Hopeful

 That is the word for 2021. We all have felt the pain of 2020, in varying degrees. My heart aches for those who experienced loss. I'm left feeling helpless when  I hear about families trying to juggle jobs and Zoom studies. I know I am blessed beyond measure. My wish is that those reading are in a place where hope shines.

Since my Soulful Birthday post, the Arizona temperatures finally softened, which led to fall.  There are so many great hiking spots where I live and I have been taking advantage of them.  Some may know (although I did not include a previous blog) that I had my right kidney removed on June 30th.  It had become non functional due to a cancerous tumor in the ureter.  I have been treated by Mayo Clinic and continue to be under the watchful eyes of a couple of great doctors.  I chose NOT to take chemo during the summer and opted for a three month follow up with scans.  I enjoyed every day and minute of that time.  As some might relate, "live in the moment" becomes so startlingly real when faced with something like this.  The kayak came in July, giving me incentive to heal and be on the water.  My follow up in October revealed bladder cancer that I now receive BCG immunotherapy treatment. I have six weekly treatments and will lay rather low during the holidays.  Many who follow me on Facebook might find some of this post repetitive. However, there also new information, information that lends hope!

Just like many others over the world, I had plans to travel during the holidays.  I opted to not take any unnecessary risks on a plane and have done some nice road trips.  The latest was really spontaneous when my California family said they would be camping at Buckskin State Park in Arizona the NEXT DAY and could I meet them. Well, that is a good half way point for them as well as me.  I looked at it as my only opportunity to see family during the holidays and jumped!  We had a good time on the river, taking a hike, looking at the stars and taking in an early Thanksgiving dinner.  

New puppy, Annie and seasoned Delta on hike with Grammie. 

Some friends and I have scouted out local areas that I have never hiked before and I have taken the opportunity to go with a local hiking group to ancient ruins.  Here I am with Payson Packers on the way to Hematite House Ruins, near Roosevelt Lake.  VERY primitive road conditions! 

Thanksgiving hike on Boulder Trail below. 

Stewart Ridge with Lynette and her daughter, Xing.  We added a decoration to the tree!

                                                    

I have inherited a piano!  I feel blessed to be able to have found a perfect spot in my living room for it.  It will give me great companionship as I lay low over the rest of the year. 

                                                                       

There is a story to be told about the delivery of the piano.  The two fellows were had just placed the piano in the living room and were about to pick up the ramp.  I grabbed my checkbook to pay them and sat on the arm of the chair on my screened in porch. I had things sitting on the seat - one of them being bear spray out of my hiking pack.  I applied just enough pressure on the top of the PINNED canister for it to deploy!  I turned to face it (the mind does not kick in quick enough) and my right arm, torso and face got hit.  The guys inhaled some, but they were out of the porch area.  Gratefully, my phone was in my pocket and I dialed 911, realizing this was more than I could handle with "flushing my eyes".  They were on the spot in 5 minutes with a saline solution that was dripped in my eyes for about 30 minutes.  Someone called the 800 number on the canister for information about treatment.  They were told to get a bucket of water for me to dunk my head. Thank goodness no one took pictures of that! A neighbor came to the rescue with a deep bowl and her hose and the dunking began.  Let me tell you that is an experience I never want to repeat - the product is a serious deterrent!

So, my friends, as this notable year comes to a close, I bid you all a warm and well fed holiday season.  My family has taken to an online game that pulls us together.  It's what we have this year.  I embrace it! I am looking forward to the promise of another year....I'll take it all, happy, sad, good and bad.  It's life and I am hopeful!

Green Valley Park, Payson, AZ

My Soulful Birthday

 I decided a few years ago to wake up in a new place on my birthday for as many birthdays as possible.  As I have told some friends, since I am past the age of one night stands, this takes some planning.  I have a container that holds strips of paper with ideas of where to go....not too far from home.  Rather than plucking a piece of paper from the container, this year I set an intention to visit Aravaipa Wilderness   (Ari-VI-puh). I know my father, G. S. Ryan had done geological studies in the area and written reports about it in the 80's.  (Black Rock Wilderness Study Area, Graham County, Arizona MLA 5-85)

I had heard how unique the trail through the 12.2 mile canyon is as one needs to slosh through water much of the time.  The creek IS the trail sometimes.  With increasing age, decreasing mobility and recent health concerns,  I felt compelled to see what I could see, walking in Dad's footsteps.  Had I been 20 to 30 years younger, I might have planned to obtain a 3 day permit and walk from one end to the other.  Of course,  there is a huge logistical factor when one makes this type of plan.  Hikers can enter from the West (easier access) or the East.  The East entrance is off of a 40+ mile of dirt road, the last 10 showing signs, "Enter at your own risk".  There was only one permit available and that was for one day....my birthday!  It was meant to be even if that meant taking the more daunting entrance. With permit secured, now I needed lodging fairly close.  I decided on a cabin at Roper Lake State Park. 

                                       

 Not exactly close, but doable.  My mapping system had the distance taking one hour and 43 minutes.....times two since I would travel back to the cabin the same day.  I talked to myself on the drive out and reasoned that I needed to spend four hours in the canyon to feel like it was worthwhile.  Was I up to it?  Heck, yes!  I arose the next morning at 4:30 and drove onto the beginning of the dirt road at sunrise. 

Aravaipa Wilderness is in the distance.

                                                

 The drive took me past many ranch homes as I  crossed water streams along the way.

I also drove into the rather beleaguered town of Klondyke. If you Google the town, you will see it has an interesting history.  Wikipedia states only 12 people populate the area now.  Just a few miles past Klondyke is where the signs started appearing for "at your own risk".  I breathed deeply and told myself to be prudent.  After all, I was doing this alone and on my 72nd birthday.  I soon came across a parking area with the standard back woods outhouse.  Also posted was the sign announcing the beginning of the

 wilderness and a map. 

 The map indicated another parking area maybe a mile on down the road.  So, I decided to give it a try.  Well, within one minute I saw the sandy drop off into the stream and thought better of it!  It was necessary to back up the hill into the first parking area but that is just what I did!  I gathered my pack, another pair of socks and water shoes and headed out.  

Right away I was faced with crossing the clear stream, one of four that I would cross over the next hour and a half.

                                        

  Along the way I saw a few deer, a rather large pack of javelina and many birds.  

Can you spot the javelina?  There were at least 15 hiding in bushes and drinking from the stream.

                                                

                                                                

There were a couple of structures that I passed and I imagine families stayed in them up until the 40's based on some of the materials or things in the yards. 

I had no encounter with another human until I crossed the fourth stream.  A family of four passed me in a vehicle which I would see again about a half hour later as they changed a flat tire.  I took that opportunity to stop and sit in sunlight to enjoy a snack.  It was so peaceful and I did have my hammock so I pulled it out and hung it up for a bit of a snooze.  

I could have stayed there hours, but I listened to my body and turned back after a nice rest.  As I hiked back, I did encounter the pack of javelinas again, but more of a distance.  I also saw wild turkeys marching down the middle of a stream I would need to cross. 

So, why was the trip soulful?  You already saw the link with my father in the area.  When I was a teen, his job took the family to Tucson, Arizona.  At the time of the move, I had two younger sisters.  A third sister was born in Tucson.  My mother loved the Arizona sun, but the family would move away in 1969 and my mother would not have Arizona sun to bask in again.  She and one of my sisters has left the planet.  I took time while in the sun to acknowledge the strength and love I had received in my early days.  It felt good to take a pensive moment and feel the spirit of the biological family of my youth.  Of course, then there was the symbolism of walking in the water on my birthday.  I so enjoyed silently singing, "Wade in the Water" as I took each cautious step!  

                                                    

                                                     

I watched this truck make a few attempts at climbing the sandy hill and was happy I had parked where I did!

The hike had been just enough.  My body was tired even though I had just done a bit under five miles.  I had asked the attendant at Roper Lake State Park where I should have my birthday meal and headed to Casa Manana straight away.  

Breaking Loose During a Pandemic

 Just like every person on the planet, I've hunkered down, limiting any personal interaction.  Hugs aren't for everyone, but they are for me. So, these weeks and months without touch leaves a void. I've taken to spots in nature to refill my tank.  I've wanted a kayak for a while and one that I could manage on my own. I stumbled across a video of a foldable kayak and to my surprise, found it a fair price. I ordered the Tucktec in the first quarter of the year. We all know what happened then.  Covid-19 had a big impact on production and my prize finally arrived the first week in July. I've been able to get to a local lake about a half a dozen times and really enjoy the tranquility of the lakes. 

I packed up my Jeep with camping equipment and the kayak and decided to see what this old girl is made of. I had intention of camping in Leadville, CO before visiting friends in the Denver area as well as Rocky Mountain National Park. Mother Nature has really spun some challenges this year and my trip would be altered due to an early SNOW storm in Colorado. After a delay of five days, I drove the first day into Santa Fe, NM and stayed at the Santa Fe International Hostel, a location I stayed at two years ago for the balloon festival.  This location is not for everyone, but I find it perfect.  I checked in outside, learned the protocol and was given a key to a private room.  A local Whole Foods delivers food to the hostel and there is always a snack at the coffee/tea bar.  In the morning,  Preston, the proprietor dropped off a pint container of fresh fruit and yogurt to my door.  

The hostel has a two night minimum so I took the next day to explore nearby 

Jemez Springs.  I could see from a distance that something special was calling. 

What a fabulous road trip I had found!  I have to say one of the best I have ever taken.  Jemez Springs, dating back to the 1860's boasts of natural hot springs, but because of COVID-19, only New Mexico residents could partake.  

It was somewhat of a deja vu moment to wander the main street of this sweet place. The church in the picture is still operational. The little park held a statue with a unique timepiece. In front of the marker are two rows of 12 bricks representing each month of the year.  If one stands on their birth month, their shadow will point to the time of day represented by bricks laid in an arc to the left and right of the marker.  I had never seen any timepiece like it. 

Unfortunately, due to Covid-19, the Jemez Historic Site (located just north of the village of Jemez) was closed to the public.

Jemez River, where the hot springs come from 1500 feet under.

The next morning, I was off in the direction of Denver. I stopped along the way to take in the mysterious Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve of Colorado.  Just like any other national park, folks seem to be loving the NPS to death!  So crowded with folks sight seeing, enjoying picnics and even surfing the sand!  These dunes were created by the very mountains they sit in front of.  They are reportedly the tallest dunes in North America with one over 750 tall. Camping is close by as well as Zapata Falls, which I passed by in order to keep a timeline.

Historic marker near the entrance....I made a point to stop as we did when I was a kid. 

                                            Yes, those are the dunes in beige, behind the cars.

I found the recent snow helpful to see what this mountain might have looked like originally.

After a brief view of the dunes, I was off to a Denver suburb to stay three nights with Jenni, a Peace Corps friend. We laughed, cried and had reminiscent moments recalling lives of our parents. We met up with four other Returned Peace Corps members from our group at So Radish, an Arvada restaurant.  

That's Jeremy, me, Jenni, Beth, Kelly and Kaylee with Ninah.

And we got a bit goofy with some of Jenni's childhood "friends".

Next stop would be Elk Meadow Lodge and RV Resort in Estes Park.  I will see what I made of here as I would NOT be staying in a lodge or an RV.  Here is my dwelling for three nights. 

Here I would meet up with my East Coast friend, Vicky who is working her first NPS gig and really enjoying it.  Since there are NO Ranger talks, I counted on her to share what she has learned over the summer about Rocky Mountain National Park.  I do not recall being in this park, however, since I lived in Denver as a child I imagine I have seen some of it.  I can almost hear my father saying, "Don't you remember the picnic we had when you were 3 at...."

At any rate, Vicky had the next two days off and had given great thought to what we should/could do.  The first day we would take the infamous Trail Ridge Road from the East to the West, stopping to do a short (arduous at 12,000 feet with 35% less oxygen) hike on the Tundra Communities Trail and stopping at the Mushroom Rocks. 

This is one of the magnificent views from the store!

The logs on top of the roof are there to keep the materials in place during 100 mph winds in winter!

The Alpine Visitor Center is adjacent to the store.

Vicky presenting the store.....

After enjoying a picnic lunch, we forged ahead to Grand Lake, just outside the park west entrance.  The area is beautiful with fall showing more on the west than the east.  I now had the opportunity to put my kayak in water!  I certainly enjoyed seeing the park from the middle of the lake as well as the many lovely lake homes with two boat garages! 

I spent a little longer on the lake as I had planned since I got myself a bit lost!  Good lesson to turn back (just like in hiking) to get a view of where I enter water!  I can tell you I slept well that night!!

The next day would be kinder and gentler to this ole' sole!  We stayed at lower elevations ranging from 7000 - 8000 feet and took in Bear Lake, Nymph Lake and Sprague Lake. Good, short hikes and outstanding views. However, the moose who reportedly favor Sprague Lake were no where to be seen.  Could it be that rutting season for elk has them hiding, we wondered? 

Bear Lake showing fall colors.

Nymph Lake with lily pads.

Mr. Trout protecting Mrs. Trout relentlessly at Sprague Lake...can you see them?

Sprague Lake with fire haze in the air.

We finished our visit by walking the downtown area of Estes Park a bit and then finding a restaurant with outside seating to watch the Big Thompson River calmingly flow by us. It was a wonderful two day visit and another NP memory.

While in Estes Park, I had to seek out the infamous Stanley Hotel, used in The Shining.  

The next morning I would arise just short of sunrise, pack up and head out.  I had endured the coldest night pretty well and felt refreshed.  

I took the route to Loveland through a lovely canyon, following The Big Thompson River. 

As I began my drive southwest, I stopped in Golden, CO to visit the alma mater of my Dad's and maybe the school of choice for a grandson who says now (age 9) that he wants to be a miner! 

I spent the night in Saguache, CO in a 1950's style motor inn to keep with the nostalgic trend to my trip.

Getting an early start once again, I stopped in Chimney Rock National Monument to explore.  I found the trail to the top a bit challenging with lots of loose rock especially in the "pinch point" close to the end.  At the top was Mary, a volunteer who explained the kiva and mystery of the people who build it.  Evidently, they were only in the area 50 years after completing the kiva. 

As I left Chimney Rock, I drove through Pagosa Springs, CO. 

Here are some pictures from a scenic overlook along the way.

Made it as far as Farmington, NM and saw a sign for Aztec Ruins National Monument.  I decided to stop and was so pleased I did.  What an extensive site and so well preserved.  

One more historic road sign along the way over reservation land in southwest NM. 

Found my way to Window Rock....a bit unremarkable after all I had seen before! 

Finally, made my way home...crawling the last 10 miles.  

Yep, that's how it rolls during the summer in Rim Country!

Ending on a good note....

Lovely fall scene from the Grand Lake area.