And That Rocky Mountain Way...

The internet at TLHU is somewhat unreliable (by which I mean it doesn't work at all) so I'm here in a coffee shop in Englewood leeching off its free Wi-Fi. With any luck, the campus IT guys will get off their asses and fix the connection...but somehow I doubt it. Thus, it's quite possible that this is the only place I'll be able to access the internet. Curses.

It's been a long week. I've learned to play football on a sheet of ice, drive a 15-passenger van safely (an absolute 65-mph speed limit? Say it ain't so!) and find my way around Denver via bus and light rail.

Anyway. Yesterday we headed out to Boulder, Colorado. This might be one of the coolest towns I've ever been to. It sits right at the base of the Rocky Mountains (that's not an exaggeration either; a quarter-mile out of town and you're heading up through mountain passes) and is a popular destination for ski bums and all those who love strenuous physical activity. Naturally, we couldn't pass the opportunity by. We went hiking. Up a mountain.

Now I know what comes to mind when people who have never been out West hear that phrase. They picture a mildly exerting walk up rolling hills on dirt trails. Before this week, that's what I would've thought too. Not so much. Rather, it was a tough hike up through trails that were not only narrow, but rocky. With cliffs on one side. Oh, did I mention that they were covered with ice? Yep, it was dangerous and very tough.

And I loved it.

Me, of all people. Me, who has a fondness amounting to a passion for unhealthy food and beer. Me, who has been known to drive two blocks rather than walk. When I finally made it down from that mountain, my shoes were soaked through. My legs felt like rubber. Were it not for my buddy Nick's quick reflexes, I would've slid down one of the cliffs. I was more physically exhausted than at any time in the last couple years.

But goddamn, I was proud. I don't even know of what, precisely; it was only a three-mile round trip, and I accomplished it with no amount of grace or skill. For some reason though, that didn't matter. I had made it.

Here's hoping that trend continues.