Sunday, August 9, 2015

Overlook Mountain Rd - Tween Ouray & Silverton

After cresting the summit southbound from Ouray, you might notice Overlook Mtn Rd. It's in a sharp turn and the only side road in the area. I camped here on my way up and got water from a spring that comes out of the hill near the car in the picture further down in the post. I mention it for all you folks who, like me, don't want to haul water over the top. It made delicious coffee, but I decided to leave it to you (yeah, I know, I'm a wuss) to let me know if it's safe without having been boiled.

The road's cut from the side of the hill so there aren't many flat places...at least in the first mile, which is as far as I went. There's a campspot near the highway next to a small pond but hit whar too noisy fer me.

There's a pond just back of the bushes...





 I surmised up by that sunlit notch in the photo below might be good. 






And it was.





I mean...I mean!!! Can you believe this?!!! And for free!!! I've been at this for nearly six years and am awestruck...darn near every evening. And that's changing locations every day or two. 

I've been reading French Lessons: Adventures with Knife, Fork and Corkscrew by Peter Mayle and it had me ready to book a flight. But I found some of the wines in the stores and am cooking some of the meals myself. The worst of it is the lack of good bread and fresh escargot...and well, the dearth of French women. 

But anyway...


Spring is in dark band of rock a hundred feet left of car




Enough sun to prompt the awning. The hood ornament's not just for looks, dontchya know. Note "refrigerator" hunkered near the front bumper and "instant toilet" tool below driver's door. I found the hat (on dashboard) for $1.00 in the thrift store in Socorro, New Mexico.






The summer issue of Overland Journal (Fall 2015, p. 111) has a great article on Anna Callou and Pablo Rey. They've been traveling in a small van for over 15 years; I was intrigued to learn they disdain even an ice chest. 




This year the elderberries (Sambucus) and the mushrooms celebrated the wettest summer in decades.   
  


Mil Gras to Ghglenn (see Comments) for identifying them; I hadn't a clue.





2 comments:

  1. Those look like elderberries.

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  2. Thanks, Ghglenn. You'd think after decades of wandering the wilds (I started at age 16) I'd have learned the names of a few things. I'm STILL working at mushrooms. As you may have noticed, there''ve been even more than usual.

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