Tripping

So apparently I went to Boulder. I woke up the next day (Sunday) and checked the weather forecasts. They outlined bad weather up to Vernon, an hour past Wichita Falls. It was noon and figured now or never. I figured with the time zone change and the few extra miles, I would be rolling into Boulder about one in the morning. Usually, I would opt to drive through west Texas at night due to the complete lack of anything to look at, and reach Raton Pass in New Mexico at sun-up. It takes about eight hours and that would require me to leave home at 10 PM to hit the mark. I loaded up the gear and headed out.

Two sleeping bags and a small tent.
Fire making supplies.
A bag of snacks and Red Bulls.
Clothes.
Computer.
Loaded iPod.
Camera.
I was missing a major piece of gear. I didn't know it.



It was wet out but not by biblical standards (no arcs in sight), so I wasn't too worried. I was a bit apprehensive about possible snow and ice, but scrwe it. I really needed to get out of town. If I got stuck in a blizzard it would be better than spending another boring week off work at home again. None of my friends could go because they all had to work. Don't blame them.

I made a bet with Jay and Deva that as soon as I left town, they would meet women... a claim I made because I noticed that all my male friends never get any. I figured that I am a walking cock-block. We'll see.

Per usual, I made two wrong turns and missed exits before I even got out of DFW. A good start. As expected, wet-Sunday traffic was okay. I almost got in a wreck when some lost dolt almost missed his exit and slammed on his brakes as soon as I let him over. "BUY A MAP ASSHOLE!"

I passed a good few giant bales of cotton. A few gins. The mighty king has fallen so far. To see the gins that once symbolised southern prosperity left as so many rusting hulks for newer things... I was so bored I was trying to romantisize cotton gins. Got to Amarillo safe and dry, but in need of a Starbucks to charge the phone and stretch. There were none. If this is all I was going to have to complain about, it was going to be a boring trip. The sun was setting now. 6 PM.

Dalhart. Hartley. Dumas. The only description to give west Texas is the names on the signs. Occasionally I might catch a glipse of snow on the side of the road.

Raton was a nice change, even if I couldn't see anything now. The limitless ribbon of road was at least of moving in undulations. I finished an audio book in Raton and put on some music for the first time of the trip.

The new Radiohead cd is good. Much better than I was expecting. Didn't really care for the last three. The new Arcade Fire stuff is really good too. Both CDs would make a killer movie soundtrack about a boring roadtrip.

Hit Trinidad, Colorado, just on the other side of Raton Pass, and pulled over to find a fabled Starbucks. It was 10:15 and I would probably just make it before it closed. The kids at the Taco Bell I stopped at told me where to find it. In a Tom Thumb grocery store. Crap. A dead end.

Hit the road for Pueblo. There were a few schools there so ther MUST be a Starbucks that would stay open late.

Nope.

Colorado Springs - my old hood - I pulled off to call Chad and let him know where I was. I found a Denny's and the nice girl hooked me up with the only booth with a power plug. I called my dad to let him know where I was and that my phone battery was crapping out. He thought I was dead or stuck in a snow drift. He also let me know Jack had successfully survived the last 12 hours without me. Good dog, that Jack. Ate some nasty-ass Denny's food and hit the road.

Denver is bigger than I remembered. Boulder was a 45 minute ride north-west. I rolled in at one a.m. local time and called Chad for directions. I imagined that Boulder was a pretty place, but at one in the morning it looked like Addison.

After winding up and into the mountains for 30 minutes I found Chad's place. He and Maggie were waiting for me outside. It was then I noticed how cold it was. Time to catch some sleep.

tbc