Higher Ground
UT, CO, & KS, keep on turnin'
Much of the last 10 days has been spent well over 8,000 feet above sea level. Weeks ago while I was in Wyoming, Dad questioned how the altitude was affecting me. I haven’t noticed a difference in lung capacity or cardiovascular strain while hiking, but I am reminded of the elevation every time I open a water bottle and it pops from the pressure.
Before departing from SE Utah, I was able to duck into a few nearby parks for some solo hiking. Dead Horse Point State Park (a needlessly ominous name) was full of canyons and mesas, and home to my good friend, the Colorado River. I had last left off with that body of water when crossing a stream in Zion NP. This particular stretch of the park reminded me of Horseshoe Bend, another feature carved by the very same river in northern Arizona.
Two years ago in Joshua Tree NP, I was stabbed (unprovoked) by a relative of the succulent below - what I believe to be a yucca plant. I had somewhat of a Curt Schilling bloody sock moment. I was able to hike without incident despite the trail at Dead Horse Point SP being dotted with many yucca plants.
Arches National Park is a place aptly named. The 8 mile “Devils Garden” trail is going to go down as one of my favorites from the entire trip. I have to admit that this was the first trek I completed while listening to music. I’d much rather have the company of a friend, and enjoying music feels antithetical to the notion of enjoying nature, but 8 miles is a long time for me to walk with no other stimuli. To compromise, I landed on doing one half of the hiking with music, and one half without.
On to Colorado! I had never been to that state prior, but most of my pre-trip nerves were centered around the fear of being snowed on heavily while driving through the Rockies. I had made a few impulse buys (most importantly, snow chains for my tires) to shore up those concerns as much as possible, and continued to hope for decent weather. Luckily, I had no altitude/temperature/precipitation issues and the safety items I had gathered were not needed.
While working my way through the middle of the state, the time had come to feed squirrels in the ghost town of Saint Elmo. This big fella was comfortable enough to scamper up my leg and eat walnuts out of my hand.
I’m surprised it took over 6,000 miles of driving until something happened to my car, but I was long overdue. A rock kicked up by a truck struck my windshield and left a pretty big gash; I’ll need the whole thing replaced when I get back to Pittsburgh. Please enjoy the irony of the barely decipherable sign posted on the back of the truck, taken from roughly 50 feet away. I’m not sure how I would have read the sign from 250 feet (5 school bus lengths for anyone keeping track at home) away, but what’s done is done.
Around 3:30 AM on the outskirts of Cañon City, Colorado, I was woken by flashing lights and a knock on my window. Apparently, I was within eyeshot of a concerned resident that called the police to perform a “Wellness Check” on me. Officer Joshua Tillman (Josh to me, we’re buds now) confirmed that I was indeed well, and we had a nice chat for 10 minutes or so. He also affirmed that I was permitted to park in that spot overnight. I asked him if he had any hiking recommendations; he replied that Garden of the Gods outside of Colorado Springs was must-see!
There was no way I could go to sleep after being jarred awake in that fashion, so I set off for Colorado Springs. Garden of the Gods was not initially on my list, but I am not one to disobey direct orders from law enforcement. Thanks Josh!
Having driven west to east through the Colorado Rockies, my stop in Denver marked the lowest altitude I had experienced in the state at 5,280 feet in elevation. I was able to see a few friends from Lancaster that have since relocated to the Mile High City!
I have a lifelong goal of seeing an NBA game at each of the 29 arenas in which matchups are hosted. Tim has helped me out a lot over the years; together, we’ve been spectators in New Orleans, Dallas, San Antonio, OKC, D.C., and Philly. We crossed Denver off of the list after watching a Nuggets/Warriors clash.
What better way to introduce Tim to car camping than with a snowy, 15 degree night? We settled down in a spot outside of Boulder to make the drive to Rocky Mountain National Park a breeze in the morning.
A park ranger at RMNP suggested a 6 mile trek up Deer Mountain, which peaks at 10,007 feet above sea level. The picture below (taken from the summit of Deer Mountain) shows several mountains reaching 13,000+ feet in elevation in the distance.
@Ford, sponsor me!
Pictured above, Monument Rocks are the only interesting landforms in Kansas. I am not being facetious. These structures were formed by sediment that settled on the floor of a Cretaceous inland sea about 80 million years ago. To access them, a 40 mile drive via dirt roads is necessary, but worth it!
Aside from Monument Rocks, Kansas is very flat and fairly monotonous. What the state lacks in topographical diversity, it more than makes up for with midwestern kindness. Without fail, every person we spoke with was a delight. Tim and I stopped in Great Bend, KS for an evening, which was selected for no reason other than proximity to an Anytime Fitness. While shooting pool and throwing darts at Sarge’s Saloon, we were fed by some local Kansans (they bring food to the bar for all to enjoy and insisted that we eat with them) and became friends with Mike Wheeler, a lifelong Great Bend resident.
To date, my favorite parts of the trip have been the unscripted bits that allow for unexpected connection. In just about every state, I’ve had a really pleasant interactions with fantastic, salt-of-the-earth people. I’ll remember those pockets of time spent with strangers as much as I’ll remember moments on the trails (sometimes they happen at the same time!). It’s just another testament to the Fast Eddie Planning Theory.
On the aux this past week: Norah Jones, Nick Drake, James Blake, Faye Webster, Mort Garson, Al Green, Dave Mason, and Willie Nelson.
OK I have to ask. What was the ‘spot’ where you were parked when you met Officer Josh - an open field, retail parking lot, road shoulder, school?
Hoping that Josh is in the comments on this one. Hey Josh!