Saturday, July 14 2018

The morning is bright and warm. O and I skipped the ranger program last night. We were both ready for bed early. Breakfast today is left over cinnamon bun French toast from yesterday’s breakfast at You Need Pie. Our campground neighbors, a family from Georgia with “Resist” neatly scripted on their van window, come over for a tour of Vincent. Vincent, it turns out, is their dream vehicle. After the tour we stow everything in its proper place, strap down our gear and boxes, and check out of Aspenglen Campground.

We have some time before meeting up with the Sierra Club so we return to the visitor center. By 11:45 we are seated on the breezy, shady front porch of the administration building at the YMCA of the Rockies, the largest Y in the world! We have a beautiful view as we await the arrival of the rest of our group. Our trip leader, Rob White, is picking up many of the participants at the Denver Airport. They finally arrive, just in time to get lunch before the cafeteria closes at 1:30.

Next, we get our room assignments in Long’s Peak Lodge. Our room is quite comfortable. We have just enough time to settle in and have a brief explore of the Y grounds, during which we search out the laundromat and walk past a very unconcerned mule deer. Then it’s back to the lodge for an introductory meeting. Trip participants’ home states span the continent. We hail from Massachusetts, New York City, Miami, Anchorage, and Pennsylvania, with Texas, Missouri, New Mexico and Colorado also represented. After dinner, O and I return to the laundromat. Laundry done, we have just enough time to pack snacks for tomorrow’s hike and recheck our packs before bed.