re-WIND!
mission: indian creek, mission: oklahoma, and mission: goat farm were all done and over with (at least for this season)... so i decided to go ahead with mission: colorado. i started off with spending a few days in albuquerque unwinding and getting used to society after a month on the farm. i met an amazing woman, kita, on the farm and we quickly became great friends... we spent hours talking and discussing life, people, religion, values etc. finally, i had to leave the comforts of her home and company and i drove through northern new mexico and witnessed the beauty of the jemez mountains during a thunder storm. i made it up to taos and checked out the scene and got some great beta on a lovely camping spot on a ridge just above the rio grande. miles later i ended up at the great sand dunes in colorado, had a nice picnic and headed to boulder!
boulder boulder boulder... not bad i admit! it started off great, i got to spend some time with my good friend britanny and we biked in the pouring rain and watched an amazing fireworks show (happy 4th!). then it rained some more. it rained and rained and rained... at least it felt like it was raining for days. it probably only rained for 2-3 days... so i took the time to explore the flatirons, check out the new climbing gym, cook delicious food, browse the farmers market and get to know the lovely people who let me crash in their abode for two weeks. once the sun started shining i was blessed to be able to climb in boulder canyon, eldorado canyon, dream canyon, flagstaff mtn, and hike around rocky mountain national park!!! highlight climb of the trip: bastille crack and hiking longs peak in rmnp. i even got to do some jigging and funky dancing while in boulder! all in all i got to CLIMB, spend time with good folk with GUMPTION, meet interesting people, and best of all i smiled a lot :):):)
now, back to joni mitchell. back to driving... i left boulder happy and content but with the intention of coming back. i decided to treat myself to a night at some wicked heady hot springs! halfway between boulder and bishop lay mystic hot springs... a lovely, inexpensive little get away in the middle of nowhere utah. i soaked for about 2 minutes when the thunderhead i was watching decided to come right over me. i figured sitting in a metal tub full of hot spring water was a bad idea... so i made friends with some cook chicks at the campground and traded goat cheese for tie dying lessons! we ended up tie dying under a porch, watching the thunderstorm and pouring rain, and listening to the grateful dead... TYPICAL! nonetheless it was a great way to spend my birthday and i walked away with a cool new shirt and new friends!
i arrived in bishop last night and must say it is great to be back, if only for a few days. i realized that being in a familiar place and visiting good friends is healthy for the heart and soul. now i'm back at the black sheep sipping on some coffee and eating the delicious quiche that i've missed so dearly. as per usual i'll probably be here all morning... then it's off to climb. of course :)
and now i leave you with a lovely picture of me and sunny on the summit of longs peak. i think the elevation got to us a bit...
