On the Road Again (Part 2)

The second point for our vacation itinerary was near Mancos in the Southwestern part of the state.  It's the Jersey Jim Lookout--a decomissioned U.S. Forest Service fire tower. It's 55 feet tall with no running water or electricity, and a bathroom at the bottom of the tower. Run by a non-profit group, it's available for one or two night rentals from mid-May through mid-October. It looks something like this:

This wasn't our first rodeo. We had been there five or six years ago and really loved the experience. Admittedly, it isn't for everyone.  Between the height, the stair climbing, and the lack of amenities many people wouldn't consider it for a part of their vacation experience. The Ritz, it ain't. But oh, the view.  You've got a 360 degree view of some beautiful country with stupendous sunsets.

Without the city lights, the stars are absolutely brilliant. The first night, I awakened at 3:30 am and really had to go to the bathroom. I tried to roll over and go to sleep, but nature was calling too urgently. I got up, put on some shoes and a jacket, grabbed the flashlight and headed down the stairs. Once I got to the bottom and looked up, I could see a million stars and the Milky Way was truly a haze of starlight spanning the width of the sky.


Our second day there we decided to hike the Sharkstooth Pass trail, which is just to the left of the peaks in the second picture above. It was a two mile hike that ended at 12,000 feet at the top of the pass. It was a great hike with wildflowers, marmot sightings, and a birds eye view of two valleys. Here is one of my favorite pictures from the trip. Sharkstooth Peak is in the background.

My next post will describe our time in the Jeep as well as our visit with a former schoolmate that I hadn't seen since 1984.