HMS Beangle

“TIMAH!!!”

Yes, South Park is a real place in Colorado. Technically, South Park is the larger high grass basin area (according to Wikipedia). The town the TV show is loosely based upon is actually named Fairplay, but you know how that goes. Although cute, Fairplay isn’t pristine and upscale like neighboring Breckenridge, and the locals like it that way. (They even have stickers saying so.)

Early Saturday morning, we followed the West Jefferson trail, crossed the long distance Colorado Trail, and greeted a few of its thru hikers. Since it’s halfway along the 12 miles between the Kenosha and Georgia high passes, we could only hope they made it to their next stop and had their tents set up before the unstable looking afternoon skies opened upon them.

There are spots along Jefferson Creek that had clearly moved and readjusted themselves over the decades, and details like this old disintegrating bridge emphasized the fact. With time and erosion, the curve had pulled further and further away from where the trail now stood. Since there wasn’t any indication of where that road or trail might have led, my mind wandered pleasantly for a while, imagining the possibilities of who might have used it, to where, and why.

After a quick lunch, we drove into Fairplay in anticipation of the usual afternoon thunderstorm — which never did materialize. The local 4-H groups were about to have a parade through town and we were publicly shamed by bullhorn for parking on the ‘parade route.’

Keep your top hat on, sir. We moved the truck.

We hopped into a local distillery to buy the right to park in their lot as customers. Jeff’s bourbon was, and I quote, “About what you’d expect.” My lavender lemonade was excellent.

I wanted to revisit the South Park City Museum, a cute little ‘town’ of rescued and salvaged buildings from around the region which helps show how life was back in the mining and settlement era. I always find such museums fascinating. I read every sign, visit every room, check out every roped-off closet.

Jeff, having been through this museum with me already, was more amused by the army of ground squirrels darting in and out below every building and sidewalk plank. They race around as if they’re on urgent business and we humans simply hinder their progress.

We made a delicious dinner of hamburger mess (hobo dinner as Jeff calls it). We packed our aluminum foil packets with hamburger, onions, corn kernels, and a few other random vegetables, starches, and seasonings that we had on hand. The packets got tossed over the fire while beverages were consumed. After the very scientific method of check and see, we opened the packets up and dug in. It’s one of my favorite camping meals. Quick, easy, and a good way to use up leftover veggies, so it’s always a bit different.

Final note: I don’t recommend listening to a YouTube compilation of South Park quotes in your favorite coffee shop without headphones, not even on low volume.