CUBS WIN! fly fishing & Perseid sky show in RMNP

This was quite a weekend (which ones aren't?).

Friday night I caught the Rockies host the Cubs in Coors Field... which almost felt the other way around given the crowd. I had no idea there were so many Chicago transplants in Denver, and would have believed you if you clubbed me over the head and told me I was in Wrigley instead. The home team actually was out-rooted for. To put this into perspective, in the 7th inning stretch, the phrase "Root, root, root for the CUBBIES" ala 3+ sheets-to-the-wind Harry Caray (... we miss you Harry!) was much more clearly heard than either "Root, root, root for the Rockies" or "Root, root, root for the home team" - a feat that I have never observe at any other professional sporting event (but would love to in Ann Arbor one glorious November Saturday... I'm not holding my breath though).

Saturday afternoon was split between bike shopping (more on this later when the good news finally comes in and I pick one...) and fly fishing in Estes Park. We didn't catch anything, but Ryan made a capable and patient guide. We waded in this time, which cooled us off and presented a new approach to me. After fishing we ate at The Wapiti Pub & Restaurant which I will be going back to. The food and atmosphere were great, and the bar has more than 50 beers to choose from. If there is any advice to give, it is simply DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE "Big Daddy Fire Burger!" The jalapeños are fine but those Habaneros aren't messing around. I recommend getting the salsa on the side. A little known secret is that the salsa is actually Dave's Insanity.

After dinner we headed up Trail Ridge Road to get a first class view of the Perseid Meteor Shower. According to a NASA article, this was going to be a great year for viewing. NASA was right. Ryan and I drove to above 12000 ft and then hiked up to 12300 for the show. We stayed there for just over 2 hours (in the windy 47 degrees...) and saw 66 meteors between 9:30 and 11:30. My camera ran out of batteries halfway through my first 15 second exposure, but this should suffice:

Some were faint but others lit up the sky with a huge smoke tail. Perhaps this was the most fitting hour all summer to use the phrase, "Far Out!" which I'm reminded of because it was a John Denver favorite, and the Perseids were John's inspiration to write Rocky Mountain High. [It's the summer of my 26th year, not 27th, but I have no doubt the lasting impression is comparable]

Today brought a poignant church message, lunch with folks I discovered I live close to and attend church with, and finally more bike shopping (I'm currently comparing / choosing between the 2007 Specialized Enduro SL Comp, the 2007 Specialized Stumpjumper FSR Elite, and the 2008 Trek Fuel EX 8). I have to admit it was a bit hard (but necessary) to take in the message of preventing the good things (college football, music, my new mountain bike...) from taking the place of the ultimate things (the eternal things or that which we will take with us after death) as a "selfish-with-my-resources-because-I-don't-have-to-provide-for-anyone-else single 20-something" in a mountain playground. It's good to remember the simple and probably overused or misconstrued "In the world but not of it, and in it to redeem it" phrase. May my Bible be/become/remain my most prized possession, no matter which bike I buy this week.

Grays Peak

Yesterday Ryan and I completed our 3rd official 14er; Gray's Peak. Gray's Peak is the 9th highest mountain in Colorado at 14,270 feet, and is the highest point on the Continental Divide in the US.

We drove from Ryan's in south Denver and started hiking at about 8:15 (or 8:30?). We did the standard route, a YDS class 1, which is the easiest route we have attempted so far (proven by the two guys that actually jogged the entire way from I-70... sherpa training or masochists?). The trail starts around 11,200 ft and is 3.5 miles from the summit. There seemed to be three distinct sections, so I would divide the hike into thirds mentally. The first third is surprisingly flat and required very few stops to catch breath (mind the elevation though). The second third (above Steven's Gulch from about 12,800 ft to 13,400 ft) is steeper and (not that it's a race, but nobody likes a traffic jam) provides the chance to pass groups of 6, the elderly, or those in jeans and tennis shoes. The final third is switchbacks that allow you to keep a good pace and get to the summit without putting forth a tremendous effort.

At the rock tower around 13,400, a mountain goat walked right across the trail in front of me. I was surprised to see how much of its winter coat was still on (it is July, right?), and how much shorter the summer coat was.

At that point I also had to turn around to the North and take a few photos of Steven's Gulch below. It was very green and beautifully carved. In the photo below you can see the trail crossing from center to lower left. The second photo below is Torrey's Peak, Gray's neighbor to the northwest.

Beyond this point, the remaining 900 feet of elevation gain are the third section I referenced above. From the summit we could see other 14ers including Mt. Evans and Mt. Bierstadt, Pikes Peak (seen from all our 14ers so far), nearby Torreys Peak, and Mt. of the Holy Cross. In addition to loads of other mountains, we could also see Breckenridge and Keystone ski areas as well as Lake Dillon (upper left in summit photo below).

Mt. Evans (left) and Bierstadt (right) with Sawtooth in between:

Torrey's (look how many people are on the summit as well as the trail!):

This route was probably just as busy as Mt. Bierstadt, but was much cleaner and slightly more difficult to access (the guy in the Toyota Camry that made it to the trailhead would probably agree he should have borrowed his neighbor's high clearance SUV or parked 3 miles down just off I-70).

Once back on the road we headed east to Virgilio's for pizza, which Ryan had heard about. The food was great... I'll be going back there again! We then vegged out for about 3 hours (caught up on Man vs. Wild via DVR) and eventually made our way up to the Rockies game. Dodging lightning (slight exaggeration) as we stood in line to buy tickets (hmm... is this a good idea?), we left the stadium and grabbed a few beers during the rain delay (always a good idea). The game was a good one, and the home team won 6-3. All in all, it was another dreadful Saturday here in Colorado. If this keeps up, I just don't know what I'm going to do with myself... ;)