"Road Trip" Day 3, 4, 5

#ThrowbackThursday This is a recap of last Aug 2013, a continuation from Road Trip Day 2

"Road Trip" Day 3 - Disco 

I spent most of the day at a coffee shop working online. I got an awesome odd job of writing descriptions for candy and other miscellaneous items which kept me nicely occupied whenever Jenn was at work. These are my two favorites from that day:

Cupcake Toothpaste
Sweeten the mundane job of brushing your teeth with Cupcake Toothpaste! Your dentist may not want you to eat a cupcake a day, but you can get the same sweet flavour without the calories, while taking great care of your pearly whites. This great-tasting toothpaste is a mouthful of that cupcake flavour you love. If you get excited about desert, you may find your self brushing after every meal, because this toothpaste tastes just like the frosting on a cupcake!

Folding Pocket Comb/ Delinquents with Combs
In the form of a switchblade knife this plastic comb will have you looking like one of the bad boys and you may just feel like one of the characters from The Outsiders. A simple button releases the comb so you can practice fast opening techniques and get your hair slicked back the second you need to tame that pesky stray hair and keep looking cool. You'll feel ready for any hoodlum adventure with your slicked-back do. Slide into lock position to keep your comb safe when not in use. Pomade, white tank top, and leather jacket not included.  

It was a really fun job. If anyone out there needs any writing related work. I'm happy to take a look!

Anyway... Later that evening it was time for the Rafters Guide Wednesday Night Disco Party. Everyone dressed up in the best disco outfits they could get their hands on. A few of us without costumes piled into Mikes car and were brought to a locked room in the rafting headquarters. Two giant dress up boxes (some called them tickle trunks) were at our disposal. We tried on all sorts of clothes from the 60's, 70's and 80's until we were each fashioned with the most ridiculous patterns.

Everyone looked amazing in their sequins, spandex, neon, and general random garb. It was off to The Lariat Bar, where Disco Night has become a summer tradition in Buena Vista. Lots of dancing and drinking had us stumbling back to Jenn's rafting trailer to get some sleep before the road trip to Boulder we were to journey to the following day.


"Road Trip" Day 4 - Meet the Family

Gary

We woke up early to pack up Gary (Jenn's car) and secure the kayak for our short voyage North. In the car Jenn found some beautiful 'Bon Voyage' white daisies waiting for her, which stayed with us the whole way (See pic left). After saying farewells to the rafting summer Gary got revved up for the first leg of our journey.

It was a scenic Colorado drive to Jenn's parents house, where I was finally going to get to meet her folks! After hearing so much about each other and having already virtually met via skype it was a warm welcome and so neat to see where Jenn had grown up after moving from Alaska. We only stayed for one night but I got a snapshot of Jenn I hadn't seen before. I helped her get all her things organized for her Oregon life to come. I even got a few glimpses of the Inspiration Books Jenn has kept regularly; filled with awesome quotes, pictures, and good vibes. 

"Road Trip" Day 5 - I heart WY

In the morning we jumped on 287, not to be confused with The 287, apparently only Canadians say 'The' before their highways, and crossed over to Wyoming. We quickly encountered camels as soon as we crossed the border, that's right camels!! We also saw some prong horns, which I had never seen before and as we searched for a rest stop we mistakenly thought "Siam Cafe" would have some coffee.Decaffeinated and grumpy, I was pretty haughty about a place calling themselves "Cafe" in huge letters when in fact they had no coffee or even tea to speak of. Thankfully Old Town Coffee was just up the street where we picked up some expensive java and paused to take a look the works of a Mother and Daughter who were debuting an art show together just that day.
We got back in the car and headed North West thinking our destination was Targhee. However while we were in the car I happened to be flipping through a travel magazine where there was a big picture of the Teton mountain range. "We can go there!!" Jenn exclaimed and promptly changed our route for the detour. By the time we got to a look out point the sun was setting and we only caught the purple clouds, the mountain range hardly visible. We jumped back in Gary and searched in the darkness for a campground close to the Grand Teton National Park. We were lucky to find one and snuck our way in, finding a secluded spot. The air was cool and I was in bliss to find a complete absence of bugs. We felt no need to set up a tent, we just laid out sleeping bags on the ground and peered up at the sky through the trees and of course pulled out the crib board. We went to sleep already excited about waking up before the sun to catch the Tetons at sunrise.

"Road Trip" Day 2 - Lets ride mustangs bareback

(Posted a little late, this took place in August 2013)

"So... how do you feel about going on an adventure?" Jenn asks, and of course I'm always up for whatever she has in store. We jump into Gary (her car) and head off through the roads of Buena Vista on a beautiful sunny day. 

Arriving at a small ranch I learn about the gentle nature of two beautiful mustangs who have been taught like no other horses I've met. These horses were never whipped or hurt to be 'broken', natural horsemanship is beautiful to witness. While sitting on Wyoming bareback she responds to the gentlest touch. Sitting forward, she knows to go forward. Leaning to the right, she knows to go right. Sitting back, she knows to stop. It really feels like the horse can read it's riders mind.
Jenn and I were allowed to walk the land on these great horses and here are my two favorite photos.

It was such a beautiful day.

"Road Trip" Day 1 - The best F*cking Monday of my life

(posted a little late, this took place Aug 2013)
Since I arrived in Buena Vista at night I had no idea the view that was waiting for me when I woke up. I stretched, yawned, and open the door to see the trailer park where all the rafting guides were living for the summer. A glance skyward had me in awe, almost everywhere you look there are beautiful 14000 foot peaks, and the sun was shinning in the valley.

The Sawatch range, on the west side of the Buena Vista valley is home to fifteen 14000 foot peaks, the largest collection in Colorado. Not only do these mountains look gorgeous, but when storm fronts come through the area they smash into the Sawatch range and dump all their water and snow on the west side of the mountains, the storm systems break apart and reform on the other side of the valley. Because of this the valley of Buena Vista is blessed with an average of 312 sunny days, the most sunny days out of any other town in the whole of the USA.

Jenn returned with Mike and it was off to coffee, breakfast burritos, and renting a raft. Then we were off to the liquor store and I still had to find shoes.
"Pull over, pull over! That's a consignment store, I'll be two minutes." I shout to Jenn as i jump out of the car.
So no, I didn't bring running shoes. I've lost so many pairs of shoes over the past two years that I only own flip flops, black flats, and some heels that have stayed in my closet at my parents. I had considered buying runners in Toronto but I had trusted our materialistic world to provide, and it did. After two minutes and $20 I was back in the car with a pair of brown and turquoise Brooks. Now I was ready to raft.

While Jenn and Mike pumped up the rafts and got things secured, I got my basic training. It was a mix of: paddle hard, stick your feet in strong, and you'll know your PFD is tight enough if your beer stays in place at the top. It wasn't time for helmets just yet, Mike drove the car to our put out (where we'd be taking the raft out) and was going to hitchhike back to our put in.

Jenn and I took that time to play a game of crib and begin to catch up on all the summer adventures.  When Mike came back I was finally nervous, I have never been on white water before and I didn't want to fall in. We went over all the saftey precautions and I knew I was with the best have-fun-BUT-safety-first guides. Mike had ran the river only once before, and Jenn was going to try her paddle at reading and running.

Notes were scribbled on paper and put in a clear dry sack giving clues on what turns and bends and rocks where coming up, but Jenn would have to rely on her training as a guide to make it through these class 4 rapids.

First you hit Primero, Segundo, Tercero, and Pumphouse; a succession of four rapids close together that give you just a taste of what you're in for.

Jenn maneuvered us and the raft by shouting out strokes that we had to obey. I did my best to plunge my paddle deep into the water without falling overboard. At the beginning my enthusiasm made up for my lack of skill but by the middle I was leaning into the action and making a strong stroke.  

Then it was Wall Slammer and rightly named. Our raft tapped the wall of the gorge and we were pushed back to the middle to observe the great walls of the canyon on either side of us. I was in awe of the 1200 ft walls of the rock on either side of us.
Then it was back to paddling. Rafting on the Royal Gorge combines Class IV rapids setting you up for a wild ride and finishing with the unanticipated bliss of completing Sunshine Falls.

Unbeknownst to us there was a photographer that captured us at Sunshine. 

After we were three quarters in we found a spot to pull up the raft where there was a small climb up the canyon to a mini ledge for cliff jumping.

I have never gone cliff jumping before. Yup, I'm just too chicken shit. This time I was armed with a helmet, a PFD, an encouraging friend, and I still had hesitation. I was clinging to the wall, just afraid to look down. Mike went first and my heart was racing. 
"If you jump before me, I'm not going to do it." I told Jenn as she offered to go ahead. 
"Well, you don't have to…" 
"I want to, I just… I've been conditioned not to do things like this." 
Moments away from a deep philosophical conversation, "You're thinking too much." 
"Yeah, you're right." I took a deep breath and launched myself from the rock, screaming all the way down. The plunge was amazing and I surfaced quickly. I was still alive, adrenaline was pumping, and as my head broke through the water I had one though: I want to do that again.
"Feet up!" Mike screamed at me as I quickly floated back to the raft turning to see Jenn jump behind me.

We were all wearing broad smiles and passed around some fireball to warm up from the cold water and added another layer of sweaters.  "That was fucking amazing! I can't believe I've never done that before!"

"Yup this is what we've been doing all summer." Mike leaned back with his arms gesturing to the life of rafting.

"I'm thinking of all the Monday's I've woken up to go to school, go into an office, get on the subway. This is the best fucking Monday of my life."

"And we still have more rapids to hit!"

We jumped one more time and got back in the raft for the craziest rapids of the gorge. One after the other, all in succession. No time to think, just listening to Jenn calling out strokes to make it through the zig zag rapids without flipping and without getting caught it the rocks. We all hollered and whooped and clicked our paddles together at the end of Sunshine. As we came to the put out we were all exhausted and euphoric.

Laying on the raft as it lets out air photo by Jenn

Photo by Jenn

It was time for dinner and I was spoiled for life in terms of white water rafting. The truth of the danger we faced didn't catch up with me until the next night at a party where the rafting guides gave major props to Jenn for reading and running the gorge. 27 people have died on that stretch of water and we had a perfect ride.

 I am so grateful for that day

The coffee tastes better

Over the past couple years I've become a happy coffee drinker despite myself. In Toronto I buy and promote a 'disloyalty card' named The Indie Coffee Passport. While quietly enjoying a morning brew I would take that time to do a mini visualization, if only for a few seconds, thinking where else would I like to enjoy a cup of coffee?

Well this morning, I'm blessed to say that I'm enjoying my coffee somewhere in the Sierra Nevada. It's the tallest mountain in the Iberian Peninsula. I took the bus from Almuñecar on the most curvy, windy mountain road and was reminded of beautiful vistas I had seen on the camino. I love the mountains but I guess I never realized just how much. A feng shui practitioner once told me my life would benifit from seeing stones so I placed a few on my windowsill and by my stove. Somehow the way I talked about my favorite type of chair, high backed, told her I needed to be by mountains to be truly happy.
(Almuñecar is surrounded by mountains, it's name meaning such when ruled by the Moors, perhaps that is why I have such an affinity for it.)

Back to the mountain I'm on now though, I've never felt so close to the moon. I am in mountains and everywhere I can hear water running and usually see streams. I went on a moonlit walk the night I arrived and was awe struck the whole time that there was no need for streetlights, no need for flash lights, the moon is actually that luminescent. I was guided past a fountain that has natural spring water that tastes like bubbly water. It flows over iron and picks up the taste. All the taps here flow with mountain water. There are old wash basins in different parts where people used to wash their clothes with natural soaps.

On the moonlit walk there was an open space, a sort of terrace in the mountains, made of flat rocks and I was very moved upon stepping onto it. I'll get a bit airy-farie here but I believe energy can be felt and in this place there was an amazing energy that I walked into. It really took over me, not only was it incredibly beautiful but vibrationaly different. I later found out that the space was named 'Trance area'. When looking south, there are pointed mountains on the right and left that resemble pyramids and the centre fold makes you feel like your heart is meant to open. Then perfectly centred above at that moment was the moon. I didn't have to think about meditating, I just had to be and breath. There is much beauty to behold in the world and I am grateful for every glimpse of it I get.

I've since walked on other paths along this mountain (there are 300km worth of paths just in the Sierra) and I have acquired my own curvy crooked walking stick. My cousin and I are both very open to conceptualizing and philosophical possibilities so we really entertain a myriad of ideas. It's been a while since I've talked so openly about my spiritual beliefs so I've appreciated have someone who also believes that there's magic to be found in the world.

Well I just finished my coffee and my cousin just started juggling tennis balls so I have to go and show him that I've been traveling with real juggling balls the whole trip.

Spoiler alert, Next week Paris