Trackin' Turkeys in Arkansas

Following OIBF, the Leos headed east to Waldron, AR to the Turkey Track Bluegrass Park for their 35th Annual Fall Festival. We arrived on Monday for the festival starting on Thursday only to find several hundred RVs already there ahead of us. As I learned later, many had been there for 3-4 weeks, just hanging out, jamming and waiting for the festival to start. Early in the week there were some activities planned, including a Poker Run, Golf Cart Games and the Golf Cart Parade.

 

Golf Cart Parade

Once the festival started, the attention shifted to the stage. Unlike OIBF, Turkey Track is much more weighted toward traditional bluegrass music, with a sprinkling of classic country music.

Nationally known performers on the bill included Larry Sparks and The Lonesome Ramblers, The James King Band, Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper, The Steeldrivers and Rhonda Vincent and The Rage. Also included were regional favorites, Springstreet and Louisiana Grass.

I learned that my Olympus camera, while waterproof and shockproof is not the best for taking videos at a distance from the stage. So some of the following are not of the best quality. With that qualification, here are some highlights from the festival.

Springstreet is a band from northeast Oklahoma. For part-time musicians (as are most bluegrass bands), these guys are exceptional.

Springstreet - covering Blue Highway's Between the Rows

Friday's highlight was Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper. Fortuanately, they were able to get in their afternoon set before the torrential rains hit.

Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper - Back to Old Virginia

And then the sky opened...

Sound check for Larry Sparks in the rain 

It didn't just rain or sprinkle or shower...it poured!! Fortunately, I came prepared with both poncho and umbrella. So I was among the few who remained for the rest of the afternoon lineup. 

On Saturday, rain remained in the forecast, but held off until 10:00 PM. This gave us the chance to get in two shows by Rhonda Vincent and The Rage, but only one by the favorite "hometown" band, Louisiana Grass.

Rhonda Vincent always puts on a first class show. She is a frequent performer at Turkey Track and a crowd favorite. And, it's always interesting to see what hair color she brings with her. This year she was a blond. She also has made a big change to The Rage by adding a Dobro guitar player to the band for the first time. Brent Burke joined The Rage in April of this year and added a whole new dimension to  their music. Not only is Brent an exceptional musician, but he holds the distinction of being the first and only collage graduate in the country (and the world for that matter) with a bachelor's of arts degree with a major in bluegrass, old time and country music.

Rhonda Vincent and The Rage kick-off their Saturday evening set

For the afternoon show, I was still using my Olympus camera and its battery was running low. By the evening I pulled out my Kodak, which has a better zoom and allowed me to some better video.

Rhonda Vincent and The Rage - Who's Forgetin' Who

The wrap-up at Turkey Track is always given to the hometown band, Louisiana Grass. They were scheduled for 10:00 PM on Saturday night. I don't know if they took the stage or not, because by that time the Loes were battened down in our trailer as Turkey Track got hit with another round of torrential rain, this time accompanied by winds gusting to 70 mph. I suspect Louisiana Grass was hunkered down as well. However, I did catch their show during the afternoon and they were as strong as ever.

 Louisiana Grass

So, with Turkey Track behind us, the Leos are now headed to Texas for our winter camp on the Guadalupe River in New Braunfels.  We have big plans for the winter months. Topping the list is getting Maggie and Jonas hitched. When we aren't doing the wedding things, we want to do some winter gardening, work on some volunteer projects and, of course, fish. So check in from time to time to see how the winter months develop for the Wandering Leos.

OIBF...OMG...Part2

After The April Verch Band kicked off the Saturday evening show (pun intended), The Quebe Sisters from Fort Worth kept the show moving with a heavy dose of Western Swing.

The Quebe Sisters with a Sons of the Pioneers tune

The Quebe Sisters should be considered another International act, since Texas is considered a foreign country to the folks in Oklahoma. Be that as it may, they were a big hit. You just can't go wrong with three pretty girls playing Bob Wills tunes on the fiddle. The Quebe Sisters are frequent performers on the Grand Old Opry and have also performed at the Kennedy Center, NYC's Lincoln Center, the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville and on the Marty Stuart Show on RFD TV. They have appeared in concert with Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, Merle Haggard, Asleep at the Wheel, Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers, Riders in the Sky, and Marty Stuart.

Following the Sisters came the Brothers, the perennial favorite Kruger Brothers. On Friday evening they had been the closing act, starting at 8:00 PM and ran till 10:30 PM.  This was their 13th year at OIBF and it wouldn't seem like the same festival without them.

 Kruger Brothers Carolina in the Fall

Originally from Germany and raise in Switzerland, Jens and Uwe Kruger have been performing since they were 11 and 12 years old. Their professional careers began in 1979 as street performers on Europe. They have been performing in the US since 1997 and now make their home in North Carolina. Along with their bass player, Joel Lansberg, this trio has become recognized for their musicianship and crowd appeal.

But, unlike Friday night the Brothers had to keep their show short (only an hour and ten minutes...the crowd wouldn't let them stop), so the the headline act of the festival could get on stage.

Vince Gill came to play serious bluegrass. And he brought with him a serious bluegrass "pick-up band": Dan Tyminski from Alison Krauss and Union Station, on guitar, Jim Mills from Doyle Lawson's Quick Silver, on banjo, Mike Bub, formerly with the Dell McCoury Band, on bass and former Bluegrass Boy and IOBF organizer Byron Berline on fiddle.

Vince Gill and  Friends open with East Virginia Blues

While Vince is well know as a country music performer, the bluegrass community knows his roots are in their music. While in high school in Norman, Oklahoma, he performed at area bluegrass festivals with the band Mountain Smoke. Following graduation he moved to Louisville, Ky to be part of the band Bluegrass Alliance. After a brief time with Ricky Skagg's Boone Creek band, he moved to Los Angeles at the invitation of Byron Berline to join his band, Sundance. Vince credits Byron for helping him get his career started by taking a chance on him at age 19 and giving him a real start in the music business. Their friendship has continued  since.

He and his "pick-up band" kept the crowd clappin', stompin' and cheerin' for more for the next hour and a half.

Vince Gill and Friends with Blue Moon of Kentucky

Once again the OIBF lived up to its billing as one of the most diverse and highest quality festivals in the country. And the clock is ticking till next year.

Next Stop...Turkey Track...gobble gobble!

OIBF...OMG...Part1

I'm on a slow internet connection today, so I'll keep this short. But if I can get the clip I want to post uploaded, it will give a taste of the highlights of the Oklahoma International Bluegrass Festival. So here goes...

 

April Verch heats things up at OIBF 2012 

OK, that upload took an hour and a half. But...OMG!! No one does it like April. This was Saturday night and the temperature was around 48 degrees and dropping. Perhaps she was just trying to keep warm. I have more video to upload, but they are longer, so look for Part2 in the next few days. 

Boot Camp and Escapade Update

Last week was RV Boot Camp and this week has be Escapade in Sedalia, Missouri. Both have been highly educational.

Boot Camp was, as the name implies, intense. We did three days of seminars running from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Most were safety oriented, dealing with everything from RV fires to tire care. Heavy attention was applied to weight management (for the RV not the driver).

As we shifted into Escapade on Sunday, the seminars became more diverse. Here is an example:

Workamper News put on this seminar

I've attended a seminar covering workaming in general and another specifically about doing seasonal work for Amazon.com as a workamper. I also attended one titled "Honey let's clean the RV", one on using Picassa to manage your photos, one on how to take better digital photos, one on how to build relationships with other folks living the full-time RV lifestyle and several others.

In the evenings, the agenda shifts to entertainment. Beginning at 7:00 each night, Escapees gather in the main auditorium for door prize drawings and corny jokes.

 "There was an old sailor who had two blonde daughters..."

Following the door prize rally on Sunday evening we were entertained by Yakov Smirnoff. I can't remember when I have laughed so much. His show should not be missed if the opportunity to see it comes along.

Yakov Smirnoff - Living Happily

On Monday evening a sinus headache kept me from the entertainment (tenor George Dyre). The was no entertainment on Tuesday night while Ham-O-Rama rehearsals were going on in the auditorium. Then tonight, Ham-O-Rama!! This is the Escapade talent show.

91 year old Escapee, who has been full-timing for 35 years.

The younger end of the spectrum.

Every talent show needs a Cowboy's Sweetheart.

In addition to seminars and entertainment, there are opportunities to make contact with Escapee Chapters from across the country and a variety of BOFs (Birds Of A Feather - groups with common interest). I've checked into the Alamo and Rocky Mountain High Chapters. Chapters have monthly lunch get togethers, as well as local rallies. I've also joined the NOMADS (an outreach ministry of the United Methodist Church), BOOMERS (self-explanitory) and SOLOs ( a BOF for solo RV travelers).

Tomorrow is the wrap-up of seminars, closing ceremony and after-hours dance party. Friday morning is the Hook-up Breakfast that officially ends Escapade. I'll be hitting the road Saturday, after taking my rig through SmartWeigh, to be sure I'm operating within limits. I'll also use tomorrow to get more pictures before the crowd scatters.

Then it's on down the road for the Escapee Leos.

Bikin' to Escapade

We are now in Sedalia, Missouri and will be headed to the State Fairgrounds here tomorrow for the Escapees RV Club's RV Boot Camp. Following Boot Camp, the Escapees annual rally (Escapade) will kick-off for a week. We have been members of Escapees for over a year, but this is our first opportunity to attend one of their events.

In the information provided in preparation for Escapade, it was noted that a vehicle, bicycle or scooter will be useful to traverse the distance between the RV parking area and Escapade events. So this afternoon we went shopping for a bicycle. And we made a purchase at a local pawn shop.

 It's a Huffy Cranbrook Cruiser that apears to be brand new. It cost $44, so if it doesn't prove useful, it won't be a big loss.

As soon as we got back to the trailer I unloaded it from the back of my truck and hopped on-board to give it a try. I'm not sure what happened next, but I immediately found myself on the ground on my back with my legs tangled up in the bike. So, now I have some biker battle scars.

Following the admonition to "get back on the horse that bucked you", I got back on and rode the bike around the RV park. Then I tightened the handle bars (which were loose), inflated the tires (which were almost flat) and raised the seat (which made peddling much easier), I'm now cruising much better. Perhaps I should have made these adjustments first. They say you never forget how to ride a bike once you learn, but I can attest that taking a 40 year break does make getting back on-board a little tentative. I'm sure a few days riding will remedy that.

The rest of the day we have spent relaxing in the RV, to recover from four days on the road. The trip trough Kansas on the Santa Fe Trail was pleasant with good roads, interesting scenery and little traffic. However, when we reached Kansas City, where we crossed into Missouri, we left the secondary highways and rejoined the Interstate. This was not fun. We were shoulder to shoulder with eighteen wheelers and city traffic, which was challenging. We missed our exit to US50 to Sedalia and had to head on down I70 for a way until we could find another exit. Once we exited we found a vacant parking lot where we could park long enough to study our map and determine our revised route to Sedalia. Then we headed back to the Interstate and found that where we had exited there was no entry back onto the Interstate. So we wandered around neighborhood streets till we found our way back on track. I don't mean to be critical, but Leo is USELESS as a copilot!

The RV park at which we spent the day recuperating does not have cable or WiFi. We ran up our TV antenna and have been able to receive three channels:

• PBS
• Create
• and a channel that broadcasts Al Jazeera English News, and mystery movies from France and Italy with English subtitles.

Fortunately. my Verizon hotspot is getting good 4G connection so I can be entertained  by continuing to drill through the TV series Eureka. I'm now on Season 4, Episode 12. Got to love Netflix.

Mister Dillon! Mister Dillon!

The Leos are now in Dodge City, Kansas. We rolled in about 2:00 this afternoon, and parked for the night at the Gunsmoke Trav-L-Park. After unhitching the trailer, we took a drive through town, on Wyatt Earp Boulevard and ran into the man himself...

Today, (and every day) Marshall Earp was on patrol at the corner of Wyatt Earp Boulevard and Central Street. According to the plaque, Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp was a Dodge City Lawman from 1876 through 1879.

 

 As we ambled down the Boulevard, we entered the Trail of Fame. Here we found stars commemorating the famous in Dodge City History.

Of course, Marshall Earp's star was at the head of the Trail

Leo started his walk down the Trail, but seemed to be unimpressed by Big Nose Kate's star on the Trail. Perhaps he didn't know she was Doc Holiday's long time lady friend.

But further on down the Trail, he found a favorite...

As we headed back to our truck, Leo found one stray that needed to be rounded up.

But, try as he would, he couldn't get this one to move on down the trail. So I guess we'll need to track down Mister Dillon for some help.

On the road again...

Yes, after a beautiful summer in the Colorado Rockies, the Leos are on the road again. We hooked out (an old field artillery term from my days in Vietnam) about noon today. We're headed to Sadella, Missouri for Escapade, the annual rally of the Escapees RV Club. In route we are taking our time and enjoying the ride. We've got Willie's Roadhouse tuned in on SiriusXM and are rollin' along the route of the Santa Fe Trail,

Taken between Pueblo and La Junta, Colorado

The Santa Fe Trail ran between Franklin, Missouri and Santa Fe, New Mexico. We picked up the route at Pueblo, Colorado headed east. We are following the Mountain Route, which follows the Arkansas River through Kansas. Since today was our first day out, we have a lot to learn about this historic route as we make our way to Missouri. We are taking it in small increments, so we will have time to explore some of the historic points along the way.

As the signs states, this is a designated Scenic Byway. However, the scenery is somewhat different from that to which we have become accustomed during our summer in the Rockies. As we headed eastward from Pueblo, we quickly found ourselves on the Great Plains ( or what was originally called the Great American Desert).

Taken from the same location as the Scenic Trail Maker signs above.

 Remember, there are all kinds on scenery in our Land, and the Leos enjoy it all. It isn't a big streach to imagine this rolling prairie land teaming with Bison. In fact, over the next few days,we will be traveling across the mid-section of the area that has been proposed as the Buffalo Commons.

The Buffalo Commons proposal is to create a vast nature preserve by returning 139,000 square miles of the drier part of the Great Plains to native prarie and reintroducing the American Bison to the shortgrass prairie.It's a fascinating idea.

As we rolled along we imagined ourselves being travelers of the 1870's in our own covered wagon.

"Wagon Ho!!"

In fact, we didn't have to look far to see time moving backward.

Covered wagon circa 1948, I think it's a Spartan Manor.

After about five hours on the road, we pulled into our overnight stop at a state park. It was nice to kick back and relax for awhile before composing this post.

It's interesting that we have no TV or cell phone connection at this location, but my handy dandy Verizon hotspot gets me on the World Wide Web. So, post I shall!!!

And tomorrow, we're "on the road again..."


P.S: Congratulations to Maggie and Jonas...Love you two!

Rocky Mountain High

Since yesterday was my first official re-purposed (retired) day, I decided to do something I hadn't done before. So, I left Leo to guard the trailer (which means gnaw on a rawhide knot all day) and headed out to Manitou Springs to catch the Cog Railroad to the summit of Pikes Peak.

Downtown Manitou Springs, Colorado

Manitou Springs reminded me a lot of Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Its historic downtown area is devoted almost exclusively to catering to tourists. Since this is Labor Day weekend, it was packed with them. If I had wanted to stop in the downtown area, I don't think I could have found a place to park my truck. The streets were lined on both sides with parallel parked cars, with motor cycles filling an any open space. Fortunately, after worming my way through town, I arrived at the Cog Railroad, where I was directed to an open spot in the RV parking section.

Along with some 200 plus others, I caught the noon train to the summit.

Preparing to leave on the noon train to the summit of Pikes Peak

I couldn't help but notice that a large proportion of the passengers seemed to be from India. Perhaps we are recapturing some of those dollars we are spending on the jobs we have outsourced there.

We boarded the train at 11:40 and started the climb promptly at noon. The first half of the trip winds through through canyons in Pike National Forest. There were little opportunities to take pictures here, since the trees where right up against the train.

Along the way our conductor shared several interesting facts and some pathetic attempts at humor. Among the facts were the following:

•  The U.S. Signal Service (an early Weather Bureau) built a telegraph station on the summit in 1873 to monitor the weather,
• One of the tourists who visited the Pikes Peak region in the late-1880's was Zalmon Simmons, inventor and founder of the Simmons Beautyrest Mattress Company. Mr. Simmons rode to the summit of Pike's Peak on a mule, partly to enjoy the view and partly to check upon one of his inventions: an insulator for the telegraph wires which ran to the Army Signal Station on the summit. The arduous, two day trip on a mule was the only way to reach the top in those days. Mr. Simmons was awed by the scenery but determined that the views should be experienced in a more civilized and comfortable manner. He was relaxing in one of Manitou Springs' mineral baths after his return, when the owner of his Hotel mentioned the idea of a railway to the top. Mr. Simmons agreed with the concept and set about providing the capital needed to fund such a venture.
•  In 1889, the Manitou & Pike's Peak Railway Company was founded and track construction began in earnest. Top wages were 25 cents per hour. Six workers died in blasting and construction accidents.
•  The spring of 1891 was a snowy one, and the opening of the line was delayed until late June. On the afternoon of June 30th, 1891, the first passenger train, carrying a church choir from Denver, made it to the summit. A scheduled group of dignitaries had been turned back earlier by a rock slide around 12,000 feet.

As we made the climb from Manitou Springs (elevation 6,500 feet) to the summit (elevation 14,114 feet) , the temperature dropped steadily. About an hour into the trip we reached approximately 12,000 feet in elevation, which was where the treeline ended. Here the only trees growing were a few Bristlecone pines.

Bristlecone Pine

Our conductor pointed out one of the Bristlecones and noted that they among the oldest trees on earth. Those on Pikes Peak are well over 2000 years old. When the Romans were building the Colosseum, they were saplings.

Above the treeline the temperature dropped rapidly, and when we arrived at the summit, the wind-chill was reported at 37 degrees.

The trip up had taken about an hour and a half, so despite the cool air, it felt good to get out and walk around. And the view was spectacular.

Reservoirs below Pikes Peak

View of Colorado Springs from the summit of Pikes Peak. You can see about 200 miles from here. That's Kansas in the distance

Cog Railway train at the summit

Quite a view

It was nippy at the top and began spitting snow while we were there. Despite the thin air at the summit (about 60% less oxygen than at sea level), I didn't expeience any breathing issues or altitude sickness. Of course, I've been living at an elevation of 8,200 feet all summer at Woodland Park.

It was the view from the top of Pikes Peak that inspired the words to America the Beautiful. It is easy to see why when you visit the summit.

I did not partake in the world famous Pikes Peak Fudge Covered Donuts at the summit. It wasn't a diet thing...the line was too long and I was afraid I'd miss the train down. I may have to take the drive up the next time I'm here so I can sample them.

After spending about 45 minutes on the summit, we re-boarded the train for the trip down. The conductor had emphasized that the alternative to catching the train was to take the 13 mile hiking trail down the mountain, so I was aboard early.

The trip down was uneventful. So much so that ALL of our Indian tourist friends went to sleep. Perhaps it's their customary way to travel by train. Or perhaps they were just coming down from a Rocky Mountain High.

SHORT!!!

When I was in Vietnam, a significant date that everyone kept track of was your DEROS (Date Eligible for Return from Overseas). When you came within 100 days of your DEROS, you were considered a Short-timer or SHORT (for short). I'm reminded of this as I count down the days, hours, minutes and seconds till I hit my Re-purpose date (sometimes called retirement) at 5:00 PM this Friday.

One of the benefits of being SHORT was the privilege of boasting about your status. These boasts took the form of "I'm so short that...". I feel the need to share some, so here goes: 

"I'M SO SHORT THAT"........ 

-When I jump out of bed, I free fall for 3 minutes before I open my chute! And then it takes all day to climb out of my boots!
-I could parachute off a dime!
-I had to parachute off my bunk to the floor today!
-I can walk on stilts under a pregnant amoeba!
-I am knee high to a tadpole!
-I drink coffee with a long straw because I can't reach the table!
-I have to jump up to look down!
-I can play handball against a curb!
-They use my height to measure jungle boot tread!
-I could jump off the edge of a quarter and scream "AAAHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhh" all the way down!
-I was too short to be seen at my farewell party!
-I have to blouse my flak vest inside my boots!
-I have to look UP to a 2nd Lieutenant!
-I have to stuff paper in my boots to see out!
-I could sit on my thumb and let my feet dangle!
-I can sleep in a matchbox!
-I have to part my eyebrows to trim my toenails!
-You can see my feet on my driver's license!
-I can walk under a worm without bending over!
-I can sit on a dime and dangle my feet!
-I have to use a ladder to scratch a snake's belly!
-I left yesterday!
-I could trip on a dime!
-I can't even carry on this conversation!
-My feet don't touch the ground!
-I can't even stand on a dime to see over a nickle!
-I have to look up to see down!
-I don't have to open the door to leave the room!
-By the time you recognize me, I'll be gone!
-During firefights, I just crawl under my rucksack!
-During incoming, I have my personal sandbag to get under!
-I am next!
-I won't write another letter, because I'll beat it home!
-I can hide behind a blade of grass!
-You don't really see me, I'm just a figment of your imagination!
-I got lost in my boots, just putting them on!
-I can sit on a dime and dangle my legs!
-I can walk under a pregnant ant with a top hat on!
-I need a ladder to step up on the curb!
-I need a step stool to reach the piss tube!
-I'm too short for long conversations!
-You need a magnifying glass to see me!
-I have to stand on tip-toes to see out of a tank track!
-I'm counting seconds!
-I might not start another letter, 'cause I'll be gone before I finish it!


I've had a countdown clock running on this blog for the past few weeks, but in the low-tech era of 1969, this is what a Short-timer used to keep track of his remaining time to DEROS

I'm back in the same mode as I was pre-DEROS. All I can think about is "what's next?". I have a lot of plans for my re-purposed years and can hardly wait to get at them. I just hope I can remember what they were.

Tom Rush - Remember

There's Gold In Them There Hills

Yesterday, the Leos took a Sunday drive to Cripple Creek, about 25 miles from Woodland Park. Cripple Creek lies on the west side of Pikes Peak. It is known as The World's Greatest Gold Camp.

Cripple Creek - The World's Greatest Gold Camp

The picture above was taken at an overlook above Cripple Creek. The location is on the edge of an ancient volcano which is laced with gold. Gold was discovered here in 1890 by a local cowboy, Bob Womack. In 1891 the Cripple Creek Gold Mining District was formed. At its peak around 1900, over 500 mines were in operation in the District. In the 71 years of operations, the District produced  about 21 million ounces of gold, worth over $33 billion in today's market. This is more gold than was retrieved in the California and Alaska gold rushes. After lying dormant from 1962 till 1995, gold is again flowing from mines in the District.

But today the main business of Cripple Creek is gambling. Several casinos make it a popular tourist destination. The Leos didn't try our luck this trip. It so happened that this weekend was a large motorcycle rally in Cripple Creek, so the downtown was blocked off to non-motorcycle traffic. The rally originated in Woodland Park on Saturday. It was a Salute to American Veterans Rally, that included an escorted ride (meaning streets in town were blocked for the bikes to travel as a group) from Woodland Park to Cripple Creek. I was in town doing laundry when the ride kicked off. The stream of of bikes passed for 45 minutes. It was an impressive gathering. If I had a bike, I'd love to have participated.

 Of note, I didn't see one bike with a dog on-board. Bummer.

Wildfires and Dreams

Last week was all about the Waldo Canyon fire here in Colorado. Just after noon on Saturday, June 23, the fire broke out in Waldo Canyon, a popular hiking area just west of Colorado Springs. High temperatures, dry conditions in the forest, erratic winds and rugged terrain all contributed to rapid fire growth. The close proximity to Colorado Spring made this a very dangerous fire and on Tuesday, June 26, it exploded into the city. High winds drove the fire into the city resulting in the destruction of 346 homes, making this the most destructive fire in Colorado history. Two residents lost their lives in one of the homes that burned. Here are some pictures from various sources from that date:

Homes in Colorado Springs engulfed by Waldo Canyon fire on Tuesday, June 26, 2012.

Fire advancing on Colorado Springs driven by 65 MPH wings

 According to reports in the media, this fire's behavior has been very unusual. Most fires burn in one general direction, based on the prevailing winds. They also tend to burn uphill and only burn downhill when forced to do so. In this case, all of those generalities went away. The wind in the area is constantly changing directions and the map below shows the resulting fire progression.

This shows the progression

of the fire. Notice all the directions it took - very unusual fire behavior. The Yellow is the day the Colorado Springs houses burned. On the yellow day the fire exploded and moved a few miles in less than an hour. There were 100 ft+ solid walls of flames.

After Tuesday's blowup, the weather began to cooperate and firefighters have been making steady progress on containing the fire. As of today, the fire is reported to be 55% contained and evacuations are being lifted to many areas. At the middle of last week, approximately 40,000 people had been evacuated from their homes.

In Woodland Park, where the Leos are spending the summer, we have been on pre-evacuation alert since the fire began. Last Wednesday the eastern part of town went to manditory evacuation as a result of the burning shown in green in the map above. The fire has come to within about a mile and a half of the city limits and about three miles from our location at Bristlecone Lodge. So all week we watched round the clock news reports and kept our unit ready to go on short notice. The map below shows the boundaries of the fire as of Friday morning. Woodland Park is in the top left of the map (between the labels "Div E" and "Div F" on the map). 

This is the fire outline as of 6/29/2012. You can see the bulldozer lines on the left. The red line (west boundary - of the fire is actually a "handline" (fire break) that has been expanded. The entire West edge is now stable. The black line at the bottom of the fire is along Rt 24 and is considered "contained".

By Saturday afternoon the mandatory evacuation for that part of Woodland park it applied to was lifted, returning everyone here to per-evacuation status.  On Sunday, Rt 24, between Colorado Springs and Woodland Park reopened. The fire is still active and will be for a few weeks. Assuming that nothing takes an adverse turn, full containment is projected by July 16.

After spending the week on "fire watch", we decided to take a break on the weekend and resume our exploration of the fishing opportunities in the area. We headed out in search of The Dream Stream. "The Dream Stream" is a three mile section of the South Platte river between Spinney Mountain Reservoir and Elevenmile Reservoir. Here is how it is described on one of the local guide's website:

With a nickname like the Dream Stream, you know it has potential.   Also known as Spinney Mountain Ranch, this three mile long Colorado tailwater section of the South Platte River is nestled in the windswept high mountain plain of South Park.  Flowing out of Spinney Mountain Reservoir, meandering through prime big trout habitat, the river eventually flows into Eleven Mile Reservoir.

A classic Colorado tailwater, the fish and aquatic life in the Dream Stream enjoy fairly consistent year round temperatures.  An abundance of scuds, midges, mayflys, and caddisflys make up the majority of the trout's diet.  These trout will also feed on hoppers, trout fry, eggs, and even mice if the opportunity presents itself--not to mention all the food washed out of Spinney Mountain Reservoir!

The Dream Stream portion of The South Platte River is public, and has easy bank access making this section a very popular destination for Colorado fly fisherman.  These trout that can grow to gargantuan proportions have learned how to avoid detection and humble even the most skilled anglers.  That is not to say that they can't be caught . . .

Although unpredictable wind and weather combined with sometimes fussy fish scare many an angler away from The Dream Stream, the dedicated fly fisherman can experience some of the best days of trout fishing imaginable, catching multiple Spinney Mountain Ranch trophies in a single day!!!!

About an hours drive from our base in Woodland Park, we arrived at Spinney Mountain Reservoir State Park. At the park entrance we were informed that the lake rules are artificial lures only, can keep only one trout ( must be over 20 inches long) and keep all the pike you catch. Interesting!!

Touring the park we found we still have equipment deficiencies. Here are some shots of fishermen on the lake.

Float tube and pontoon armada

We saw no one fishing from the bank or wading. The entire area of the lake was dotted with belly-boats, floats and pontoons. My Outlaw Assault just got moved up the priority list!!!!

From the lake we headed below the dam and found the access point to The Dream Stream. We spent about an hour hiking along the stream and took these pictures.

The Dream Stream looking toward Spinney Mountain Reservoir

After this tour, hiring a guide to learn how to fish this beautiful stretch of river just got moved up my list. Seems the list is getting crowded at the top. The hike also affirmed that during my trips to such locations to fly fish, the Trusty Companion will be a challenge. He is a natural explorer and gets excited by all he observes. This can range from chipmunks to birds to bugs to bison.

Bison herd on a ranch near Spinney Mountain Reservoir

He also found it quite enjoyable to go splashing around in the river to cool off and get drinks of the refreshing cold water. This is exactly the behavior to be expected of a rowdy little terrier, but not very supportive of his fly fishing partner. We're going to have to work on this. But for this day, he got to enjoy it his way. By the time we returned home in the evening, he had had a full day.

Post-hiking

On Sunday we spent the day closer to base, again returning to Manitou Lake and spent four hours fishing (not catching). Due to the evacuations and road closures in the area, we had the lake to ourselves for much of the day. We still have some work to do to find the right combination to put trout in the pan from here, but we'll keep at it. And, now that my knees are sunburned, I need to stock my fishing bag with sunscreen. But we're learning.

Till next time, we're here, Dreamin' in the Mountains.

Sixty-Six and Primed

That's right...it's my birthday and I'm primed for the future. The dictionary describes a man in his prime as the period or state of greatest perfection or vigor of human life. That sounds pretty good and reflective of the way I feel about the future. So, to commemorate the day, I enrolled in an art class (introduction to precious metal clay) at the Bemis School of Art in Colorado Springs.

I also treated myself to lunch at The Hungry Bear

The Hungry Bear, Woodland Park, Colorado

It was a nice break from my home cookin'.

While I'm here, let me update what has been going on. It's been an interesting couple of weeks since my last post. Last time I reported that we had explored Elevenmile Canyon and it looked like a prime fishing spot. Since then, Elevenmile Canyon has become the site of what is now known as the Springer wildfire and has been closed for the last two weeks.

The Springer Fire smolders Tuesday, June 19, 2012 near its origin in the Elevenmile Canyon area near Lake George. (The Colorado Springs Gazette | Christian Murdock)

The latest news report has the fire at 23% contained. If the wind is cooperative, there is expectation that the fire will be fully contained by Sunday. I'm sure it will be some time before the area is reopened for fishing.

So, with Elevenmile shut down, Leo and I have been doing more exploring to find altenatives. Last weekend we tried Manitou Lake, which is about 5 miles from my RV park, in the Pike National Forest.

Manitou Lake, with Pikes Peak in the background

 As you can see, this little lake gets pretty crowded on the weekend (we were there on Sunday), so we plan to go back some after work on weekdays. It's not trophy waters, but it's close and may be a chance to put some trout in the frying pan.

Last weekend I also enjoyed a concert at the Ute Pass Cultural Center as part of the Colorado Collage Summer Music Festival. The Orchestra performed works by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Sergei Prokofiev, Paul Dukas, Modest Mussorgsky and Igor Stravinsky. It was a real surprise to stumble onto such an enjoyable evening (and it was free).

Woodland Park is growing on me as I spend more time exploring. Here is some flavor of the town...

Pikes Peak from Downtown Woodland Park, Colorado

So, tomorrow starts another weekend and we'll be exploring further. I'm hoping to find the Dream Stream, if it hasn't been impacted by fires. At any rate, I'm primed for whatever the days ahead offer.