Colorado

_MG_4655, originally uploaded by Bog Iron Pines.

Theres still some of the Old west left in Colorado, but you won't find it in any of the towns. I traveled off of 40 west in search of "Chimney Rock" and though I never found the Rock, I did stumble on this scene.

Before I left the Rockies, I went off I-70 (a road I did not want to be on) to Falling River Rd and followed that a few thousand feet to the top of St. Mary's Glacier. A small glacier by New Jersey standards, I hiked up it easily to the top. When I reached the top of the glacier, the mountain kept going, so I hiked to the near top of it too. Thats probably the reason I'm writing this from Yosemite right now. When I start going, I don't want to stop, but eventually I always have to. The mountain started getting dark and when it gets dark in Colorado it gets cold, and I only had t-shirt. Funny how going down a glacier is harder than going up it. I fell a few times, but made it down to a dark and empty mountain ridge. I hadn't considered that there were large predators in Colorado until I was walking down the mountain by myself while listening to the forest sounds slipping on rocks like injured prey. Fortunately, I was not eaten.

Back in Idaho springs-a town I had passed on the way up I-70- I found the only place for food after 9 o-clock, Mc D's and ordered a few pies and some dollar McChickens. A couple of locals were checking out the Buddy outside so I came out to have a talk. They were river guides for the local white water rafting company. One-the photographer- was a Moped rider so I got the always welcomed "awesome man" conversation. Josh his name was, and he invited me back to the rafting place to set up my tent.

At the rafting shop, the guides all sat around an umbrella in the back where they store the rafts. They drank Pabst and talked about the stories of the day. One of them almost pulled off a legendary manuever called the Dry Flip, while the raft capsizes and sends thrashing tourists flying into the rapids, yet the guide skillfully climbs up and over to the bottom of the raft.

Josh asked his boss if I could have a ride in the morning. I left the scooter down the shop and got a place in the raft they called the Sweeper. Our guide, Mark, also know as Extreme, had us wait for the other rafts to go past into the rapids incase anyone had be rescued. As we came on one of the more difficult rapids, we noticed something bobbing in the water. Turned out to be a lady who was thrown from her boat and now was clinging to a rock in one of the most dangerous spots on the river. Our commands came "Back one" "Forward 3- keep it going!", yelled Extremo as he reached with his paddle to the terrified rafter and pulled her into the boat as she struggled for what she perceived to be her life. We reached the shore and even though she could have got in the truck and sat the rest out, she got back in her raft and finished the ride.

Rafting rocks, thanks guys.