So the other night I was driving home and I noticed the person in the next lane over was driving a moped. The stoplight was quickly approaching and I really wanted to talk to this person but I didn't want to sound lame so as soon as we both stopped I rolled down my window and asked him where the nearest Redbox was. It was awesome because I soon noticed that he was probably around 15 or 16 and was feeling really uncomfortable giving me directions. I couldn't understand why he was being so shy so I kept following him and asking him for a quicker route than the one he had just previously given. The last stoplight was coming up (my timing was perfect because we got stopped by the 4 stoplights on that road) and I asked him if he had seen any good movies lately and what would he recommend seeing. He finally just ignored me and the light turned green and we went our separate ways. I remember thinking to myself only dorks drive mopeds, as I drove away with my gauges (I did myself) my cut off sleeves, in my mom's minivan...
Last Wednesday was my final day in N.C for a pretty long time. As I was going through security at the airport they had to scan my bag 3 different times because apparently 2 tubs of creatine and whey protein and a N64 looks suspicious in the Xray machine. Like people know how to make bombs with powder and wires, get a life TSA. I flew into Dallas where I had a 2 hour layover with my fabulous friend Lauren. While we were waiting for our flights, mine to Oklahoma hers to Italy, we were talking about current events going on in America. As we were talking this man leans over and corrects a statement I made. I won't go into details because I don't want to offend the 2 of you that read this because I'm sure my views may be different than yours. It was just funny because myself and Lauren just had to walk away. Gotta love Texans!
Thursday morning I wake up bright and early for the 12 hour drive to Colorado. We, meaning myself and the other people doing the LEAD program, stay at a state park the first night and continue to the Rockies the next day.
Friday- We reach the trailhead around 6 P.M. and begin our 4 mile hike for the day. Having never experienced altitude sickness or being strapped to a 45lbs plus backpack, backpacking in Colorado was a pretty big stretch. The further and higher we hiked, the more and more my body was hating me. We finally made it up the 11,400ft climb to the site for the first night. When I say site I mean a small patch of grass under some trees in the middle of nowhere. If you wanted a shower you had to jump in the freezing cold lake, if you had to go to the bathroom you had to find a tree dig a little hole and yeah... It was not what I was expecting at all. We had a fire going I was almost asleep when Luke told us it was time to make a bear bag. Apparently when one is backpacking through the Rockies one is suppose to take all the food/trash/toothpaste/deodorant put it all in a bag, take the bag at least 200ft downwind from camp, tie it high in a tree so bears won't eat your food or you. This was a first for me. We finally got it up, and went to bed.
Saturday- We wake up and begin our next hike for the day which is only a 7 miles. It takes us all day through the grassy/hilly/rocky/elk poop infested trail until we finally see Trout lake at the bottom of the mountain. We see this around 6:46 P.M. and assume we will be there shortly. We decide to leave the trail and go down a different route which looks easiest. We soon find ourselves in a swampy marsh type land and all of our socks and shoes and completely wet which makes hiking that much more fun. We finally make it all the way down and by the time we found a good enough place to stay its 8:45. We eat our astronaut food purify our water, make another bear bag and go to bed.
Sunday- This day was dedicated to rest and that I did. I spent most of the entire day in my hammock which was pretty incredible considering all I could see was mountains everywhere. That night as we are getting ready to end the night it starts raining, a lot. In case you didn't know that nights in the Rocky mountains are already freezing cold but rain just makes that worse. We leave our dry nice shelter area put up that bear bag again, in the rain, and run back to our tent. I didn't sleep much that night either from all the sleep I had that day, or the fact that I was cold and wet and was using my also wet hoodie as a pillow.
Monday- This was probably the best day we had all week. We started our 7 mile hike back through the mountains. We decide to get off the trail and use a map and compass to find our way back. During this time its starts to rain, no big deal we have rain gear and will be fine. Then it starts raining harder and harder and lightening all around us. Its a pretty cool feeling when your leader tells you to spread out in case one of us gets struck by lightening, that's when adrenaline hit. The sky soon clears up and we make it to our next site for the day. That night as we were placing the bear bag in the tree I was hoping that a bear would at least try to get our food and as soon as I thought that I see something out of the conner of my eye move. I couldn't believe what I saw. I shine my light into the eyes of a huge, brown, furry, monstrous, snarling you guessed it deer! Yeah it was pretty crazy, the look in mother deer's eyes was insane and you could tell she was out of blood. We barely escaped and made it back to camp.
Tuesday- We finally make it back to the van drive to the nearest food establishment and I eat probably one of the best burgers I have ever had the pleasure of eating. We make our drive down through New Mexico and camp in oklahoma for the night.
Now that I'm home safely sitting in my apartment thinking back on the trip I realize just how awesome of a trip it really was. To be so far from civilization and other people that whenever a plane flew over those passengers were the closest humans was a incredible thought. I'm really looking forward to these next 9 months.
Fine Annie Paige I will put you in my blog.
Later, JG
