Our
first 2004 volunteer assignment was working for the US Forest Service at a
visitor center on a remote mountain pass in the Colorado Rockies. Remote is
a relative term. People who live there are accustomed to driving 20 miles
or more to a grocery store or paying through the nose for milk and bread at
the local "merc" (mercantile store). Daily living here takes planning!
The weather was a unique experience for us. The first month was surprisingly
dry with 10% to 20% humidity. It felt like home (winter in Las Vegas). On
the first official day of summer we were hit by a hailstorm that made it look
like Christmas. In July the weather pattern changed
to the "monsoon" season. Every morning dawned clear and crisp. But
then in the early afternoon, clouds would roll in
and bring intermittent thunder showers. Having lived 40 years in the southern
California weather pattern, thunder and lightening presented a new and exciting
experience for us.
Our
"home" (RV parking spot) was the envy of all the tourists who stopped
at the center to admire the view. The view to the east was dominated by Pike's
Peak with 30 miles of pretty empty space in between. The view to the west
looked across a large valley called South Park
to a long row of fourteners beyond. FYI: The term "park"
was taken from the French word "parc" meaning game preserve. Sunsets
viewed from our living room window were spectacular. At night there were almost
no lights in any direction; only a few scattered ranch houses far in the distance.
The Milky Way painted an obvious band across the sky. Our spot was also as
private as we would ever want. The only neighbor for miles around in any direction
was another volunteer couple who worked the alternate days at the center.
Our
job was 3 days a week answering questions for the tourists at the Wilkerson
Pass Visitors Center. We averaged about 200 visitors per day. Most were just
stopping to use the bathroom facilities and ogle the view. The vast majority
of tourists came from the midwest. I'll bet we didn't have more than a half
dozen tourists from states west of Colorado. There were also a lot of locals
passing through. The center is strategically located 50 miles west of Colorado
Springs and the population centers on the Front Range. An equal distance on
the other side of us were prime recreation areas: the Arkansas River headwaters
for rafting, a large concentration of 14'rs for hiking/climbing, and miles
and miles of old mining roads and ghost towns for 4-wheeling (or ATVing).
Living
this far off the beaten path we would expect to see wildlife galore. NO CHANCE!
We had to travel far and wide to see animals. The
only wildlife around our house were RODENTS. There were bunnies, chipmunks
and squirrels everywhere and cute little prairie dogs burrowing in our back
yard. The most prolific rodents were found INSIDE our rig! We actually trapped
60 deer mice in our RV. We felt sorry for the first
one who was caught by the tail. I took him outside and let him go. He beat
me back in and told all of his friends about the "easy pickens"
at our place. Number 50 was also caught by the tail. Deer mice really are
cute with their big black eyes. He looked at me with those pleading eyes and
I felt sorry for him. This time I took him to the other side of the center;
down the hill and around the rocks, to let him go at least 1,000 yards away.
The next morning Patty looked up Deer Mice in one of the nature books and
read about their unerring sense of direction; how they can find their way
home over several miles!
Even
on Rodent Hill we had plenty of birds. One of Patty's weekly jobs was
Bluebird Monitoring. Around the visitor center were a number of specially
built bird houses. Their design was specifically intended to attract the Mountain
Bluebirds. However, every so often a swallow would try to sneak in and
take over the nest. Mother Bluebird had to be constantly on
guard. Patty, our boss Tara, and sometimes a group of tourists would make
the rounds opening each bird house and recording
the status: 1) nest occupied, 2) eggs laid, 3)
chicks hatched, and finally 4) fledgelings learning
to fly.
This
year the Forest Service is celebrating Smoky Bear's 60th birthday. And, since
Bob is just a tad older than that, he volunteered to dress up and play Smoky
on July 4th. The costume was a really professional one. It scared the little
kids and thrilled the older ones. It made Bob into a true "chick
magnet". One of the visitors that day was the son of the veterinarian
who cared for the original Smoky when he was rescued from a fire in New Mexico.
He had a t-shirt made to commemorate the occasion.
We were truly living in the Heart of the Rockies. We found plenty to do right in the area. Then, on our four days off each week we went exploring the state of Colorado.
Home Page
