Travel journals

Friday, April 1

Left Denver after a one night stay. I don't regret so short a stay. The King Soopers by the university makes a good chicken alfredo though, I'll miss that - no other branch I've been to has it.

Cya, University of Denver

Denver is too large, has too many people. I can't get outside of it. I drive and I drive and I'm still in the midst of city streets, businesses and homes. There's no place to repose. And any time of day the roads are congested.

The effect of many people in the same area is forced behavior. You cannot just be, you have to be in a certain way. You have to dress to the status you identify with. You must do as the others do to safely pass unnoticed.


There are many strata that coexist in a city, that do not interact even when in contact with one another. People largely pretend to ignore outside members. People cannot simply be themselves. They must be of some identifiable type to not get lost and trampled by the crowds.

I need open space. I can't stand being made to be a certain way. Conduct, social rules, lifestyle habits, living patterns. It's not that I lack these things and abhor them - the opposite is true. I form my own and am stubborn; I feel denigrated by generics imposing their will on mine.


Saturday, April 2.

Colorado State University

Wandered onto Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO in the morning. Fasted at the library until 2 pm. Found a great quantum physics book at the library that gave me hope for the physics teaching community and that I might one day understand this subject. The author is a professor at a southern California university. Maybe I'll visit his office and thank him in person.

The Wyoming campus had an open house tour day for incoming freshmen undergraduates. The students who guided the tours seemed nice. One of them gave me a tip on nearby hiking, and despite it being late in the day already, I was excited so I went. It was only a 20 minute drive to the south.

Devil's Backbone Trail
Loveland, CO

An eight mile trail connects the Devil's Backbone trail head with the Horsetooth trail head. Bunch of vertebrae-looking rocks stick out along the ridge, giving the trail its name - I'm guessing.

The devil has a bad case of scoliosis - lots of curvy paths. Lots of mountain bikers too, so a hiker must curtsy to the side of the path often. The hike out was incredibly boring, because there's miles of the open space with the same view.

But the trip back added some excitement! I got there in the mid-afternoon and didn't have enough time to complete the whole loop in daylight, but I still made it. Started at 3 pm, got to the opposite end at 6 pm.

Around mile 7 came a source of excitement. I hit a wall and suddenly felt weak with hunger. All I had eaten that day was a couple of apple turnovers for breakfast and an apple. Not good preparation for a 14-ish mile hike. I unclothed three granola bars I had packed and devoured them to no effect.

Fortunately, at the Horsetooth trail head, some people returning home gave me their excess water and a fig bar. That did the trick. Although, I should remember never to take water from a bladder carried on the back - it always comes out salty and stale.

Death

With the sun fading, I ran the way back to my car. In darkness at 7 pm, I turned on the flashlight app on my mobile phone. Then I found the parking lot at about 8:45 pm, with 3% battery to spare!

Sunday, April 3rd.
Fort Collins, CO.

Another day at CSU.

Monday, April 4th.
Rawlings, WY.

Thai restaurant buffet

Trying on my gimp suit

Found this thing at the Goodwill Outlet in Colorado Springs a few weeks back. Tried it on for the first time. It's made by the company Morphsuits for like Halloween costumes and stuff. Looked too fun to pass up.