Summer 2021, Day 13: Reposition to Penitente Canyon

Posted on June 27, 2021 by Ben

Shabbos at the foot of Blanca Peak near Alamosa was pleasant.

Time to head to my next destination:

I drove into Alamosa for groceries and laundry. On the way, I drove past Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, which we visited in 2014:

This looks like a fun RV:

Laundry stop:

Laundry done, I repositioned to dispersed camping in Penitente Canyon Recreation Area. The area is famous for its rock climbing and mountain biking. The access road was tough but I managed to get myself into a location that will work:

Brooding weather:

Local fauna:

I hope to get some riding in tomorrow. See the trip map for today’s ride.

Summer 2021, Day 11: Mountain Biking near Alamosa

Posted on June 25, 2021 by Ben

Found this little fellow wandering by:

I tried riding my bike up to Lake Como, but the grade became too steep to ride, so I instead explored jeep roads around the RV:

Neighbors visiting again:

We had a big storm in the afternoon:

Good Shabbos from the foot of Blanca Peak, near Alamosa, Colorado!

Summer 2021, Day 10: Alamosa, Colorado, with fridge problems

Posted on June 24, 2021 by Ben

Good morning from a dispersed camping near Alamosa, Colorado:

The fridge isn’t working at this higher altitude (7500’), and I suspected that it’s a bad regulator, so I went into town to buy a new one. Old regulator removed:

New regulator installed:

Turns out the problem didn’t go away. RV propane fridges aren’t rated to operated above 5500’. I did a little reading, and it sounds like at higher altitudes the ratio of air to propane becomes biased towards propane because there’s less air at altitude. The solution seems to be to reduce the propane regulator’s pressure to bring the ratio back into balance. I tried this and the fridge seems to be working now. I’ll have to buy a manometer to be able to accurately control the propane-air ratio.

While in town I visited the San Luis Valley Museum:

The museum’s collection is eclectic but interesting:

On the way back to where I’m camping, I stopped at the Blanca Wetlands, but it turns out they’re closed for seasonal bird breeding:

Back at home. Not bad!

In the afternoon, the neighbors came out for a visit:

I’ll be here for a few days, I think.

Summer 2021, Day 9: Oklahoma to Colorado

Posted on June 23, 2021 by Ben

Good morning from Alva, Oklahoma:

Today was a driving day. I made my way from Oklahoma to New Mexico to Colorado, overnighting outside of Alamosa, Colorado. See the trip map for today’s drive.

Summer 2021, Day 8: Cowley Lake, Kaw Lake, Salt Plains NWR

Posted on June 22, 2021 by Ben

Sunrise at Cowley State Fishing Lake. It feels like the trip starts today:

I hiked down to Cowley Waterfall:

More lake views:

I crossed into Oklahoma to motorcycle Kaw Lake:

The last stop of the day was Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge:

I ran the Eagle Roost Nature Trail:

Bird blind:

Another trail:

The last stop was the reason most people come to Salt Plains NWR: to dig for Selenite crystals. The “road” out onto the salt flats was very rutted, so I parked here and decided to run the rest of the way:

I found an existing hole and continued working it:

I found dozens of Selenite crystals:

I overnighted at a gas station in Alva, Oklahoma. See the trip map for today’s drive.