Errands Day

April 18, 2012
We spent the morning making use of having cell/internet reception to try to find places to get some repairs done. We have decided to take the lifts off of the pickup. While I've enjoyed feeling like a badass, and enjoy the view from up high, it's really not ideal for pulling an RV. With the lifts out, the rig will be more level when hooked up. This will allow us to run the fridge when we travel. Also, with the lifts gone, Missy and I can reach the pickup bed on our own without a ladder or climbing from the passenger doors. Jeremiah called a lot of places before finally finding one that said they could help us. I also was pro-active and called an RV repair place. I wanted to get estimates on a new awning, getting the extra battery, repairing our collision damage, etc. I made arrangements to bring it to a place for an estimate later that afternoon.
We filled the freshwater tanks and left the KOA. We got to the automotive place and waited for well over an hour for the estimate. The guy had put some calls in to see about getting some used parts and was waiting for a call back. Finally, we just said to give us a call when he knew the estimate. So then we made our way to the RV repair shop. We had a bit of trouble with the older version of Karen. She directed us to a bridge over a ravine. But that bridge was gone, and the replacement was several blocks earlier. After we got the big rig turned around, we were directed down narrow dirt roads into a residential area. We didn't see any RV sign, so we were nervous about getting down a road and not being able to turn around. Luckily, the place was there. It had a huge yard to pull into. The repair guy was out on a call, so we waited for him. He showed up after 30-40 minutes. I went through our checklist with him. Jeremiah seemed to think he didn't know what he was talking about with regards to the battery. I asked him to email me an estimate for the stuff we discussed. I also bought from him several tubes of caulk (got some bad seams on the roof) and a roof sealant. Not sure if we'll use this guy, or wait until we're back in MN. The main thing we wanted fixed was the electrical, but I'm not sure if there's a problem and if this guy can fix it.
We left the RV place and headed for our intended campsite. This was a boondocking site Jeremiah had found on the internet. We had some issues with directions (I guess this guy had posted written directions to the site, but then mistakenly put in the visual map for another site. Jeremiah was following the visual). We got squared away, and had some sketchy moments driving through historic Santa Fe. Narrow roads with low overhanging electrical wires. I was getting nervous, because we were supposedly 15 miles away and the scenery was still only desert ad scrubs. Finally, we climbed into the mountains, and there was the glorious scenery I was hoping for. Tall, dark green aspens as far as the eye could see. We climbed higher and higher (going slower and slower with the RV), inching into the 2 mile range. We got to the end of the road, which happened to be a National Forest Ski area. The ski place was closed (although there is still snow here at 10,000 feet). There wasn't any signage for a camping area. There was a nice outhouse, and maps for the trails. Also, at the edges of the parking area, there's a beautiful wooded area with a sparkling stream. There are picnic tables and fire rings, but still nothing official as far as camping. Missy wasn't happy, she wanted an actual campground. She went with Jeremiah on the scooter to see if we possibly missed a turn-off. I thought this place was perfect! A huge paved area for the rig. Gorgeous trees, and a spot to set up a campfire. And absolute solitude. They came back and said this must be it. So we set up camp. I hiked with the dogs on a trail down the mountain next to a stunning cascading creek. I was stupid, though, I wasn't acclimated to the altitude, and didn't bring water. The hike back up was brutal. I'll do it again after a couple of days.