Why, again, do I not live here? (Colorado Part 1)

I am LOVING vacation and LOVING Colorado. This trip out here really does make me wonder if I made the right residency choice-- I could have been living in Denver! :) No, I really like Sac. But it's been so wonderful to reconnect with friends and be around the mountains, which I absolutely adore. There's still time to move here later, right?

I started out the trip driving up to meet Cathleen in Greeley, where she now works and trains in track while still working down in Denver (about an hour south)! Actually, we met up on the highway on the way there, timing her leave from work at the same time as my leave from the rental car place at the airport-- this was cool! Anyway, she has to leave for work at like 4 a.m. and so is in bed by 8 p.m. usually, but we still had time to hang out :) She has a lovely porch pictured here.

Roomies, reunited

Some things never change. Here is her fridge. There is a similar picture posted in a distant blog from last winter, when I was stranded here in the blizzard and spent Christmas with CC.
Out to eat (2-for-1 lemon drops at altitude were a bit scary, considering Cathleen doesn't drink...)

While Cathleen was at work Thursday, I headed out to Rocky Mountain National Park west of Greeley. I have to say, this was one of the most beautiful parks I have ever visited. I think it's mostly because I adore mountains. I drove up on Old Fall River road, a one-lane unpaved "scenic" road which was so scenic and filled with tight switch-backs, I thought I was going to die.

I then jumped on Trail Ridge Road, which is the highest continuous paved highway in the U.S. (as high as 12,000 ft). and, definitely as the guidebooks say, certainly one of the most scenic. I honestly had a hard time staying on the road b/c I was so busy gaping at the scenery (below are some pics).

Here is a quote I wrote down from seeing it on a park sign, which I thought was beautiful and with whose sentiment I wholeheartedly agree:

"Without parks and outdoor life, all that is best in civilization will be smothered. To save ourselves, to prevent our perishing, to enable us to live at our best and happiest, parks are necessary. Within national parks is room – glorious room—room in which to find ourselves, in which to think and hope, to dream and plan, to rest and resolve. "– Enos Mills.

Elk!!Shadow Mountain Lake (I love lakes too :))
Long's Peak and Lily Lake

Yes, I wear this fleece every day, ok? :)

I'm running a bit short of time, so will write more and post more pics on this later (Mindy has most of them on her camera), but Friday, we left Colorado Springs for the mountains with the goal to hike two fourteeners (14000-foot peaks). Let's just say that this was HARD!!!! Mindy wants to do them all (she's done 14 of the 54 already!-- see her blog, which I also have posted at right, for all of her adventures so far)-- there's this whole culture here that aims to accomplish them all (here's the main site: http://www.14ers.com/). It was funny, because Mindy, Zach, and Jeremy (two of her friends that came with) kept referring to 13000 ft peaks, or thirteeners, as "why bothers!" We also met a guy on the trail with his two dogs, who've already done 15 each! That's nuts!

Anyway, we hiked in a bit with our packs, camped, and then headed up to Mt. Belford (14,197) and Mt. Oxford (14,153) yesterday. What craziness! I can't believe I didn't get altitude sick and die or something, but it was pretty impressive. It was pretty cold at the top and VERY windy, but we dressed smartly. Zach actually forged on ahead, and summitted another fourteener, Missouri, but we were too dead and heading down the mountains with such wobbly legs was enough for me! I think two fourteeners (in a lifetime) might be enough for me. For now, at least, until I move to Colorado and get sucked in :) I have to get Mindy's pics to share, but here are a couple of mine that turned out.

Arriving at our campsite around dusk: Mindy and Zach
Mindy and me at the summit of Mt. Oxford (with Columbia in the background)

That's all for now! A few more fun-filled days in Colorado remain before I head back to sea level. But get this-- vacation lasts till Sept. 30th! :)