Author: Karen D

A long travel day

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The day started early – 3:30 am for me. While I was mostly packed, I still hadn’t decided on which hiking shoes to take, and whether to wear them or pack them. Decided to pack them since I couldn’t fit everything in a carryon and backpack anyway, so why not travel in comfy shoes!

I finished packing everything,made a breakfast sandwich for the road and tiptoed quietly out of the house, so as not to wake my mother, who is dog sitting for me.

My ride arrived on the nose of 4:45 and we were at the gate by 5:35 am. I settled in with a cup of coffee and waited for the rest of the travel team to arrive. Thankfully, we had uneventful flights, not counting the very hard landing in Denver. Gotta give the pilot some slack, though, it’s super hazy due to Canada wildfires. I couldn’t even see the mountains to the west as we left the airport. Eventually they came into view but it was not the typical breathtaking sight I’m used to.

We have a 5 hour drive to our AirBnB in Olathe, so off we go to try to get there before dark. I 70 West through Glenwood Canyon is one of my most favorite parts of the drive, and today did not disappoint.The varying topography and geology is fascinating

We are thrilled to find our AirBnB is even better than the pictures. We have an incredible view of the San Juan mountains from the living room, which is mostly floor to ceiling windows.

We East Coasters are pretty tuckered out, so we head off to sleep pretty early. Tomorrow – a leisurely start and a trip to Ouray.

Road trip!!
There should be mountains straight ahead, but too much of the Canada wildfire particulates obscured the view.
The view from the AirBnB

One day to go!

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We are all focusing on packing “responsibly” so we are sure to have enough room in the rental car for all our stuff…suitcases, backpacks, cooler, food, and five travelers! Off to get a good night’s sleep so we can get up at 3:30 am!

Vicki’s sign got more and more elaborate!
Some of us stocked up on road trip snacks, too.

More practice

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Another practice hike in the books! Karen, Carol and Vicki hiked Jones Run Falls in Shenandoah National Park,while Kim hiked a more flat trail at the Great Dismal Swamp in Virginia. Breaking in those backpacks and learning where to stow everything for convenience! And Vicki tested out some trekking poles and is now convinced to buy some for herself.

At the falls

What to do in Colorado?

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Thank you Colorado for mailing me all these wonderful brochures and catalogs! There’s one for all the areas of Colorado, complete with a paper road map (remember road maps??!), which I will, in excellent nerd fashion, highlight and add tabs to for ease of navigation. Too much of my dad in me, I guess.

Since we are staying in Olathe, I requested information on Alamosa, Grand Junction, Mesa Verde, and Telluride and all of those tourism bureaus were super quick to respond. PDF catalogs are all well and good, but there’s nothing like having an actual catalog in your hands to peruse and notate on potential sightseeing options. We’ll have to figure out what is achievable from our location, without spending too much time in the car.

Testing out the gear

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The four of us decided to get some practice hiking done to test out new gear and get our legs ready. We drove up to Mary’s Rock in Shenandoah National Park, a trail about 3.5 miles long with 1200 ft elevation gain. We arrived at the trailhead to find it cold and blustery, so we were super happy we all had hats and gloves. Everyone’s new backpacks were comfortable, and water bladders all worked fine. With our early morning start, we were the first to the summit, and had it to ourselves for about 10 minutes before other hikers started arriving. Of course any good hike ends at a winery or brewery, and we made no exceptions this time, enjoying the selections at Valley Road Vineyards. General consensus: we can do this!

Bundled up at the start
View from the summit

Car rental – CarBnB??

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So today I learned that there is a way to rent a car without using one of the big companies that charge an arm and a leg. Turo.com allows people to rent their personal cars, like AirBnB does for homes. What an idea! (Wish I’d thought of it.)

With five of us, plus luggage, plus backpacks, plus cooler…we were in need of a ginormous vehicle, which indeed would have been one of the most expensive parts of the trip through traditional rental companies. So, one more nerdy spreadsheet later, we were able to reserve a Ford Expedition for a third of the cost, which we hope will be roomy enough for our assorted gear.

One more item checked off the to-do list!

Shopping!

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Today I helped Vicki get a backpack for the trip. She had done her research and had found one she liked online, but when we got to the store and she looked at it in person, she knew it wasn’t for her.

The big thing I look for in a backpack/daypack is the ease of getting to ‘my stuff’ inside. I like the packs that have the big zipper 3/4 of the way around so I can easily find what I’m looking for or rearrange items. I also like a pack with waist pockets…the perfect place for tissues, snacks, pepper spray – anything that I might want to access quickly. And of course, space for a water bladder.

Vicki tried several on and found that some were super uncomfortable for her, but she settled on a nice Osprey pack. It’s great to do research on gear, but there’s nothing better than checking it out in person to make sure it works for you!