos: