Driving To The Championship Day 1: Happy Canyon, Happy Goats

CBS4's Jamie Leary is driving to California's Bay area with photographer Mike Abeyta for Super Bowl 50. They left from Denver early Monday morning will be filing reports about the Denver Broncos along the way.

Today, photographer Mike Abeyta and myself are leaving Montrose and the Happy Canyon family, Jim and Rebecca Herberg. While the town of Montrose is unique in itself, Happy Canyon is a place I plan to go back to. The drive was hazardous but in my opinion, worth it for the views, which we could've enjoyed a lot more if we weren't on a deadline.

We were asked not to reveal the specific location because unfortunately there is a problem with poachers. The Herbergs told me a couple of hunters got stuck in their truck, hunting out of season on private property. They stole a rancher's skid steer and then got that stuck. Getting stuck is VERY easy to do in this area – I will get to that in a minute.

As we arrived in Montrose, the smell of what we were told is a dairy farm, hit us like a dense fog. It is by far the most pungent farm smell I have EVER encountered but luckily it dissipated as we neared the old reliable- Holiday Inn Express.

We were told not to use Google maps but instead used Rebecca's old-school directions:
- "Head past the eight-foot no climb fence."
- "Stay right at the first 'Y'"
- "Drive over the cattle guard past the creek."

We were also asked if we had a high clearance vehicle. I said "sure"- the rented, neon blue
Hyundai Tucson seemed capable. I think Mike and I knew it might not be the more we climbed
up Happy Canyon, it was a struggle but we began fist pumping and cheering as we barreled
through the snow, knowing that if we stopped, it'd be pretty tough to start again.

I cannot describe how excited I was to pull up to the ranch home. Serene, beautiful, and
surprisingly quiet for a goat farm. As I rounded the corner, there was a surprised woman
packing a perfect snowball in her hand. I got out and said, "We made it! Rebecca?!" It was the wrong place. A gentleman told us that the Dancing Goat Ranch was about another mile
up the road.

We barreled back down the long private drive and realized we had to stop to make the sharp left to continue up Happy Canyon a little too late, and were only able to stop because… we got stuck.

We wound up perfectly perpendicular with road. In a bright blue Hyundai. Stupid city-slickers was all I could think… Mike and I took turns pushing. He did most of it but eventually we called the Herbergs to come rescue us. It took about 10 minutes before we saw Jim headed our way.

It looked like a truck commercial. His old diesel truck had NO problem. When he saw us I could tell he was a teeny bit irritated. Rightfully so, considering we were a bottleneck for the ONLY way in and out. Mike and Jim together shoveled the car out. Meanwhile, Rebecca also arrived and we loaded our gear into her truck and headed up to the cabin. One of her 14 dogs was so excited she was back that we had to hit the brakes in order to avoid running the dog over, and much like the last time we tried to get the car to stop, we didn't really stop. Stuck again! No problem, handy man Jim to the rescue and unstuck we were in no time.

Working on a deadline can be stressful and by the time Mike had his camera set-up, we were
both sweating bullets. Then we saw the kids (baby goats). They had their little Broncos sweaters on and that's when I knew: it was all worth it. The goats were so small despite being born last spring/summer. As Rebecca tossed bails of hay at them I watched the bails knock the goats in the head and chuckled. She would shout, "Here babies!" and the little ones would fight to squeeze in and get their share.

We headed inside where we were greeted with hot chocolate, crumpets and candied bacon.
The dogs were like family and some sneaked in the house behind us. They ranged from a
protective, majestic, white Great Pyrenees to high energy, hilarious Aussie Shepherds. There was one bulgy-eyed chihuahua/rat terrier looking dog that Jim called a "half-dog". It had a Broncos sweater just like the goats because it was small and always cold. Jim clearly wasn't too attached to this dog but Rebecca loves it and will likely spoil it until it dies.

Rebecca sat in a rocking chair and continued making one of many "goat coats" for the 150 kids expected over the coming Spring and Summer. She said while it was a lot of work, they come in groups of 60 or so and the older ones pass down their sweaters to the new horns. Just like human kids.

"As long as everyone gets a sweater," she said.

I finished up my Q&A with her and sat chatting with Jim stuffing my face with bacon exchanging stories. On my sixth piece, he told me I was eating the pigs they had raised and lovingly named Barbie, Saucy and Que. The bacon was good but hearing the names of what I was eating certainly put it into a different perspective for me… I saved the rest and am still debating finishing it. I probably will.

I wanted to stay longer. The Herbergs are fantastic people who try to live completely off the land. Jim said the only expense he tries to have is diesel and propane. The work is never ending for them. I asked what he plans to do when he gets too old to work, "I hope to die before then," he responded. We had a good laugh at that plan but he was serious. I really want to go back and hang with the kids and dogs. They said they will put me to work. I don't doubt it.

Mike and I made it back down safe and sound but our day wasn't close to over. As we drove
back to Montrose, I was writing scripts and we eventually found a great spot from which to go live.

Mike edited a GREAT story together, and despite our camera batteries going in and out, we hit the air at 6:44 without a hitch. PHEW.

We settled in to our hotel and headed straight to Chili's for smothered cheese fried boneless wings and a beer. That's when we met Lisa Martin, our waitress. She is a HUGE Broncos fan, and was more than happy to prove it with a photo of her kitchen, which was equipped with a tile Broncos backsplash. The story gets even better. Her late mother owned the house with the amazing Broncos kitchen. The house was sold and Lisa was able to buy it back. I was so happy for her; how often does that happen with the kitchen still intact?

She said her mother broke a few remotes and several TV's due to Broncos-fueled emotions. One time her mother got stuck in a snowy ditch, which wouldn't have been so bad if she didn't also have a hospice patient in the car with her. It seemed bleak, but that's when out of nowhere a man came to the rescue. He dug them out and helped them on their way, but not before noticing all the Broncos swag in the back of the car.

"Are you a Broncos fan by chance?" The stranger asked.

"Why yes!" Lisa's mother and her passenger replied.

Turns out, this mysterious hero was no other than John Elway's father, Jack. He signed the hat 'Kick Cancer's ass – Jack Elway.' Lisa said the hat has since been passed onto another Broncos fan with cancer. I hope that person also kicks cancer's ass.

But the Broncos-themed good faith didn't stop there for Lisa. Recently her boyfriend, a
serviceman, was struck by a vehicle and severely injured. He is also a Broncos fan and went to his first game with Lisa when the Broncos played the Steelers in the playoffs. The Broncos organization had no issues bending over backwards to make him comfortable. I can see why Broncos fans are proud of their team.

Win or lose, I can say I am proud also. But they're gonna win…