Distance = 13 Miles; People Met = 9
I failed to mention that we were covered by both print and television media from Grand Junction. The television station was KKCO Channel 11, and NBC affiliate. Heather did all purpose duty of filming and interviewing. That was the first time we’ve been on television, for this hike or otherwise. The Daily Sentinel just carried a little blurb that served as advertisement for our talk Wednesday evening. Next to the blurb was a headline about record heat to be expected. For all we know we were hiking in record heat as we left Grand Junction.
Heather from NBC affiliate KKCO
We’ve become somewhat immune to the heat. While traveling through the Cisco desert Ky told us her van registered 111 degrees, and her van has a tendency to measure less than other sources. Yet due to the nonreflective dirt road we were on and a slight breeze I could have sworn the temp was in the eighties. Then in Grand Junction people were telling us how hot it was, and Grand Junction is virtually desert country mind you, yet I felt like I was in an oasis. There were trees in town! Now hiking out of Grand Junction some inner sense told me folks would consider this hot, yet I mechanically put one foot in front of the other without much further thought.
It was a good day for meeting people. Bill from the Western Colorado Botanical Gardens helped us with directions.
Bill from Western Colorado Botanical Gardens
A Grand Junction city worker came up to ask if we needed a store. We told him we were fine and asked to take his picture. He had to remove his cap first so people would not know he was with the city (oops).
Good (city) Samaritan
Tim Bartlett was shooting hoops, taking a break from his job as a geologist working on uranium mining clean up. He took a keen interest and was about to offer us money when I told him he could donate through the web site. Thanks, Tim!
Tim the Geologist
A strange sign in a residential suburb caused me to stop and take a picture. An elderly couple on fixed income stopped us to know if we knew who owned the dog they had inside their fence, the purpose for the strange sign.
New York Natives on Fixed Income
Talking to all these folks put us behind schedule and I knew we were not going to make BLM lands by the end of the day. Even though we were full packing now, I called Ky to come to the rescue and we stayed along with her at a wonderful family’s house, the Elisha’s. The family is self-sufficient in many ways, particularly in regards to food where meat and vegetables are both available on their small lot. Lori Jo is a transplant from Ithaca, NY, a bundle of energy and resourcefulness. Her husband Kevin works in the middle school as an Industrial Arts teacher. Their teenage son Mansor loves fly-fishing with as much passion as you can imagine, and is one of the most thoughtful teenagers I have met. Their teenage daughter Svea loves photography, with wildflowers her particular expertise.
- Lori Jo Elisha
