Union Pacific Big Boy 4014

 

Randomly discovering hot springs is a great way to spend the dregs of a Alaskan winter, and has been my primary focus of this trip, but when I learned that the Union Pacific massive steam locomotive Big Boy 4014 was going on a coast to coast tour, I decided that I had to see the thing.

 Back in the 1940’s Union Pacific had the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) build 25 of these monsters, and of those 25 only 8 survive, and 4014 is the only one in operating condition having been rescued from  50 years of static display at the rail giants train museum in Pomona California.

The 2026 tour starts and ends at the railroads steam headquarters in Cheynne, so that is where I headed.

Where Big Boy 4014 Sleeps

The roundhouse is a impressive structure of the railyard here. You could see the passenger coaches staged for the run starting tomorrow, but 4014 was hidden away deep within the railyard where mere civilians are not permitted.

Cheyenne Depot

With the big rail adventure not starting until tomorrow I opted to travel to Curt Gowdy State Park, that is strategically  located ½ way between Cheynne and 4014’s first stop in Laramie.

Yes, the park is named after Curt Gowdy, the sportscaster. Curt was born in Green River and raised in Cheyenne. The park sits above a reservoir where you can fish and boat, but not swim.

You Know You Have Arrived

It was off season in the park, so there was no water in the campground,  but my site had electricity, and view of the lake.

Granite Spring Reservoir 

Plenty of little Uinta ground squirrels were busy ducking into holes and running across the road to see what the other squirrels were doing, you could say the park offered entertainment and I spotted a Clark’s Nutcracker to add to my bird list. I didn’t get a good photo of him though.

Uinta Ground Squirrel

The only negative thing I can think of about the park is Curt must not have liked camping on level ground, because I don’t think there is a level spot in the park, and my spot took all my blocks to get level.

In the morning, it was an easy run to Laramie, on a quiet two lane highway. The vans path of the beam brought me right to the Union Pacific depot, and I was early enough to grab a primo parking spot steps away from the depot.

There are the usual things to see at the depot, the static display of old trains, and the museum with all the railroad artifacts was open early so you could take a look.

Railroad Semaphore

High above the railyard is a bridge and pathway that connects to another part of town, but on this morning  myself along with lots of other people decided that the bridge would be a excellent place to watch 4014

It Was Determined This Freight Is On Track 3

Now up on the bridge there was plenty of speculation as to what track Big Boy would arrive on. There could have even been betting.

All along I thought that Big Boy would be on the track closest to the station, and when I asked the fellow standing near me, who was a wealth of railroad information, he agreed and stated that Big Boy would come in on “Track 1” that they would switch it to that track just to the east of us where we couldn’t see all that well.

The entire wait for Big Boy had a carnival feel to it or it might have been a screen shot from the past when the passenger trains would stop at the depot , and the entire town would turn out to see who was arriving. Either way there must have been at least 1000 humans waiting.  Children were swinging on the swings. People were lined up about 6 deep near the depot, and tikes were scaling the fence to get a good look.

Just like at a rock concert Union Pacific provided a opening act, as a massive, covered hopper freight  train pulled by a 4000 hp GE (same people that make my toaster, and washer) was switched on to track one and came at the crowd sounding its horn and ringing its bell.

Opening Act Switched On To Track 1

Now since this freight was on track 1 it was going to pass just a few feet under us, and the driver was having a fun time sounding his horn, and as the massive locomotive was directly under, he gave a blast of that horn that made everyone on the bridge jump, a bit.

The lady standing next to me said that the noise scared her dog. I told her the noise scared me.

It wasn’t long until off in the distance you could see the single headlight of 4014 moving over to track 1. As it drew closer you could hear the unmistakable sound of a steam whistle.

As it approached the depot it started blowing steam, and everyone that was on or near the platform got a steam bath.

4014 Has Arrived

After the train stopped, I shuffled off the bridge and wandered over to the six deep crowd at the depot.

At least six crew were at the locomotives wheels oiling everything that they  could reach

Oiling Up The Locomotive

I never got the photo I wanted of Big Boy but it was fun to be near a massive steam locomotive and feel the heat coming off of it and wonder what noise it was going to make next. 

 

 

 

 

Rocky Mountain High

 Colorado sure has some high mountain passes. I  think I topped out the other day going over 11,312 foot Monarch Pass, and  so I was ready for that low lying 10,666 Vail Pass

The Blower That Cleared All The Snow From Colorado

There is supposed to be mountains of snow in Monarch Pass this time of year, but that isn’t the case.  In fact, this winter Colorado snowfall is at a 50 year low. That’s some serious drought , and it’s not looking good for all the people, and agriculture that survive because of water from the Colorado river.

Monarch Pass & Not Much Snow

Right wing fascists can deny climate change all they want, but the evidence is clear. You warm up the ocean a couple of degrees centigrade and you change the weather patterns.

Keeping the van with a name speed between 55 & 60 gives me milage up to 19 miles per gallon this trip, and that means I ain’t pumping out as much carbon as all the vehicles passing me  going 80 mph or faster,

In Granby I stayed at a first rate  Sun Country “RV RESORT” . Sun Country really does an excellent job, with level concrete slabs, full hookups, and even though the pool was closed they did have two hot tubs open 24 hours a day. They must have over 300 campsites here, along with small cabins, Airstream Trailers you can stay in, and even covered wagons.

I Wonder If You Have To Feed The Ponys If You Stay Here

Their store was closed , and so was the bowling alley . The bar was open, and the bar food was okay, and the rate was lower than summer when this must be one happening  place.

Largest Bar In Any Campground I Have Been In

I’ve got to head north now as I want to be in Cheyenne Wyoming on the 29 so I can see Union Pacific’s legendary steam locomotive Big Boy  that starts its western 2026 tour that day. There will be photos!

The plan was to go through Rocky Mountain National Park on highway 34, but the highway remains closed because of winter.

No worries, a quick backtrack on  Colorado highway 125 and a run north to Walden through the Arapaho  National Recreation area  that was burned in 2020 in the East Troublesome fire. It was a huge fire that burned 193,812 acres and destroyed over 360 homes. Climate change ain’t  pretty.

NOAH Image Of East Troublesom Fire Yikes!

 

The Rediscovery Tour

 Once again, I find myself on a highway I previously  conquered on a motorbike. This trip I am only going to Ouray. But if I were to continue on to Durango over highway 550  it’s a steep and narrow passage called The Million Dollar Highway  for various reasons. But the ride or drive through the  San Juan Mountains  is a must do. It’s breathtaking with steep grades and no guardrails.

Fall View Of The Million Dollar Highway

 If you are doing it right on a bike you are going to have  sparks coming from your floorboards.  It was a fun ride Floor it!

I am glamping here for a few nights In Ouray a small town nestled at  7000+ feet in the San Juan Mountains.  I traveled here because of the hot springs that I had no idea were here on a previous visit.

I booked a camping site at  Ouray  Riverside Resort.……. But before I set up camp I checked into the hot springs

Downtown Ouray

$24.00 for my age range but I’m returning next year for a bigger discount. The springs are skookum. There is a lap pool. A not so hot pool, and a hot pool with a waterfall. There is also a closed pool so I don’t know what is up with that.

Ouray Hot Springs

My limit after going for three days in a row is about 45 minutes, and that includes  the most time in the hottest pool and then a splash in the cooler pool. I think they could use some shade here.  Maybe a umbrella or two, because soaking in 100+ degree water in a hot spring at 7000+ feet under a direct sun, well I think my condition when leaving could be called Jello.

Looking at my map, I see that there hot springs just about everywhere in Colorado, and I think that for the next few days I will just  be driving around aimlessly and occasionally doing a google search for hot springs near me.

This morning I cruised back up 550 to Montrose for some resupplying, then headed east on my old friend Highway 50.

I didn’t get very far, because I spotted Elk Creek Campground smack dab in the Curecanti National Recreation Area. I love to camp in our federal parks. With my senior pass the  entrance fee is free, and camping is ½ off.  This site with electric is a whopping $17.00. That is the best deal for camping anywhere even though it’s a couple of dollars more than last year.

Elk Creek Camp

Then I headed   for a night at Cottonwood Hot springs just a little west of Buena Vista Colorado.They have several pools that are works of art. Whoever made them must have been a master stone mason. The pools are made from granite rocks that are everywhere around but are skillfully masoned into place to make a mostly smooth bottom. The facilities are clean. The pools are crystal clear.

Cottonwood Hotsprings

The kinda hippie woman at the check in took my money and showed me where the two RV sites were, and suggested I take the second one, which was good advice as it was the more level site. She also fastened a plastic green arm band around my left arm the sort you get at a motorcycle rally, but at this hot springs there were no bikes, and I have a proper scissors to cut the thing off when I leave.

Cottonwood is the most old school spring I have visited. Clothing is optional after dark, but that is  not dark enough for me. The price was high end at $98.00 for the night, but if you like to go naked in a hot spring at 2:00 am you can do it there.

 

 

 

Monument Misgivings

 

Dry camping offers no showers and I was getting desperate enough to try one without my water heater.

 Instead, I decided to go north and stop in Monument valley. Now I have seen the KOA there and it is a large dirt  field  right off the highway, that has RV hook ups.

Seeing that Goulding’s had a RV park I knew that they could do better than KOA, and they  did.

Their RV park is up the road past  their lodge, past the Tipi  Village where I have stayed before   and went all the way to Oljato because I missed the giant sign that said Tipi Village

Tipi Village

Goulding’s did not disappoint. Early check in was no issue. The showers were spotless.  Hot water just kept coming, and the showers were  actually engineered so the water didn’t flood your dressing area or the room.

 The campsites were level in spite of the park being on a hill, and I slept soundly , as anyone  being pure of heart mostly should.

The laundry was also  immaculate it  took more quarters than usual and people had used lots of scented detergent and fabric stink. I might have to burn all my clothes as I don’t like my clothes being fragrant like a domesticated  Pepe Le Pew

The Le Pew Is On My Clothes

This stop in the valley was just a stopover. Three times I have been here. Two times I have done tours into the valley, and with the wind blowing enough dust to obscure the view, the monuments are still spectacular.

A Nice Sunrise At Monument Valley

My map shows a small campground in Natural Bridges National Monument and that is where I headed. After Monument Valley. I thought about taking the legendary Moki Dugway, but the thought of listening to my teacups rattle on the 3 or so miles of gravel made me change my mind.

The little camp at Natural Bridges was full. No room at the inn for me.

I continued north on 95 through a section of Bears Ears National Monument. I thought there might be some campgrounds, but there are none. There were a couple of sites that looked like dispersed camping would be fine, but they were mostly up steep gravel roads. No place I want to go.

On the way to Hanksville I started to remember that I had ridden this road several years ago , so long ago that the lake had water in it.

Lake Powell isn't  a lake here anymore.

One Very Dry Marina

From Hite Overlook I wasn’t quite sure what I was looking at. I thought the paved part might be a airport, but then it dawned on me that what I was looking at was a marina and boat ramp sitting very high and dry. I especially like how when they built the boat ramp, they built it longer than it would ever need to be! The river is on the lower right of the photograph, and not visible.

Guess it’s a good thing that amerika don’t believe in science or climate change anymore, but that attitude ain’t gonna put water back in the river.

After a night in Hanksville I filled up with intentions of heading to Colorado.

$5.18 Cash For Diesel

Gee I sure hope that the truck drivers who support felon 47,  that these higher fuel prices don’t affect their livelihood. LOL LOL LOL