Peace is an interesting thing. It means so many different things to people. To some, it means getting along with those around them. To others, it means being in some zen state. Years ago, I was introduced to a peace that transcends all understanding. More on that later.

For the last two nights, we have been staying at the dispersed camping area off of the Million Dollar Highway just outside of Ouray, Colorado. This is a beautiful area, but it is anything but peaceful. Tons of campers take advantage of the free camping. Generators turn on and off, there is a constant stream of off-road vehicles of all types moving up and down the road, and the noise from the highway can be heard. What are the advantages you may ask? Well, it’s free, we made a good friend to camp beside, Dee, and the views oh the views. The mountains go almost straight up on all sides.

Dee has two hummingbird feeders outside of his camper, and his birds were all over camp. Their wings make a distinctive whistling sound when they go by. They were curious and liked to check out what we were doing often. I talked with Dee before Maddie and I went to bed, and then again the next morning before we hit the road. As I walked away, he said that he would think about me when Clemson and Texas A&M played for the National Championship at the end of this year’s football season. I chuckled as I got into the Jeep.

We drove back down The Million Dollar Highway to town. This road is one where you don’t want to make a mistake. There are very few guardrails, and the consequence of drifting off of the road is a several hundred-foot fall. Hopefully, you can make out the void a few inches to the side of the white line in the pictures below. The driver has to fight the urge to enjoy the views as they stay focused on driving.

Today, Maddie and I would try something new. Via Ferrata is climbing aided by a cable for protection and a series of rebar steps, ladders, and bridges. It is popular in Europe, but we are seeing a few routes pop up in the States. Ouray has a couple of routes in their Ice Park. I won’t take much time to describe this, but in the winter, they spray water on the rock walls to create an ice climber’s paradise. The Via Ferrata is free, but rangers check to make sure that you have the correct gear before you enter the route. Being climbers, we had everything but the correct lanyards. We rented those in town the day before.

The routes open at 8:00 AM. The parking area on the side of the very steep dirt road was almost full when we arrived at 8:30 AM. We gathered our gear and hit the trail to the start of the routes. We first did the easier Down Stream route where we met a few guided groups of climbers. The lanyards that are attached to our climbing harnesses had two large self-locking carabiners. One of these stays locked as you unclip and clip the other when you get to connection points on the cable. The guides were nice and allowed us to pass them as we were moving at a much faster pace than their groups.

We were rushing on the first route because it would be closing at 11:00 AM because of nearby blasting. We were told to expect to spend between two and three and a half hours on each route. They both have an early exit point or two if needed. Even with the three back-ups that we experienced, we finished the first route in just under an hour and a half. We made the steep hike back up the dirt road and trail to do the Up Stream route.

This route was harder than the first. It was longer, and it had fewer steps and rungs. Even though the temperature was in the high 70s, the canyon was like an oven. We both were hot and tired before we finished the second route. We didn’t run into any groups, and it took us about two hours to complete this route.

Here are a couple of pictures of one of the ladders on the route. The first is looking up at Maddie, and the second is looking down at where the ladder started.

This was a totally different experience than we were used to, but we both agreed that we would try other Via Ferrata’s if given the opportunity.

Once we had returned the rental lanyards, I made a call to the Teton Climbing Ranger Station to get an update on the routes that we hoped to climb. We received great news! Over the last week and a half, the temps were warm enough to melt most of the ice that would cause an issue for us, so we gassed up and headed north.

We quickly reached triple digits again as we moved through Grand Junction and Fruita, Colorado. This is where PB&J decided to show out.

Earlier this year, I replace the leaky oil cooler on the Jeep. This is a known issue as the stock plastic coolers develop cracks. The replacement that I used was an aftermarket aluminum model that takes care of the cracking issue. It seems that the oil cooler has failed. I noticed the coolant temperature rising slightly as we made our way through Grand Junction. When I pulled over to check, I noticed oil in the coolant overflow tank. I gave Mark a call to get his take, and he said that it sounded like something in the oil cooler malfunctioned. I added some oil and limped back into Fruita to get a motel room. I’m waiting for the mechanic shops to open this morning to see what we can do. Lance is even seeing if the dealership out here can help with a quick turnaround for us.

Philippians 4:4-7 4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

While taking a shower last night, I thought of possible solutions to our roadblock. I imagine if I can find a shop to do the work, at best, we will be spending several days waiting. I thought about renting a truck and tow dolly. I thought about renting a car and shipping the Jeep back to South Carolina. My mind raced to the point that I wasn’t enjoying the luxury that most first-world people overlook daily, a hot shower. In a moment of sanity, I paused and reflected on one of the greatest tools that I have been given: peace.

For the next few minutes, I praised the Lord for the motel room and the shower. I praised Him for even being able to be in the predicament that we are in. I praised Him for the safety and good times that He has allowed us to have so far on the trip, and I praised Him for allowing this issue to happen near civilization. The remainder of my shower was great!

Some of you may be anxious for us. Please don’t be. I would like to offer you the peace that the Lord has given me. As I lay in the bed in our air-conditioned room finishing up this post, I don’t know what the day holds, but praise the Lord, I know Who holds the day! Your prayers are welcomed.

Because He Calls, Old Climbing Dad