Adventure – Day 2
July 8, 2010 by Debbi
Filed under On The Road
Great morning on the Arkansas today! I still haven’t adjusted to CO time, so I was awake at 5am. I managed to semi-fall back to sleep till 7, and I got up, went out for coffee, and explored the small town of Buena Vista. The town sits right at the foothills of the Collegiate Peaks – beautiful mountain ranges named after Ivy League schools. Specifically, we sit right below Mt. Princeton, 14,000 feet elevation, and when the sun came out this morning, the mountains looked spectacular.
Check in time for the trip was 9am, and there I met my rafting partners, a family of 4 – The Dentons. I told them that I was going to be part of their family for the day, and we all hit it off beautifully! We had such a wonderful time rafting down Brown’s Canyon, although, it really is a run for the completely inexperienced. I rafted with The Adventure Company, and highly recommend them – and my tour guide, “Tuna”. They serve an amazing fajita lunch, fresh salad, fruit, and brownies for dessert. The rapids were fun, and we were lucky with weather most of the trip – but the minute we pulled out of the river, it began to pour. We heard the late afternoon trip got hailed on! Thank you – sun Gods!
After I got back to the b&b, and relaxed a bit, I didn’t want to sit around, so I got in the car, and drove the 65 miles to Aspen, only, nobody told me that the drive would be as thrilling as Shikra, the roller coaster at Busch Gardens. Seriously, this was a white-knuckle ride, and no sooner did I arrive in Aspen and grabbed a bite for dinner, I turned around and came home. My heart is still racing!
Back at the b&b, and ready for day 2 on the Ark. Tomorrow, I’m rafting Numbers, the advanced run of the Ark. It’s about 14 miles north of Buena Vista, and I saw the put-in on the way to Aspen. Can’t wait!
So – stay tuned…Tomorrow, after the run, I’m stopping by the Hot Springs in Cottonwood, and then down to Great Sand Dunes National Park, where I’ll be on Saturday. Then, on to Santa Fe for 2 nights. I could really get used to this!
Debbi…I am so envious! I miss Colorado, and those beautiful mornings! I had to laugh when I read about your drive into and back from Aspen — I remember when I first moved out there, and was TERRIFIED of the switchbacks! I mean, I’m from FLA, land of the flat! Thought I would never go anywhere — but one day, when I was driving my boss’ Porsche up one of the canyons, I realized that I was doing 50 mph around a switchback and enjoying it — no longer a flatlander! After that I was good in most any vehicle up and down the canyons! Enjoy your stay
Wow, Lindsay! 50 MPH? I have to say – the drive home, since it was more uphill than down, was easier to be a little more adventurous with, but – very scary, nonetheless.
Glad I could bring back some great memories!!
Deb