Day 0: Colorado bound

Day 0

Sorry for the lack of pictures. I’m having issues uploading pictures for some reason. I didn’t take many for this day anyways. I’m hoping when I get Wi-Fi in Frisco I will be able to upload. 

My flight was at 7am from Phoenix to Denver. Getting up at 5 was a bit hard. Which isn’t a good sign since the 5 Star alarm goes off at 5am. I scrambled and finished packing all my gear. My parents were a bit early and I still had a few things to do before heading out for a month.

When I got to the airport I walked right up check my bag and was headed to security within 2 minutes. I walked up to security and there was no one in line. I dont know if you have been to Sky Harbor on a Saturday but it is never like this. I walked up to the baggage scan and the TSA agent said I’m her favorite type of traveler.  I guess walking through security with just a phone a wallet is pretty easy.

I waited at my gate and had a few people stare at me. Its probably the short blue shorts. Oh yes, I brought back my signature possibly too short shorts. Have to show off my sweet hairy hiker legs. Although, they are pretty pale and hairy. So maybe in a month they’ll be sweet.

I got on the plane and sat in my typical aisle seat. Luckily nobody sat next to me. Probably because of the shorts. I slept for a bit and next thing I knew we were descending into Denver 15 minutes early. Walked through the massive airport and rode the tram to baggage claim. Picked up my pack and waited for 5 Star and Tami.

A few minutes later I met up with 5 Star. It was great to see him. We walked over to where Tami’s baggage claim will be and waited for her on a bench. Eventually, we see her walk up. The gang is back together again! Tami picked up a box that she checked and we made our way to the transit station. Hopped on a light rail to Union Station and started walking towards REI to pick up some things.

The Denver REI is huge. Probably 4 times the size of the one in Phoenix. We picked up some stuff and tried to decide on where to eat. Tami was starting to get hangry and so was I. We decided on the ale house. It was a bit expensive but was pretty good. I got a Cuban with Sweet potato fries. Yum!

We walked back to the light rail station and checked to see when a tram to Littleton was. We just missed it and had to wait about 30 minutes. We sat on a bench and waited. About 10 minutes later an obvious thru hiker carrying a pizza box walked up to us. Its pretty easy to spot us with our packs and clothes. A bit to early to smell us though.

She introduced herself and said her name was Sugar. She walked down to the next bench and we continued to wait. The time the train was supposed to arrive goes by and we are only seeing these two other lines. 5 Star gets up and checks the schedule again. He comes back and says the lined to Littleton doesn’t run on Saturday. We tell Sugar and she walks back to Union Station to catch a bus or see if another line runs out there.

We decide to get an Uber. We take the Uber to the AirBnb that we have reserved. The homeowner, Allen,  lives there and has a couple rooms he rents out. He wasnt there at the moment. He was off at a Beer fest with his yellow lab Moxie. We walk inside and set our stuff down. It looks like Allen keeps his area downstairs in the basement. We check the place out and its nice. A bit older but it is clean.

We empty our packs and walk 2.5 miles to the grocery store. Just as we are leaving we feel rain drops. Oh well guess we might get rained on. We continue walking.

We pass the most ridiculous house ever. All along the trim of the house are painted tea kettles. Alright. I didnt get a picture cause the lady was sitting in her garage. We kept on walking chuckling.

Eventually we make it to the store and see a Dairy Queen/Orange Julius. I was super thirsty and said I was going to get an Orange Julius on the way back. We buy our food, begrudgingly, and walk over to DQ. 5 star and I get ourselves an Orange Julius and Tami gets a tiny baby Butterfinger blizzard.

We walk back complaining about how heavy our food is with out our gear. Why is it so heavy?!  We make it back without getting more than just a few rain drops on us. We walk back in and still no Allen. Where is this guy?

We sort our food and I shove everything into my food bag. It barely closes. Its 5 full days to Frisco and we arrive on the 6th. I know I brought too much food. I contemplate lightening the load but decide to keep it. If I have ectra that means less to buy in Frisco.

We start gettimg hungry and I’m about to order a pizza when Moxie the lab runs in followed by Allen. We say hello and start talking to him about AirBnb. He says he is a very social person and likes meeting new people especially ones who are hikers.

He suggest a good pizza place to deliver. I order a large pepperoni, mushroom, and garlic and then some garlic knots. By the way I love garlic. Even though the next day my emissions are weapons grade lethal. Worth it.

Allen, is a pretty cool dude. He does remodeling but on the side he rents out these Snowbikes. Basically they are bikes with skis. He says its super easy and can take people who have never skied and get them riding quickly. He pulls one out to show us. They are pretty cool and look like a loy of fun. Tami and 5 Star are sold and want to try it.

It starts getting late and we turn in for the night. On a bunk bed. With a ceiling fan going full blast. At this point my mom is having flash backs to my last bunk bed experience. I was about 10 years old sitting on the top bunk with my friend while watching Independence Day. I get up on my knees and his Crayola crayon fan hits me in the head and slices it open. 3 staples at the hospital later I was fine, relatively. So I very carefully crawled into bed and did not sit up at all. I put in my earplugs and head to sleep.