Ouray , CO, Day Two

​August 3, 2022


Angel Creek was perfectly fine. At least I was tipped in a way so that I was comfortable in bed! I did hear a few cars or trucks, revving up this rather steep road into the campsite. Everyone was revving, including me. When I left in the morning I rolled gently backwards, down the hill, until it was more leveled off, so then I could put it in drive and just chug up the hill to make it up and over for an exit. This is not an easy campsite as part of the exit includes a one lane narrow road with a death drop on one side and a steep cliff on the other. When I entered yesterday, an atv was coming towards me as I came up the hill, and of course he immediately backed up into a narrow pull out area.  It would’ve been next to impossible for me to do the same, so good thinking on his part! 


I spent a few hours in the town of Ouray doing some urban hiking up and down the street. There was one shop that was a glass and slip cast pottery shop which I enjoyed, but I was disappointed with the fact that there weren’t any other galleries in town. There was a mix of souvenir shops, coffee and imported house goods, along with many restaurants, bars and breweries. It was much too early to think about a brewery or a bar. I felt like I got a good work out, all things considered, and I had a nice conversation with a shop owner, as we talked about our joint replacements. How funny that the topic of conversation changes depending on how old you are!? Looking at reviews,  it looked like Cascade Falls was an easy hike. However the climb (drive) up the hill, on fresh muddy dirt was challenging, as it seems like all the streets here are. I had the pedal to the metal as I charged up the hill hoping no one would pull out in front of me, as I slid it into a parking spot. I seriously had to do the running start, otherwise I don’t think I would’ve made it. The initial hike was the easy part but to get to the base of the falls, was literally straight up using a staircase. JoJo and I took our time, and one man joked if Jo Jo was my shadow. I said no, he feels more like an anchor, as I try to coax him along. Then I proclaimed, not bad for an old man and an old woman! The two women with him said yeah we’re all old women, and we laughed as the man scoffed, hey I’m an old man, not a woman! He was out numbered, and we all enjoyed a good laugh. The Falls did remind me of Taughannock Falls in New York, however it was smaller and more intimate with a very slight runoff. A lot of kids and people were walking through the area to climb up the cliff face which made me queasy to watch.

I met a woman who used to live in Flagstaff, but now in Ouray, a with two small kids who just had to pet Jo Jo. It was a good lesson on how to approach him, and she said she used to own a long hair Chihuahua as well, but lost him once when a gate was left open, and he disappeared. She seemed heartbroken after all these years and was really happy to engage with Jo Jo. 

I returned to Angel Creek to prepare for my second night there. It’s nice that it’s so close to the city and up in the forest with beautiful views.






















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