rocky mountain high

view atop St. Mary's glacier

 well it's been real Colorado, and I'm sorry to leave, but I guess this is more of a "goodday" than a "goodbye." it'll be awfully sad not waking up to snow-topped mammoth mountains rising grandly out my bedroom window--only the long open road between you and that next big feature. but I will return. for now, the action was radical and the excitement remained at a constant high. following a morning of ziplining and a delicious lunch of beef brisket sandwiches we hit the rapids along the Arkansas River and fought wall after wall of sheer white water force. only a handful of class 3 and 4 rapids stood between us and a safe trip home, but we battled strong and after a few mishaps, flip-outs and whoop-dee-doos we managed to keep her topside and find land just in time. this journey is a must for all you thrill seekers out there.  fast paced, wild and sweetest of all, the most refreshing thing to do on a hot day in Royal Gorge, Colorado.  so sit back and enjoy this fisheye view of rafting on the Arkansas from a safe and dry distance atop my ever-important helmet.  if you get a chance, go rafting and be free. or, go run up a hillside and see how cool the earth looks from just a few hundred (or thousand feet up). chances are you won't regret the decision. rafting is one hell of a liberation and you never know what you'll encounter along the shores of an ancient railway. it's a bone yard down there and you'll love every second of it. 

before packing it in and heading back to Denver we had a day on the road including a stop and short hike up St. Mary's Glacier where the snow is soft as powder and the views don't get any sweeter. just as lightning storm struck we crested the top and took in one of those once-in-a-lifetime moments before heading back down. at the base stood one of the many ghostly remains of a burned out dream of a quaint life in the desperate mountains of Colorado.

back on the road we hit up sulphur hot springs and soaked away any stress in 23 pools of element rich boiling hot water.  the sensation was incredible especially with a chicken sandwich from Mini's Restaurant.  2 spry old ladies manned the station cooking us up a great meal and sending us happily on our way.

i dug the original sign - most likely straight out of the 50's

Mini's was the spot to be with free Wi-Fi, $5 sack lunches and enough love to bring even the rockiest of folks together.

overall, a solid vacation in the books and I hope you all can enjoy a glimpse into a majestic land with endless boundaries.  i encourage all to get up, and explore. "you are now free to move about the country."  
-shane