Week 5, Part 2 - Colorado

Remember the promise I made at the end of Week 4, that I wouldn’t let it go another 23 days without updating this blog again? Well it’s been almost a month and a half, so I am sorry! To be fair, I also said I wouldn’t leave Wyoming before catching up, and I am still here!




On Tuesday August 15th I finally reached a lifelong goal - going to Colorado and seeing the Rocky Mountains! This is been the longest dream I've kept, one that I don't think of often because I've always known it would happen. I just didn't know when, and when I saw the Rockies I remembered just how long I had wanted that exact moment to come true. My animals probably thought I was crazy because I was actually screaming in joy when I saw them! Almost immediately after seeing the “Welcome to Colorado” sign, I saw the Rockies off in the distance.  I could see white patches of snow, but it just didn't seem real - I had to stop at the visitor center. I'm confident that I am probably the most excited person they have ever had stop into that building. There was nothing I could've done to hold back my excitement when I led the woman over to the window and pointed at the mountain off in the distance, "Is that snow!?!?!?" I was completely beside myself with joy. When I got back in my truck, I actually started crying with happiness. I was finally in the moment I had dreamt of, long before I ever dreamt of this road trip. I had finally reached the Rocky Mountains!


Seeing them off in the distance was no match to driving up them though! I had to pass through a canyon to climb the mountain peaks to get to my site in Peaceful Valley. The road wound alongside a river, with the mountains towering on either side of me. Every turn revealed a more spectacular sight - I was in complete awe.  From my campsite I was surrounded by wooded mountains, though I couldn't see any of the other peaks. Later on I took the road up further through the mountains and was able to get some really amazing views of them, including the ones with some snow on it! The highest peak had clouds hugging it, with snow in between it and the other peaks. It was incredible!


After I set up camp I left to head to Boulder. On the way back down the mountains a weather alert came over the radio. Up to this point I think I have only ever heard it as a test, but this time it was a real alert, warning for severe winds and hail damage, and to take cover indoors! I didn't even know where I was, let alone if I was in the area it was warning! The skies didn't look that dark, but I had already seen signs on my way up warning of flash floods (and to leave your car and climb to safety!), so I knew the weather could change quickly at this elevation. Luckily I got out of the mountains and away from dark clouds, so just another weather scare!


I was on the phone with Amber when I arrived to Boulder (as I usually am), and was absolutely ecstatic to go into a Marijuana store. Judge away, but I was in Colorado, where it is legal and practically a norm - how could I not!? I got into more than my fair share of trouble as a kid, and now I could just walk right in and buy it? From a store? I felt high just with excitement! I was so intrigued and had so many questions - I was in a whole new world! When I finally got to a store it was both exactly as I expected and at the same time totally unexpected. Each customer had their own employee, who had their own glass case of weed, and jars of it sitting on top. Behind them hung edibles and wrapping papers. I asked every question I could think of, realizing that I probably sounded insane, but I didn't care! I wanted to know everything! Was he high right now? Was it even legal to smoke at work? (No and no) Is it normal for people to be high in public? Could you smoke in public? (Yes and no-but people do). He was extremely patient with all my questions, and then even suggested which type I should get based off of what I was looking for.


From there I went to walk around downtown Boulder and stumbled upon a store that was below street level, named the "Mile High Club". Of course I had to go in.. Have you ever walked into a tobacco store that featured a few cases of glass pipes? Or even a hippie store that had a room, dedicated to glass pipes? This was a mall version. I have never seen so many before, all in brightly lit showcases. Everywhere that I have ever been in, there are signs telling you that if you refer to them for any other use than tobacco you will get kicked out. I've been kicked out before. Here, you could just openly talk about it! Everyone knew what they were for, and there were no laws to keep you from talking about the truth! I may or may not have spent too much money on things in that store... things that I will probably never use. What can I say, Colorado makes you want to be a pot head! I don't know what it is! (Maybe the hundreds of stores selling it???)


Of course I walked out of the store, only to find myself facing another store. I probably could've resisted going in, but it was raining, so why not get out of the rain?? This store was even cooler than the first one I went to, and it turns out they were the largest distributor in the country. The set up was the same personable care, and the guy I had was really cool. All my unanswered questions came out, and then he even answered ones I didn't know I had. I had noticed at the first store that he had talked about processing my credit card as an ATM transaction, but hadn't thought anything of it until this guy mentioned the same thing. Apparently all of these businesses essentially run as ATM's, because we were breaking federal law and therefore the federal banks wouldn't take the money generated. He said there was just a large stack of cash in an undisclosed location, guarded by ex-military and other highly trained men. I thought he was joking, and then realized that he was completely serious! Being that I used to work at a bank, I asked him how they 'ship out' their money if they don't work with Diebold or any armored carrier service. He explained that some of the men mentioned before would come in, with 4 guns each, in a heavily armored car with even more guns inside. "Ready for a 4 hour shootout at any moment," is how he described it. Absolutely crazy!


After leaving there, I got a slice of pizza down the street and then headed back up the mountain to my site. My GPS took me off the main road, on a windy road that cut through the mountains, alternating between dirt and pavement. It was a little unsettling because at this point it was pitch black and I could tell I really was in the "thick of the woods", but the stars were amazing! I continuously stopped in the middle of the road to lean my head out of my window and stare up at them. I couldn't believe how bright they were! Add in the high elevation, and it felt like they were only just out of reach.


The next morning I got up early and drove into Lyons, the town at the very base of the mountain. I had lost cell service almost immediately as I climbed the mountain, and I had to figure out where I was going that night! It had become a very spur of the moment trip, and at this point I really wasn't concerned anymore with where I would stay next; it always seemed to work itself out.


I found a cute coffee shop called The Stone Cup, one of those places I would love to add to my imaginary perfect town. It was a cozy café with free wifi and outdoor seating, and the best Hazelnut Iced Latte I've ever had. (I actually wanted French Vanilla, and they offered me the Hazelnut, starting my newest addiction). After settling down with my laptop outside, I started mapping out where I would stop next. I knew I wanted to be at the Grand Teton Mountains the following night, and had a lot of ground to cover to get there. I finally found a campground on Passport America located in Lander, Wyoming called Mountain View Campground. I had about a 6.5 drive to get there, not including stops, but it would leave me with only 3 hours to get to the Teton's. The woman who answered was extremely worried about me arriving past dark, but told me if I could make it before sundown, then she had a site for me. So, I headed back up the mountain, packed up, and hit the road!


Driving into Wyoming I started to notice these strange fences along the road.. They were just short rows of fences, staggered behind each other in sets of two or threes. There was nothing else around for miles and they didn't seem to have any purpose! Fences are supposed to fence things IN, these just looked like they were mistakenly placed, like a SIMS game error! So I Googled, "Strange Wyoming Fences" and was surprised to find a lot of hits. Turns out they are there to break up snow drifts and keep the snow off the road!


Another bizarre thing that happened once crossing into Wyoming was losing all cell data. I could still make phone calls, but my GPS stopped working. I was trying to get ahold of Amber, to ask her to send me directions, but I couldn't remember the name of the campground I was going to! I stopped to get gas and a girl at the pump next to me gave me directions to the town I was going to. Luckily there really aren’t too many roads, so all I had to remember was one turn! She even told me where she lived, and offered for me to stop there if I needed anything else. At the time I thought it was very strange, but I just hadn't learned about the unconditional hospitality that everyone possesses in Wyoming.


She had described her house as an old café, and I thought there was no way I would be able to find it, even if I wanted to stop in! But, I also hadn't yet learned just how empty Wyoming was either! About an hour later I passed by the old café, and with absolutely nothing else around, and no other roads, it really was very easy to find! As I continued to drive I started to really notice just how empty the area was. I would pass through a town that looked totally abandoned, all of the shops neglected and the gas stations overgrown with weeds.


When I finally made it into Lander, the sun was just starting to set. I pulled over to call the campground for better directions and to make sure they would still take me in. The same woman answered again and continued on to give me extremely detailed instructions, down to the mile markers that I would be turning at. After just being in an extremely remote location in the Rockies, I was expecting about the same, especially with the extent of the directions I received. Needless to say, I was very surprised to find the very obvious, in-plain-site campground. I mean, you could see the other campers from the road, there was no way you would miss it.


Turning onto the road I saw this little old lady, maybe 4 1/2 feet tall, probably 80-90 years old, jumping and wailing her arms all about. Once I pulled up, she showed me the campsite that I would be at, and again it was an extremely obvious site. With one look I knew exactly how to get to it (the sites were in a line with a path behind them to pull your camper through), but she insisted on getting me an escort. A man from one of the permanent sites rode up on a 3-wheeler, and lead the way around the loop to show me just where to go. Yes, everything from the directions to them plugging in my electricity cord for me was excessive, but this woman was the cutest, friendliest person I have ever met. If I am ever back in the area, I will make sure to stop in, even if just to say hi!


The next day I left and finally made it to my solar eclipse destination - the Teton Mountains!