Composer | Pianist | Music Informatics
Adventuring. Overlanding. Camping. Exploration. Backcountry hiking, skiing, snowshoeing, and more!
We spent an early fall weekend camping on the nearby coast of Maine.
With more than 3,478 miles of coastline, we always find something new when we visit. This trip we camped at Bradbury Mountain State Park and spent a long day hiking the Oven Mouth Preserves.
The fall color was just starting to hit in places so even a casual drive to the sample the local brew was full of interest.
Anytime we’re headed out West, a stop in St. Louis is required. Because we were here fairly recently, it felt (in some ways) like we had never left. I met up with old friends, stopped in at our favorite restaurants and museums, and caught up on work at Nebula. Is there anything St. Louis can’t do?
Today, Ruby Jean took me up. Higher than we had ever climbed before. The California Pass reaches 12,960 feet. And there just isn’t much up there.
Just silence. And beauty. In all directions.
Oh, and an old, abandoned mining town called Animas Forks. Now, that’s my kinda town!
This morning I awoke to find that the fall color was moving in. And quickly.
Many of the local mountain trails connect Ouray, Teluride, and Silverton, so if you’re in the area and you’re Jeepin’ around, you’ll most certainly end up visiting Silverton. Silverton is a former silver mining camp, most or all of which is now included in a federally designated National Historic Landmark District called the Silverton Historic District.
Here’s a nifty little video describing Silverton and the surrounding area:
Corkscrew Gulch was built in 1882-1883 — during the race to get wagon roads from Silverton and Ouray up to the silver mines that had been discovered on the Red Mountain Divide. For me and Ruby Jean, it’s a glorious journey to the top of the world — just in time for the fall color to arrive.
Taking a few days to acclimate to the altitude…
One of the effects of high altitude is light-headed dizziness. Driving on narrow, rugged roads that are barely clinging on to the side of a mountain at 11,000 feet isn’t advised. So today, Ruby Jean and I decided to take an easy (non-technical) drive up Brown Mountain.
Even so, the views were spectacular.
Along the way, I found dispersed campsites — even near the top. I stopped and asked someone about them and guess what? He lives in Centerville, Ohio!
So, sitting high up in the San Juan Mountains, we had a strange (but fun!) chat about Bill’s Donuts and Marion’s Pizza.
Small world.
