Some people react differently to the gentle rewards of a day spent hiking. Many report a pleasant sensation of peacefulness, an inner calm derived from unity with nature. Still others enjoy the tingling of muscles atrophied from long days of giving the couch a better workout than their bodies. And then there are those brave few like Kristanne who must sound their bawdy YAWP at every kilometer gained. Unnerving to the uninitiated, the whalesong of the hearty hiker in the wild soon becomes a soothing refrain to the worldweary wanderer in all of us. Sing out, Kristanne! Sing out, that we might better understand our world!
After three hours spent in ascension of the womanbreaking peak of Deer Mountain, both of us were ready for sustenance, nourishment, and a masseuse named Yves with thumbs of steel and a heart of gold. Instead, we got a national park full of kamikaze bicyclists (Rocky Mountain), a broken modem (Hayes 28.8 PCMCIA), and a tourist town gone mad (Estes Park). We hightailed it back to Boulder to meet our friends Jacek and Loydie, out from the East Coast to attend an academic conference at C.U. We didn't leave, however, before we got the Scenic Shot of the Day from high on top of Deer Mountain. We paid for that shot in blood, sweat, tears, and two dozen sherpas, so you better enjoy it.
We spent a nice evening with Jacek and Loydie in Boulder before dropping them off at their accomodations in what appears to be the C.U. prison facility. Ah, the academic life!
Then, we drove thirty miles into the hills to spend the night at Camp Dick, a
nice campground on the banks of the Middle Fork of the St. Vrain River. Why?
Well, besides the
obvious attraction of being able to say, "I spent the night at Camp Dick," the
St. Vrain river is also home waters to noted fishing writer, John Gierach. I'm
a sucker for that kind of connection -- just wait 'til you see the Extreme Shot
of the Day from Elaine's in New York featuring Kristanne trying to
break Dylan Thomas' fabled record of straight bourbon shots. Now that's
entertainment!
Anyway, join us tomorrow when we chronicle Jacek's scintillating lecture at the conference on heredity! Put the kids to bed early, cuz it's sure to be a winner...though possibly a touch risque. See you then!
Total Miles for 6/15 = About 50 Miles