Part 2 of my latest hunting road trip with Dash. Continued from: http://www.texashuntingforum.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/5379960
After fixing up my hand as mentioned in the first part of this photo essay, I headed for Colorado. Stopped in at TPWD Taylor Lakes WMA on the way, but did not find the Dove there like last time I passed by there, so I kept on driving straight through. I wanted to check out a CO Wildlife Area I had never seen, so I made a detour to Apishapa Wildlife Area. Pretty much in the middle of nowhere. Almost made it, but a few miles away on a ranch road I hit bad luck.



I had a flat on the shale road, but when I started to change my right rear tire, the right front tire went flat too. I only had one spare. The road looked like this both ways. It was not a kind of road you would expect to see anyone. There were hand painted anti government signs on the road related to not selling land to the Army. Not sure what that was about.



It seems like someone is looking out for me on these road trips sometimes. A few minutes later I saw a dust cloud in the distance. Soon a Rancher with a mustache bigger than mine with his wife showed up. In a new white shirt he started taking my tires off and would not get out of my way despite my nagging insistence. They were headed to town an hour and a half away so they took my tires with them. I sent $200 cash and asked them to do anything they could for me. Gas station, tire shop, anything that could get me down the road. The owners of the land I was on checked up on me a couple times as well.

I never had any worries. The view was magnificent. There were small thunderstorm cells moving across the distant mountains and the countryside around me. It was like they would part and pass around me every time they got close to my location. I counted 5 rainbows I could see at one time. I was in a good place and not talking about my physical location. Not quite a point in time, but close. The sunset was just for me, so I took no pictures of it. But I did take these.





Dash was running around the truck hunting on his own and I saw him go on point. I ran out, yelled a "wait", rain to the truck for my camera. Changed batteries on the run back out to Dash. Lined up the shot and POW! I think this is one of the best dog pictures I have ever taken. There had been some quail near the truck while I was working on it. I don't know if it was a flash point I stopped him on, or if a quail had left while I was running around trying to get the picture, but I could tell he had already relaxed some. I think it made the picture with him looking into the camera.



My guardian angels showed up with two used tires mounted and balanced from a tire shop. They were better tires than the ones that the shale had cut and only cost me $25 each. I later noticed on the receipt, they had driven another hour out of their way to find me some tires. They would not give me an address to send them something. And laughed at me with a "good try" comment when I said I only wanted to send them a christmas card. It is great to know there are good people in the world. I told them I would pay it forward many fold.

After sleeping in my truck I arrived at my cabin the next morning to find storms and wind. I was not going to do any hunting this day. The cabin was at 11,000 feet near the head of Elwood Pass. After I settled in I saw a man in a hoodie looking down on my cabin from the side of the mountain. He was there a long time. I wondered if he was enjoying the view of the storms rolling across the valley or if he was a mass murderer casing me out. I wondered if leatherface was going to bust in my cabin with a chainsaw and be wearing my face later. Then I saw his partner arrive pushing a bike. They were in trouble. I met them half way and found the woman with him had a bike with a stripped pedal
and broken seat. They had been traveling from Georgia and did not have a support vehicle. It was my chance to pay it forward. I took them in, fired up the wood burning stove to get them warm. fet them real food instead of the freeze dried stuff they had. We brought the bike in the cabin and after three hours of myredneck ingenuity and Mcgiverism The bike was fixed. No way they could cross the pass in that kind of washout and winds, so informed them they were staying the night. I always meet at least one or two interesting people on my walkabouts somehow and this one was no exception. Sharing a bottle of Zackariah Harris Eggnog I was shared stories of how picking a fight with Vanilla Ice at a Taco Bell was how I met my wife, stories of paddling the Texas Water Safari, My flesh eating disease ordeal, hunting stories, and more. I was told of things such as Sled Dogging, biking across Alaska, and the Appalation Trail. Even though I did not hunt this day, it was one of my favorite day/nights of the trip.



Picture of the Cabin I stayed in. I had a wood burning stove and gas lighting, but no electric or water.



Part three continued on this page:
http://www.texashuntingforum.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/5379967

What happened to the Ford?

That is a Great picture of Dash sitting and some other good pics to boot

Nice pics

Some awesome pics!!!

Believed to be a sharp piece of shale in the road that cut both tires. Neither was repairable.

Great pics and story, thanks for sharing.

Not the ram. The ole blue F350(?) dually.

I did not feel it was safe enough for a 3000 mile mountain trip. I am in the process of replacing all the front end parts. New Hubs/bearings/calipers/pads/brake lines just done. It's a work in progress, but I am back in it now. Replacing all the tie rods today. New tires and an alignment next. Then the rear brakes. I am hard on vehicles.

There are some good folks left in this world.

Dang good story!!! Good to know there are good folks left in the world like back in the day. You rarely run into them in city limits. AKA..DALLAS TX. Thanks for the read and good for you on paying it forward.

The cabin sure does look like one I pass on the four wheeler on our way to platora for some hamburgers.

Great story!

Great pictures and story.

I like seeing the pictures of Dash and the stories. Miss my Viszla everyday best friend for 15 years. I have two labs and they are great but it's not the same. There is a reason they are called the velcro dog.