Monday, June 21, 2010

Camping Out West...Day Three...Sterling, Colorado to Rocky Mountain National Park...A Day of Good Fortune





By 8:00AM, I'm packed up and on the road for the 150 mile or so drive to Rocky Mountain National Park. It's a perfect day...sunny, not a cloud in the sky and good roads with light traffic.
In the last 100 miles or so, I'm very slowly gaining altitude...this is good as I don't want to stress the Escape with any steep climbs. By the time I reach the town of Estes Park, I'm already at 6000 feet or so. This being a Saturday, the town is jammed with people, and traffic is heavy. I was worried about whether the Escape could pull my heavy load up steep grades, but I'm pleasantly surprised how easy I'm able to gain two thousand feet or so in just over six miles. So far, so good.
Soon, I'm at the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park and, as expected, all of the campgrounds are full...or so they say. This is to be expected...I'm arriving around noon on a Saturday during peak season. Still, I figure I will at least drive around and "scout out" potential campsites. Moraine Lake, one of my choices, is really full. The Ranger says to come back at 7:00AM the next morning, and I MIGHT get a spot. I move on to Glacier Bay Campground, and I'm asking the Ranger what time to come the next morning, when she says..."Well, I have a nice pull-through" site available right now if you'd like". Wow...this is a small miracle!
My campsite, #10, is not quite the pull-through" I expected...so I have to try to back in my Little Guy Camper. I'm not doing very well at this. Then, a guy from the next campsite over, Rob, comes up and asks if I need any help. In about thirty seconds, he's got the camper backed in perfectly.
So now I start to unload when another neighbor, Adam, stops by with a cold bottle of Heineken...life is good!
Without a tent to pitch, my camp is st up in just a half hour or so. Time for a little reading and relaxation on my first day in the Park.
Around 7:00PM, Adam and his wife invite me over for "cocktails". I'd planned on a dinner of lamb stew, but Adam and his wife (Sarah) have an extra steak for me...truly, this has been a day of much good fortune. Later, we all sit around the campfire sharing some most interesting conversation.
And that...that...is what brings me out here. This is something that destiny had planned for me all along.

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