Custom Handmade Leatherwork

I'm so excited!! My new knife sheath is here.

I am a big fan of anything handmade with skill. It's such a rare commodity these days.

Whether it be fabricating with metal, leather, wood or anything else I think it's amazing how style, hard work and a bit of art mix together into something that is one of a kind. It can't be duplicated by a machine. Something that is truly hand made has the personality and the skills of the maker built into it.

I am so excited to finally have something that is custom made just for me. A good friend of mine has been a fabricator of metal and leather for many years. From the good old days where he fabricated Trophy Trucks during the heyday of Ford's Rough Riders desert racing to the leather work he does for cowboy action shooters, motorcycle seats etc!

I've had my Helle Eggen knife for many years, but the leather sheath that it came with fell apart after a short couple years of hard use. Thankfully the knife is made to last a life time or more. I hope to pass this knife down to my children some day.

If you need any leather work I can put you in touch with Dennis. Here is his facebook page, but shoot me a message and I can send you his phone number or here is his email: ruff 79 bronco at gmail dot com. (It's spelled out funny like that so the address doesn't get picked up by the folks who love to send tons of spam email! Use your noggin and it should be clear what his email is without the spaces and items spelled out.)

I apologize for the bad pictures.

Of course this sheath will get a lot of use over the next few years!

The detail work is my favorite part.

Here are a couple shots of his other work, but the list of items he can make is much longer than what's below. I particularly like the custom motorcycle seats he's created. Some day when I have the right bike, I'll be placing an order.

CO. Day 9 and 10: Stoner Ski Resort, Mancos, Cortez, New Mexico, Greer, to Beehive Springs, Phoenix

We woke up late and took our time descending the mountain. It was the last 5 digit elevations we'd see for a while.

I had to grab a driving picture of the Stoner Ranch. Behind it are the still cut in Ski Runs and the chairlifts. I wonder if they keep it running to go and hit up some turns for their friends in the middle of winter.

As we headed through New Mexico I was struck by how ugly this part of the state is. The towns are dirty and the people all seem angry. This is from three trips through this area, all on different highways of course. I hate to say it, but that's what this particular area seems like. I think it's more a product of poverty than anything else.

A resounding feature was Shiprock. It's absolutely impressive. We didn't drive into the park to avoid tourists, but it was great to see such an amazing view.

As we traveled south we entered the New Mexico I know and love. It was gorgeous! It reminded me of the areas near Taos, but albeit at lower elevation. As we drove through New Mexico we drove along a desolate highway that was under construction for about 2 hours worth of driving. They were widening a highway that almost no one uses. About another hour south we turned onto a highway that was on my GPS and map as paved. About 100 yards later it went to dirt. I was happy, but it was funny that one that was supposed to be paved a decade before was still dirt. On the other hand, one that had no one on it was getting a 25,000,000 American Reinvestment act face lift. Oh well, such is government.

We had a great time on the dirt and eventually dropped right on to the US60. The 60 took us right into Arizona. We drove around Greer and quickly ran away with all of the people playing "weekend camper" at the fancy resorts! They were everywhere. It felt like attack of the Scottsdale Zombies.

We found a great spot with no one around for miles. I was surprised we were able to with so many campers around. As I got out of the truck I felt a sharp pain! Again and again. On my arm the first couple times and then on my leg the next 4 times. Yikes! I was dancing to make sure it was out of my clothes before I jumped back in the truck. We saw several angry bee's buzzing outside the front window trying to get at us. Yikes!

As I pulled up the map and GPS to find another place to go I noticed we were smack dab on top of Beehive Springs... DOH!

As funny as it was we soon realized after traveling several miles that Beehive Springs was no more bee populated than this whole area. We careful set up camp and got a nice and smokey fire going to deter the bees. Once they went to sleep we had a great night reading and eating a chicken stir fry.

It struck me how amazing that on our 9th night camping we were eating food this fresh that had been brought along the whole adventure. Wow, I love my freezer/fridge!

Moooo! And good night.

The next morning we got up nice and late. Our subconscious not wanting to head back down in elevation to the heat and responsibilities of real life. We drove through Show Low, Heber, on to Payson, Sunflower, Four Peaks and then Phoenix. The great trip was done, but many more would follow. It was hot, but as we drove through town I knew it was a great trip because we felt like foreigners in our own town.

Hope you enjoyed it.

T and D

CO. Day 8: Kite Lake, Stony Pass, Silverton, Purgatory, Colorado Trail

So, we woke up and drove down from Heart Lake towards Highway 550 after spending a while heading down roads that the Forest Service had closed. Several showed they would go through and cut down to Stony Pass, but never did. It's all part of the adventure.

As we headed towards Stony Pass we saw this sign.

The handlebars of the bike it swing back and fourth. That was cutting it close!! This section before Stony Pass was actually a lot rougher than the road to come. We saw two trucks with flat tires that had it under control, but I could tell they were in over their heads. They both insisted that help was on the way so we kept on cruising.

Heading along Sweetwater Creek. I think that signs been there for a while.

Stony Pass is pretty, but it was Friday before a huge holiday weekend and so it was what we were calling crowded. Sure it was only 15 or so trucks, but it was enough to make D and I hurry out of here.

Coming down the west side of Stony Pass there are some amazing remnants of Ore tramways.

I wonder how many more years these buckets will hang up there.

This building was the lower tramway building. The wires from the ore buckets went right into it. Even better I could see that the windows were of a newer era and there was a For Sale sign on it. We had to walk up and grab a flyer. For the price of a normal home in say Orange County you could own a 100+ year old piece of history and live in it!

Wow!

The holes are sealed up, but this is part of your new home. I can just picture the rich ore dumping out.

There is even a fire escape, if the fire is bad enough to trust 100+ year old wood!

Not a bad back yard!

This tramway building is down in the main valley on the way to Silverton. It's on the property of a modern mine. Hopefully the newer roof keeps the rest of the building preserved for a long time to come.

Perfect for a ride to work or to take ore down the mountain!

We dropped by Silverton very briefly, but the crowds had come to town. We found a brief respite at the city park and then we headed out. First we had to drop by the steam engine.

The perfect grocery getter for the San Juans!

As we drove up and out of Silverton I saw a 3rd generation 4runner heading my way. It's funny that we both instantly recognized each others trucks. As he flashed his lights I flashed mine. Haha!

I turned around and we chatted for a bit. It was Jake Quinones of New Mexico Backroads. He was headed up to Ouray for the long weekend to do some exploring and photography. His pictures are just amazing. Have a look at the link above.

We drove down the highway and turned off on Lime Creek. I've heard that this side road that parallels the highway is really pretty. We had a good time being on dirt, but considering the mileage we traveled the day before I was ready to be off of this particular side trail. I was exhausted. We didn't see a lot of mine buildings so we just kept cruising and listening to Jason Ellis on Sirius.

Once we were back on the highway we headed to Purgatory (Durango Mountain Resort, but I refuse to call it by the new name) and up the Hermosa Trail that I mountain biked the week before. We raced up in elevation until we were at a spot that we found a week before but deemed "too high" in elevation to camp after just coming from Phoenix. We were more than prepared since we'd been camping at 11k to 12k feet.

Tonight's camp was amazing. We were sitting at 11,800 feet right on the Colorado Trail. The view to the left.

The view to the right.

In camp.

Not a bad view. What a great night!!

A great night for reading! And smores, gotta have smores!

I had the first tinge of sadness that the trip was coming to an end. We had a night or two more, but considering how long we'd been traveling that was a very short time.

CO. Day 7: Engineer Pass, Animas Forks, California Pass, Poughkeepsie, Ouray, Cinnamon, Carson City, Heart Lake, Colorado Trail, Continental Divide...

Yes, it's a long name for a long day. With a new tire I had an itch to explore!

We woke up and headed out pretty early. It was blueberry muffins, bananas and hard boiled eggs for breakfast. Quick, but delicious!

We were just a few short miles from pavement and then into Lake City. Lake City was crowded, but the holiday weekend was coming so it was expected after all. I spoke to a friend tonight about Lake City. It's almost painfully quaint. It leaves me feeling it might all be fake. I have to say that the views and beauty of the surroundings aren't fake. They are the real deal.

Even the people, not just the ones waiting to sell or serve you, seem happy. We watched as a mom road her old cruiser bicycle towards the local school with her little son sitting on the rear fender with his legs dangling in the air and back pack on. They looked painfully happy.

In summary, I think I like these towns, but there is a catch. The catch I would guess comes in the form of working tirelessly during the few snow free summer months trying to make enough money off the tourists to last the slow winter months. That doesn't sound too bad, but it also seems frustrating that their best weather months are filled with work.

Ultimately, I guess the best goal is to move to town like this with plenty of money so enjoyment becomes your first priority.

Not a bad grocery getter here in Lake City!

As we fed the 4runner I looked up to see the dirt bike riders from the day before parked across the street getting themselves fueled up.

I do love these old signs!!

I always notice something new on Engineer pass. From this angle this section of the aqueduct looks like a walking thing from Star Wars. My friend Heidi is laughing that I don't know what the name of it is, but tell me I'm wrong!

Yah, well, that's what I saw at this early morning hour.

I would love to use this outhouse. I think it would be both terrifying and fun.

This damn always boggles my mind. This giant wall would hold the water of the river back until it rose to the point of the pipe. Then it would run down a long tube that was hanging on a lattice work of wood into the town/mine. It's sort of a short distance aqueduct.

These sections of thick aspens are so striking. We took a small side trail that we've never explored. I'm glad we did.

We also saw this old chimney still standing along the side of the road.

Once back on Engineer Pass road we came across the giant brick Kiln used for making coke. Not that kind of coke. Coke is what coal cooks down to. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coke_(fuel)

Obligatory picture of water. In Arizona it's just "that" rare.

I can only imagine how many times someone used this spot for the land owners to feel like putting up a sign. I didn't feel any urge to relieve myself there, but I guess some people do.

This is what comes to mind every time someone mentions a cabin. Since we first spotted it on our first Colorado trip it burned into our memory. The bridge is such a great expense, but it looks like such a cool way to come home! There is a road up to it on the other side of the river, but the bridge is so much more fun.

Notice the Marmot on the bridge. I could tell he was a rare breed of Guard Marmot.

Ah, the vistas!

Not far over Engineer Pass we saw what looked like a horse tied up. As we got closer the giant ears told me it was a mule. I was perplexed why a mule would be hanging out on the top of a mountain with no one in sight.

Once I walked over the mule was tied to a metal stake in the ground. Not one that had been placed there recently. It was a permanent sort of metal ring sunk into the rock. It seemed ever more strange now. Why ride a mule up to the top of a mountain. Then what would you tie it up to go and do? Maybe he is an elusive marmot hunter.

We made it over to Animas Forks.

Lean to the left.

Lunch is ready!!

Stairway to... hell?

I have a lot of favorite cabins. This one is another up on top of a pass. With a nice grocery getter too!

I can picture the ore buckets flying along from tower to tower as they go down the mountain.

The minerals tint the rocks all sorts of different colors. This white one was pretty striking.

This precariously perched boiler is quite a site. It is sitting exactly how we first saw it 5 years ago. I'm sure it's sat there for a lot longer than 5 years so hopefully it will be there next time.

Yet another pass.

Just before reaching this pass we had come along a couple of guys in UTV's cruising along very slowly. I hate to honk the horn and ruin the peaceful feeling, but after following these guys for a mile I was getting tired of going 4MPH. Finally they pulled over a bit, but I could tell by how they pulled over that it wasn't to let me pass. One guy got out to relieve himself and almost fell over when he saw my truck sitting about 15 feet behind him. Whoops!

I waved and was able to squeeze by. As we stood on the top of California Pass I saw them and a few other quads coming along. I knew we had to get going before we were stuck behind them again!! Run for it!

Looking down at Poughkeepsie gulch!

Heading into the gulch.

Uh oh! I was just glad that it wasn't raining. The last time we did this trail it was raining and the 4runner was almost completely stock. On a mountain top to our left was a group of hikers watching us descend the gulch. Now would be a bad time to make a mistake. I always hate an audience.

The toughest section of the trail. The sign says "Winch Point."

She's just planning her attack...

Once we got to the bottom of the gulch we headed into Ouray. I got a call from my buddy T and he had just rolled into town for some hiking, wheeling and exploring over the holiday weekend. We met up with him at Mouse's Chocolate. I'm pretty sure if we lived in Ouray I'd be broke and D would keep Mouse's in business all on her own!

After a quick meeting with an old friend we headed back up the mountain to go and do Cinnamon Pass!

Thank goodness for self timers or we'd never have any pictures of us!

Carson City!

At this point we were already on a side trail from Cinnamon Pass. The road to Carson City is rough, but nothing too bad. No car could make it up the road in it's current state, but a high clearance truck should do fine if it's dry. Once we drove past Carson City, which is the turn around spot for most traffic, the road got smaller and more rough. We had Heart Lake in our sites.

Once we were at the top of the pass the sun was getting low. It had been a long day! We headed down the marked trail toward Heart Lake. This section of trail runs right along the spine of this mountain. It's pretty neat because at this point you are on both the Colorado Trail and the Continental Divide.

This one is the Continental Divide sign.

The Colorado Trail sign.

Way up here in the middle of no where we come upon this...

I hate it when this happens.

So, along the Colorado/Continental Trail we went. Up, up and up to well over 13,000 feet. We were hoping to be finding a camp very soon and we were just climbing more. We should have caught a glimpse of Heart Lake by now, but all we could see is further mountain to climb.

Finally we were at the top. This road turned into a field of sharp rocks for as far as I could see. After one flat on this trip, I really didn't want another one.

I was possessed, rock field or not I wanted to see Heart Lake!

Finally as the sun sank low in the sky we caught partial sight of a lake. That was enough to keep me going over this desert high mountain road.

The colors of the sunset were absolutely amazing. As we went down a steep dirt hill it was almost enough to take my mind off the fact that if it rained we had no chance of getting back up this deep soil hill.

It's steeper than it looks.

As we came over this hill there it was. Our first sight of Heart Lake! What a long day coming it was.

That was worth stopping for a second to enjoy just a moment of celebration!

The sky was on fire. Clearly it was giving us the celebration we needed.

We found a great site right next to the lake, got a warm fire going, and made some hot dinner. That was an epic day.