Well, we climbed another mountain today. Sounds pretty impressive, but it was a little, easy one. Here are the stats: 6.5 miles out and back, 1200 feet elevation, 3.5 hours. My legs were pretty exhausted from the last few days so I put more stress on my knees, causing them more pain than typical. That’s my beef with mountains…all the up and down. It isn’t even the slope the bothers my knees, but the stepping on and off of rocks. Imagine the most uneven staircase made out of rocks of all sizes. Big steps, little steps, diagonal steps. All on my knees that have been attacked by rheumatoid and osteoarthritis. Today was the day that it all seemed to hurt the most. But the rest of the family led the way to the summit. And it was all worth it then. The view from the top of any mountain is just indescribable. Especially when we could see Twin Sisters and Estes Cone. It’s cool to be able to say, hey, I climbed that one and that one from the top of another mountain.
We started so early and were back at the trailhead by 10:15, so calamari didn’t seem like a good reward. Instead, we treated ourselves to a big breakfast out. I think we’ve only done two other breakfasts out. We usually eat the continental breakfast if provided or poptarts, applesauce, and granola bars if not. Zak did a lot of research and found Mountain Home. It was more local than tourist and had rave reviews on Yelp. I’ll start by saying that the food was great. I think we were all craving a big breakfast and our bellies were certainly full at the end.
The strange part was the service. After ten minutes of sitting at our patio table the host came back and asked us if a server has been with us and poured us coffees and waters. Ten minutes later, Zak’s coffee and water vessels empty, I asked a server if she was ours. She said no, but refilled our coffees. Five minutes later the hostess came to take our order and before long someone else brought our food. The goofiest part was that two different people brought us checks and expected payment. We still have absolutely no idea who was our server. After writing it, I don’t think the whole story is all that blog worthy, but it sure entertained us.
After brunch, we came back to the hotel and the girls spent the afternoon swimming away. Zak and I cleaned out the car and Zak did some laundry. We’ll pick up burritos at a taqueria and bring them to the park to listen to the “patriotic band.” We’ll watch the fireworks over Lake Estes from our hotel.
This has actually been a rough Fourth for me. We’ve never had definite tradition, but we’ve always spent the Fourth with friends or family. Last year we were at the cottage with Zak’s family where Uncle Mark mortified the girls by playing his god awful patriotic soundtrack during the pontoon parade. We’ve spent countless ones in Brookfield. Zak usually ends up in some kind of trouble. One year he set the dumpster behind the police station of fire causing a delay of game in the Little League tournament. It was also a Fourth when he invented bum/reer…the combination of beer and rum. Definitely not a needed invention. There was the year he surprised everyone at a party by streaking into the pool only wearing a tiny Speedo. We spent one Fourth at my folks watching hours of reruns of the hot dog eating contest. That one was more low key. Anyway, it’s weird to not be surrounded by friends and family. But we do have the mountains as a background so I guess it is a give and take.
Happy Fourth of July all and I thank the Presidents and Congresses for designating beautiful areas of our country as National Parks and Monuments.
***We did it again, forgot the camera. I have no idea how this has happened two days in a row, but we only have cell phone pictures again. Grrr.
