Robert Willhelm:  

03 March 2019 After almost 30 years of be-bopping all over the world living and working, I am now settled in the mountains near Durango, Colorado where two summers ago, I had all of the toes on my right foot amputated due to complications caused by not taking care of my diabetes while living so far from home so many years. In August 2018, I was emergency airlifted to Colorado Springs where I had open heart surgery to bypass three stents I got in Singapore twelve years ago after having a heart attack while living and working on the south coast of Java Indonesia. While recovering from heart surgery my big toe on my left foot went bad so five weeks after the open heart, off went the toe, then a week later an incurable infection in my first metatarsal caused that largest bone in my foot to be removed. Now the second and third metatarsal are fractured because those bones are not large enough to support the weight load shift caused by removal of the first metatarsal………it could be worse as I still have both legs ut the fourth surgery on my left foot could be in my future. Geeeeez.....if I knew I was going to live this long I would have taken better care of myself. Skiing will have to wait again until next season which is a shame because we have had record snow falls this year but at least we may not burn up here like we almost did last summer due to lack of snow in the mountains during the winter of 17/18. I will be ready to fly fish after run-off is completed in early summer. I have been literally blessed with a huge amount of tenacity as I continue to trudge the road of happy destiny. Last November, sober for 32 years in spite of myself. Ya come! Hope to see all of you in the Summer of 2019 at the 50th. On 19 May 2016 arrived back in the mountains of Silverton, Colorado. Three days later we had 2" of new snow cover and 28F temps. I suddenly realized I was not in Irving, Texas. Has warmed up since and the summer tourist invasion has commenced via the trains from Durango, RVs, motor homes, motorcycles, bicycles and in a few weeks the hikers will be arriving from Denver via the Colorado Trail. If any one is coming this way for summer vacation, look me up. I am easily found in and around the Blair Street Hostel. Back to Indonesia in August or September. As of 04 April 2016.....I am retired, currently back in Irving helping my 84 year old father cope but will be heading back to Silverton, Colorado for the summer, then to my home in Indonesia in the fall to be with my wife and son . Texas sucks a big one!! As of this posting on 10/20-15....The weather is changing, heavy sleet mixed with light snow on Molas and Coal Bank passes while driving to Durango today, snow down to 10,000 feet last night, snow here tomorrow and the tourist have headed to warmer weather. This ain't Texas or Indonesia but certainly reminds me when we lived in Valdez, Alaska four years except Silverton has no marine port. And I miss my wife and son. Left Indonesia in early June and I am now living at 9,300 above sea level in the mountains at Silverton Colorado, 50 miles north of Durango.......the end of the line for the Durango- Silverton- Durango narrow gauge steam locomotive driven train(s) and a hiker's stop on the Colorado Trail. Fall foliage is at it's peak on 05/10/2015 and the first snow is down to 10,000 feet. 30 F this morning and lot of cold rain today. Most of the sane hikers from the Colorado Trail are gone which is hiked from Denver to Durango or reversed which is 400 miles+ long, taking 24-30 days with multiple climbs to 14,000 feet before coming into Silverton and the final 4 day push to Durango. I met many people from all over the world this summer...Expand for more