MAPS

Daily, as we work at the BLRA Gateway Booth, we pass out many maps. Most experienced wilderness trekkers come prepared with their own highly detailed maps, both electronic and paper. The maps that we hand out are not at that level, but work well on the developed trail systems here.  Here is a look at some of them. Click on photo for a larger view.

The campground map shows the lay out of the various campsites.

This is a good overview of the area layout.

Distance and elevation map of the wilderness area. Each day we can look out of our living room window at the skyline of the Indian Peaks Wilderness and the Saint Isabel Glacier. Pretty cool stuff !

SURVEY

As you can see, the BLRA booth is a busy place. Yet, it is host to a variety of other activities. Here is a cool project that is hosted by the booth.

Volunteer visitors carry a gps tracker during their visit. The gathered data will bear heavily on future development and will help visitors better enjoy their time in the Blra.

At the end of their visit the gps volunteers drop their device in the handy boxes on their way out past the booth.

POWER

The BLRA Gateway Booth has a couple of ways to power up, even though it is miles from the power grid. Here is a look.

On the roof there is a wind generator, solar panels and a satellite dish. Oh, yeah, don’t overlook the lightning rods, they are on everything up here.

The booth fairly bristles with high tech equipment and a maintenance free battery bank.

Lots of cool stuff in a cool place, yet it is hardly noticeable, so it doesn’t detract from the visitors out of doors experience !

BOOTH

At the entrance to the Brainerd Lake Recreation Area there is a Booth. Betty and I are work camping there this Summer. It is up high ( 10,300 at the lake surface ) and the days are mild and the nights are cool. However, one of the coolest things about it, is the booth it’s self.

Here is Betty in front of the booth, waiting for the first visitor of the day. Up this high there is no electricity, telephone or cellular service.

This is the company that we work for.

Map of the area. Click for larger view.

First customer of the day and the sun isn’t up yet !

The parking and camping status board.

Worker parking, map board and the Iron Ranger for depositing after hours user fees.

A look inside and at the power systems to follow soon.

Yeah, it ahs been a busy but cool Summer here at the BLRA !

TWINKLING

Way off in the distance and far below, we could see it twinkling, the mile high city, yet it is nearly a mile below us. As the distant street lights began to blink out, the Eastern skyline becomes brighter. The jagged outlines of Spruce and Fir trees thrust up toward the heavens. Coffee mugs steam gently as we watch the new day unfold before us. We are sitting on the front step of the Welcome Center at the BLRA. Soon, the onslaught of visitors will start to arrive, as they escape the confines and the heat of the metropolis below. As the first morning calls of birds echo across the asphalt of the welcome center, we can hear it in the distance. It is the hum of tires on pavement as the first visitor of the day climbs up the steep highway to where we are.

10,300

Our campsite here in the BLRA is ten thousand three hundred feet high. Here is a look at our site, nestled back amongst the fir trees.

For a larger view, click the photo. The roof top solar panels have full sunlight nearly all day, so we still haven’t ran our generator but once, on a day off, when Betty made biscuits for breakfast.  The TV satellite dome picks up well here, so we haven’t even deployed the tripod antenna.

One thing that our site has that we have never had before, is a Bear box to keep bears out of ice chest and so forth. It sure makes for good dry storage right on our campsite !

We have paved roads, water and sewer hook ups, man, are we ever in tall cotton !

Our fire pit and barbeque grill have never been used ! We’ll fix that at the first opportunity !

The angle we are parked at nearly puts the awning out over the picnic table.

The 4th of July has been busy here at the BLRA and the weather has been exemplary ! Nights down in the low 40’s, days up in the low 70’s and rain to sleep by at night !

The BLRA, is a good Summer Workamper site.

GATEWAY

The Brainerd Lake Recreation Area is used by outdoor enthusiast all year long. The building below is the warming house for Winter activities at the Gateway.

There is no electricity up this high in the BLRA, except for that generated by Mother Nature. Look along the roof top of this four barreled out house at all of the lightning rods ! Click for a better look, and you just won’t hardly believe how many are there !

 

Lightning above ten thousand feet of elevation is quite the experience !

In the photo above, we could tell as we drove up that all four of the seat lids were left open by the last users, because the circulation was impaired or disrupted. Sure enough as we started our morning sweep and paper routine we put the lids down and all odor was gone up the flue and a faint mist could be seen above each pipe.

Outhouse technology 101 ?