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2008 Overnight Ride
This
is our "traditional" overnight ride. You know, the civilized one at a
lodge with electricity, plumbing, restaurant, bar, gas, etc. This year we
went to Steamboat Lake Outfitters (SLO), outside of (big surprise) Steamboat
Springs. There was plenty of snow. In fact, many of
the windows only had a view if you looked up. The ranch fences as we drove
in looked like dotted lines - none of the wire was showing; only the tops of the
posts. And it snowed some more while we were there, too!
On the way to SLO, we stopped for a bit of Rabbit Ears riding. We stopped
at the Old Columbine parking (the first on the left as you come from Kremmling)
and rode up to the main jump-up point for the trail system, near the campground.
It was bumpy at first, but once we crossed the highway it got a lot better.
We grouped up before and after each meadow to make sure we hadn't lost anyone.
We rode a lot of meadows. Sam & Judy Eberly led the way, and as we got to
the area where you find "blow holes" Sam warned the whole group to stay on the
trail to avoid "finding" those blow holes.
Of
course, it couldn't all be smooth sailing; where's the adventure in that?
After a meadow or two, we encountered a fallen tree across the trail - extending
well into the woods on both sides of the trail. That's when we see who are
the boondockers & boyscouts - out came a couple of saws. With the saws and
many hands to move the trunk, the tree was soon out of the way and we continued.
,
I've got a pretty short limit & I had finally reached the point I needed to turn back. Communication got a bit fuzzy then. I had tried to signal Sam that I was going back (I had warned him I'd be doing this.), but I was in a bad spot and his priority was getting me off the crest of the hill we'd come up ... safety ... can't be parking where someone will come up and not see you until too late. But I couldn't catch his eye again to make sure he knew that I was not going on. Dena Sauter decided to come vack with me - she did't want me to be traveling solo. Tom & Mike & Bill told us (and Mike reinforced), "Just follow the orange poles; they'll take you back to the highway." Well, yeah, they did ... but ... we did get back to the parking area. If you want to know more click here for the "Hot Pocket Adventure"
As
it turned out, we were the first ones back. Another adventure was
unfolding at the same time as ours. Kay Woodard was having problems with
her snowmobile and it wouldn't start again. It just flat would not start.
They tried a number of things to no avail, then wound up towing it to the
campground, leaving it close to the road for easy pick-up. Funny thing was
... that evening as we were unloading & parking sleds at SLO ... Gene decided to
give the start a try "just for grins" and ... it fired right up! While
parking for the cars, trucks & trailers was tight, there was plenty of parking
for the sleds right near the cabins, on about 6-8 feet of packed snow!
We
got settled in our rooms & cabins and drifted over to the restaurant in small
groups. Once dinner was out of the way some groups partied while others
just talked or hit the hay. Saturday morning it was SNOWING! I'm not
saying it was snowing; it was SNOWING! Visibility was very poor.
Folks took off behind the guide (you leave SLO through tightly regulated private
property) for a long day's ride. Unfortunately, Tom Mason had a belt
problem followed by a communication error (what's the definition of "the next
junction"?). He wound up deciding it was smarter to come back than risk
getting lost in the near white-out condition. On Saturday night, Tim
Vogler tried the alternate route from one of the cabins to the snowmobile
parking area. The only problem was ... the walkway to one of the cabins!
SLO was a great place, good food, good service, maybe the snow was a bit too good this time?