Rancho Sierra Vista

What started out to be a short drive after we had already been to church at Many Farms and Lukachukia because I wanted to finish listening to a story we had begun on our way home from the wedding in Utah.

I didn’t realize we were low in gas. Dad said we could go to Granada and back and I just thought thats good as I knew the story would be over by then. But we turned and headed towards Pinon and then after traveling until the road got bad we decided to turn right onto a road that looked great. Paved with asphault and wide. Well that ended after a short time and we were committed as dad put it because we didn’t have the gas to back track. Neither of us knew exactly where we were or where this road was going and it was beginning to get dark. Not good.

The road got narrower and then we began to go through ditches and gulleys and through slush and frozen stuff and lots of snow and most of the time in four wheel drive to just make it through. I was scared stiff. My mind kept working on the fact that if something happened to dad and we had no phone signal and I didn’t know where we were really and we hadn’t even seen a hogan in forever what would I do. I was still in my church clothes and had only taken a coat because dad told me I couldn’t get into the car without one.

I finally got out the GPS and tried to see if it would tell us where we were in ralationship to where I would really like to be. Dad just kept going and Charlee could feel the tension I was exuding and he was restless. We lost daylight and still had no idea where we were. The reading on the GPS said we were close to a road that would link us back to 191. But not matter how long we drove, now on a two rut road and larger ditches and steep drop offs we didn’t seem to get any closer to that road we needed to get us back to where we knew our way around.

Finally we saw light and headed in that direction. Then the road posted a sign saying it was a deadend. Dad kept going and found a house with cars and he walked around until he found some warm bodies. They told him to back track until we saw a wind mill and then turn right. Think cow trails not normal roads and dark, cold, and lots of snow and ice.

We back tracked and headed in the direction dad was told and finally found the wind mill. We took the right fork in the road. We couldn’t see much in any direction and just hoped that what we were doing was the way to go. The GPS arrow didn’t stay on course and it never got close to the little road to take us back to 191 for ions of time. Next thing we knew were were on top of the mountains literally and began to desend. We were over 7,000 feet and I kept hoping we wouldn’t run out of gas. I hate to have less than a half tank of gas, as dad is known far and wide for running out.

We drove and drove and drove and finally saw some lights. As we desended from the tops of the mountains we wondered if we had gone around the mountains and was coming out at Many Farms. NOPE. When we finally got to the bottom of the mountain on a road a little better than the tracks, two cars could pass each other, dad says wow I know where we are. I looked around in the darkness and thought I’ve been here before. We were in Rough Rock by the trading post. We wound around back past the senior center where we go each Wednesday to volunteer and finally the GPS said we were on the road that linked us to the highway 191. We knew it would be quite a drive to just make it back to Many Farms and the light was on saying the gas was low. When we got to Many Farms I asked dad to get gas and he said we would be okay. The bain of my life. We drove the fifteen miles more to home, Chinle, and parked in front of the trailer.

Dad said wasn’t that fun! Now we need to look on a map and see where we went. This is like three hours later. I didn’t think it was fun. I couldn’t see anything to say it was beautiful, and the four wheeling through deep gullys was anything but fun. I was just grateful we were not in the Jetta and that the four wheel drive worked. Anyone who has driven on the reservation in the daytime knows how remote it is, little lone in the dark.

When we hit the pavement Charlee layed down on my lap and took a nap.