RunningBarb

If you want to spark some joy in your life RunningBarb has a suggestion: get yourself a hummingbird feeder. 

I was visiting some friends last year and observed their hummingbird feeder close to their kitchen window. Those little guys were coming and going all day, flapping their wings a mile a minute, sipping from the feeder, flying off, coming back, hovering, sipping, disappearing, and coming back. I want that, I thought. 

Hummingbirds are attracted to various types of flowers, such as red cardinal flower and trumpet honeysuckle, so if you can garden your way into drawing them in, do it. If, like me, everything you plant dies the second you put the shovel away, you might want to try a feeder. Make sure you get the right kind. I had had a one in my garden for years, and the only critters I ever saw hanging around were ants. (Not that this Nature Girl has anything against ants . . .)

This is the one that I bought:

And no, RunningBarb does not earn any bribes from this endorsement. If only! But I do get the pleasure of knowing that you, loyal reader, might also hang one of these babies in your yard and get as excited as I do when they have their intended effect. 

Now I spend a lot of time sitting on my back porch watching these little fellas. I bring my binoculars for extra fun. Anytime you see animals in the wild* it feels like a treat, right, because we never know when they are coming. That’s part of the joy.

Hummingbirds are tiny and fast – they can fly up to 30-45 miles per hour. Whoa, that exceeds the speed limit in my Town! I also learned that their hearts beat around 225 beats per minute when they are at rest, and more than 1200 times a minute when they are flying. (I’d love to know how bird people counted that one.) Interestingly, they enter a state of “torpor” when it is cold in order to save energy. In torpor their body temperature and metabolism drop. They look like they are sleeping, but when they feel the sun they start warming up and going on the move again. 

For a long time my feeder attracted one hummingbird. I mean, I don’t know if it was the same one or a different one. All hummingbirds look the same to me. Lately I have been noticing two showing up at a time. And lemme tell ya, they do not play well together! One will be perched on the edge of the feeder, sipping away, when another will dive bomb him, and they both will fly off. Also, I have been noticing that when one bird comes by it hovers near and around the feeder for a while before landing. Or, it will perch on a nearby bush before coming close. It knows that it might be attacked mid-meal and is on guard. I want to say “Dudes! There’s plenty of sugar water to go ‘round!” But I have not yet learned how to communicate that to a creature with a brain smaller than a pea. (On the other hand, I can think of a species with a much larger brain that fights over less than its own version of sugar water.) Hey, there’s plenty for everyone, people, knock it off!

Hummingbirds don’t care about how messed up our world is. They are colorful, fascinating, and just their own true selves. Hang up a feeder and see what I mean.

*Okay, I admit tree rats squirrels are an exception to the wild animals thing. 

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We had an uneventful drive from The Garden to Albany and had just about reached the Albany Medical Center when Mr. K’s eagle eyes spotted a sign on a large office building that read “Did you break your collarbone on a hike? Come on in, and we’ll fix it for you.” I mean, it may not have said that exactly, but you know what I mean.

We pulled a u-ie, drove to the place, and went in. It hummed like a well-oiled machine. Mr. K checked in and was seen by a medical assistant almost immediately. Next was an x-ray. Here’s what it showed.

Broken, obvs. A few minutes later Dr. Bone Fixer and his Trusty Assistant strode in. They explained the choices. Leave it alone, and you can live a long happy life with a broken bone. Or, undergo a surgical repair, and you can live a long, happy life with a refurbished one. The surgery would entail screwing a metal plate to connect the two pieces of bone. It didn’t seem hard to decide. If it’s broke, why not fix it? Then the next questions were: Should he have it done here? We don’t even know these people. How do we know they’re any good? Should we drive back to Maryland and have it operated on there? 

This was a Monday. Dr. Bone Fixer said he could do the surgery a week from Tuesday and see Mr. K for follow up eight days later. Why, that was the day we were planning to start back home! His schedule fit ours to a T. We could stay in our beloved Adirondacks – without hiking the 46-ers, boo hoo – get all fixed up, then head back. We really liked the staff. Everyone was friendly and helpful, and they all seemed to like each other. In our experience you receive better medical care when the staff is closely knit. Mr. K gave the surgery the a-okay. When Dr. Bone Fixer and his Trusty Assistant left, we did an online search to check out his credentials. He looked as reputable as anyone.

And there was also the souvenir factor. I mean, anyone can waltz into a trinket shop in Lake Placid and come home with a musical snow globe. How many can boast of a bespoke slab of metal in their body? Plus, your kids won’t have to donate it to Goodwill when you’re gone.  

The next day Dr. Bone Fixer’s office called with a list of tasks. We had to pick up a packet of medical orders and information, and go to this location for a chest x-ray, that lab for blood tests, this other building for an EKG, and so on. Duties completed, we feasted on a vegetable panini and eggplant parmesan lunch in one of New York’s famous diners. The next day we headed back to the Adirondacks. 

Back at the mountains we took walks around Lake Placid, went to the grocery store, did our laundry, and who knows what-all. The time passed quickly and soon we were back in Albany for the surgery.

As I said, a well-oiled machine. Everything ran on time, and before you could say “Turn that darn tv off in the waiting room for crying out loud!” it was over. RunningBarb brought a slightly groggy Mr. K back to the hotel. He had an arsenal of pain drugs to take if needed. He was on his way to healing. 

After the surgery we went to Lake George, where we spent the week walking the beautiful Warren County Bikeway and staring at the sparkling water.

At the follow up appointment Dr. Bone Fixer gave Mr. K the a-okay. All right then, time to head home.

I know that we live a life of privilege. I am well aware that our nation’s medical system is deficient and flawed. Many who need care face obstacles related to insurance, money, transportation, language, communication, and other factors. We did not have to deal with any of this. It sits on my chest a little bit. 

May there come a day in our lifetime when this kind of medical care is fully accessible and available to all. 

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Of course, we didn’t know right away that they were EMTs. They looked like normal people. As we climbed the steps to the Johns Brook Lodge (JBL) porch a friendly voice called out, “Hey, how was your hike?” Mr. K told his story. “Well, we have four EMTs here,” she replied.

It seems that these EMTs, when they are not pulling people out of burning buildings, resuscitating unconscious heart attack victims, locating lost souls in the wilderness, and teaching back country skills to city slickers, relax by hauling their packs into the woods and climbing crazy mountains. Some people just don’t know when to quit!

First EMT looked at Mr. K’s shoulder and clavicle, poked around a bit, and asked him a few questions. He assessed that the collarbone likely was broken. He was somewhat surprised Mr. K wasn’t in more pain. He advised us to get to a trauma hospital in Albany as soon as possible. That seemed like good advice. But the “as soon as possible” part seemed a little challenging. Getting back to our vehicle in The Garden would require the three-and-a-half mile hike out. Then we would have to hop in the van and drive for two hours to get to the emergency room. And who knows how long it would take to see the right medical professional?

It was already late in the day. We were tired, wet, and hungry. We decided to stay at the lodge, eat a good dinner, get a good night’s sleep, eat a good breakfast, then be on our way when we were fresh.

Let me tell you about the meals at JBL. For dinner guests were served pork barbeque, fake vegetarian pork barbeque, rolls, macaroni and cheese, cole slaw, steamed broccoli, and for dessert spice cake with a maple glaze. Breakfast was scrambled eggs, bacon, homemade biscuits, and pancakes. I ask you, do you eat better than that at home?

We received excellent care at JBL. First, from First EMT who made the tentative diagnosis. Second, from Second EMT who offered numerous times to carry Mr. K’s pack down the next day if it hurt too much to carry it himself. Third, from the staff at JBL who contacted a ranger and learned that she agreed with our course of action. Fourth, from said ranger who volunteered to walk out with Mr. K if he wanted, or even cart him away in an ATV. 

Who knew this was such a good place to crack a bone?

Rested and sated we prepared to leave but not after we thanked everyone. It was touching and comforting to receive so much support, and we are forever grateful. 

Turns out Mr. K felt he could manage on his own. Tough guy, eh? We strapped on our packs, grabbed our trekking poles (two for me, one for him), and were on our way.

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Man plans, God laughs.

– Yiddish Proverb

Two days after we climbed Colvin and Blake we were ready for our next set of mountains: Basin, Saddleback, and Haystack. We would access these from Johns Brook Lodge (JBL), a bunk house tucked three and a half miles into the woods. To get there you leave your vehicle at a place called “The Garden” (nicest name for a parking lot I have ever heard) and hike to the place. 

We had planned to spend our first day walking in, the second summiting Basin and Saddleback, the third Haystack, and the fourth out. However, as time got closer we kept reading about how quickly The Garden fills up, especially on weekends. We would be there on a Sunday morning. At the last minute we decided to arrive early in the morning to make sure we got a parking spot.

We arrived around 4:30 a.m. The lot was two-thirds empty. That’s the last time RunningBarb takes parking advice from strangers on the Internet. No matter. We waited until it was a little bit light, then were on our way. We arrived at JBL around 8:15. Now we had a decision to make. We could stick with the original plan and not hike that day, or we could take advantage of our early start and climb at least one peak. We decided on the latter and were on our way around 9:00 toward Saddleback. We hadn’t gotten very far when it started to rain. That did not seem like a big deal. We have hiked in the rain in the Adirondacks many times. Plus, rain was predicted for the next two days, so it seemed unavoidable. 

The first few miles weren’t difficult. The trail was wide and well-marked. There was the usual mud and rocks, but nothing dramatic. After a bit we came to a few giant rock faces. These were a little trickier. They were steep and, with the rain, slippery. We took our time and kept going. Our waterproof jackets were not so waterproof after all, and we began to be soaked through. 

Soon we came to a set of ladders, which were a welcome sight. We continued up. There was more rock face, then a muddy trail. Eventually we were at the top of Saddleback. It was exposed and windy there, so we immediately turned back without taking time to eat our celebratory Snickers bar. I was getting really cold. I stopped for a minute to pull a wool hat out of my pack. 

What goes up must come down, so we headed back in the direction of the lodge. Again, a muddy trail, a rock face, and more trail. By then RunningBarb was starting to warm up. The hat was helping, and the rain had stopped. The arms on my jacket were starting to dry out, and what was that I saw in front of me? A shadow? I looked toward the sky to see the sun peeking out from behind a cloud. This hike was starting to look up. (Yes, I know we were going down.) All right, then! I was feeling pretty good and thinking Wow, I just bagged my third peak of the trip, and I only have six more to achieve my goal of becoming a – and then crash!

“Owwwwwww!”

I looked behind me to see Mr. K sprawled out prone on rock. 

Oh. That’s not good. 

I didn’t say or do anything. I knew (from experience) that once you fall on a hike you need a minute or two to get up and move on. I waited.

Soon he sat up and rubbed his shoulder. “This really hurts,” he moaned.

Oh. That’s not good.

“Can I do anything?” I lamely asked. I wondered if we were going to need help. Mr. K had a satellite app on his phone (iPhone 15 Pro in case you are curious), but it would be hours before anyone would arrive. We were still wet, and if we stayed and waited would get colder. We had space blankets with us. Do they really work to keep you warm?

After a few moments he stood up. That was good.

“I can’t lift my left arm,” he reported.

Oh. That’s not good.

As mentioned about 150 times in this blog, climbing 46-ers is a full body experience. How would he manage with the sudden inability to use a limb?

Well, maybe he couldn’t move his arm, but he could move his legs, so we slowly and gingerly made our way down the ladders, over some more rock faces, and eventually back to the muddy part of the trail. He was in pain, but kept soldiering and shouldering on and on until we finally got back to JBL.

And to our surprise, sitting on the porch rocking chairs, was a gaggle of emergency medical technicians.

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After making a few stops along the way to visit friends and family we arrived in the Adirondacks. We had booked a room in a typical Adirondack guest house: pine cone themed bed spread, dark walls, and two electrical outlets. We felt right at home.

The first peaks on our list were Colvin and Blake. To get to the trail, first you need to make parking reservations. Not because so many people want to park in that specific lot, but because the number of people in the area is controlled. The two mountains are accessed through the Adirondack Mountain Reserve (AMR), a privately-owned parcel of land. The AMR has provided an easement to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation to allow hikers through. (Wonder how long it took those guys to settle that little legal matter.)

We made our reservation and set out. After the attendant checked our booking we parked, then headed down Lake Road, which leads to a number of trails. On the way we passed through the Ausable Club, a community founded in the late 1800s. Coming here feels like stepping back in time. There is a large sprawling hotel built in 1890. I have no idea how you reserve a room there. Dinner is served at the hotel, and you have to dress for it. No hiking boots in the dining room for sure. There are magnificent bungalows tucked into the woods all over the place. A huge golf course. Tennis courts. Also lots of “No Trespassing” signs. Hey, they don’t let just any ol’ body in. At any rate, it sure it lovely to walk through.

And rambling along the road is great. It is relatively flat (by Adirondack standards), wide enough for a single car, and covered with smooth gravel. No rocks or mud. You get to have more than three miles each way count towards your hike even though the pacing is easy. Part of the way down Lake Road you come to another sign in kiosk where your reservation is checked. No metal detectors, though.

So, we were taking a pleasant walk and eventually arrived at the Gill Brook trail head. Now the real climbing began. It was fairly gentle in the beginning and became steeper as we strode on. Lots of giant rocks, of course, but someone had kindly built a ladder on one of the larger faces to help with the ascent. Thank you, trail crew!

Climbing Colvin and Blake is an out-and-back excursion. You go up to the top of Colvin and down the other side toward Blake. Then you trudge up to the summit of Blake, where there is a big rock with the word “Blake” amateurly sketched into it.* That’s how you know you are in the right place. Then you turn around and go back down toward Colvin, then again up to the top of Colvin, then down toward Lake Road, then the three plus miles on Lake Road back to your car. 

Doing Colvin and Blake was a walk in the park. The Adirondack Park, that is. We slogged through lots of mud and over rocks, we slipped and slid and pulled ourselves up holding on to tree branches and dealt with all the usual Adirondack mess. The hike turned out to be 15.4 miles with over 4700 feet of climbing.

It was getting pretty late and our stomachs were starting to catch up with our legs. On the way back to our guest house we moseyed on over to the Ausable Inn – a place where they do let just any ol’ body in. There we devoured most of the food on the menu.

Next we headed back to the room for a hot shower and a good read before sleep.

It was a good day. 

*It must be said here that scratching stuff into rocks is a clear violation of Leave No Trace principles.

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Well, here we are planning our next trip to the Adirondacks. Astute readers may recall that RunningBarb had set her sights on becoming an Adirondack 46-er. “What on earth is that?” you ask. Well, there are 46 mountains in the Adirondacks above 4000 feet. If you climb all of them you get to call yourself a 46-er. This entitles you to all sorts of special benefits, like being allowed to pay money to receive a letter certifying you as a 46-er, buy 46-er merch, shell out some bucks for a 46-er magazine subscription, and all kinds of other goodies. 

Mr. K had started climbing these babies when he was eight and dragged invited me along to climb a bunch so he could finish. So he has been done since 2009. I have been trying to catch up ever since. Sharp readers with good memories may recall my epic fail trying to climb Donaldson, Emmons, and Seward, then Haystack in 2023, then my fascinating and enthralling medical adventures and return to Seward (and Seymour) in 2025. Now I have nine mountains left. When, oh when would be the best time to tackle them? The answer, like the answer to most questions involving timing, is now. So – we have been preparing.

We will be backpacking for some of those days. We want to make sure we eat enough in the back country and also that the food we bring tastes good. Nothing is worse (well, to be honest, lots of things are worse) than to spend a hard day on the trail wrestling with mud, rocks, boulders, stream crossings, losing your way, then finding it again, and finally coming back to camp and getting a teeny weeny meal. We decided that our backpacking dinners would be tuna pasta. This would cover all the Major Food Groups: protein, fat, carbohydrates, cheese, mayonnaise, and Tabasco. 

Now, how do you bring mayonnaise in your pack? Well, any self-respecting backpacker will tell you that you can’t. But what do they know? Undeterred, we tried to find a way to make it work. We came upon a simple solution. You know those little packets you see in restaurants sometimes? We’ll just bring a few of those. Problem solved.

Turns out that the smallest number of packets you can buy is 200. Lemme tell you, I am at the point in my life where, if I want mayonnaise in the back country, gosh darn it, I’m going to have it. So we ordered a box of 200. Guess what – it’s really a lot! But I am already thinking about what to do with the leftovers. Maybe give them out for Halloween. All the boring houses give out full size Snickers bars, boxes of Mike and Ike’s, and bags of M&Ms. I think it’s time for a new trend. I’m sure the kids will thank me for it.

Even though we are regular campers and thought we had all the camping gear on the planet that two human beings could possible own, it turns out we didn’t. Camping and backpacking are not always the same. We needed more stuff. So we sprung for a new backpack for Mr. K, light sleeping pads for the both of us, a microscopic stove, featherweight pots for cooking, new trekking poles for me, and who knows what-all. For what we spent on equipment for a few days of deprivation in the woods we could have stayed a week at the Four Seasons. But no matter, it’s all about the experience.

We also had to train to be ready for those peaks. How best to get in shape for mountain climbing when you leave at sea level? Why, you go to Weverton Cliff! It’s the steepest place I know of in the area. Weverton Cliff is a section of the Appalachian Trail that offers a beautiful view of the Potomac River. To get there from the road you have to hike a mile up, with around 500 feet of elevation gain. So we took a few hikes there. That is up to the top, then down. Then up. Then down. Etcetera. My longest day on that trail saw more than 12 miles of hiking and more than 3000 feet of elevation. Our planned hardest hiking day in the Adirondacks was more than 14 miles with 3300 feet of elevation. That seems within reach. Of course, that does not figure in trail conditions, which, as has been made clear above include mud, rocks, boulders, stream crossings, and losing your way. Plus, there could be rain. And bears. But we can’t control everything. I think we are as ready as we will ever be. 

That mayonnaise sure is going to taste great. 

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After many weeks on the road it was time to head home. We always end up stopping in Kansas. Normally we stay at Cedar Bluff State Park, where we always get a nice, private campsite with a great view of the reservoir. This time we ventured into Wilson State Park, where we had a nice, private campsite with a great view of its reservoir. (Kansas has 24 reservoirs.) Reservoirs may not be so great environmentally, however, they provide lots of fun recreational activities.  

When RunningBarb was walking back from the shower house, I noticed a light blink out of the corner of my eye. What’s wrong with my eye? I wondered. Then I noticed it again, and again, these times with a full-on view. The sky was flashing, and now there was lightning added to the mix. Looked pretty cool.

As night fell the blinking and glinting continued. It didn’t seem to be moving any closer or farther away, as you might expect from a storm. As I crawled into bed in the van it kept going. I lie back and watched through the windshield of the van as the sky lit up and darkened and the lightning flickered. It went on this way for hours. I was captivated by how beautiful it was. There was never any thunder or rain, just the brilliant light popping and sparkling. The sky was bringing out its flashiest artists for anyone looking up.  

After a while I fell asleep, and sometime during the night I woke up to the sound of the wind in the trees. The night lights were still going, and now they had an added element. I tried to stay awake to take it in. I finally closed my eyes to the sound of the rustling of the leaves. 

As dawn came about the birds started warbling and crooning, offering me stirring chirrups to accompany the start of my day. Soon the sun was up, and so was I.

My night experience was wonderland of sights and sounds. I was so grateful for the time spent traveling and the opportunity to pass this time in nature. Even though it was from the inside of a Toyota Sienna. 

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While in Colorado we dropped in on an iconic landmark located in a shopping center in Lakewood, Colorado, just outside of Denver. How could we not?

Originally opened in 1974, Casa Bonita was part of a restaurant chain first established in Oklahoma City. It was successful for a while, but later went downhill. It closed in 2020 for COVID, then the owners filed for bankruptcy in 2021. Soon after, the creators of the television show South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, bought it and sunk buckets of money into its renovation.

Casa Bonita is truly one of a kind. From the outside it looks like a giant pink Spanish bell tower. When we arrived dozens of people were milling about, looking for the correct line to go enter. Basically, the choice depended on how much you paid for your reservation. One of The Darlings’s significant others had scored for us a “premium” reservation, so la-dee-dah! After queuing up at the right place and going through the metal detector we were escorted into the building. The inside is a combination of a Mexican village and Disney World. There are imitation houses, fake store fronts, and all sorts of people in character roaming around. It’s silly and cute. 

The highlight of the place was the cliff diving. RunningBarb remembers ABC’s Wide World of Sports broadcasting this sport on Saturday afternoons. I was enthralled by the beauty of the cliffs, the turquoise of the water, and the daring of the divers to fly as far as 135 feet or 41 meters below. 

Now, at Casa Bonita the divers travel a shorter distance to the water, but you get the idea. Our premium reservation gave us a close up and personal look at the guys, which was fun. They smiled and waved at us. They took a plunge every 15 minutes or so. 

The menu was small, and the meals were good. RunningBarb ordered cheese enchiladas. Plus the waitress brought countless bowls of chips and salsa. So, one of us is 6’2”, okay? I also drank a margarita cuz, well, Mexico. Ish. At the end they bring out sopaipillas, which are fried pastries with honey. They were still warm when they were delivered. Killer.

You had your reserved table for one hour, so you could not exactly dally. We finished eating and went off to other places to explore. There was Black Bart’s Cave, with fake treasure and skeletons, a balloon artist, a mariachi band, a puppet show, and who knows what-all. Then we checked out the other places where you could spend more money: a game room, a few bars, and a souvenir shop. As I said, Disney World.

It was totally fun, and RunningBarb highly recommends this place for a visit next time you are in the Denver area. 

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After leaving Black Canyon of the Gunnison we embarked on a long drive through some of the most stunning scenery on the planet. There are mountains on either side, with deep green plant life and snow-capped peaks. There are streams and waterfalls gushing and splashing all over the place. There are teeny little towns with old houses and main streets. It’s like you are moving through the set of “The Sound of Music.” RunningBarb knows you remember that one, right?

I thought about how nice it would be to live in such a lovely place. Being immersed in an environment with spectacular terrain, wildness, and nature at its pure and finest. Then I noticed my phone wasn’t receiving a cell signal. I started to wonder where the nearest grocery store was. And hey, how about a hospital? I thought maybe this idyllic spot wasn’t for me after all. But I loved the view every mile of the way.

After a while we arrived at Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Now, here is a great place to live. Grocery stores, a hospital, even great cell service! And it gets better. A river runs through it. You can enjoy white water rafting, paddling around, and (ice cold) swimming. There are bike paths, bike lanes, hiking trails, even regular ol’ sidewalks. Also a downtown area with shops that sell outdoor gear, vintage clothing, pot (very popular in Colorado) as well as tons of restaurants. It doesn’t stop there. There is a classic Amtrak station and local busses that go everywhere. What more could you ask for? Oh, I know – an underground cave where you can go to sweat things out.

The Yampah Spa and Vapor Caves looks like an ordinary building from the outside. You enter, get checked in, and they give you a nice robe. You go into a locker room and change into your swimsuit. Then you are ready to descend into the cave. But first, lots of warnings. The cave is hot – around 110-112 degrees Fahrenheit, 43-45 degrees Celsius. There are all kinds of medical cautions around – check with your doctor, don’t use if you have high blood pressure or a heart condition, blah blah blah. They also recommend that you stay down there no longer than 10-15 minutes and come up and cool off.

As I was going down a woman was coming up, pretty much staggering up the stairs. I asked her if she was all right. “No,” she replied. I asked if there was anything I could do. “No,” she replied. She finally made her way to the top. That steamy heat can really pack a wallop.

Anyway, I kept going. Once you are at the bottom of the stairs there are three rooms you can check out, with benches in each one. The air in the vapor caves is – well- vapory. Also sulphury. It’s dark, although there are lights placed here and there so you can see where you are going. You can observe and hear water flowing and gurgling near the sides of the cave. 

I found myself a seat in an empty room and closed my eyes, soaking in the heat, the smell, the wet. It’s hard to gauge your time in a place like that. I stayed until my body told me it wanted to cool down. Then I went back up the stairs to the atrium, where there were jugs of lemon water and soft music playing, and lots of lounge chairs. I sat there for a while, downing the cool water while thinking about how lucky I was to be in such a cool (so to speak) place. I imagined the first people who found the caves, before there was a such thing as a spa, before there was a such thing as the town of Glenwood Springs. It felt prehistoric and spiritual. 

Then downstairs again, to the second room, then dowsing myself with cold water below, then coming back up, then down, then up a bunch of times. Then it was time for my foot massage, which only made the experience even more delicious.

A few more downs and ups, and then I decided I had to get back to the outside world. I took a shower, got dressed, and went out into the bright Colorado sun. RunningBarb tried to carry the meditative feeling with me for the rest of the day. Really, the rest of my life.

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Next stop, Mesa Verde National Park. This is the site of ancient cliff dwellings built way back when. They were the condos of their time, way before homeowners associations and zoning requirements ruined everything. It was only May but it already felt like an inferno. But these guys looked like pretty clever dwelling places, high up, shaded and sheltered. They were created when people knew it made sense to build with the environment, not against it. There was a lot to look at. There are more than 600 cliff dwellings, Cliff Palace, the “largest known cliff dwelling in North America,” and various houses and temples.

We saw the sites and did a few (hot) hikes. After a few days we moved on to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.  

Really, in the west, just about everything is a canyon. The Black Canyon is like the Grand Canyon, only smaller. It’s like Kings Canyon, too. According to the website “National Park Posters,” a scientific source of information if I ever heard of one, Kings Canyon is the deepest, followed by the Grand Canyon, then the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. Poor little Great Basin Canyon comes in last. Not so Great I guess. Or maybe they used that name just to fool you.  

As in the Grand Canyon, you can hike around the rim, or you can take yerself all the way down to the bottom. (And back up, presumably.) It does not actually sound like a walk in the park. The National Park Service warns: Wilderness routes are not trails; they are unmarked, physically demanding, very steep scrambles with loose rock. 

Whoa, you better eat your Wheaties if you want to try one of these babies. One of the trails described on the web site is the Tomichi Route:

This route is considered the steepest South Rim route and is very difficult. The entire length of the route is loose rock and receives full sun exposure. There are several steep inclines near the top of the route that require scrambling. Use extra caution while descending. 

The distance down is one mile, with 1960 feet of descent. For comparison, this is the distance of three and a half Washington Monuments. Good luck!

We did some hiking and tooling around in that park – full disclosure, we did not scramble down to the bottom or back up – and then were on to our next destination: Glenwood Springs, Colorado and one of my favorite places ever, the Yampah Vapor Caves.

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