Denver in October-looking for partners

“I will be in Denver for meetings on Oct 14-17.

I can(and propably will) arrive on Friday Oct 11 in the evening @7pm. Drive somewhere that night, hike on sat-mon morning (Oct 12-14).

Then...if thats not fun enough...do it all over again on Thurs Oct 17...drive somewhere in the evening...hike fri-sun morn (Oct 17-20). Get on a plane and head home late sunday afternoon 3pm.

Are there colorado folks who would like to facilitate this(these) events, or folks who want to fly in and share the car rental(s) and have a 2.5 day of fun?

Let me know, post here or email me...thanks.

oh...btw...one of the weekends...I want to hike the Sand Dunes.”

“funny... I was just thinking of Colorado and remembering your earlier thread about the Great Sand Dunes.

And I was thinking, geez, Colorado in October is asking for trouble. hehee

BUT... I also remembered 2 years ago going there in mid to late Oct. (Utah was the main destination, but went through Colorado on way out and back.)

Was EXCEPTIONALLY nice at Mesa Verde around Oct. 16 or so. I was close to the Sand Dunes then, could see them across the valley, but headed toward Wolf Creek Pass and on SW.

Also very nice coming back through around Oct. 28 or so. Rocky Mt. National Park was GREAT! Normally I guess Trail Ridge Road is closed by then. But there was no snow. And the elk were still bugling. And hardly stinkin' anyone was there. IT WAS GREAT!

That said, I've visited in mid to late September and pretty much always gotten snowed on. One time pretty bad snow!

I NEED A TRIP STINKIN' SOMEWHERE!!! grrrrrrrrrr”

“It would be great to share the journey with someone. They have some great backcountry campsites at the dunes...I stayed at one, it was on the border of the NP and NF and it was in the woods...no water though, but still Great. I hiked t
the dunes everyday and had a blast. I'd love to hike up and over and camp on the dunes themselves and this trip would be great to do it as it won't be a long one, basically a 2 nighter. My only problem is what do you do once you get over the dunes as they all look alike, there are no trails on definetly no water, so...with that said...you wanta grab a weekend and trip into the desert with me? We can talk on the landline if you want. I'm going, but just don't know what I'm doin yet, and I need to split what ever car expenses with someone...trip funds is beginning to run out, especially in mid Oct. This will be my last travel trip for the year, so I wan;t to do it up!”

“would love to go but, since i never got the dates from you, i even asked lizs, so i made planns to go to mt.zion that week, since i asked you to the sand dunes feel bad, (sorry) but have a friend coming all the way fron ark, little rock to go with, sorry we couldn't do it maybe next time,,,,,”

“Which sand dunes? The Sand Dune National Monument??

Ive been there but its near SE Col.

tough to!”

“I thought this was going to be a couple looking for swingerss!”

“Disappointed??? LOL!”

“I expect so little from you Prowler...and you never dissappoint.

Yeah, your right, Nomad...too bad on the timing...there will be other times, we'll get it right on another timeline.

What about you Lizs?

Come on you shlumps...put up and get out for this...crikey...thought you all were die hards for hikers...snow nymph and snowdude have got you all licked!.

Prowler...just fly out, we'll split the car and do something. It will be easier than driving...your the only one out there that I know of that will drive 5 days to spen 2.5 days out on a trek. again, I say idiot...nice to know ya!”

“I want to keep this alive, someone might be interested.”

“check it out Stalker.”

“Kathy and I will be in Rocky Mt Nat. Park on Sept 18-22. I'm off every other week, so these Oct dates I would be off, but that's my next week off, and I don't know if I can swing two trips to CO, two weeks apart. (What I really mean is, I doubt she will let me go)

Still too many home improvement projects that have been started but not finished. I did manage to get the outside of the house painted this year...started four yrs ago.

jgiels - if I was able to go, could you be in KC thur night or friday morning and be able to drive back on Monday?”

“I'm off Oct 16th - 22. And that's four weeks after our Sept trip - OK this is looking better. Move me up to 50/50 at this point.”

“Jgiels - or if ya were going to fly I could pick you up in Denver say Friday and drop ya off Sunday night or Monday...if I can go, that is.”

“I would be flying into Denver. I'm not sure which weekend yet. I would rather do the hike that wasn't the dunes. They may be fun, but I like water. :)”

“I'm back from the Buffalo, I will begin serious thinkin on this trip...ifn ya wanta hike water, we'll find it. No problem...give me a day or 2 to look things over. I'll give ya holler...send me your phone # (email) again, this time, I'll write it down.”

“OK, I have a better grasp on vacation dates. I'll take Colorado into consideration in the whole scheme of things. However, I think I'm looking at Oct. 9-16 as vacation dates. I could possibly run into that next weekend..... MEBBEE!! I have to work it into a weekly newspaper deadline, plus meeting coverage. I'm not sure yet. I would probably drive to Colorado.... BUT might fly.

I might only get to meet ya, perhaps, for a Saturday morning hike. If it worked out and I wasn't in the boonies alreayd. OR in the Black Hills or elsewhere.

I hate having so little vacation time. WAAAAAAH!!! it sucks!!”

“please let me know...I'm trying to wrap up my plans now...If your gonna be there, I won't need to rent a car...I'll spring for gas...if your flying in, we can split the rental...I still havent' firmed up my destination yet...but the Dunes are calling...if your only gonna be able to do a day trip on sat. then I will have to rent a car anyway...no biggy, but I gotta do it now, so that its all said and done and at a cheaper price.”

“I think ya better go ahead and rent a car, stimon. My plans are far from firm yet. Plus, I might not even be there yet the weekend you are looking at getting out. My trip might run from Oct. 9-16... and you would just be going out "for real" around the 16th, right, after your meetings are done?

Also, I see the Michigan trip is that same time. So am considering that as well. Gotta see how either one would really work out... and I haven't done that yet.

Just wanted to let you know I might be around when you first get there, for a day hike, maybe.”

“I WIll be out there the weekend before the meetings and the weekend after the meetings...Stalker and Jgiles are thinking of coming out for the weekend after. Your welcome to join us and hopefully you can, screw those jerks from Michigan(JK)what do they know?”

“jgiles...what's goin on...stalker...you still alive after beatin your wife into submission...or did she put you out of her misery?

I'm all set for the first weekend...can you say......Pikes Peak and garden of the gods.

What shall we do on our weekend? oh wait a second...you 2 still aren't in yet...comon you pansies. buy the tickets and be done with it...just stay away from American Airlines.”

“Hey stikmon! Pikes Peak is cool. Don't imagine you'll be hiking all the way up it, though. hehehehe (the Cogwheel Train is a beautiful way to go it. I've driven up the road, too, Pretty hairy drop-offs some places.)

I think there's a Crags trail on the west of it. I've been around Mueller State Park near Cripple Creek. Plenty o' trails there. Very pretty. Around 10,000 feet.

Also around Colorado Springs is the Lost Creek Wilderness. I am under the impression some of that may have burned in that Front Range fire this summer, but not sure where all it went.

Also, Garden of Gods is cool to see for like maybe a hour. There are trails there. I've only biked or driven through it.

Leaving Garden of the Gods, going west, Rampart Range Road is a cool 4WD trip up into the mountains, heading for Woodland Park. (I drove my tender ole Jeep Cherokee on it, me the novice, so it wasn't such a bad road. Definitely 4 WD though, very rough, lotsa rocks)

I camped out on it a couple years ago, on a pull-off. Was VERY COOL to wake up across the valley from Pikes Peak! However, it may have gotten burned also.

I've heard of a hike just west of "The Springs" on Highway 24 that's popular. Can't think of name.

If you like excellent trout fishing, head for the "Gold Medal" waters at Deckers (you go there from Woodland Park). Unless the fishing is bad after the fire.

OK, that's all I can think of to warn you about C. Springs. 8)

I still don't know where I'm going in October. WHO FRICKIN' KNOWS?? lol”

“I hope that you'll be considering joining me. I have one of my closest friends flying in from Phila to join me. We could use a guide. Thanks for the tip.”

“whats goin on with you guys...is the second weekend still in your sites or you gonna blow this off?”

“how bout this,
you buy, i'll fly?
what do ya think?”

“hows your foot?”

“I MIGHT make it for the first weekend. Plans are more in place as a *sweet deal* will put me in Albuquerque on business Oct. 17-21. I may well drive, but dunno yet.”

“that sounds great. I'll be heading to meuller st pk and using it as base camp and scouting out from there. plans are not firm as to what to do...we're gonna let the weather decide. but I have plans a, b, and c in place in my mind, weather will determine what we do.”

“stikmon, gimme an e-mail and I can send you a couple photos of Mueller and Cripple Creek area. :-)

Somewhere I have a book on mt. biking the area. I mt. biked in as far as I could to Dome Rock. Then chained the bike, cuz you come to a Natural Wildlife Area (or some such thing) and walked the rest of the way.

On the way out I got caught in a thunderstorm. VERY CRAZY!! IT ROCKED 8) (to quote our fav. TT'er.. lol)

I've also read their are some trails -- most likely park-type trails, but I'm not sure -- that lead to some mines and other stuff around Cripple Creek and Victor.

Just MORE ideas to throw your way. LOL”

“Ummmmmmm, Dome Rock is at Mueller. I went in a different entrance than the main one to get to it. Kinda reminiscent of a smaller and not so vertical Half Dome. (on second thought, who wants to see that loser rock! lol)

FYI, so you know, the rules used to be (and probably still are) no backcountry camping at Mueller. Sounds like you're going other places from there, anyhoo.”

“I'm still unsure stikmon, but I'm working on it. I guess stalker is in the hospital. :)”

“stalker is in the Hospital???? what he do, get sick on the trail then beat on!”

“stalker in the hospital???

when did this take place? Holy bandages Batman...is he gonna live...did he over medicate...did he not drink his eloctolytes??? what??? Maybe he took too many green pills...hope he's ok.

Jgiles...let me know...I have booked a car for the second weekend...

Lizs...yeah...we're gonna hop around and use Mueller as a basecamp and return there each night. You are more than welcome to join us. marclherring@hotmail.com is my email.”

“just dont let stikmon play in the rapids. the local's HATE that, LMFAO!



^5 STIKY!”

“NOT!!!!”

“teurist! how bout them buffalo pics mang?”

“i just got the photos back from the water camera...I'll burn and send you a set and cd, plus your gps unit on friday...ummmmmm does water effect its working???”

“well....it's supposed to be water resistant.....you kidding right?








RIGHT?”

“What is the plan for the second weekend?”

“I'm not dead yet....I just feel like it.

Things around here have been super crazy.

My meter has increased to 75% GO for the 2nd weekend. It didn't go over to well at first, but she is coming around. I should know for sure the first part of next week.

Tomorrow evening I will leaving for Rocky Mountian National Park and will be home late Sunday. So it will be Monday before I can let you guys know for sure. I think we can make this happen.”

“as of now, I don't have any plans for the second weekend. We need to talk. my flight departure for sunday the 20th is at 4:55...which means I need to be at the airport at2:30...Im not missing my flight this time...up and out EARLY!!! no hiking on sunday...email me your phone so we can talk this weekend.”

“good to hear from you...I hope you can make this. Will you be driving or flying...I have not committed $$$ to a car rental yet...but i do have a reservation. I need to know soon whether I need to book it or not. Thanks...Lizs...nice to chat with you...hope you can make weekend #1.”

“I'm good to go for the second weekend. I will be driving. We need to talk (e-mail) about how this will all work.”

“Okay, it's set Stikmon has a partner. Stikmon, jgiles, and myself are planning a hike in the Rocky Mountian National Park Oct 17-20. If anyone else wants to join in, just let us know.

You can email me at tharrell@yahoo.com”