From Boulder to Bishop!

Maggie never fails to entertain!  The two days Chad and I spent in Boulder were the perfect amount of down time.  The day we arrived we spent sleeping, well I did.  Chad went to a Starbucks to use his computer and I napped.  The following day he and I went on a wild goose chase.  It hadn't occurred to me that Rock and Resole only resoled climbing shoes.  I had imaged that the store also sold climbing shoes.  Boy was I wrong.  Since Chad and I had spent so much time in the car, we decided to walk. Rock and Resole was ruffly 3.3 miles from where we were staying.  It took us through the beautiful UC campus, through parts of the town, over the tracks and to the industrial waste land!  Needless to say the walk was in vain!  No climbing shoes and it looked like we were in Juarez!   Later that evening Chad and I went out on the town with Maggie! 

Our first order of business was a stop at Maggie's friends Marijuana dispensary!  Yes, these things do exist and are somewhat legal in Boulder, CO.  The dispensary is owned and operated by Neil, a friend of Maggie's.  I would later learn that Neil is a special friend of Maggie's. 

A variety of herbs...

After visiting the Pot-shop and a failed attempt to purchase La Sportiva Solutions at Neptune Mountaineering, we were off to the bars!  First, Maggie, Chad, and I went to the Twisted Pine.  I had there Hoppy-Boy, it was a great brew.  From there we went to the Rio Grande.  A Mexican restaurant with great Margaritas!!!  Maggie was convinced that waitress was hitting on me.  After a few Margaritas and some dinner, Neil joined our party.  I must say, he is quite the funny character.  Not to let our last night in Boulder be wimpy; tour guide Neil brought us to a few more bars.  Bad music, gawking at girls, and Foosball ruled the night!

The 530am wake up call came all to early.  Goodbyes were said and by 700am Chad and I were on the road!  The drive through the Rockies on I-70 is breathtaking.  I have never experienced such beauty the way I did on that drive.  Colorado was not the only stunning part.  The Utah desert and mountains are equally as beautiful.  Somewhere along I-15 in Utah, the speedometer in the Subaru matched the speed limit.  We were driving 80 MPH and never once worried about a speeding ticket.  While being passed by an Acura SUV, doing a conservative 90 MPH, there ill fated, poorly secured roof luggage was compromised.  Seconds after informing Chad of the impending doom, a stuffed bear, of notable size launched off the roof causing traffic to swerve! (It didn't cause an accident).  Hopefully the child it belonged to has stopped crying~!  In Nevada, ten mile straight aways on two lane roads with 70 MPH speed limits dominated.  Signs read: "No services next 163 miles."  They weren't kidding, and the services once reached were no prize winners. 



The only gas station for 200 miles...

After fueling and a quick bite to eat we were back on the road.  However, our good buzz was smashed when the thermostat spiked!  We had blown the radiator, a hose, the head gasket, the thermostat or water pump... shit... we are in the middle of Nevada, the sun has gone down and we are fucked!  Those were the thoughts going through my head, as well as Chads as we tried to diagnose what was wrong with the Subaru!  The radiator cap had come loose and all the radiator fluid had spewed out!  Luckily, we had a gallon of water in the car.  We were able to make it back to Baker. Fortunately the only store open had radiator fluid.  We topped it off, bled the system and were back at it! 

The day started off rainy, and now the sun is out!  Fuck this library I'm going bouldering... what else is there to do in Bishop?  Not like it is one of, if not, the best bouldering destinations in the US!  I will leave you with a picture of the sunset I took in Baker, Nevada.  It was, not to sound redundant, amazing, beautiful, stunning, breathtaking... I think you get the idea!



Sunset Baker, Nevada