Adventure 510: Home Sweet Home

Our Breakfast View

We left Challis Hot Springs after a pleasant night, two wonderful soaks, and a fabulous breakfast. It's not often I'm surprised with food, but Kathy served up some buttermilk syrup for the oat flour pancakes we enjoyed as part of a breakfast that included scramble eggs, fried potatoes, and bacon. Orange juice was served, and the coffee kept coming. We hit the road at nine-thirty hot with "barn fever". Our drive to Hamilton was bright, scenic, and easy. Just before Missoula, we decided to add two hours to our homeward trek i order to go over Lolo Pass, which would have us merge with our outbound route. Boy, what a good decision. The sky filtered the sunlight through blue skies. The mountainside, resounding with fiery orange Larch (Tamarak) trees, which flashed like broadway dancers against the dark green of the neighboring evergreens. We made it home safely including a stop in Colfax, WA for dinner at yet another Mexican restaurant. Our steak burrito was excellent: light, flavorful, and not overly smothered with cheese. In fact, there was very little cheese, just a very tasty homemade green salsa. But enough of those memories, now for the tale of the tape.

Fourteen days.
@2,800 miles.
A Heart warming Hooley visit
1 SNAFU
Prevailing Traveling Mercies
Successful Storage for FRAC-with some reservations
A fantabulous extended one night honeymoon stay at Kiva Kottage.
A memorable bike ride up Red Canyon
An uplifting meeting at Challis Hot Springs.
Planned Re-Start January, 2019.

Two weeks went by in a wink
.
Three hundred or so miles were put on the truck's mileage without FRAC tailing behind. 

The SNAFU can be blamed on my impatience until further evidence exonerates me. I blew the top off of the vacuum check valve that's part of the system to clean the waste water tanks. My theory is I didn't let the pipe drain before starting the back flow. Then the perfect storm hit. The water pressure at Crystal Hot Springs was very high. I think I had water leaving and water entering and an air space in between. Then "Pop goes the Weasel". We bought a new part, and my Bunny's nimble fingers will be charged with getting into a tight space to fix the problem.

We say prayers of thankfulness after every leg of our journey.

We backed FRAC into a very tight space. It took teamwork. We completed the task with no dents, no scratches, no cursing, and only a sleight bit of nerves about our neighbors being able to get into their rigs. Plan A: We hope they're skinny. Plan B: We hope to pick up FRAC before they want to leave. Plan C: Let the Fates decide.

We put Kiva Kottage on our bucket list the first time we saw the place.  We want an encore! For now, we're savoring the memory.

We rode 25 miles up the Red Canyon and back. Bright, crisp, blue sky day. Very little wind. Nice outing.

By far the most memorable event of the trip, even surpassing our experience at the Kiva Kottage was meeting Bailey, the front desk, Jack of all trades, person at Challis Hot Springs. She was simply delightful. In addition, we had a brief  encounter, enough to say "Hello" with the retired marine who manages the place. His name is Michael R. Williams, and he's a very good man. (See letter below)

October 28, 2018

MGySgt Michael R. Williams

5025 Hot Springs Road

Challis, ID 83226

Dear Master Gunnery Sergeant,

First of all, thank you for your service. I don’t know you well enough to call you “Gunny”. I wish I did. My wife  Judy and I spent last Friday night with you. If the purpose of this letter was to review the hot springs, I’d give five stars in every category. However, I’m not writing to review our stay; rather, I’m writing to commend you. 

As a life long baseball fan, I asked Bailey if she’d mind if we watched the World Series. She said she didn’t mind. During the game we chatted, both between innings and between her duties. She talked of coming home to Challis to “get back on her feet” because of some “trouble” and that she drove to Boise ever other week to see her kids. She also spoke of what her job at the hot springs meant to her. She said that when she came back, no one would hire her, but you said, “Tell me your story; I’ll give you a chance.” By giving her a chance you built a faithful spirit in her that is obvious. Her eyes sparkle like stars when she speaks of the “marine”.

I spent my thirty-one years of professional life teaching and coaching. Much of my career I worked with alternative kids, anti-establishment kids, broken kids, abused kids, kids hard to like. As Bailey talked, I could see pain clearly reflected in her battered eyes. With just a little nudge, I’m sure she would have told me her whole story. But I didn’t need to hear her story. I needed to let her bathe in the warmth of the faith you’ve shown in her. It made me smile to listen to the hope in her voice.  

I also noticed the plaque on your dress uniform display. It sounds like you make a habit of helping others “…You made everyone around you strive harder to be better…”. I could hear Bailey’s pledge to strive to be better in every word she said. Thanks for helping her see value in herself. In my mind, our world - a place of conflicting truths - needs more inspiration and less desperation; more acceptance and less judgment; more faith and less despair.

I don’t presume to know you, but from what I can see you are a man of honor, a man of compassion, and a man who knows how to get “more” from others. To my mind, we need more men like you.

Sincerely yours,

Tim Williams ( Your brother from a different Mother)

 Maybe our way will lead us back here.

 Selfie of the Day: Tandem Twins

 Stay safe FRAC.

 Master Gunnery Sergeant Michael R. Williams' dress uniform hangs behind the reception counter at the hot springs.

 Not to be outdone. Spokane is sporting some fall dazzle of its own. I snapped this on one of my walks on the bluff trails the day after we got home.

 I made a visit to my long time buddy, Pat's house. He lives in paradise on 69 acres between Highway 195 and the Hangman Creek. The place is cool. So is he.

 Checked on George. He's looking good, feeling good. We're praying he stays that way for a while.

 We had a Julia Child inspired roast pork dinner to celebrate many things with our friends, the Ulmen's. The partial list includes love, friendship, health, opportunity, grace, and gratitude. 

The grin on their faces comes from their trip to Hawaii. Here today. Gone tomorrow,

Adventure 509: From Challis to the Barn

Too True.

We made our way from Ely, Nevada across the wide expanse of nothingness called Northeast Nevada. Surprisingly, some strong wills, strong minds, tough skins, and solid hopes fill the folks who work ranches along the way. I always wonder what makes people settle in one place rather than another. I ask myself: How is it that I've dedicated much of my existence, most of my hopes, and a good part of my life's effort to Spokane, Washington, a place considered by many world travelers as a backwater with little to offer. I could have made my way to the city, dazzled by the lights and action. I could have packed my bag and heart destined to experience a broader world. Maybe it's the security. Maybe it's tradition, although for me, my family carries no such banner. For these folks out in the wilderness, maybe it's the fresh promise each day brings. I don't know, but I wonder. I saw a billboard sign on a tired motel in some little forgotten place. It read: Always look up. So maybe it all comes down to faith. After we left Nevada, we waved to our friends in Filer as we crossed the Snake River into the heartland of Idaho. Thanks to the miracle of Trip Advisor, we found a little cafe in Diedrich, Idaho. We had to divert seven miles of our trail to get there, but the homey feel, the friendly feel (Even though folks there were Trump supporters), and the tasty home made food hit the spot. One cute thing: The place was filled with 3 x 5 posters, made each  in the likeness of some art form by Mrs. Standish's sixth grade class. There was a Monet, a Van Gogh, a Picasso, and such. I love kid art, and things of that nature can only exist in communities small enough to value its inhabitants. Believe what you will about Mormons, but they do family well. We got to Challis about five, checked into our room, and made for the soothing, steaming hot, crystal clear pools. Challis Hot Springs, a favorite of ours, has two pools. One is a large concrete swimming pool they keep at about 102 degrees. The other, my favorite, is a square shaped, four foot deep hot pool they keep around 106. When we first came to these hot springs, the hot pool was covered. They've now removed the roof, which allows soakers like myself to look up and give thanks. We watched the World Series until the bottom of the tenth.  By that time, Judy was carped out next to me, gently purring like the soft motor of a gas generator. Knowing I had eight hours of "Barn Screeching" driving ahead of me in the morning, I nudged her awake, and we went to bed. We had a nice soak before breakfast in the morning, and added to our morning prayers thanks for the fact that our lives are good, especially today.

 Without the internet, we'd never have discovered this place.

 Pictures can't capture the vast grandeur. Come see for yourself.

 This building, over a hundred years old, will be decommissioned at the end of the month.

 The hot pool.

 Ahhhh!

 The source  spring.

 The large pool.

 My Bunny enjoying our dinner of cheese, crackers, grapes, and an Asian cabbage salad.

 We're happy campers.

 And soon we'll be looking down another road.

Good bye Challis. We hope to be back soon.

Adventure 508: Frac Away

The Cager Celebrating a Last Night in Frac.

Mission accomplished, but not without a bit of trepidation. We cleaned and prepped the trailer last night in Panguitch. All went well. We awoke to a firm frost, which accounted, I guess, for the furnace cranking on every four minutes or so last night. For whatever reason, my Bunny had a rare sleepless night (She felt tormented by the furnace). Her mind filled her normal sound sleeping space with brain twirling gymnastics. She thought of our kids, knitting, the Hooleys, gardening, and things she can't even remember. Bottom line: She was up at 3 A.M. I followed her at five, but then we decided one more snuggle might help us catch the sleepies. It worked. Tucked in our warm little nest, helped by the fact that we turned the furnace down, we slept until a more reasonable 6:30 A.M. By 9 A.M. we had eaten breakfast, hooked up Fric, loaded Frac, and turned North on highway 89. By 12:30 P.M. we arrived in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Sunrise RV Storage facility. An exceedingly pleasant and efficient Hispanic lady named Angie handled our paperwork. We then proceed to our spot, B39, which to our dismay was a very tight spot bordered on two sides by large RVs. Judy masterfully guided me through the relationship testing backing instructions. The result was that we managed to squeeze Frac into the tight spot. No nicks, no dents, no marriage counsellors (We have the high fives to prove it). The good news is that no one will be able to steal anything because even if they broke the windows out, there wouldn't be room enough to climb in. My only concern is if our neighbors come for their RVs. They'll have to be quite skinny to open the doors on their rigs. No matter; it's done now. We left Vegas and proceeded North through the empty vastness of the desert. We made it to Ely, Nevada just before 6 P.M. had a delicious Mexican dinner, and we're now comfortably ensconced in the local Ramada. Blessed again by a day of traveling mercies, we're glad that life is good, especially today.

 Cinch your girdle, Frac.

 Talk about close neighbors!

 See you in January, Frac. Stay well.

Believe it or not, I angled the back of the trailer away from the door to this rig. I hope he's a skinny minnie, or better yet, I hope he doesn't want his rig until after we leave. Let us pray.

Adventure 507: Kiva Koffee: Date Night

Plan Your Visit Here Immediately.

On our first Fric and Frac adventure, we spent a month in Utah. One of the marvels we discovered was a place called the Kiva Koffeehouse, an amazing structure perched partially under and atop a ridge with a view of the Escalante Stairway. We always said we'd come back and spend a night in one of the cottages. That night happened yesterday. Traveling from Park City, we arrived in Panguitch a little after noon. We tucked Frac into a spot at the Hitchn' Post RV, had a little lunch, packed the cooler with our night's dinner, slipped our tooth brushes, jammies, other essentials into a travel bag, and made our way in Fric another hundred miles into the Utah wilderness. Upon arriving, our expectations were exceeded way beyond our memory of the place. The views, simply breathtaking, and the ambience, simply divine, bathed our souls in a way few places ever have. We watched the sun set in glimpses, snapping pictures like Japanese tourists. It was as if parchment pages, too delicate to be touched, were being turned to reveal  actual truth and pure enlightenment. We both decided that we could stay here permanently. Warmed by a fire, our own love, and pure grace we slept like newly weds-blissfully glad to be alive. Come morning, Judy, as usual, was up before sunrise. She sipped her morning tea, warm and toasty under a comforter, watching the morning light walk its bright promise over the horizon. Eventually, I sat up, sipped my morning coffee, and joined her in the revelry. About 8:30 A.M. we made our way to the main building for a breakfast of oatmeal pancakes, a couple fried eggs, bacon, whole wheat toast, and rich dark coffee. I was lucky enough to win the morning cribbage game, but in truth, we were both winners in this space. After breakfast, we made our way back to Panguitch, donned our bike riding clothes, and rode 24 crisp miles up Red Canyon. We'll spend one more night here in Panguitch and then make our way to Las Vegas tomorrow to store Frac until we can return in January. In retrospect, I wish we had arranged another night at the Kiva Kottage, but we're grateful as ever for the blessings we enjoy. In truth, our life is truly good, especially these days.

Our first view of the Escalante Staircase.

 Kiva rents two rooms: Sunrise and Sunset. Ours was the sunrise.

 We enjoyed a nice fire during the evening.

 The main building, partially underground, is supported by large Ponderosa pines and features large glass windows covering a one hundred and eighty degree view.

 Our patio faces East.

 The bed faces the fire place.

 My Bunny relaxing.

 "Don't put this in the blog, Tim!"

 The view East from the patio.

 I can't imagine a more pleasant place to practice Tai Chi.

 The nearly full moon graced itself with its presence. In a dark sky, the stars would dominate in a splash of brilliance.

 Just before dinner, we played our first game. 

 Sunrise.

 I wiped the grin off the face of this Wiley Cager.

 Selfie of the day: Our Red Canyon ride.

 Graffiti: "Dump Trump-Save Bears Ears.

 I'm sure the dinosaurs agree.

Site 15: Hitchn' Post, Panguitch, Utah.

Adventure 506: Sharing the Good Life with my Cousins in Park City

Our Fearless Leader, Douglas

Since the Crystal Hot Springs didn't open until noon, we lounged away the morning with our usual game of cribbage. Then we pulled out, timing our jaunt through Salt Lake City mid-morning in hopes of missing rush hour traffic. Our idea worked and we pulled into Park City about 11 A.M. My cousin Douglas, a gracious host if there ever was one, immediately beat us twice in cribbage, but then he served us a delicious Minestrone soup that his sister, my cousin Joan, had made for him. About 1 P.M. we picked Joan up at her condo and headed to Deer Valley for an afternoon hike. Park City, home to the rich and famous, and my cousins, too, has a well earned reputation as a year round recreation destination. Mountain bikers and hikers speckle the slopes like pepper on mashed potatoes. In winter, the snow is world renowned for its powdery dryness. The views are spectacular, and it's immense variety of ski resorts is easily accessed from Salt Lake. Very expensive homes dot the landscape. Both of my cousins, avid skiers, have chosen to make the area their home base. And the party never ends with them. Douglas fixed us a wonderful batch of halibut tacos, fresh frozen from this past summer's visit to Alaska, and then we drove into Salt Lake to catch a Utah Jazz basketball game. Unfortunately, the home team lost, but it was exciting for everyone, especially me (I'm a registered basketball junkie). After the game, Douglas dropped us off at the Park City Walmart parking lot where we had left Fric and Frac. We spent our first ever overnight with our hosts, the Walton's. Early the next morning we headed for Panguitch, Utah. We were blessed with good weather, a generous dose of traveling mercies, and we concluded at day's end that life was good, especially today.

 A new and improved tricky maneuver by the Wiley Cager. On this dubious play, she place her card face down, and claimed two points. (She just assumed that Doulgas and me would accept at "no face" value that it was the right card). It clearly shows that we're all Republicans now.

 The view of the Jordanelle resevoir midway through our hike. This view is from @8,200 ft.

 Hiker babes, Joan and Judy.

 In about a month, Deer Valley will begin making its own snow. They use these snow cannons to blow air and water. They then use heavy machinery to spread the snow around the slopes. The water source comes from the flooded mines that honeycomb the underground under these hills.

 A bigger than life size bronze rendering of Spokane and Utah Jazz legend, John Stockton.

 Tonight's opponent, the Memphis Grizzlies, proved to be too much for the Jazz on this night.

Selfie of the day: court side Jazz fans.