And Carly Too!

Living the Life in the Carly Too

Welcome to my stand-alone page for life in our new camper trailer. Purchased in February 2020, the Carly Too is named after our dog Carly, who now can join us on longer trips as we enter the travel-by-trailer life. Turns out, much to her disappointment.

Bag packed, I'm ready to road-trip!!!!!!

Stats for camper-trailer geeks: Trailer is a 2020 Northwood Nash 24M. Truck is a 2016 Toyota Tundra half-ton with towing package. Major additions include 120 watts of solar panels, an on-board generator, and stabilizer bars. The rest we'll figure out as we go.

Trips and daily dispatches will be loaded onto this page, most recent on the top. I'm finding it's easier to write small snippets of almost-daily entries and load them here, rather than wait until the trip is over and spend hours trying to be bright, creative, and entertaining. Let the chips fall where they may, and we'll see how this works!

Fun in the Four Corners

October, 2020

Agenda: Albuquerque one night (met up with cousins Gary and Joan, visited Aunt Doris). Chama, NM for three nights, visiting Tierra Wools (yarn!) and taking in a few scenic drives. Next three nights at Bruce Spruce Ranch RV/cabins north of Pagosa Springs, CO, where a simple brochure of scenic drives kept us captivated. Next up, back to Dolores, CO for two nights, hitting Mesa Verde National Park and environs. Then, to Monticello, UT, meeting up with Allen and Jeannette, our "trailer twin", for four days exploring southeastern Utah, including Arches, Canyonlands, Natural Bridges, and Bears Ears national parks/monuments, where a meet-up with my sister and her husband, as well as hitting a Utah winery, made for some special moments!!! 

Oh my gosh, the crowds. Unreal!

Dinosaur tracks.....

Will archeologists 200 million years from now wonder
about the Keen and Merrill tribes???

Bears Ears, indeed they are!

Ahhhh....the perfect scene

Quick Getaway to Greer, AZ

July 9-12, 2020

Bob and Moira, friends from our previous work lives and camping partners (see my Homolovi Ruins write-up, below), invited us to meet them in Greer, a 45-minute drive for us, this July. What a difference in the world between March and July, 2020!!! We didn't know what the circumstances would be, but as the date approached, campgrounds were open and we packed up Carly and the Carly Too and headed out to spend three nights at the Rolph C. Hoyer campground in Greer, a picturesque valley in our lovely White Mountains between Pinetop and Springerville. 

Bruce backed into our reserved spot perfectly the first time (woo-hoo!!!). Carly, a bit suspicious when we hooked her on a long lead to the picnic table, watched us warily as we set up our outdoor "patio." We hung a hummingbird feeder, mixed our drinks, and relaxed. Bob and Moira pulled into the next spot, and after they set up, they joined us (socially distant!) for happy hour and great catch-up conversations. 

Our first morning, Bruce woke up and got going before I did, and was lucky to see a Rivoli's (previously called Magnificent) hummingbird visit our feeder. Wow! It returned while I was sipping my coffee, but by then, a territorial male Rufous started to take over the feeder, beating other birds off of it, so that was the last we saw of this not-so-common bird. 

Look closely! There's a bird in this photo!

Bruce and Carly manned the fort as Bob, Moira, and I spent the next two days on separate hikes. We first explored the Greer valley below the dam of the valley's largest lake, River Reservoir. The Little Colorado River winds through a canyon here, thick with vegetation. The informal trail peters out after about a quarter-mile; so do the people. We continued on, bushwhacking through shrubs and scrambling over rocks about another half-mile. At a shady spot where I could sit next to the river, I decided to stop and stick my feet in the cool water, while Bob and Moira continued on as long as they wanted. I was in the company of white-throated swifts, Virginia's and red-faced warblers, Cordilleran flycatchers, ospreys, and more. Bob and Moira caught up with me as we wandered back, returning to camp just in time for an afternoon nap. A good day!

A young Spotted Sandpiper scurried after mom along the rocky shoreline of River Reservoir

The next day, we shuttled a vehicle to the South Fork Campground and Bruce drove us to the upper trailhead of the South Fork of the Little Colorado River trail, a smart move to hike pretty much only downhill. Most of this trail winds through forest burned in the 2011 Wallow fire, so it was very open and hot. 

But still very pretty!!!

After a steep decline into a canyon, we joined the South Fork creek, well-recovered since the Wallow fire. Clear and cool, the South Fork was a ribbon of green in this burned landscape, which takes longer to recover than the area watered by this creek. The trail followed the creek, ending up at the South Fork campground, where Bob and Moira's truck and its air-conditioning awaited. 

South Fork of the Little Colorado River: a ribbon of green 

Since we hauled our kayak over and hadn't used it yet, we felt sort of obligated to get it, and me, out on the water. The water levels on all three of the Greer lakes were pretty down since these are irrigation lakes and we are in the height of a very dry summer, so we drove to River Reservoir, the largest, and walked the kayak down to the water's edge. Hmmmm....I wouldn't call it water, per se; it was more of a green muck soup, an algae bloom that had been marinating in the hot sun for over a month. But we're here, we hauled the dang thing with us, by gosh get in the water and enjoy yourself! Bruce said he'd be back in about an hour and a half. I pretty much had the lake to myself, other than a few great blue herons and double-crested cormorants. One heron started a mating display to another, which I hadn't ever seen. It was a peaceful moment in time, punctured only by the gooey, slimy mess I made of myself and the kayak getting out of the water. Sticking a kayak covered in green slime into the back of the truck was not fun, either!

All in all, a great few days with friends. The camper ran perfectly, Carly actually seemed to resign herself a bit more to the occasional stint in the Carly Too, and now the kayak is sparkly clean!

Southwest Colorado

Ouray / Silverton / Dolores, Colorado

June 17-22, 2020

For a glimpse of the entire trip, see Hooray for Ouray! This was our first long-distance, you're-really-away-from-home trip with the Carly Too, and we might as well do it with a bang. Hauling the Carly Too over one of the curviest, guardrail-less mountain roads in the country, we kept an eye on the radiator temperature while ascending multiple passes and hills, and our nose alert for burning brakes while descending steep grades with sharp curves. We would wonder how much roller-coastering the trailer could take from the lumpy, buckling highways on the way to Farmington that crossed a fairly desolate Navajo Reservation. We were relieved that both truck and trailer remained intact with no issues after the bumps and bruises both had to endure. Well done, driver Bruce, the Carly Too, and truck!

Leaving home

The Navajo Reservation, a huge expanse of rolling high desert.

Rock outcroppings start appearing near Shiprock, New Mexico.

Almost to Ouray, along the Million-Dollar Highway (Colorado Hwy. 550)

At the 4J+1+1 campground along the Uncompahgre River

We highly recommend both the 4J+1+1 Campground in Ouray and the Dolores River RV Park in Dolores. Both were very well kept, offering clean bathrooms, showers, and other typical RV services. The Dolores campground had various weekly offerings such as a pizza maker bringing their wood-fired oven to the park on Wednesdays; $11 gets you a pizza for dinner.

Our spot in the Dolores River RV Park

Every day was a day of sights on the road. A great trip to a beautiful place!

East Fork of the Black River / Coyote Creek

Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests, AZ
May 26-28, 2020

Since April 1 (no fooling), our trailer had been in the shop getting the slide-out mechanism fixed. Yeah. Those of you who have had a trailer, RV, or any other similar contraption will be completely unfazed and not surprised. Apparently, we joined a club that no one wants to be in: buy an RV and spend the first 18 months getting everything fixed. We finally collected it after it spent 7 weeks in the RV repair slammer, and off we went with neighbors Cathy and Jim (our inaugural journey mates).

Given that we are approaching high summer season in the White Mountains, we decided a Tuesday - Thursday trip would minimize our interaction with (suck in breath through teeth here) other people. We had an approximate destination in mind: find a nice spot not too far but not too close to the East Fork of the Black River. A spectacular place that makes people look twice in disbelief that such a place can exist in Arizona, the East Fork is a slice of heaven: a clear running stream, the brightest green grass, and abundant wildlife, all against the bluest sky.

As we were packing clothes, organizing food, gathering the right gear, and all that, I remember thinking that it was almost ironic that we were spending an inordinate amount of time getting ready to move for two days to a different part of the same forest. Then we'd come back home and have to unload, unpack, clean up, and catch up with whatever we missed at home. Really, why bother??

Because there's something really great about
yarn, a cocktail, and nothing else to do

Our view from camp: Coyote Creek on its way to joining
the East Fork of the Black River at Three Forks

Well, this is why. Gray (now Canada) jays and Clark's nutcrackers visiting us at camp every morning. A campsite graced by multi-century old ponderosa pine trees. A view of the Coyote Creek valley. A hike along a creek, then river, that mandated scrambles over rocks and slippery stream crossings, but rewarded us with sights of bighorn sheep and peregrine falcons among others. Great company. Good food. It was wonderful, and we can't wait until the next trip!   ***By the way, if you like these photos, more can be found here.***

A bold Canada Jay awaits treats, from either Bruce (above)
or Mom or Dad (below)

Legacy ponderosa pine graces our camp

Starting our hike along Coyote Creek.
Nothing beats hopping along a babbling brook on a warm summer day.

Western Bluebird, one of about 20 different bird species
seen or heard along our hike.

A sight to remember: about 20 Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep,
mostly ewes and their new lambs, played among the rocky cliffs
along the East Fork of the Black River. Amazing!!!! 

Seriously, too cute, eh?

Watching us watching them

A pair of American Dippers were feeding young along the East Fork of the Black River.
Always a joy to see, these little drab gray birds "dip" up and down, then
dive into the water to pick insects off rocks. 

Wild columbine near the end of the hike.

Bruce and Carly waiting at our end point, Diamond Rock Campground.

The last morning walk to take Carly to Coyote Creek was
a special time for the two of us. Happy girl!!!

We'll be coming back here, for sure!

The Inaugural Journey

March 28-30, 2020, amidst the Corona virus pandemic, wondering if this was sane: 

Homolovi Ruins State Park near Winslow, AZ

Top Three Takeaways:

1. You have less space in which to escape the stinkbombs of an older dog's tooty-poots.

2. You join all other camper owners in singing the RV Owner's #1 Mantra: "We gotta get a better mattress."

3.  Despite the near-two-hour setup, the hassles of take-down, dumping, and general cleanup, camping in a trailer beats just about anything!

Bonus Takeaway:

4. Just because you named your trailer after your dog doesn't guarantee that will lead to your dog's sudden devotion to its namesake.

Our anticipated weekend at Homolovi State Park, reservations made long before Corona entered our reality, included star-gazing at the park's observatory; visiting a cultural exhibit on the ancestral Hopi people at the architecturally and historically delightful La Posada Hotel in Winslow; and a possible side trip to Grand Falls to see the renowned chocolate-brown cascade of the Little Colorado River. A week before we went, pretty much all three of these adventures were cancelled. We decided to go anyway, as getting outdoors while maintaining safe distances was still considered a good thing to do. Plus, we were really anxious to try out our RV. We'd been staring at our new toy, steadfastly parked in our driveway, long enough.

We left town around noon, joined by neighbors Jim and Cathy in their rig, and together caravanned the two hour drive to Homolovi State Park, just north of Winslow. The landscape here looked rather bleak; an expanse of Mormon tea, rabbit brush, and sand was only broken by rocky outcroppings and the park's two paved roads. While the visitor center was closed, there were personnel curating the reserved camping spots, answering questions, providing maps and information, and generally keeping the place tidy.

Homolovi State Park Campground

Finding our spots, the set-up began. We decided to time ourselves just for kicks to see how long it would take us from arrival to mixing the first cocktail. The 90-minute set-up time ended up including wrangling with the trailer hitch, as the ball somehow got jammed and wouldn't separate from the hitch. A hammer here, a screwdriver there, and the truck and trailer were freed from each other. We figured our setup took a net time of about an hour. Hopefully, we'll continue to beat that record every time we take out the Carly Too.

Set up and ready to go!

Speaking of Carly, this old dog really didn't seem to want to learn a new trick. We think that despite the pretty darn good stability of the trailer, there was enough wobbly-woo when two large adults walked around inside it to make it shaky enough to unnerve our girl. We didn't want her to go down the narrow steps on her own, either, so it became protocol to lift her in and out of the camper. She got better, and hopefully that will continue -- but it was not making her very happy. Indeed, the leash better be on and the dog under our control when we wanted to her get back in; she was inclined to bolt if we gestured to her to enter that big, wobbly box.

Thanks, I'll stay right here.

By late afternoon, happy hour commenced, and our other friends Bob and Moira made their appearance, driving up from Phoenix. They obviously had their routine pretty down pat, as it didn't take them very long to join us.

Settling in, we took a look around the campground, commenting on the pros and cons of a wide variety of rigs, and noticing that each camping spot had one little tree (still under winter dormancy), and then.....sand and scrubby bushes. But really, it was clean, well-built, and frankly all one could ask for.

We all chatted amiably while the sun set off to our side. Arizona has spectacular sunsets, this one was no exception. We decided since no activities were scheduled to structure our one full day here, we'd have a leisurely day exploring the park's historical sites.

Homolovi Ruins State Park

Overview from the park's brochure: In the high grassland of 14th-century northern Arizona, an ancient people found a home along the Little Colorado River. These people, the Hisat'sinom (known to archaeologists -- and most of us -- as the Anasazi), paused in their migrations to till the rich floodplain and sandy slopes found here before continuing north to join people already living on the mesas to the north, people who today are known as the Hopi.

The Little Colorado River, surrounded by non-native tamarisk.
Not the lush river valley of cottonwoods and willows these ancient people would have seen....

The Hopi people of today still consider Homolovi part of their homeland, making pilgrimages to these sites, renewing the ties of the people with the land. This park, with support by the Hopi, was established in 1986, and serves as a center of research for the late migration period of the Hopi from the 1200s to the late 1300s.

Homolovi means "place of the little hills." Evident throughout the park are, indeed, small hills and outcroppings that break up the largely flat terrain. Two main ruins sites, Homolovi I and Homolovi II,  were established on the tops of two of these hills, and offer a wide viewpoint of both the Little Colorado River and surrounding lands. Several other smaller prehistorical sites are sprinkled throughout the park, and there is one historic cemetery, all that remains from the town of Sunset, the first Mormon settlement along the Little Colorado River. Each site includes interpretive signage, trails, and ample opportunity to explore on one's own. From most vantage spots, the San Francisco Peaks 60 miles away popped into view, covered in recent snow, and were a stark contrast to the deep blue sky.

Atop a hill covered with structural ruins, the San Francisco Peaks are seen in the distance.
The Hopi call them Nuvatukya'ovi, believing these peaks were the home of
their katsina, or kachina, spirits, who guided their lives.

Both Homolovi I and II each contain an estimated 1,000+ rooms as living quarters, as well as ceremonial kivas and other structures (i.e. storage facilities). It is quite something to be able to have peace and quiet as you stand among 700+ year-old ruins, contemplating the timeline of human life, gazing at broken pieces of pottery that previous visitors have laid out on rocks, and bonding with the spirits of people you can plainly see had a sense of artistry, a compelling need to make their lives beautiful, to create food and security, and to give thanks to their own spirits and gods.

We walked from the campground to Homolovi I, and agreed while walking back that the spring winds that had picked up that afternoon were just a bit too egregious to enjoy Homolovi II at the northern tip of the park. It was unanimous that a nap, instead, was most desirable, and we would meet up afterwards for a late lunch and then determine just what we wanted to do after that.

I took out my new electric spinning wheel and basked in the sun while doing a bit of spinning until I was fed up with the wind. I goaded Carly into the Carly Too, knitted a bit, soothing Carly until she fell asleep, and finally went into my own slumber.

Waking up to the sounds of Bruce and Jim getting the grill prepared for burgers and brats, we lunched and then Jim, Cathy, and I walked the near two miles from the campground to the Sunset Cemetery, and returned back to our campsites just in time for cocktail hour. Bob and Moira had struck out on their own after our morning walk to Homolovi I, and they too returned to join us.

The Sunset Cemetery, the only remains from the first
Mormon settlement along the Little Colorado River (and Arizona for that matter).
The youngest buried here was three months old, the oldest about 52 years old.
A very tough existence.

The morning of our departure, we had a leisurely breakfast, prepared the camper for its trip home, but took a bit of time out to drive to Homolovi II, exploring that 1,100-room site that had a fully excavated ceremonial room, more potsherds lying out and about, and a few more intact walls than yesterday's Homolovi I.

Heading home, we reflected on our first trip. So far, all went well other than getting the trailer hitch stuck; a few items we wished we'd brought were put on a list for next time, and upon pulling into our driveway, we were stunned to be faced with Takeaway #5: Make sure you lock the trailer door or it'll open and flop back and forth while driving down an interstate. Fortunately, no damage was done* and while our next trip is completely unknown as of yet (April plans cancelled....dang these pandemics), we can't wait to get back on the road!

*OK OK it was my fault. This was the second, unused door that I popped open to poke my head out to say hello to our friends....and then neglected to LOCK it back in place.