Tag: Mountains

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Tales From the Road: An Easy Pull

I am happily surprised at how easily our 8-gear GMC Yukon pulled the trailer over the mountain passes.

I faced my first major concern of the trip as we drove over Wolf Creek Pass, just north of Pagosa Springs, Colorado. I had gone over the pass many times, but not while pulling a trailer. However, my concerns were unfounded. We easily climbed the mountain as we passed other over-heated cars on the side of the road that were not pulling a trailer. Our 5400-pound Yukon pulled the 5,000-pound trailer over the steep 8-mile incline to almost 11,000 feet altitude with no problem. Normally driving in either the 6th or 7th gear while pulling the trailer, we dropped only to 4th and 5th gears during the climb, and the engine temperature raised only about 25 degrees. I was a happy camper! (I didn’t need to stop and help the stalled drivers, for their help had already arrived. We were not callously ignoring them.)

We encountered several minor climbs and passes on our way to Buena Vista, Colorado, and several stiff climbs from there to Denver; but we were not in a hurry and the engine worked wonderfully.

We didn’t encounter any harsh winds, and thanks to the sway bars, the trailer has swayed very little. We check the weather report every day to see what kind of weather we might encounter, but if we are caught off-guard and if the trailer begins to sway, all I have to do is to push two levers near the steering wheel and power will be applied to the trailer’s brakes which will stop the motion. This car was built from the bottom up to handle the load.

The Yukon has … let me interrupt myself. I am not paid to advertise the GMC Yukon. I am merely relating my experiences, feelings, and thoughts.

Now, where was I? Oh yes …

The Yukon has many features that make it an ideal vehicle to pull a trailer. Although it is built to pull up to 8,000 pounds, the trailer is only 5,000 pounds with all of our stuff in it. Therefore, as long as I treat the car properly, change oil regularly, keep air in both trailer and car tires to the proper pressure, etc., the car should last quite a while.

Yes, I understand that unforeseen events happen. Mechanical things sometimes break down and many kinds of problems can occur. But with our 8-year GMC warranty and our AAA insurance coverage, I should have no major problems.

Towing the trailer is an easy pull for the Yukon.

But all this reminds me of our human life.

Do you know that God made humans to normally last a long time? The Bible infers that God originally made us to live forever. However, since Adam introduced sin into the human race, the Bible says in Psalm 90:10, “Seventy years are given to us. Some live to eighty. But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble; soon they disappear, and we fly away.”

My mother and grandparents lived into their 90s, and my father lived to 89, but some folks overheat and stall out along the side of life much earlier. Longevity of life often depends on genetics – I understand that. But many people seem to just give up on life.

I’ve read that some soldiers in World War II with seemingly mortal wounds survived because they were determined to survive; while some others with no wounds pulled the cover over their heads and died. They just gave up, and that is disgusting.

As long as we are alive, most of us have the abilities to accomplish amazing feats. Like the Yukon, God made us to be resilient.

Life can present a temporary stall out, a long-term burnout, or a fatal crash – it often depends on our outlook on life. And we must remember that until Jesus returns, this physical life will come to an end. But when we look at life on the positive side of the picture, life can be a relatively easy pull up the mountain.

Of course, we need to take care of ourselves. Eat properly, rest adequately, exercise, keep worry to a minimum – or don’t worry at all – and keep a joyful attitude during tough times. The Bible says a joyful attitude is good medicine. So, cooperate with God and take care of yourselves.

Happy Trails To You, ‘Til We Meet Again – next week.

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It All is Beauty to Me

Driving over a hill, I wonder what I’ll see.

It may be a rock or a rill, it all is beauty to me.

Magnificent valley below, flowering bush and tall tree,

Swaying as the wind does blow, it all is beauty to me.

Climbing the mountain high with my head up in the cloud,

Breathing deeply, I sigh, and praise the Lord out loud.

Seeing the vista so wide, away from the noisy crowd,

With only birds at my side, I praise the Lord out loud.

Sailing along the coast, the wind and rain I brave,

I thrill with Jesus, my host, and with the freedom he gave.

Sitting on sandy shore, watching the crashing wave,

Thinking of God I adore, and the freedom He gave.

Walking through forest green, quiet meadow and lake,

I thrive in nature serene with each breath that I take.

Turning to go home, I plant my stake,

Planning again to roam with each breath that I take.

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Rocky Mountain National Park

Have you ever seen the Rocky Mountains? No, I don’t mean in a picture, on television, in the theater, or on IMAX. Have you ever driven through the Great Rocky Mountains? Perhaps many of you have driven through a portion of them, but did you observe the grandeur of these magnificent granite formations?

Carol and I visited the Rocky Mountain National Park, just after viewing the total solar eclipse in Glendo, Wyoming, as we celebrated our 51st wedding anniversary. It was a spectacular trip. The word “spectacular” is the keynote for this trip.

The Rocky Mountains, commonly called the Rockies, start in northern British Columbia, Canada, and extend about 3,000 miles south to New Mexico, USA. Several facts about the spectacular Rocky Mountain features are: 1) the Sangre de Christo Mountains run from New Mexico through Colorado; 2) the Rio Grande has its headwaters near Wolf Creek in Southern Colorado; 3) Pikes Peak is near Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs; 4) the Grand Tetons and Big Horn Mountains are located in Wyoming; 5) Branff National Park is in Alberta, Canada; and there are many more! This mountain range should not be confused with the Pacific Coast Ranges, the Cascade Range, or the Sierra Nevadas.

Some geologists say the Rockies are well over 55 million years old on a 4.54 billion-year-old earth; some say they were created about 6,000 years ago when the earth was created; and others say the Rockies were created just after the great flood about 4,500 years ago. But whatever age is ascribed to them (only God knows their true age), my Precious and I had a great trip.

The original Native American Cree name was probably “as-sin-wati”; loosely translated as “seen across plains, look like rocky mass.” But their present name was given by Frenchman Jacque Legardeur de Saint-Pierre in 1752 when he called them “les Montagnes de Roches” (pronounced: lay Montanye de Rosh) – or, the mountains of rocks. And that evolved into the Rocky Mountains. Seventy-four peaks in the Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) are over 12,000 feet; twenty-three more top out over 13,000 feet; and two peaks are over 14,000 feet (called 14ers). That’s a total of 99 spectacular peaks in only 415 square miles.

This continental ridge is 70 miles wide at its narrowest, and 300 at its greatest span. I read that the lowest elevation of the Rockies is 3,400 feet above sea level where the Arkansas River flows from Colorado into Kansas; but I didn’t know the base of the Rockies reached that far. And the highest point is magnificent Mount Elbert in Colorado at 14,400 feet.

Driving through Boulder, CO, we started our tour through the RMNP in the town of Estes Park, CO. situated at 7,522 feet. The east entrance to the park is on highway 36, only 3.5 miles from town. If you are driving from the south or west, you can take exit 232 on I-70, west of Denver, and drive north on highway 40. Follow the signs.

Hiking is a common activity. Starting at the parking lot near Bear Lake at 9,475 feet altitude, seven lakes are within 4.7 miles walking distance. That is: 4.7 miles – ONE WAY. Save your energy because you probably want to come back. We walked around Bear Lake – only 256 feet away – and back to the car.

We drove down Devil’s Gulch but couldn’t figure why the name because it’s a spectacular drive. The next day, we left Estes Park, drove to I-70, took exit 232, and entered the Park from the other side. Did I say the scenery was spectacular? Well, it WAS!

Going through Idaho Springs, Granby, and Grand Lake, the west entrance was 145 miles from Estes Park and the views were breath-taking. We visited the Alpine Visitor Center and the Trail Ridge Store above the tree line at 11,796 feet and took pictures of a coyote pouncing on an unseen rodent – probably a mountain vole, yellow-bellied marmot, or some other high-altitude critter. Words and pictures cannot adequately describe our emotions and experiences as we saw God’s handiwork in the high Rockies.

This trip caused me to focus more intently on my relationship with Almighty God: the Creator of every natural thing we saw. The song by Stuart Hamblen sums it up: “How big is God, how big and wide his vast domain, to try to tell these lips can only start. He’s big enough to rule the mighty universe, yet small enough to live within my heart.”

If you get the opportunity, I encourage you to visit the Rocky Mountain National Park. And you can call them les Montagnes de Roches if you prefer.

Happy Traveling.

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