August 1998 Campfire Tales

by Larry Heck of

PASS PATROL

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Escape from Storm King

Last month the story ended with: “Now just in case you think that’s the end of this story, I’ll tell you flat out that the Flattops and the Transfer Trail was just warming up. (see The Transfer Trail - Part I)

“Can this get any worse? Sure it can!”

A whole week was going by and the memory of not getting anything done on the Flattops the previous weekend was bothering me more each day. I still needed a couple rolls of slides to finish a story for 4WD&SU Magazine and I needed some video footage for my own story to use in Volume Seven of the Adventures of Pass Patrol. About Thursday, I decided to try it again. I sent out some email to let club members know I was going back.

Shutterbug was the only one who was interested so we met in Glenwood Springs for lunch on Saturday, then started our way up the Transfer Trail.

We have already told some of this story in email messages, however, I have hesitated to tell it all because it sounds … well … you decide how it sounds.

As we climbed our way up the Transfer Trail, Shutterbug and I teased a little about some of the folklore we heard concerning the flattops. Maybe that teasing angered the ancient spirits of the curse … maybe the events that followed were just a series of unrelated occurrences.

According to some old timers who everyone likes to listen to but no one takes seriously, there is a curse on the Flattops left by medicine men of a Ute Tribe when they were forced to move on by settlers. According to that folklore, those who dare to tread on the Flattops do so at the mercy of ancient spirits who decide when to inflict the wrath of the curse.

To those who believe in curses, the deaths of a group of firefighters on Storm King Mountain a few years ago is easily explained. To others, like me and Shutterbug, Storm King Mountain is just another place we wanted to visit. About two o’clock in the afternoon, we turned off the Transfer Trail and took a seldom-used path across country toward Storm King Mountain. That route, although rarely used, is the only open road that gets anywhere near the mountain. Several deteriorated signs along the way warned that the road is a dead end.

For the first several miles, the road snaked its way through the forest with barely enough room between trees and rocks to get a full sized vehicle through. It then connected to a graded forest road. Someone had graded the road from the other direction plowing out trees and brush but suddenly stopped at the edge of the area we had just come out of. The graders were brought in across private property from Glenwood Springs, past Storm King Mountain, and all the way to the edge of that area where, for no obvious reason, the graders stopped, turned around, and went home. It was beginning to sound like a plot for X-files.

We followed the graded road to a ridge where the road for Storm King Mountain branched off to the right while the graded private road to Glenwood Springs was gated and locked. The Storm King road quickly became too narrow for anything wider than an ATV. Although we could see the entire north side of the mountain from the ridge, we would not get any closer on that day.

I turned around and started back with Shutterbug close behind. We completed the graded section and entered the forest on the narrow winding path that would take us back to the Transfer Trail. Our pace slowed to a near crawl in order to negotiate our way between the minefield of rocks, ruts, and trees. Then a series of incidents occurred that we will never forget. Some might say we received a slap from the ancient spirits of the curse.

At first, the two of us became separated. I stopped and called on the radio to see if Shutterbug was still there. He said he had stopped to take a photo. “It sure is quiet out here,” he commented.

“I noticed that too,” I replied. Even with the engine off, I could not hear birds in the forest. Suddenly, a gust of wind zipped through my window and knocked off my straw hat.

I put my hat back on and started my engine. I slowly moved forward when suddenly I heard a loud “bang” on the passenger side door. I turned to look but nothing was there. Not a tree, not a rock, not a person … nothing. I got out of the car and walked around to the passenger side. There was a small dent just below the door handle. It was as if someone hit it with the end of a heavy stick but no one was there. The only explanation is the one I use when anyone asks me about the dent. I must have ran over the end of a stick causing it to pop up against the door.

Still nothing in the forest moved or made a sound. Even the wind had grown silent. Then I heard Shutterbug’s truck coming so I got back in my truck and moved on. A few moments later, I looked in my mirror and Shutterbug was not there. I called on the CB radio. I could hear a radio being keyed but nothing came with it.

“Are you okay?” I repeated.

“No,” was the reply.

I turned around and went back. I found Shutterbug parked in almost the same spot where something had hit my door. He was sitting upright in his seat but couldn’t move. The front bumper of his truck was sagging.

“What happened?”

“I don’t know. I hit something. I didn’t see anything but it stopped the vehicle dead in its tracks. I hit my head on the steering wheel. Now I can’t move without getting this sharp pain. We need some help.”

I checked Shutterbug’s cellular phone. Even though he had a 3 watt adapter on it, he was getting “no service”.

I went back to my vehicle and checked my cell phone. Although it is only a pocket phone, I am on Airtouch service and was receiving a signal. The signal at that point was too weak to get through. I drove to the top of a hill and was able to dial 911.

Fortunately, I had my Magellan ColorTRAK GPS unit with me. Telling the rescue team how to find us using ground directions would have been a nightmare. I provided them with our exact GPS position. They entered that position into the AirLife helicopter computer and 28 minutes later the helicopter from Grand Junction was hovering over our vehicles.

They landed the helicopter at the point where the Storm King Mountain Road and the Transfer Trail connect. Shutterbug was able to get his truck to that point by moving it a few feet at a time. The pain was from the waist up, so he was able to use the brake and gas pedal to move it to the helicopter’s position. Once there, one of the medics reached in and shoved the vehicle into park.

It took four of us to get Shutterbug onto a stretcher and into the helicopter. A few minutes later, Shutterbug was on his way to Grand Junction and I was on the Flattops … alone … with two vehicles and Shutterbug’s dog, Fergie. There was less than an hour of daylight left.

I drove back to the spot where Shutterbug had hit “something” and looked around the area. I found a rock sticking up that was scraped. The rock was embedded deeply in the ground and nothing would have moved it however, it only stuck up a few inches. If not for the scrapes on its surface, I would never have guessed an Expedition would have trouble clearing it.

I returned to the Expedition and moved it off the trail. Its steering wheel was way off center and it pulled very hard to one side.

I left the Expedition and camped near Glenwood Springs. Fergy didn’t seem to like dog food so we shared a hamburger steak. I used my cell phone to call Farmer Bob in Grand Junction. His wife works at the hospital where Shutterbug was going and he is usually easy to talk into going for a drive. We met at the Smokin’ Willies BBQ in Glenwood on Sunday and went after the Expedition. We left it at the Ford dealer in Glenwood late Sunday afternoon.

I got back to Denver Sunday night and dropped Fergy off with Shutterbug’s mother. Then I went to the shop, propped my feet up on the desk, and began wondering about the curse and the spirits. Now, don’t jump to any conclusions. I’m not saying everything happened to us because of a curse. On the other hand, there sure are a lot of strange occurrences in a very short period of time.

As for the photos I needed and the magazine story. That just never got done. I should go do that soon.

Shutterbug has since recovered. It seems there were bone spurs in his neck from previous accidents and the jar from hitting his head on the steering wheel moved them.

Mercury Villager

I had forgotten how handy a van can be until I used this little guy on a recent vacation to visit family in Illinois. Mercury has done an excellent job of loading this one up with features above and beyond the usual air, power, leather combo. This one had an on-board computer that kept track of fuel levels, averaged gas mileage, and kept a running total on trip distances. Back seat passengers had their own controls for air and heat as well as a full set of stereo controls just in case the driver selected the wrong music. On our way through Kansas, we were caught in the middle of a storm full of tornadoes but the Villager held off the winds and stuck to the road. We were actually tracking tornadoes on either side of us using the Delorme Street Atlas software and Tripmate GPS connected to a laptop computer to plot a course between sightings coming in over the radio. At one point, a sighting placed a tornado coming directly at us so we pulled off the highway and parked in a gulley between two hills. We watched in awe as sticks, dirt, grass, and trash whirled around above us heading south. We pulled out on the highway and found it littered everywhere. Now I remember why we moved out of Kansas.

The Villager made it back to Denver without a scratch. It maintained 22 MPG all the way and provided a pleasant ride. It carried all our camping gear, luggage, and other favorite items with lots of elbow room for three adults and a computer.

Chevrolet K1500

It is a smooth riding, easy driving, luxury truck. It feels like its ready to tow your favorite mountain climber to the trailhead or possibly even tackle the trail on its own. Make no mistake, this is a big truck designed to do the work of a truck. It takes a lot of room to park it, turn it around, or to even go in a straight line. On the other hand, it has loads of ground clearance, a good approach angle, and more than enough power to get you to your favorite campsite. The third door takes the effort out of getting people or equipment in and out of the back seat. The first thing you’ll notice is lots of head room, leg room, and elbow room inside the cab. The Vortec V8 engine provides all the get up and go you’ll ever need.

Rodeo Bumpers

Getting a winch bumper for a 1998 Rodeo is no easy task. Everywhere I went, I was told there is no such critter. Then, I went out to Denver Off Road and visited with Layne. It took a few days, but he came up with a really nice look and style for the Rodeo. Although he offered to build a brush guard and grill guard to go with it, I opted for the simple look. If you are looking for a tough bumper for your truck, give the folks a call at Denver Off Road. 303-422-2332

Taylor, Pearl, Schofield

Nearing the final countdown for 1998 with a trip over Taylor Pass, Pearl Pass, Schofield Pass, Hagerman Pass, and Mosquito Pass Loop

Our group straggled in Saturday night and Sunday morning. The starting point was the ghost town of Pie Plant. We traveled up Taylor Pass and had lunch at the top. On the way up, we got in a little winching at the creek. After lunch we visited the ghost town of Ashcroft. Many years ago, a television series titled Sergeant Preston of the Yukon was filmed there. We then traveled over Pearl Pass and camped about half way to Crested Butte. On Labor Day, we traveled over Schofield Pass and through Marble. We then connected to Hagerman Pass which took us to Leadville. After having dinner in Leadville, we took a starlight drive over the top of Mosquito Pass. Mosquito is the highest pass road in the United States. It won’t be long now before the snow falls and the high mountains are shut down. Last year that happened on September 15th.

Our next planned trip is in Utah. You can still join us on the Trails of the Ancient Ones.

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