Covid and the West

I went to the Chicago MCR concert earlier this month and as I was standing in the massive crowd I knew if I wasn't already sick I was going to be sick. The second I got home wouldn't you know it - I got covid. I had a southwest roadtrip planned a week and some change later and I desperately didn't want to miss it, so it was probably the first time ever I've rested so much when sick. By some miracle I did get better in time. Since it was a camping situation, it was easy to isolate even in my small group. The first day of the trip I tested negative and by all medical advice and the CDC, I was no longer a leper.

Being an asthmatic, though not that severe, and recovering from a respiratory illness felt pretty fitting for the first leg of the trip, Colorado. Many people went west to try and find relief from tuberculosis. After a couple of hikes left me heaving and light headed, I wasn't sure the thinner air was actually all that great.

We spent a brief blip at the Great Sand Dunes before hopping over to Mesa Verde. I passed a lot of abandoned cabins and stopped to take some reference photos. I haven't quite figured out myself why I am so drawn to abandoned and decayed buildings, but I think a part of it is the curiosity of its history. Who lived there? Why did it fall into neglect? And of course the intrigue of all the people who still come and go to sleep or vandalize the building. It has a creepy and sad and haunted feeling. But also beautiful. I like to imagine the first owner and all the hope that one house held.

Mesa Verde was our longest stay. We camped in the park, made fires morning and night, played music, and made art. The wildlife was not shy with plenty of mule deer grazing, pinyon jays scouring campsites for any crumbs, and I even saw my first bear. I saw him twice actually. The first time was from my car and the second I was walking by the same exact spot and he was hiding in the brush. Bear encounters are way less fun when a car isn't between you and the bear, so I pulled my pepper spray out, walked backwards to show him I saw him, and left him be. I'm sad I never got a photo, so I guess you'll just have to believe me.

Of course going to Mesa Verde means seeing the incredible cliff dwellings. We took a guided tour to learn about the people who lived on the mountains and see the infamous Cliff Palace. Have I mentioned at all I'm terrified of heights? The first half wasn't so bad, we got to see the remains of a vicious forest fire (which won't regenerate for 300 years), saw some ancient dwelling sites, and we even spotted some mustangs. The second half of the tour included seeing all the cliff dwellings. Even from the safety behind the railing I was very nervous, but this wasn't the worst part. Once we descended down to the Cliff Palace I was in full phobia mode. The Cliff Palace itself was a little nerve racking, but it was nothing compared to the decent back up. I basically have to convince myself I'm not going to glitch like a Skyrim character and plummet off the mountain. If you can believe it, I didn't die. Not Once.

On the way down the mountain we saw a coyote on the road. I tried to take a photo but my long exposure was activated by the dim light and he turned into this red blob (probably mixed with the car tail lights) It's kind of fun to imagine I captured a coyote spirit and he never really was real.

We said goodbye to Mesa Verde to head to our next location, Monument Valley. We had an amazing tour by horseback (my horse's name was Frybread) to check out some of the rock structures, learn about the Diné people who live there, and try and spot some Turquoise. I swear I saw one vein of it. We spent the night in a teepee village owned by a nice Diné man named Aaron. We watched for shooting stars (I saw 2) then crashed. In the morning Aaron sang us some songs and we all played an instrument. It was a nice and unexpected shared experience. He also shared a bit about his family, their art, and his beliefs. A lot of it resonated with me, I struggle with what I believe. I want to believe something, but know a lot of things I've heard and experienced I don't align with. It gave me some comfort hearing his stories.

We left Monument Valley for our last stop, Glenwood Springs. After so much travel and camping we wanted to end it in a bed and relaxing in some hot springs. But first, we made a pit stop in Arches National Park, because why not.

Once we arrived in Glenwood Spring's, as a fan of the movie Tombstone, I went to visit the grave of Doc Holiday and left the penniless gunslinger a penny. I spent some time giving my respects to the poor souls in the potter's field and reading some of the tombs. Most dates stop after 1940. A lot of children, mothers, and young men. Once my communion with the dead was complete we spent the day exploring the cute tourist town and visited Yampa Spa. The caves below were definitely a special experience. The hot water bubbled up from below and the caves were heated entirely naturally. I wondered how many people have been in these caves to heal or connect with spirits over the past decades, before it was a paid experience with nice showers and water bottles. I spent some time thinking about my beliefs, what's that weird algae growing in the water, and am I going to pass out from the heat now? My experience in the hot spring bath and cave sauna definitely helped clear out some of the covid gunk lingering. I'm not sure my spiritual gunk is totally clear yet.

And that's it folks. I spent the next part of my journey being tortured through Kansas til I got home. I love the west and have lived in it many years. My time away only makes my heart grow fonder. Each visit I find some part of myself, my spirit, and my artistic soul. That's it with my corny feelings. It's good to be home.