Welcome to EverWanderWhy!
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    • About
  • Live
    • Caribbean Cruise >
      • 2019-12-23 - Saint Thomas
      • 2019-12-24 - Antigua
      • 2019-12-25 - Saint Kitts
      • 2019-12-26 - Barbados
      • 2019-12-27 - Martinique
      • 2019-12-28 - Trinidad
      • 2019-12-30 - Curacao
      • 2019-12-31 - Aruba
    • 2016 - NYC with Gwen
    • 2016-07 - Colorado - Maroon Bells >
      • 2016-07-01 - Maroon Bells - Denver to Aspen
      • 2016-07-02 - Maroon Bells - Buckskin Pass
      • 2016-07-03 - Maroon Bells - Trail Rider Pass
      • 2016-07-04 - Maroon Bells - Frigid Air Pass and West Maroon Pass
      • 2016-07-05 - Maroon Bells - Gunnison and Denver
    • 2016-05-28 - Tracy and Greg's Wedding
    • 2016-05-27 - Reunion
    • San Francisco 2016-02 >
      • 2016-02-19 - SF201602 - Flying to San Francisco
      • 2016-02-20 - SF201602 - Full Day in San Francisco
      • 2016-02-21 - SF201602 - Cycling Around San Francisco
      • 2016-02-22 - SF201602 - California Academy of Sciences
    • Northwest Road Trip >
      • 2015-08-05 - Northwest Road Trip - Seattle - Part I
      • 2015-08-06 - Northwest Road Trip - Seattle - Part II
      • 2015-08-07 - Northwest Road Trip - Mount Rainier - Part I
      • 2015-08-08 - Northwest Road Trip - Mount Rainier - Part II
      • 2015-08-09 - Northwest Road Trip - Portland
      • 2015-08-10 - Northwest Road Trip - Crater Lake - Part I
      • 2015-08-11 - Northwest Road Trip - Crater Lake - Part II
      • 2015-08-12 - Northwest Road Trip - Lava Beds
      • 2015-08-13 - Northwest Road Trip - Lassen Volcanic
      • 2015-08-14 - Northwest Road Trip - Redding
      • 2015-08-16 - Northwest Road Trip - San Francisco - Part I
      • ​2015-08-17 - Northwest Road Trip - San Jose
      • ​​2015-08-20 - Northwest Road Trip - San Francisco - Part II
    • Puerto Rico >
      • 2015-03-30 - Puerto Rico - Walking around San Juan
      • 2015-03-31 - Puerto Rico - Hiking within the Clouds
      • 2015-04-01 - Puerto Rico - Arecibo and La Cueva Del Indio
      • 2015-04-02 - Puerto Rico - Culebra Island
      • 2015-04-03 - Puerto Rico - Angeles Cave
  • Learn
    • Books, Podcasts, Videos
    • 2016-06-12 - NMG Top-Rope Anchors Course
    • Fermat's Room
  • Ride
    • Greater NYC Area >
      • 2016-06-25 - Bike to Poughkeepsie and Discover Hudson Valley
      • 2016-05-28 - Bear Mountain
      • 2016-06-04 - Longest Day and Cape May
      • 2015-10-25 - Tour de Bronx
    • Bike the US for MS
    • Morris Area Freewheelers >
      • 2016-06-11 - MAFW 2016 Revolutionary Ramble
    • New York Cycle Club >
      • NYCC 2015 B-SIG 17 >
        • 2015-04-11 - NYCC B-SIG 17 - Ride V to Nyack
        • 2015-04-18 - NYCC B-SIG 17 - Ride VI to Oyster Bay
        • 2015-04-25 - NYCC B-SIG 17 - Ride VII to Armonk
        • 2015-05-10 - NYCC B-SIG 17 - Ride IX to Bear Mountain and Cold Spring - Part I
        • 2015-05-10 - NYCC B-SIG 17 - Ride IX to Bear Mountain and Cold Spring - Part II
        • 2015-05-10 - NYCC B-SIG 17 - Ride IX to Bear Mountain and Cold Spring - Part III
  • Trek
    • Guide to Trekking
    • Palisades Interstate Park >
      • 2019-11-30 - Palisades Interstate Park Loop
      • 2019-11-16 - Palisades Interstate Park Walk
    • Long Island >
      • 2019-05-25 - Long Island Greenbelt Trail
      • 2019-03-30 - Cold Spring Harbor to Massapequa Traverse
    • New Jersey >
      • 2019-12-15 - Mount Tammany Loop
      • 2019-06-08 - Mount Tammany
      • 2019-05-18 - Freewalkers 2019 Big Walk
      • 2019-04-28 - EverWanderWhy Hudson County Historic Tour II
      • 2019-04-27 - EverWanderWhy Hudson County Historic Tour I
      • 2019-04-14 - Freewalkers Between Walk
      • 2018-04-17 - NJ Ultra Festival
      • 2019-04-07 - D&R Canal Trail - Trenton to New Brunswick
      • 2018-02-17 - Frozen Febapple
      • 2017-06-10 - Freewalkers 2017 Hudson River Loop
      • 2017-05-20 - Freewalkers 2017 Big Walk
      • 2017-04-15 - Freewalkers 2017 Between Walk
      • 2017-01-21 - Delaware and Raritan Canal Walk
      • 2016-08-13 - Lenape Trail
      • 2016-05-21 - Freewalkers 2016 Big Walk
      • 2015-05-16 - Freewalkers 2015 Big Walk
    • Catskills >
      • 2019-05-11 - Devil's Path
      • ​2016-09-03 - Catskills Trip
    • Shawangunk Mountains >
      • 2019-05-04 - Mohonk Preserve Rock the Ridge 50
      • 2017-05-06 - Rock the Ridge 2017
    • Hudson Highlands >
      • 2019-12-07 - Harriman-Bear Mountain 7 Peak Challenge
      • 2019-04-06 - Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail Traverse
      • 2019-03-23 - Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail
      • 2017-12-16 - Beacon to Breakneck Ridge Bypass
      • 2017-11-25 - Harriman North 7 Peak Challenge
      • 2017-05-13 - Bear Mountain 50K
      • 2016-05-15 - Bull Hill
    • New York City Greater Area >
      • 2019-03-16 - Shorewalkers 47th GMBW
      • 2018-03-03 - Shorewalkers 45th GMBW
      • 2017-06-03 - Shorewalkers 43rd GMBW
      • 2017-05-16 - Scouting Run
      • 2016-06-18 - Shorewalkers 40th GMBW
      • 2016-05-07 - Shorewalkers 2016 Great Saunter
      • 2016-02-27 - Shorewalkers 39th GMBW
      • 2015-10-31 - Shorewalkers 38th GMBW
      • 2015-05-02 - Shorewalkers 2015 Great Saunter
    • Pennsylvania >
      • 2018-03-31 - Naked Prussian
    • Long Path Project >
      • 2018-03-17 - Long Path - New City to Fort Lee
      • 2017-04-29 - Long Path - High Point to Wurtsboro
      • 2017-04-22 - Long Path - Lake Skannatati to Monroe
      • 2016-12-10 - Long Path - Nyack to Lake Skannatati
      • 2016-12-03 - Long Path - Fort Lee to Nyack
      • 2016-05-29 - Shorewalkers GWB to Nyack
    • Brooklyn Botanic Garden >
      • 2015-05-03 - Brooklyn Botanic Garden - Part I
      • 2015-05-03 - Brooklyn Botanic Garden - Part II
      • 2015-05-03 - Brooklyn Botanic Garden - Part III
      • 2015-05-03 - Brooklyn Botanic Garden - Part IV
    • Old Croton Aqueduct >
      • 2015-04-12 - Old Croton Aqueduct I - Part I
      • 2015-04-12 - Old Croton Aqueduct I - Part II
      • 2015-04-12 - Old Croton Aqueduct I - Part III
      • 2015-04-19 - Old Croton Aqueduct II - Part I
      • 2015-04-19 - Old Croton Aqueduct II - Part II
      • 2015-04-19 - Old Croton Aqueduct II - Part III
      • 2015-04-19 - Old Croton Aqueduct II - Part IV
      • 2015-04-26 - Old Croton Aqueduct III - Part I
      • 2015-04-26 - Old Croton Aqueduct III - Part II
      • 2015-04-26 - Old Croton Aqueduct III - Part III
      • 2015-04-26 - Old Croton Aqueduct III - Part IV

2016-07-05 - Maroon Bells - Gunnison and Denver

After our 34-mile trek through the Maroon Bells high mountains, Brian hosted me for two days at his house in Gunnison. The first day we both spent mostly catching up on work. In between I managed to wash all my camp gear and clothes. After buying groceries and restocking Brian's fridge, I also prepared lunch for us: French toast, vegetable stir fry, guacamole, and hummus, slapped together experimentally as a sandwich. It was really delicious, probably even more so because I was so grateful to have my appetite back, after having suffered through altitude sickness. That night we ate out at a local Nepalese restaurant which was also an amazing meal, everything top-notch from the Chai tea to the soup.

The second day I spent some time with Brian next door at his car repair and tire shop. We went to get a drink in a Swedish military vehicle he had just finished repairing that day. I was delighted to learn that the very same vehicle may have been used to carry missiles or serve as a command center. After packing my things and saying goodbye, I took off for Denver in a truck borrowed from Brian's employee. It was my first time driving a truck and it was an older one with occasional shifting not being reflected correctly on the dashboard but, surprisingly enough, there was nothing too difficult about it.
I stopped for lunch halfway through the four hour drive, the stupefying duration of which was compounded by bouts of heavy road repair work that variously slowed traffic to a dead crawl in one direction or the other. Eventually though, finally, I made it through Colorado's surreal mountainous landscape and into the mile-high city known as Denver. Two old friends of mine, Emily and Bridget, were waiting for me when I arrived at REI so we could all catch up over dinner. I hadn't seen either of them in a year, not since we finished cycling across the country, and I deeply enjoyed reconnecting with them over the good memories and current happenings. With only limited time on our hands, we walked around a nearby park and dipped our feet into the cool waters of a pond, chatting the whole time. When it was time to go, it was hard to say goodbye to two such lovely friends. I warned them that the car registration actually expires at midnight and learned later that they arrived just minutes past.
The flight back to New Jersey was less restful than I expected. I remember musing, half-asleep, over the loud cries of a baby somewhere in the cabin. Isn't it usually more quiet? I opened my eyes only to realize that the defiantly unhappy baby was in fact immediately to my right and another baby was just behind me. It's a blameless crime, but I had to acknowledge it would not the best form of recovery. I probably could not have picked a worse seat.

After the flight, I grabbed a quick bite to eat and my dad drove me home. Luckily, I did manage to sleep a few hours in my own bed before working the rest of the day from home.

My introduction to Colorado I believe has proven to be the hardest and most dangerous adventure I have endured up to this point. I still find myself marveling over the sharp contrast between the pain of that internal struggle to succeed, and the stark beauty of my surroundings. I am happy to say that Colorado will likely remain one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. And of course, when all is said and done, most often it's who you're with that matters most. I am thankful for the chance I had to catch up with three friends from our cross-country bike ride last year. I wish those good people all the best and hope to see them each again soon.
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