Relativity

Holiday time in the Rockies is winding down. Had a few hours of downtime this afternoon and with a brewery visit scheduled for this evening I took the opportunity to grab a few easy miles. I could have gone either way today but I'm glad I got out to witness the first crisp view of the divide ranges of the entire trip.

Gazing toward Mt Evans, one of Colorado's highest peaks, I thought of early explorers trekking up through the hills, likely following game trails in search of precious metals. Once, on a backpacking trek through some of southwest Colorado's very remote wilderness, I found myself contemplating the reality of a late 19th century miner. Having gauged the difficulty of my day on the number of miles I'd covered and the pounds of dried food and gear on my back and the feet of altitude I'd walked up and down, my sense of accomplishment was all but deflated when I came across a remote mine and the large machinery required to operate it. Someone had to lug that up there, miles and miles from the nearest town, well above the treeline and very exposed to the elements.

We're a bunch of pansies, compared to those folk. But it's all relative, I suppose. 6.1 miles on the same Cherry Creek out-and-back I did last Monday.