Two Scamps Roll Into Lovely Ouray, & Hiking A Notch In The Wall Trail With RV Friends

We hiked Bear Creek Trail yesterday with new RV friends Jim and Gayle, Debbie, a long time solo RV'er (five years and counting), and wily veteran Boondocker, Boonie. Why they entrusted us with another hike of our choosing I'll never know. The rough and narrow four wheel drive access road to the Bullion King Lake hike would have most people backpedal at our invitation to lead another outing. Gayle and Boonie opted to hike all the way down to the highway rather than risk a Ford crew-cab becoming their Coffin. 

Actually, I should be doing the Bullion King Lake post before this one, to keep things in order. But I am ever compelled by that "different drum," to stay out-of-step, to do things on the oblique, out of order, or upside down. I guess it's a control issue; it makes me feel like I have sovereignty over my little "King's Men" life. Besides, it's my way of poking Satan, God, and "Old Griz" for picking on me. In the end, I realize, they will burn/strike-down/eat me, but I'm not one to worry how I depart this world for the next. 

A group cliff-side pose... "Say Cheese."

We started early, much to "so-not-a-morning-person" Jim's chagrin. It's necessary, to avoid afternoon thunderstorms that have been rolling in every afternoon like clockwork. Boonie's been setting his watch by the first rolls of thunder and hasn't been late for one single social hour. Simply uncanny regularity this monsoon season.


The thing with Bear Creek Trail is, the drama is not so much Far View as it is Vertical Drop. Not to mention any names, but there is a recovering acrophob among the group... I say "recovering" because she (oops), er, they, seem to willing to poke their "demon" by climbing ladders, summiting Angel's Landing, and, now, hiking a oft narrow notch-of-a-trail on the edge of an abyss (and no, it isn't Debbie... she's fearless). I can empathize with someone who comes west from Florida, where the tallest natural wonder in the state is an orange tree that failed to get pruned. It would be like me wading out into rough, pre hurricane seas... with riptides and strange things with stingers. I'd want my Mommy. 

That's Jim in the safari hat, getting a little too close to the edge for my comfort!
I think he was looking for Gayle's hiking pole... she apparently dropped it over the edge
while shooting photos

Unfortunately, Boonie didn't think Bear Creek Trail was "dog friendly." Coffee Girl seemed fine, but you know how Dads worry about their little girls. So they turned around when the going got dicey. However, "Sara" (serendipity) took pity, and while on their way down stumbled upon a lost baby Bighorn Sheep... bleating for it's Mommy. Boonie got some great photos of Lamby Poo; be sure to check them out on his blog. 

The Girls

 All in all, it was about a five mile hike... the hardest part being steep switchbacks for the first mile. We were glad for the early start, and so was Jim.

Jim hollers for the Girls to "pose," he motions them closer to the
edge... but nobody moves. Who listens to "directors."

Jim and Gayle, wondering how miners hauled this heavy equipment up that trail...

Debbie, Bobbie and Jim

Heading down

Another look for the lost hiking pole (sigh) 

So it was a real delight to reunite with Two Scamps (the name of their first RV Blog) in the presence of both our new, and familiar, RV friends. Eric and Maureen had just returned from an around the world sojourn... backpacking, staying in hostels, no set itinerary... just playing it loose, on the fly, globetrotting from Chile, Argentina (and other South American countries I would deem "dangerous"), to New Zealand, Australia, Bali, Thailand, and South Korea, to name most, but not all locales. 

We admire and envy Scamps free, adventurous spirits. Where I see danger, they see excitement. Where I see expensive, they do it on a shoestring. Where I see travel hassle, they ease through turnstiles. Not that it didn't "rain" on them, mind you, because it did. It's that they persevered in spite of "rain," with just the packs on their backs, and without a set plan, "Where do you want to go next?" 

It was fun to ask Eric and Maureen questions and learn from their experiences... what to do, what NOT to do... like get too close to monkeys that bite and are known to carry rabies. It made me think that the word "adventure" is so misused on cushy RV blogs... including my own. As they went on describing their travels I couldn't help but question. What I do, where I go, does not live up to "Adventure." What I do is cushy, predictable and safe. I'd like to move closer to the "edge," like Jim did in that photo. That's where one is challenged. That's where one becomes interested, and, more importantly, interesting. 

Two Scamps rolled into town and are camped up at the Ampitheater Campground.  We decided to host a spontaneous After Hike Meet and Greet get together...
from left, Scamp Eric, Scamp Maureen, Incognito Boonie (under the hat), Gayle, Lenard (Marathon Man), Jim, Bobbie, and Debbie. 

  

John Q moved on to Telluride, so he just missed meeting Scamps.
Beer and wine flowed, tongues loosed, and a good time was had. I found a big pink bottle of specialty beer in the liquor store that I couldn't pass up. It's VooDoo Donuts inspired, Maple and Bacon flavored. "It must be for Breakfast," someone said. A breakfast beer... It's about time.