I've been coming to SW Colorado at least once a year for almost 25 years but this was the first time I had been through Taylor Canyon to the reservoir. It won't be my last. Oh, wait, this time wasn't my last. I'll get to that.
Just past Taylor Reservoir there is the intersection of two roads. At the intersection is a little compound of cabins and the Taylor Creek Trading Post. The entire place was a hub off ATV and dirt bike activity. There was a small general store, a restaurant and gas pumps. There were ATV's and dirt bikes everywhere. I gassed up, drank a Coke and headed down the dirt road to Tin Cup.
About 5 miles down the road I ran across a young man on a broken down dirt bike. I had a strap in my bag so I towed him back to the Trading Post where he was staying. Afterwards I decided to head home since my wife was waiting on me for dinner. I called and told her I was about a hundred miles away and headed home.
I rode to Gunnison and stopped to call my wife to give her another update. I reached into my tank bag for my cell phone and it was....gone. Doh.
It musta dropped out while I was taking the camera out of my tank bag for pictures. The last place I had stopped for pictures was at least 45 miles away and the furthest was 60+. It was about 7pm and I had no way to call a wife who was worrying so I decided to punt on the Iphone and get back. I didn't really hate losing the phone but I did hate losing all my contacts and the music I had downloaded for my riding and the road trip.
I sat around all night and thought about where I coulda lost the phone. I had only stopped about a dozen places for photos. The ride was ridiculously scenic. I had another day of vacation. Easy decision. I decided to get up the next morning, re-trace my steps and hunt for my lost phone.
I rode hard from Lake City to Gunnison, stopped for coffee and fuel then turned at Almont for the ride along Taylor River. I was scanning the road and stopped at several places I'd snapped photos the day before but saw no trace of my phone. I stopped at a little hay farm and lumber yard at a the confluence of the roads from Crested Butte and Almont where I had taken some pictures. I saw no sign of my phone. I reached down with my left heel to kick up the sidestand and I saw some black rubber about the size of a silver dollar poking out from underneath the find, powder-like dirt. I kicked at the dirt and revealed an ojbect the size of an Iphone:
I grabbed it, dusted it up and powered it on. It worked like a champ. Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good.
Unfortunately, this cell phone rescue trip used up my last day of riding so I didn't get in any more off road riding. I do have some more pictures of beautiful scenery and dirty yellow motorcycles but they don't seem to have uploaded to my smugmug account. I'll try to get them posted for one more Colorado fix for everyone.....
-Fletch