Colorado, Day 5 (Carpenter’s Peak).

7/20/19:

(Above: An image of a meadow I took while on the return from Carpenter’s Peak.)

Summary: Today started off with my waking up, doing some brief exercises, revising last night’s entry just a little bit, and then departing the apartment where I’m presently staying to go pick up my brother. From his place, it was about an hour drive over sprawling countryside with intermittent mountains until we reached the park where we were to meet and hike with his work colleagues.

At the park, I retrieved a customary vacation Diet Coke (albeit this time only a 12 oz. can) and then we commenced with the hike. The first bit was easy, as it possessed virtually no incline. The second portion was the hardest, as it consisted of a large number of rather steep steps. The third and last portion was not bad at all, as it both rose and fell in almost equal amounts until the very end when we made the brief ascent to Carpenter’s Peak. The view will be described in the commentary below.

After the hike, Camoen and I joined his friends at a new restaurant in southwestern Denver named the Old Light. It possessed decent food at a decent price; I got chips and guacamole/salsa as an appetizer for everyone, a quite tasty but not entirely satiating Caesar Salad with duck atop it, and a Jalapeño Margharita for ‘dessert’. All of it was fine quality, but after last night’s Picanha and the prior day’s ‘Dat’s Italian!’, I’m afraid it could not compare in memorability.

Now I’m back at my apartment writing container log before taking a shower and a rest.

Commentary: As mentioned in the prior entry, the climb up to Carpenter’s Peak is for some reason considered to be strenuous. I’m not entirely certain why. In my opinion, it was at most a moderate hike, and for the scenery I got to see in exchange for my efforts, it was a great bargain. There were myriad wildflowers to picture, quite a number of places to walk beneath the shade of old gnarly pines, a presence of rolling meadows, sporadic scenic benches (one of which we rested at on the way up), high and ever-slanting red rocks, and at the top, full view of the surrounding lands.

It is that view I must go into detail about. First off, we were hiking for about an hour to an hour-and-a-half up hill, so it was quite surprising when I was able to see where my brother and I parked. It was far, but not as far as one would think! Then, there were the red rocks. The sheer amount of oddly slanting strata appeared condensed from up above – a series of red and yellow and dark brown bands that combined to form the most pleasant of oranges. The fields beyond were also incredible in their own way; I saw places from up there that would consume my family’s entire farm whole a hundred or perhaps even a thousand times over – all of it covered with light yellow-brown grass… a source of endless and admittedly free fodder should anyone ever choose to take advantage of the space.

Perhaps the most interesting point of it all, however, was the juxtaposition of nature to civilization. At the base of our hill, there was a little village. Beyond that, were the rock formations and aforementioned fields, and then just past that were the high-rises of Denver, Colorado – faded and misty but not so faded as the mountains that lay even farther beyond. While standing up there on Carpenter’s point, I could not help but wonder how far I was seeing. If I somehow had the capability of moving Carpenter’s Point to our farm in Central Florida, it felt as if I would be able to see the Gulf of Mexico on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other. It also makes me wonder how far I’ll be able to see when standing atop Pikes Peak tomorrow.

Final Note: Tomorrow, there are two planned events. I’m going to ride with my brother to Pike’s Peak, and later on in the day, I plan on going to a Spanish Restaurant in Old Colorado City: TAPAteria.