TOP: The hiking crew monday morning...Gill, Cliff, Kathy, Bob (rear); Karen, Val, Posh, Flash (font), Missing Lumpy (photographer), Emily (off somewhere with internet date guy), Michelle (doing time trial), and Tyler (watching time trial or perhaps banging head on yet another rock)
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Looking north towards silverton from our Durango hike. Surprisingly, the snow was still there...
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Although the race never officially transpired, I do get credit for beating cliff up to Silverton. After all, I DID get to Silverton first (albeit in a car)!
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Sunday bob, flash and I rode to Mesa Verde while posh, kathy, and gill drove there to meet us. The rest of the crew went hiking there. The ride started out innocuously enough, if you consider a 4,000 foot 8 mile climb right out the gate inocuous. And if you do you're an idiot. We climbed for what seemed like forever, until flash finally kicked into his "I live in colorado" gear and left bob and I in his dust. Not bad for a 60 year old guy, even if he does weigh 92 lbs. By the top I had sweated out my 8 margaritas from the night prior. Bob said that he could smell lime from 100 yards away from me. I got my revenge on the major downhill following, as I went by the two of them at 52mph, just missing the speed limit. It took them miles to catch me...
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When we got a few miles from Mesa Verde posh pulled up in the can to check on us. By this point, I was toast and happy to get in the van...to which she said "suck my exhaust athiest guy" and drove away. So, I had to do a death march another 10 miles to the "proper" pickup point. When we got there the girls were eating cookies and laughing about what morons we were. See if we buy them any more expensive baubles...not that we have before or anything, but we definitely won't in the future.
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Monday morning Michelle and I registered for the time trial. Upon awakening at 5am for the 7am start, I decided that the 6 margaritas the night prior (14 in 2 nights, perhaps a new personal best!) had taken their toll and bagged out, in lieu of the planned hike. Michelle was a trooper however, and she went and banged it off. Unfortunately, she left her back at mile 12 of the scheduled 14 miler, and was wrecked the rest of the trip. Advil and margaritas make a good combo however.Even without her spine however she still beat a highlander...one tough chick.
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The rest of us went hiking for a few hours, with Posh mountain-goating us off trail, over hill, under dale, and scrambling up rocks. I'm REALLY beginning to hate the two of them...act your damned aged and sit around and watch Oprah or something. She hammered us all. During the hike val came upon some pretty colored rocks, which she deemed that cliff had to carry down for her. Lucky for him, 'cause you want nothing more than 50 lbs of rocks on your back when you're climbing a mountain.
The rest of us went hiking for a few hours, with Posh mountain-goating us off trail, over hill, under dale, and scrambling up rocks. I'm REALLY beginning to hate the two of them...act your damned aged and sit around and watch Oprah or something. She hammered us all. During the hike val came upon some pretty colored rocks, which she deemed that cliff had to carry down for her. Lucky for him, 'cause you want nothing more than 50 lbs of rocks on your back when you're climbing a mountain.
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We got off the mountain, a bit weary but doing ok, and ran into a woman with (a) baby strapped to her chest, (b) a 2 year old in tow, and (c) a puppy in the other hand in tow. She told us how the 2 year old - let me repeat that, the TWO YEAR OLD - had just done an 8 mile hike the weekend prior at Moab. Ok, now that's going too far...bionic children. Must be, as no human kid could do that. That's incredible to even think about. What could we do to beat that? Well, the only thing that we could...go ingest $300 of sushi and saki.
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Oh, and I have to tell this one story. We're gathering in the hotel, when desk clerk Stacy comes into the lobby. She takes one look at bob's hot pink bike, and says "huh, is that yours?". When he says proudly "yes, yes it is", she break into laughter and runs down the hall, laughing the whole time and calling out for all the mexican cleaning ladies to come see the hombre-mujer (the man-woman). I think we made her day. Bob still refuses to put a manly color on the bike however...
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One fun weekend, great friends, and good stories. What more can one ask for. Off to Wyoming tomorrow. Why, I don't know...
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"I can't walk 7 miles now" Lumpy out
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