Tonight I am sunburned, bug-bitten, sore, dirty, and exhausted. And I know this sounds crazy, but it is the first day this trip has felt authentic. I don't know how else to explain it. Maybe it's because I'm on night 3 of camping, and I did a lot of hotels/staying with friends earlier in the trip. Either way, I'm feeling really good about things tonight.
I left Mesa Verde this morning and came to Durango. My first stop was Doughworks for some awesome homemade doughnuts. Then I headed up into San Juan National Forest on a gravel road I read about in one of my new guidebooks. It was a beautiful drive, but I wanted to hike! I met these three guys on dirt bikes at the top of the mountain, and they told me where to find the Colorado Trail. "Have fun vagabonding!" they yelled as I pulled away.
I had no map and no water and was not properly dressed for hiking. I figured I'd climb for about 30 minutes and then head down. But I have this problem, almost an illness, where I have to see what's around the next corner. And I wanted to get to the top of whatever I was climbing. I hiked and hiked, and my legs were Jello within 30 minutes. Then I came to a talus slope, and I knew I should turn around. I was shaky and couldn't catch my breath. (I think it was the elevation.) And if you fall down that slope, you are f-ed. But I was SO close to the top; I had to keep going. And I made it up to the saddle between two peaks, but was disappointed to see there was just a meadow on the other side. It was very windy and cold, and even after resting, I still couldn't catch my breath. I could barely sing "The Sound of Music," and twirling was out of the question. And then I realized one more reason I'm a moron- sometimes going down is harder than coming up. I slipped a few times and had some scary moments. But I made it back to my car safely and am so glad I went as far as I did! (My hike was only a little over 5 miles round trip. I was embarrassed when I realized that.)
A difficult hike is the perfect excuse to eat carbs, so my next stop was Homeslice for some pizza. As I was eating and reading my book, a guy came up to me (and not some creeper) and said, "Excuse me, I'm not trying to hit on you, I just have to tell you- you are absolutely, stunningly gorgeous." And hopped on his bike and rode away.
No makeup, hair not straightened, dirty, and probably smelly. This guy made my day.
Tonight I am camping in San Juan National Forest. I am frustrated because I'm having trouble getting True Blood to play on my phone! I'm hardly on FB and have been terrible about returning emails and texts, but True Blood is the one thing I can't let go of...
I left Mesa Verde this morning and came to Durango. My first stop was Doughworks for some awesome homemade doughnuts. Then I headed up into San Juan National Forest on a gravel road I read about in one of my new guidebooks. It was a beautiful drive, but I wanted to hike! I met these three guys on dirt bikes at the top of the mountain, and they told me where to find the Colorado Trail. "Have fun vagabonding!" they yelled as I pulled away.
I had no map and no water and was not properly dressed for hiking. I figured I'd climb for about 30 minutes and then head down. But I have this problem, almost an illness, where I have to see what's around the next corner. And I wanted to get to the top of whatever I was climbing. I hiked and hiked, and my legs were Jello within 30 minutes. Then I came to a talus slope, and I knew I should turn around. I was shaky and couldn't catch my breath. (I think it was the elevation.) And if you fall down that slope, you are f-ed. But I was SO close to the top; I had to keep going. And I made it up to the saddle between two peaks, but was disappointed to see there was just a meadow on the other side. It was very windy and cold, and even after resting, I still couldn't catch my breath. I could barely sing "The Sound of Music," and twirling was out of the question. And then I realized one more reason I'm a moron- sometimes going down is harder than coming up. I slipped a few times and had some scary moments. But I made it back to my car safely and am so glad I went as far as I did! (My hike was only a little over 5 miles round trip. I was embarrassed when I realized that.)
A difficult hike is the perfect excuse to eat carbs, so my next stop was Homeslice for some pizza. As I was eating and reading my book, a guy came up to me (and not some creeper) and said, "Excuse me, I'm not trying to hit on you, I just have to tell you- you are absolutely, stunningly gorgeous." And hopped on his bike and rode away.
No makeup, hair not straightened, dirty, and probably smelly. This guy made my day.
Tonight I am camping in San Juan National Forest. I am frustrated because I'm having trouble getting True Blood to play on my phone! I'm hardly on FB and have been terrible about returning emails and texts, but True Blood is the one thing I can't let go of...
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