Thursday, June 2
The crew and I say goodbye to Devil’s Canyon and shoot north to Monticello.
At Mountain View RV Park I dump the waste tanks for $5. Next I find the post office, park the Perfect Tow Vehicle and Best Little Trailer in a shady spot and dash inside.
I pick up my mail and send off a picture postcard to my aunt in New York state. (Yes, there still are people who send picture postcards!)
“Okay, now we can leave Utah and go to Colorado!”
Route 491 takes us east/southeast across huge, flat fields. Some are bright green with hay, others red-brown, freshly tilled. The crops in this part of western Colorado are hay, wheat, and beans.
Several grain elevators stand like guards as we approach the village of Dove Creek.
I park at the “superette,” give the crew a brief walk-around, and buy half a watermelon.
Our destination is Bradfield Campground on the Dolores River.
We turn off of Route 491 at Cahone and travel across six miles of flat cropland.
Gee, this isn’t looking good. What kind of campground is next to hay fields?
All of a sudden the road goes down!
Well, of course! The river flows through a canyon . . . .
Anticipation mounts as we descend on the curvy road. I glimpse the river on my right.
This might be nice!
At the base we find a green meadow surrounded by hills.
(By the way, my camera lens is not dirty. The center of the photo below shows dust kicked up by a vehicle ahead of us.)
Bradfield Campground is named for the Bradfield family who farmed this area using horses into the 1940s. Their house is located in a spot downstream from the campground.
I pull up and park at the self-pay station.
Only four dollars a night for us! (Click on photos to enlarge.)
Bridget and Reggie know we have arrived at our new camp and are eager to get out.
“C’mon, let’s go down to the river.”
We walk and find that the river is brushy along the bank. This tells me to find a site that is pleasant in itself, not next to the river.
We drive around the two loops until I find the right one for us.
This campsite might not look like much. However, it has potential!
Getting out to find where the site is the most level, I see that a previous camper made a depression with a shovel.
Great! I don’t have to!
Slowly I back up the Best Little Trailer, easing her left tire into the low spot. I get out and check both levels: front to back, perfect, and side to side, perfect.
I create an outdoor room in the shade of the pine and the shelter.
As I’m setting up, a Black-billed Magpie, flashy in his black and white plumage and with long tail, hops from branch to branch of the pine tree, eyeing us with curiosity.
As I pick up my camera, he squawks and flies away. We’ve been welcomed!
I set up my laptop and air card on the picnic table.
I hope there’s internet here . . . Yay! 3G and 2 bars! I can live with that!
Happily I retrieve the watermelon and rotisserie chicken from the refrigerator.
“Time to celebrate our new camp, crew!”
Bridget takes her position underneath the picnic table while Reggie sits on the ground near me. I cut a good-sized chunk of watermelon for myself and cut off some chicken pieces for the crew.
It’s a warm day but it’s pleasant sitting under this shelter and pine tree. A cool breeze blows.
This is nice. We’ll stay through the weekend . . . .
“Okay, I need to take some photos for the blog.”
I step back for the shot. Bridget stays under the table and Reggie . . . .
“Reggie! Get down from there, baby. You’ve had your chicken!”
He’s a good boy and immediately obeys.
Reggie is very interested in this new environment.
I let him run around in the tall grass next to our campsite. He needs to expend energy and explore!
What a guy! He’s lovin’ this. . .
We relax in the shade.
Reggie attacks Bite Me, the flea toy. Bridget and I watch the arrival of people with rafts. Vehicle after vehicle comes down the road, hauling rafts on trailers. The rate of their arrival increases until there is a steady stream toward the boat launch area. I count over 50 vehicles in the lot! We can’t hear them because they’re on the other end of the meadow.
A few come to the camping area and set up tents. Apparently they plan to launch in the morning.
“Let’s go see the action on the river! It’s not far, Bridgie. I bet you can walk it okay”
I recall reading at the pay station that the Dolores River has Class III and Class IV rapids.
We don’t watch long. It’s a little past noon and it’s warm when out in the sun like this.
Later, when the sun is low, we go for a stroll-and-roll around our new home.
Our new camp may seem plain.
What’s missing in these photos is the marvelous, fresh air coming through the canyon carrying with it the scent of hay touched with pine.
rvsue
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