Is it winter yet?

We started our cross country RV journey with winter weather, and it looks like as our X-Mas break is approaching, we are closing 201o with record breaking low temperatures.

I think we turned on our furnace for the first time after this summer, about a month ago in the Coyote Buttes wilderness area. Then, I think the temperature was dropping into the 30's F early in the morning.

But as soon as we crossed into Colorado, we got our first snow and brutal dips into the 10's F
A couple of weeks ago, while camping in Raton Colorado, about 2 AM our furnace stopped heating.
I woke up because I could hear a clicking sound coming from the area where the furnace is, and the vents were blowing cold air.

I feared the worst, a busted furnace. I checked the stove for flame to make sure we had propane. The flame at the stove was very weak....I went out (14F) to check the propane tank levels: Both empty!



I have been checking the tank levels every two weeks. Last winter (cold spring) each tank was lasting 2 weeks.

The owner at our KOA campground heroically got up at 2AM an helped us by filling up one tank to heat us for the rest of the night.
Next morning we filled up both tanks, and checked for leaks. When the local RV repair place heard that we filled the tanks 2 weeks ago...their diagnostic was a busy furnace! Apparently in this part of the country, you can expect to use 1 gal of LP per day when the temperatures drop this low.

The night when we ran out of LP, I tried to use the roof Heat Pump, but it was too cold for the unit to heat the 14F cold air, and the panel was automatically reverting to the furnace. This event prompted us to buy a heater that we have seen in the rigs of some experienced RVers that we have meet in the road.


We have been using this electric ceramic heater and it is great. It is very compact, heats great, rotates, and has a thermostat so it auto shuts off when it reached the desired temperature.


Here is Vicky with our friends Helen and Curt in Albuquerque New Mexico. The temperature up there in the Sandia Mountains was 14F, but the wind chill was brutal, we took this shot and went back into the car.

Now we are faced with the dilemma of keep exploring some beautiful areas when are practically deserted because the low temperatures...or run south to warmer temperatures, where surely we will be more crowded.

New Tires...

OK, finally some more RV'ing related stuff to write about.

The time for new tires for Blue Bailout (our 2009 GMC 2500 Sierra truck) finally arrived.
About a month ago, when I did the 25,000 miles tire rotation ( I rotate tires every 5,000 miles) the technician, told me that this was probably the last rotation that I will get on those tires. He gave me a gauge that you can insert in the thread and see a green, yellow and red zone indicating acceptable level of wear. The tires were barely in orange...

The truck came equipped with Bridgestone tires:
V-Steel Rib 265 LT245/75R-16/E1 120S

These tires are rated for 50,000 miles, and I was getting close to the end at 25,000 miles!
I managed to squeeze another 4,000 miles, and decided to get new ones.

I decided to go for a set of Michelins LTX M/S rated for 65,000 miles.

Here are some intersing tire related tid-bits. Did you know that...

• If you put diferent size tires on your Allison Tranmision equiped truck...you void the warranty?
• Tires rated at high millage are harder.
• Harder tires "chunk-out" (get chunks of tread off) in rocky off road conitions when they spin-off (especally the ones on the back of the pick-up)
• To Avoud "chunking-out" use 4x4 so the back tires are less prone to spin-off

We will see if we get better life on these new Micheine tires. I was not impressed with Bridgestone.

Capitol Reef No 61

Catching the first snow of the season. Capitol Reef, a place that keeps showing me love this second time around.

Death Valley No 93

Sand dunes in Death Valley...

Fire Canyon No 90

A cool evening in the high desert of Nevada.

Sentinel No 06

Sentinel No 06
Originally uploaded by adolfo_isassi

The remains of The Sentinel, made famous by Ansel Adams.

Here are some photos and a very interesting article about Yosemite and its relationship with photography.

Yosemite No 30

Yosemite No 30
Originally uploaded by adolfo_isassi

It is amazing to see bristlecones trees like this, grow and endure the test of time at the top of the granite boulders of Yosemite, where there is barely any soil.

Subway No 02

Subway No 02
Originally uploaded by adolfo_isassi

A Subway in Utah?

Zabriskie No 61

Zabriskie No 61
Originally uploaded by adolfo_isassi

Death Valley...who knew that a place with the word -death- in its name could be so beautiful?

Zion No 96

Zion No 96
Originally uploaded by adolfo_isassi

Sunrise at Zion National Park Utah...

El Capitan No 06

El Capitan No 06
Originally uploaded by adolfo_isassi

Famous El Capitan under the stars and under the light of a full moon. When I realized that we were going to be at Yosemite during a full moon with clear skies, I knew that It was a good opportunity to shoot during the night. The lights in the face of the rock are actual climbers! spending the night hanging from ropes anchored in the rock. They are soo many that I wonder how they no get into each other's way. I bet that pretty soon, the National Park Service is going to restrict how many climbers per day can access El Capitan....or chances are, that they already do.