There are few things I love more than the mountains at the end of summer when storms roll in every afternoon and the wildflowers are raging. I always head north at the end of July...either to Canada, Washington, or Colorado. I'd set aside a week to go to the San Juans, but thanks to a bunch of my coworkers quitting right before I was set to go, I got stuck at work. However, the one that was moving ended up not leaving for a couple of extra days, so I begged Brian to let me leave early on my Friday so I could get a good head start on the drive to Silverton. He reluctantly obliged and I hit the road northeast. Since it was super last-minute, I just packed up the car and planned to sleep in it to keep everything cheap and easy.
I opted to take the 40 across, even though it takes a little longer, because driving through the reservation on a 2-lane road swarming with RVs and boats is so stressful...I'd much rather just set my cruise control and enjoy the scenery....and it was lovely.
We were still in the thick of our week-long "monsoon season", so the clouds were dark and there was a beautiful energy in the air. I found some dirt roads that were awfully distracting, and when I noticed the way the sun was hitting a huge thunderhead overhead, I hopped on one that ended up on top of a hill with a beautiful view and waited for the sun to go down. Golden hour was something special.
...and then this happened:
I may or may not have snuck onto private property...I wandered a bit from where my car was parked and I saw various vehicles stopping to inspect the situation while I hid nearby in the bushes. I pictured a guy in a pickup letting his dog out to hunt me down and drag me off onto nearby piece of property where I'd be shot. Anyway, it was too good to not enjoy...even if that meant being kidnapped and murdered. Luckily, I made my way back to the car without snapping my ankle in a gopher hole or being bitten by a rattlesnake.
I continued on to find a quiet spot where I could park for the night and managed to sleep really well! I've worked out the kinks in my car camping setup and now know to plan for very warm nights at lower elevation and really cold nights up higher. Plenty of cozy bedding mixed with a comfy inflatable sleeping pad made for the best sleep I've gotten in years (in the back of a car, anyhow). It's only taken me 5 years to figure out ;)
The next morning, I woke up at 5 to get on the road and started on a hike before afternoon rainstorms rolled in. The sunrise was lovely and I also encountered a cow on the highway, so there's that. (Don't mind my dirty windshield)
I grabbed breakfast in Durango and continued on to the trail head. There was a lady at the trail head that was supposed to be meeting a group, but they didn't show, she she invited herself to join me and it was actually really nice...she was so sweet and even offered to let me stay at her place in Durango if I ever needed a soft bed or a hot shower.
After my hike, I finished up the drive to Silverton and grabbed lunch before exploring some of the surrounding mining roads. I began another hike up to Hematite Lake, but saw a few flashes of lightning and decided to call it about 1/2 hr from the rim.
I found a cozy place to park and nestled in with a book until it got dark.
After a hearty breakfast the following morning, I made my way up to Ice Lake.
On the way down, it just began to rain, so I drove back into Silverton for a late lunch/early dinner and retired in my sleepy little corner of the woods with my book.
Having gone to bed so early the night before, I awoke at the crack of dawn and hit the road back home so I could shower, unpack, get laundry done, and unwind before getting back to my regular schedule. It was really a perfect trip. Of course I wish I could have stayed longer and done more, but it was really just what my soul needed and I feel like I covered a lot of ground, and I'm so happy that I went.
