Monday, January 29, 2007
Colorado Baby!
The first week of the new year I went to Crested Butte, Colorado with my good friends David and Louise. They wanted to get some good skiing in, but, as I’m terrified of skiing, I found my own entertainment. Actually, I wouldn’t say that I’m terrified of skiing, but, rather, I’m terrified of spending eight months rehabbing an injured knee again.
Anyway, I went snowmobiling for the first time. That is a lot of fun. It’s just like riding a jet ski, except that you can turn and stop. It certainly was nice to be all alone out in the back country (with the six other people who paid $100 for several hours on a snow mobile, of course). I found is amusing to be doing 60 down a road with a 35 mph speed limit sign sticking up out of the snow. What a rush.
I also took a little road trip over to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. The park was actually closed for the winter, but I did get to check out two of the scenic overlooks. I could bore you with interesting facts about this cool canyon, or I could just show you a picture. So, here are some facts: The Gunnison River through the Black Canyon drops at an average of 95 feet per mile. By comparison, the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon drops an average of 7.5 feet per mile. The Black Canyon is home to the fastest bird in the world, the Peregrine falcon, which reach speeds of over 200 mph in an aerial dive. Alrighty then, here’s a picture:
Anyway, I went snowmobiling for the first time. That is a lot of fun. It’s just like riding a jet ski, except that you can turn and stop. It certainly was nice to be all alone out in the back country (with the six other people who paid $100 for several hours on a snow mobile, of course). I found is amusing to be doing 60 down a road with a 35 mph speed limit sign sticking up out of the snow. What a rush.I also took a little road trip over to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. The park was actually closed for the winter, but I did get to check out two of the scenic overlooks. I could bore you with interesting facts about this cool canyon, or I could just show you a picture. So, here are some facts: The Gunnison River through the Black Canyon drops at an average of 95 feet per mile. By comparison, the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon drops an average of 7.5 feet per mile. The Black Canyon is home to the fastest bird in the world, the Peregrine falcon, which reach speeds of over 200 mph in an aerial dive. Alrighty then, here’s a picture:
The road leading up to the Black Canyon is fairly scenic. It makes you feel like you’re on top of the world. 
On the drive back to Crested Butte, parts of the Blue Mesa Reservoir looked like a mirror.
It was an awesome trip and the weather couldn’t have been better. I love being in the mountains and certainly was not disappointed this time. Once again, upon my arrival back in Houston, I found myself asking why I still live here....
