WE MADE IT HOME TO OLIVER TODAY!

We spent five nights on the road home from Clifton, CO.  Today was a short drive of just 109 kms, just over 68 miles.   It was much better to arrive home at 11 am rather than about 5:30 pm if we had continued all the way yesterday.   As it was I spent most of the day packing stuff in and doing laundry.  Aileen organized and loaded and unloaded at both ends of my route.

We have lots to do here at home for a while.  The motorhome needs to be serviced, my geocaches needs maintenance and the house needs to be organized and stuff put away.  We plan to take the motorhome up to Salmon Arm in a couple of weeks for a few days.  And, it's income tax time.

It was 2,083 kms/1,302 miles from Clifton, CO to home.  Since October the motorhome put on 8,388 kms/5,243 miles.

Salt works west of Salt Lake City.

We stopped in Wells, NV at our usual RV Park and when we walked over to the store, this horned owl hooted at us.  Almost every year we have stopped there, an owl has been present in this perch.  Maybe he recognized me from taking his photo in previous visits?

The wind was blowing his feathers.

Can you  spot the owl in the opening?

WE JOINED THE SANDHILL CRANES AND ARE HEADED NORTH.

We left Clifton, CO this morning and are spending the night in Helper, UT.  Helper was in the center of a lot of coal mining in past times.  Its name came from being where helper engines are hooked to the trains to push the coal and freight up Price Canyon and over Soldier Summit toward Salt Lake City.  I did a bit of geocaching this afternoon after we got set up in an RV park finding five caches.  Being at 5,817 feet it is pretty cool still.  Aileen and I went for a walk after supper through part of the old town and picked up another three caches.

Does anyone know what this is?  It was on the side of the motorhome the other morning.  It was about 1.5 - 2 inches across.

Sandhill Cranes heading north.

Sandhill Cranes heading north.

The view out our window this morning.

Last Friday we went out to Fruita, CO to visit our friends Vern and Charlene who were housesitting for their daughter.  They were looking after four goats and some cats.

The cats enjoyed the goat's playground.

This was one of two fainting goats, neat eyes.

On an evening walk the other day, trees leafing against a stormy sky.

A huge mural in Grand Junction.

Helper, UT, artsy and historical town.

Helper, UT, artsy and historical town.

Helper, UT, artsy and historical town.

Helper, UT, artsy and historical town.

Helper, UT, artsy and historical town.  Main Street.

Helper, UT, artsy and historical town.

Aileen giving the coal miner perspective.

UNLUCKY AT CARDS BUT I WAS LUCKY TO BE INVITED TO GO FOR AN ATV RIDE.

We've kept busy since arriving in Clifton Friday.  We have played cards every day except Sunday.   We had shared meals several times and joined the church crowd for Sunday brunch at Starvin Arvin's Restaurant.  We're making soup today for a group supper here at Darden's with about ten of us.  Tomorrow we have lunch at the church the group attends.  It's called NTO (never too old) and there will be a bluegrass band playing.    Aileen plays cards with the ladies on Tuesday and where they were going is out in the country south of town.  The lady's husband asked if I would like to go out on a four wheeler.  Well, certainly!!!  We just rode up the road a little ways then struck off into BLM land.  That's federal public lands.  There was a maze of ATV trails and eventually we reached the edge of the Gunnison River which has steep walls on both sides offering beautiful views in all directions.  I was able to find a couple of geocaches out there as well.

Friday we are to go west of town to visit friends Vern and Charlene where they will be looking after their daughter's acreage.   Monday will see us on the road heading home to Oliver.  We're planning on short driving days so it will take about a week to get there.  Just like in BC we are having beautiful sunny and unseasonably warm weather here in Colorado with temperatures up in the 70's in the afternoon.  That is expected to drop considerably by the weekend.

There's my guide Fred, leading us to the Gunnison River overlook.

Fred at the overlook.

The Gunnison River was a beautiful colour.

The railway followed the river mostly, but I did see one long tunnel.

I rode the red machine which used to belong to our good friend Ken, whose funeral we attended last month.  Ken had sold the ATV to Fred a couple years ago.  Ken used to bring the ATV to Caliente every winter.

I was impressed with the ranches down in the river valley.  Standing on the rim looking down I felt that I was in a Zane Grey western story.

We rode along the rim for a distance getting different perspectives on the river and ranch.

The train tracks have just exited a tunnel in the lower right.

Fred surveying his domain.  It was impressive to be riding in tee shirts in March at over 5,000 feet elevation.

A FEW PHOTOS FROM NORTHERN ARIZONA AND UTAH.

 

Pronghorn north of Holbrook, AZ.

Further north of Holbrook, AZ.

Snowflake, AZ.

Near Round Rock, AZ.

Near Round Rock, AZ.

Near Round Rock, AZ.

Near Round Rock, AZ.

Near Round Rock, AZ.

Old house in Bluff, UT.

Old house in Bluff, UT.

Following two plow trucks between Blanding and Monticello, UT.

Following two plow trucks between Blanding and Monticello, UT.

Dropped down out of the snow zone on our way to Moab, UT.

LAST PICS FROM SOUTHERN ARIZONA - WE'RE IN GRAND JUNCTION HEADED HOME!

We left Florence, AZ Wednesday morning and spent the night in Snowflake, AZ.  We drove through some sleet/snow just before Snowflake then it tried snowing much of the evening but there was no accumulation.  Thursday night we spent in Bluff at the Cadillac Ranch RV Park and they had a gorgeous state of the art bathroom/showers.  Beautiful tile work and layout.  Yesterday, Friday, we made it to Clifton and are parked at Jim and Judy's.   The roads yesterday were not great.   We did luck out and get behind two snow plow trucks just north of Blanding, UT and followed them all the way to Monticello, UT through the worst of the snow.  Apparently that section is not recommended for travel today.  I had seen that 10 -15 inches of snow was expected last night which is why I didn't stay a second night in Bluff.    We will stay here a few days before continuing our journey back to our place in Oliver, BC.   We played cards last night with Jim and Judy and Marie and her roomie, Glenna.  Fun times even if I was on the losing team.

We went to Catalina State park near Tucson on Tuesday with Richard and Judy.

The poppies and saguaro were in fine shape.

Playing peek a boo with a coyote in Catalina.

Round-tailed Ground Squirrel in Catalina.

Two Gila Woodpeckers in a saguaro near the motorhome on 96 Ranch Road.

The lupines along the highway south of Florence.

Desert Marigolds mixed with the lupine.

The lupines along the highway south of Florence.

The lupines along the highway south of Florence.

Highway 60 and the Salt River Canyon.  This is where you climb into the Arizona high country and the temperature drops.

Lots of elevation change as the bridge is down at river level.