schnauzers.ws

It’s 6:30 AM. Wait, I know I didn’t set the alarm. Sure, I have my drug induced slumber to blame for a lot of things, but the alarm was clearly off. Why are the dogs barking so loud, I can’t even hear myself dreaming. Was that the doorbell? Damn! I try to close my eyes, but it’s just a continuous noise filled morning. Where’s the snooze button?

Ok, ok! I’m up. At least the sky is blue. Not a cloud in sight. Wow! No procrastination, either. Riding gear on, I fill the camelbak, load up the truck, and head for the hills.

Maybe, I am still dreaming. It’s a beautiful morning. I look at my watch as I open the door to the Clevus storage. Eight o’clock! Yup, that’s what I wrote on the sign-in sheet as I hang the “Patroller on Duty” sign.

The equation of the day is sun equals hot.  I think my mathematics is way off today.  You can’t fry an egg at 72 degrees.  At least it doesn’t add a tick to hating life on a climb.

Man, Bergen Peak is kicking my butt today.  Maybe, it’s the early morning wake up playing games with my equilibrium.  I’m having to redo switchbacks that I normally clean.

Half way to the top now.  It seems like this should be the summit.  What a false sense of reality.

“Hey, you stopped for me?”, say’s the hiker to the biker.

Why is that such a surprise?  I say, as I point to my bike plate.  It shouldn’t be a surprise, but I suppose that Is why I don’t mind wearing a “uniform” and saying hello.  A couple more of these encounters, and I think we’ll be good to go for another week.

I made it!  I’m at the top, but something isn’t right.  It’s too early in the day for this.  Colorado weather dictates that thunderstorms are supposed to happen after 2:00 PM.  Curse you thunder!

Hey, at least I’m at the top.  It’s all downhill from here.

Downhill.  A curious word.  Webster defines it as…

The year hasn’t been too good to Bergen, so I will take number two.  Yikes!  That took every bit of my lack of energy to finish.

As I returned to take my “on Duty” sign off the trailhead kiosk, the rain began to fall.  I cursed and I smiled.