7-14-06
Start: Kerr Gulch Rd., CO
Destination: Idaho Springs, CO
Elevation: 7550 ft.
Miles: 18.2
Weather: Warm, Sunny
The high temp forecasted for today was 100 degrees - in Denver. Thank goodness we're up about 3000 ft. higher than there, because we've got slightly cooler temps. Still hot, especially when climbing, but not 100! My guess is we hit the high 80s today. Works for me!
We climbed up from 7,550 ft. to around 9,800 ft. so these 2000 - 3000 ft. climbs are soon going to be standard. Then, of course, we scrambled back down a steep dirt/gravel road to Idaho Springs. We were told we could camp legally anywhere in the Arapahoe Nat'l forest, so we parked ourselves up a hiking path that went up a hill behind the visitor center. We can see I-70 from our tent door, but we're thinking the constant hum of traffic might lull us to sleep - like we need lulling...
We had a good day today. We've been struggling to put in 20 miles, but we've been getting later starts. Tomorrow we meet with Hickory in Georgetown, and hopefully we can push our 20s after that. We'll see - we've got Argentine Pass coming up in the next couple of days - that one's 13,000-some feet! Cool! We'll be above treeline!
Anyway, our hike up to Squaw Pass was pretty with all the tall pines and the blue sky as a backdrop. There was a lot of bike traffic, and they are fun to watch. We get to watch them pedal hard up the hill, then a while later come zooming past us as fast as the cars go. That's got to be pretty rewarding! We say hi to them as they go by, and they are all very friendly.
We got a couple quick views of some mountains off in the distance that still have some snow on them, and the contrast of the white against the green really makes them pretty. But when we started back down we got some even better views of the snowy mountains on the far side of a valley full of lower mountains criss-crossing each other. You can almost envision how a little stream or river could curve back and forth where each mountain meets.
While on top we found our first natural spring. The water was ice cold coming straight out of a short rocky wall. We scooped some up and tried it. Then we decided it was so refreshing that we should fill a bottle. When we have a choice between ice cold and 80-degree water, the choice is easy. We just filled one bottle half-way to see how our bodies handled it. We're paranoid about water, but we wanted to try our first fresh, crisp, cold mountain spring water without filtering. So far so good! We also found some tiny wild strawberries and picked those to eat. They were sooo sweet. I'll be looking for more of those as we go!
After our beautiful, lush green walk down to Idaho Springs, we swung into a restaurant for a quick bite to eat. We ate BBQ Pork sandwiches, chips, and about 3 iced Pepsis each. I have a new appreciation for a carbonated drink on ice. They are so good! They don't exactly beat a milkshake, but they still hit the spot.
Today was another scenery overload day. All I can do is say to myself silently, "Wow," and stare. I used to dream of seeing these types of views, and here I am living it, breathing it, and feeling it. Life is sure a journey, and I am so thankful for the opportunities Aplastic Anemia has given me. It pushed me to think about where I wanted to go and what I wanted to accomplish. But just know that you don't have to get sick to do the same thing! Just come up with an idea, a plan, add dedication and a little "muscle" work, and who knows where life will take you! It might sound cheesy, but why not give it a shot! :)
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