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US Route 550
On the second week of September, we journeyed to Colorado to attend the Council Tree Pow Wow in Delta, Colorado. The scenery was just as beautiful as New Mexico and Arizona but different in the sense that there's more greeneries, houses on top of the mountains and truck ramps.
Passing US Route 70, which they call the dead man's curve is awful. The beautiful scenery is trying to compensate for the sloping terrains that will make you hit your brake a million times. If you are traveling and the speed limit which is 75 miles per hour suddenly become 25 miles per hour, you know that you are passing the dead man's curve.
When we reached Delta, Colorado, we messed our muffler and brake. We had to get the van worked on at Big O's.
After the Pow Wow on September 19th, 2004, we're on route to Cabazon, California. Looking at the map, we decided to use US Route 550. Looks like the route is passing through the mountain but it is not shown zigzagging along.
Before reaching US Route 550, we stopped by a station to fill gas. We asked the attendant about US Route 550. She said that she passed that once and will not pass it again.
Roads thru the mesas from Tuba City to Window Rock
We were faced with the dilemma of either passing US Route 550 or another route which looked further from our destination. Thomas said that we had experience driving through the mountains of Missouri, New Mexico and Arizona. We could handle this pass.
When we approached US Route 550, the route was lined with mountainous slopes and houses on them. We passed a town busy with tourists and shops and seemed to be very ideal for vacation house setting. We started to scale up and up the mountain. Remember, we were hauling a trailer as well as driving a long van. Going up, there were no railings at the edge of the mountain nor road shoulders. The speed limit start to go down to 5+- miles per hour. This time, we know we were in trouble. I looked down and I saw all the houses to be just small specks and the fall from the mountain is something like 10,000 feet. My heart must have jumped from my chest to my feet. I don't want to die this way! I still have lots of buckskin regalias to make. I grabbed my camera and started shooting everywhere including the ceiling of the van. I just have to get my mind off this imminent peril.
Thomas, a seasoned driver, was holding the steering wheel with both hands. He was getting stiff with tension.
The road was not straight at all. The map was misleading. I guess those who drew the map must be chuckling to themselves. They will fool too many unsuspecting souls. If you look straight ahead of you, the road zigzags along the mountain every 200 feet of less. You've got to be sober or less you will go to Kingdom Come.
When we reached 12,000 feet, I can't hardly see a thing. It was night and the weather was overcast. The rain was pouring on and off and I prayed that God lift up the fog. Thomas said that that wasn't fog. We were driving through the clouds.
On our way down, I was a little relieved because we were along the side of the mountain and not along the edge of the road. The only peril then was falling rocks. Thanks God, we reached Durango. I'm too old for this mountain experience. They said that if you fall, they'll just retrieve your body not your vehicle.
05/21/2006 11:26:06 PM