Backpacking in Colorado July 1975 - An experience of a lifetime

An experience of a lifetime.  The ultimate adventure for a city kid.  It cemented my love of the outdoors and hiking/exploring what's around the next bend.

DETAILS

> Saturday July 12 to Sunday July 20, 1975

> Made the drive in an RV.  Had to be because we rode in it.  Where did all the equipment go?  Second vehicle?

ABOUT RAWAH WILDERNESS

The Rawah Wilderness is administered by the USDA Forest Service. It is located on the Canyon Lakes Ranger District of the Roosevelt National Forest in Colorado, near the Wyoming border, and also in the Routt National Forest to its south. It encompasses 76,394 acres (309.16 km²) and includes 25 named lakes ranging in size from five to 39 acres (20,000 to 160,000 m²). There are 85 miles (137 km) of trails in the area and elevation ranges from 8,400 feet (2,600 m) to 13,000 feet (4,000 m). Much of the area is traversed by the Medicine Bow Mountains and the Rawah Range for which it is named. 

Located on the southern end of the Medicine Bow Mountain Range in north central Colorado, Rawah Wilderness was designated by the Wilderness Act of 1964.  "Rawah" is a Native American term meaning "wild place."  The high peaks were carved by glaciers, resulting in spectacular cirque lakes and moraines.  This high alpine area contains the headwaters of the McIntyre, Rawah and Fall Creeks, as well as the Laramie River.  The Rawahs are host to mammals such as elk, moose, mule deer, black bear, bighorn sheep, marmot and beaver.  There are many species of birds including the red-tailed hawk, white-tailed ptarmigan, golden eagle, raven, Steller's Jay and a variety of warblers.  Lakes and streams are inhabited with lake, cutthroat, rainbow and brown trout.

RANDOM MEMORIES FROM THE TRIP

> Playing Monopoly on the way out.

> Trout fishing using just line and a worm.  Rainbow trout.  Hitting them on a rock and gutting for breakfast.

> Mosquitoes were so bad we were typically in our tents by 5pm.

> Tents were provided.  From who, I don't know.  They were not from our troop supply.

> I remember I was always near the front when we were hiking.  I kept a good pace.

> I remember going up a hill and behind some trees to do my "business".  I moved a rock, did what I had to do and moved the rock back.

> I don't recall who I shared a tent with.  It seems like it would have been Chuck Welch but not sure.

> Dad bought me a down sleeping bag for well over $100 (might have been $120) and a pad.

> Got new Red Wing hiking boots.

> Climbing mountains and realizing you are not at the top (yet).

PHOTOS FROM MY CAMERA (can you imagine if I had a smartphone?)

Jim Ascione, Doug Jones, Chuck Welch, JJ Haag, Bob Meyers, Jeff Lemons (seated)

Roger Anderson and his parents.

(Below) My standard pose of looking off in the distance.  One of my favorite photos of myself.  We found walking sticks when we got there.  We cut them to size...peeled bark etc.  I still have mine and it's a cherished item.  At the end of the trip, I used a magnifying glass to burn in a "legend" of our trip...an accounting of the trip. I know I finished it off with a woodburning tool I had at home.  Not sure what type of wood...maybe ash.

LEGEND ON THE WALKING STICK I STILL HAVE

6 - Fish

1 - Mountain

10 - People

6 - Days

5 - Nights

Tents weren't huge but got the job done.  I don't recall how they were carried...if we took turns carrying on our packs.  Looking at the photos, I'm not seeing tents strapped on to anyone's backpack.

Doug and Jim taking it all in

A steadying hand

Hiking with Chuck, JJ and Bob.  I remember thinking we made it to the top of something only to find out there was more to go!

We left Colorado and took a northern detour on the way home and went to Cheyenne Frontier Days.

                          I remember eating in a restaurant after eating freeze dried meals all week.                                Wyoming native Curt Gowdy was announced being in the press box.

PICTURES I FOUND ONLINE

The following pics I found online to help fill in my memory...

This sign left an impression on me.

Camp Lake comes into view.

Camp Lake meadow

Camp Lake Rainbow (I remember this something we encountered as well.  I swear I could see the end of the rainbow.

Camp Lake where we camped and scouts from Nebraska were fly fishing.

Entering the wilderness area

Rawah Lake

Stream

Trail

Blue Lake Trail

Camp Lakes, Rawah Lakes and Twin Crater Lakes Loop Trail

Island Lake via West Branch Trail

McIntyre Creek

Rawah Trail

The ford

David Thompson vs George Gervin

 In 1978, the NBA scoring title came down to the last day of the season.  It was Sunday April 9.

David Thompson of the Denver Nuggets scored 73 points during an afternoon game with Detroit including breaking Wilt Chamberlain's 16-year-old record with 32 points in the first quarter.

I was watching TV and hearing this.  It was reported that George Gervin was napping/sleeping during that afternoon game with his final game that night.

In the past I was able to pick up Spurs games on WOAI and that Sunday night I listened as George Gervin scored 63 points to win the scoring title including breaking Thompson's new record of most points in a quarter with 33 in the 2nd.  I think this may have been on the old brown radio.

On that same day, John Havlicek retired from the NBA.  I recorded his farewell speech on my tape recorder.

The Mosquito Plane

 I remember getting up early (or someone getting me up) to watch them spray for mosquitoes.  It was a cool plane that flew really low and they did it very early (likely on a Saturday).

Garbage Pick Up

 It may seem strange to remember garbage pick up growing up but not when you compare to what is done today.

Our driveway was very long and our metal trash cans were behind the garage.  Our lot was 229 feet deep or roughly 76 yards.  The back of the garage was close to 45 yards from the street.  Growing up, the garbage truck would pull up on the gravel shoulder and a guy would hop off and go and grab the garbage can or cans.  He would then have to carry them to the truck and then carry them all the way back to behind the garage.  And then walk back to the truck!  That's a lot for one house.

Our dog Boots would get excited hearing the truck and the rattling metal cans and seeing someone in and out of our yard so many times.

The Burn Pile and Incinerator

I created two different posts on this subject and including them both below...

One of my favorite memories from childhood was starting fires with permission!  Burning was legal then and we had what we called the "burn pile" where we burned leaves and branches.  And next to it was the "incinerator"...a wire cage with a lid where we burned any trash that would burn.

The burn pile was fun for the size of the fires we could get going but to me the incinerator was where the action was.  Wax milk cartons would burn bluish-green and drip.  This is where I would use accelerants like bug spray on a paper towel to get things going.

We used a wheelbarrow to haul things to the burn pile.  I remember the neighbors behind coming up to check on us once because of the size fire got so big.  How nice to not have to bundle and tie wood and put to the curb.

Growing up we didn't have a "burn ban".  Fall was certainly a time when smoke was in the air and it's a smell I remember fondly.  Think of a campfire smell.  But we didn't just burn leaves in the fall (how handy to rake into a pile and haul to the burn pile).  Not only did we burn leaves and limbs, but we separated our trash and burned what we thought would burn.

Behind our garage, we had two different locations where items were burned.  One was referred to as the "burn pile" and the other the "incinerator".  The burn pile was a mound of ash with stones around the edge to create a circle.  You could see shale and other rock exposed on the ground and I was told that was part of a turnaround or part of the original driveway.  The incinerator was a metal "cage" with a lid about the size of a garbage can.  This is where the trash was burned.

Imagine being a young boy and you were told (and entrusted) to light matches and set things on fire...and then watch!

We got some pretty good piles going on the burn pile with leaves but also any limbs or sticks we picked up (picking up sticks was an actual chore we had).  Keep in mind this was behind our garage and right next to some bushes so flame management was key.

As far as burning trash, it was fun to see things burn different colors (like waxy containers).  My parents didn't know this but there were many times I added an accelerant like bug spray to jump start things.  Typically, I would roll a paper towel and stick it in a hole in the caging and that would be my fuse.

A separate but related chore usually handled by my dad was burning off some tall grass behind the garage.  You see this with crops or tall grasses where farmers do controlled burns.  This was not a big patch but was right next to the garage.  I had this task one year and I don't remember if I wasn't watching or generally goofing around but the neighbors behind came up and let us know about a fire and honestly I don't remember how close I was to burning down the garage.  Kids!

Sunday Drives

There was a time when people had to be encouraged to get out and drive for leisure.  Streets were actually designed with this in mind.  Parkways were an example of this.

By definition, a Sunday drive is an automobile trip taken for pleasure or leisure on a Sunday, usually in the afternoon. Typically there is no destination and no rush.

I remember going on Sunday drives after church.  This is when I was younger and we were still going to First Methodist Church (so (1968 or before).  Although I remember riding with my dad exploring things out of town after that so I know we still went once in a while but not as a family.  It seemed like it might have been just Dad, Dean and me but I'm not sure.

To me it way of seeing what was going on.  What was new.  What was being built.  Change in scenery.  To this day, I still enjoy riding around town and seeing what's going on and what is new.

Sunday Memories

I remember Dad would shine his shoes (or our shoes and his shoes) Saturday evening to be ready for church the next day.  I can picture the wooden box that held everything.  He would work on them in what we called the Laundry Room.  I don't shine my shoes as often but when I do, I think of him doing that and how his shoes would last.  Also, wanting to look appropriate for church.  I kept that box when we moved Mom out.  Not what was in it but just the box.

Speaking of shoes...when I was little, we had what we referred to as "Sunday shoes".  They were shoes purchased to wear primarily on Sunday.  I suppose kids are still getting these for Easter wear but this was typical for that time.  They were great for sliding on the ice or snow.  I remember sliding down a small hill on the playground at Windsor Elementary and another time on a hill on Cummins Pkwy north of University Ave.  We knew we shouldn't be sliding in them but they had the best soles for it.

Typically for me these shoes were purchased at Lazy M Shoes at Merle Hay Plaza.  Back when you stomped your feet and could hear a noise bouncing off the storefronts.  I recall a pair of olive wingtips probably 1st or 2nd grade.  The question after purchase was always "do you want to wear them out"?

Another memory is getting our hair right on Sunday morning. This would date back to 1968 or before and going to First Methodist Church.  Dad had Brylcreem or similar and we would slick back our hair and part it.  I remember Dean helping me part my hair.