I have some serious back-logging to do, so I hope I can provide detail while keeping things concise.
The last major event I wrote about, was the day we summited our first fourteener. If I’m being honest, it took a bigger tole on me than I had expected. I didn’t think it would be easy but I also didn’t anticipate how physically depleted it would leave me. We made it back to the truck around 1:00 in the afternoon and the first thing we did was soak our sore feet in the cold stream that ran at the base. Our muscles were soothed by the frigid but bearable water. It was too shallow to fully submerge, but I cupped the water onto my arms and legs, rinsing off the layers of accumulated, dried sweat. Once seemingly clean, we hung our hammock under perfectly shaded trees. Tom read while I dozed in and out. Feeling rested, we packed up and began our drive toward Denver. We had envisioned a celebratory dinner somewhere in town. Allowing ourselves the reprieval of preparing our own meal as a reward for our accomplishment. Unfortunately, our expectations met practicality and we instead spent that time driving. Even as our spontanaety and flexibility have stretched, these adjustments don’t fail to disappoint. Frosty, cold beers and decadent food was replaced with lukewarm cans and our cooler’s clammy remains. It’s easy to get caught up in moments that don’t go our way. Circumstances can change at a moments notice, and yet we still forget to leave open space. If I’m honest, I held a pity party to which I was the only attendee. Fortunately, my best friend and husband helped put things in perspective and welcomed me back to the reality of the situation. We spent the rest of the night laughing over an undercooked frittata and playing two-player codenames.
(6/29) On our way back to Cheyenne, we stopped in Poudre Canyon to spend the afternoon climbing. I led a 5.11b called: “Balaam” that was a testament to the confidence I have developed since the beginning of the trip. The route was thin and heady, meaning that there wasn’t a lot to hold onto and had multiple intimidating fall potentials. Our last two climbs were in direct sunlight, so after cooking in the heat, we hurried back to the truck’s welcoming A/C. As we reached the car, Tom searched his backpack for the keys. It didn’t take long for him to realize that he had set them down on a rock up near the crag. Before much of a discussion about who would go back for them, he was on his heals. Tom doesn’t care much for running, but this specific situation got him moving.
That night in Cheyenne was one for the books. Joseph, Jessy, Tom and I biked into town for live music in the park. Afterwards, they brought us to a self-serve brewery, followed by a specialty cocktail bar and an arcade. The opportunity for uninterrupted time with Joseph and Jessy while touring Cheyenne was priceless.
Saturday morning started in a slightly hazy fog. This partially lifted over breakfast and while readying our things to leave. We had planned to meet Kris and Allison in Vedauwoo to do some climbing on the way to Saratoga, WY. We finished only a single climb before the weather took a turn for the worse. Neither Tom or I were complaining as we both still felt somewhat dazed. Kris and Allison led the way to Saratoga, where her parents have a timeshare, on the river. Our route provided beautiful scenery and crisp mountain air. Upon arriving, Tom and I took Mogli for a short run to help stretch his legs and ours. Allison’s family provided an awesome dinner that we enjoyed before heading to Saratoga’s neighborhood block party. They had a live band playing and the area near the stage was filled with couples dancing. Tom and I jumped in and had a blast making fools of ourseleves, and brushing the dust off our dancing skills.
On Sunday morning, we slowly eased into the day with plans to float the river. After eating breakfast and sitting around, we began taking inventory to make sure there were enough kayaks and paddle boards to go around. Getting each of them blown up and prepped for water was a tedious process. Once we set sail, we were all happy to be enjoying the day on the water. The water was calm and void of technicallities. Majority of the float offered little wind, but around certain bends, strong paddling was required. Besides regretting our weak application of sunscreen and suffering the consequences, we enjoyed every minute of the float. It’s hard to complain about sharing a beautiful day with great friends. We made it back late in the afternoon and walked to a nearby brewery for lunch. We followed up with a few drinks at the VFW. After walking back to the house we found that Allison’s cousin’s had arrived and brought with them a giant peacock floaty. The sun had just began to set, leaving us with the perfect amount of time to take it for a quick ride. Eager to get it on the water, a group of us lifted it over our heads and walked with it upstream. Even with 8 people on the raft, there was room to spare. Everything about it was over the top and entirely entertaining. That night, we enjoyed tasty tacos, good laughs and some stiff competition in pool. As the crew made there way to bed, Tom, Kris and I brought the party to the camper where we battled it out in Settler’s of Catan.
Monday began with a failed attempt to get on the road early. Although our departure was postponed, we were happy to share lingering goodbyes with the people that so kindly befriended and accommodated us. We also wanted to savor our last bit of time with Kris and Allison. It was such a pleasure spending the weekend with them and we weren’t sure when we’d see them next. Tom drove the full 5.5 hours from Saratoga to Jackson. I was grateful to him for letting me sleep for a good stretch of the drive. I was in need of a recharge after the fun filled weekend. As we got close to Jackson, we were eager to see Joe and Lauren. They were waiting for us at one of the national park ranger stations. It was our first time meeting Po, their new puppy, so of course he received majority of our attention upon arriving. Unfortunately, the meeting between him and Mogli didn’t go as well as we had hoped. We ended up having to pull Mogli away from him and Lauren got pretty badly bitten. It made us sad to have to keep them separated for the remainder of the time, but we were relieved that everyone walked away with manageable injuries. We all left the ranger station feeling shooken up and unstable. The scuffle took us all off-guard and was in no way how we’d hoped to kickoff our time with them. We were eased by the fact that we have really amazing friends who didn’t want to dwell on the mishap. We followed them to their friend’s Chelsey’s house, who had gotten married a few days prior. While there, we relaxed our wired nerves with leftover keg beer. Soon enough we were enjoying each other’s company without feeling emotionally burdened. That night, Joe, Lauren, Michelle, Cody, Chelsey, Mark, Tom and I drove up to Curtis Canyon to camp for the night. We found the perfect spot where we made dinner and enjoyed a colorful sunset. As we sat around the campfire that night, we passed the guitar and shared stories. We were later joined by a group of other campers who were intrigued by the music. They were all on a short break from the summer camp that they worked at. It was great getting to tell them a little bit about us and get to know them.
The next morning, Michelle, who is a photographer, proposed that we take advantage of the nearby lucious field of sunflowers. Lauren and I opted in for the lady photo shoot, while the guys volunteered as our photographers. The rich, golden field backdropped by the Teton Range was the perfect setting. Afterwards, we all made breakfast before setting out for the days adventures. Joe, Lauren, Tom and I were set to go rock climbing, while Michelle and Cody had plans of their own. Our climbing destination was nearby, and had a simple approach. Neither Joe or Lauren had the desire to climb (Lauren’s hand was still bandaged from her attempt at breaking up the dogfight) but it was really fun to all be together. They cheered us on and maintained good attitudes even after it started raining. Rodeo wall offered fun routes that had small pockets all throughout the rock. After wrapping up our day of climbing, we headed for Granite Hot Springs, where we were meeting the rest of the crew. As we arrived in the parking lot, we were surprised to find Michelle holding the reigns of a horse. By the time we got out of the car, she had tied the horse to a nearby tree. We asked her what the story was, and she told us that they had gotten loose so she rounded them up. She had asked the owner of the hot springs if they knew who the owner was or where they belonged. They were not familiar with the horses, but called her a “hero” for capturing them. To thank her for her efforts, the owner waved the hot springs entry fee for everyone in our group. The water was the temperature of bath water and was perfect for a quick dip. After drying off and getting dressed, we joined Chelsey, Mark and a group of their friends at a nearby campsite. We made and enjoyed some delicious curry while sitting around the fire.
On the Fourth of July, we woke up knowing that Mogli needed some exercise. He had been pretty cooped up in an effort to keep him and Po separated. While Mogli and I ran, Tom changed the oil on the truck. He was wrapping up when we returned, and everyone else was mostly packed and ready to go. The day’s agenda included stopping at the general store for “sloshies” (boozy slushies) before meeting at the boat launch. Mark and Chelsey’s friends have rafts that they regularly take down the Snake River and they invited us to tag along. We lucked out with an absolutely beautiful day on the water. The sun was hot, the breeze was cool and the rapids were just big enough to thrill us. The long day in the heat left us feeling beat. We drove up to Shadow Mountain to camp and watch fireworks, but they were too far in the distance to really appreciate. It was our last night with Joe, Lauren, Michelle and Cody, so we made dinner and enjoyed the little time that we had left with them. It was the most low-key Fourth of July that Tom and I have had for a while. I guess you could say that we’re growing up.
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