My nose is filled with the sharp, sweet smell of ponderosa pine, my ears with the shushing rattle of the aspen leaves; my eyes absorb the reddish, tan hues of exposed mountainside. The air is dry and cool, the sun, baking. I hear birds fuss and chirp, and crickets snap and crack as they take wing around my feet; I soak in every vivid moment of the world unfolding around me. I believe I can become an integral part of the landscape if I conduct a thorough enough study of it; perhaps one day I can, but for now, I am no more than a passer through, a quiet observer, a walker bearing witness.

My drive began in Arnold, Maryland on July 28th and I arrived in Louisville, KY, later that evening. I had booked a campsite ahead of time on someone’s farm, and when I pulled into the river stone drive, I was pleasantly surprised to see a verdant lawn, surrounding a calm pond, complete with picnic tables. I parked my car in the grass and set about making camp. Ally was going to be dropped off by her boyfriend sometime later that evening, and I had plenty of time to kill.

Around 10PM, I heard wheels crunching down the drive and I clambered out of my tent; they had arrived! Ally and I would make the rest of the drive to Colorado over the course of the next 2 days, stopping overnight, to camp in Kansas City, KS. 

Good conversation made the hours on the road fly by; we reminisced about our time with NOLS Patagonia and discussed our upcoming hike. Our home for the night of the 29th was a peaceful campsite called Enchanted Oaks—another lovely spot I found through the app, HipCamp.

And then came the final push, the drive across Kansas. It wasn’t horrible to begin with, in fact, I really enjoyed the straight-as-an-arrow trajectory of highway 70, and I loved the 75mph speed limit. But after 300 miles with nothing but grain silos to mark our progress, I was ready for a change of scenery. The sign marking the Colorado border was the only way I could tell we’d finally finished our time in Kansas, because for a while, the landscape remained unchanged. Then came the hills, the scrubby trees, and the exposed patches of rock; I knew we were getting closer to the mountains. 

Ally took over driving an hour before Colorado Springs, and once we hit the city, we stopped at a natural grocer to get the supplies we needed for the next two nights at our high prairie camp. 

This would be our final pre-arranged campsite; it sat above 9,000ft and would provide us with an opportunity to get used to the elevation we’d be walking at for the next month. 

I wish I had the botanical vocabulary to describe the grasslands we are surrounded by; the vegetation is alternately pale gold and bright yellow and on closer inspection, shaded with light green. And beyond the immediate landscape, the smoky blue silhouettes of mountains stand proudly, some still bearing patches of snow. Soon we will be walking among them. 

Today, July 31st, we explored at a near-by trail head, wandering approximately 6 miles round trip. Every step I took was one of grateful surrender, to this place, and to this journey. 

On our way back to camp, we attempted to reach a giant, sapphire blue lake we’d seen from the road but our plans were thwarted when we were told swimming was not allowed by the warden at the permit gate. The detour was not totally in vain though, as we got to meet a herd of very curious donkeys. I meant only to snap a quick few pictures of them, but when they saw me get out of the car, they made a bee-line for us, swarming the car. It took some technical maneuvering to avoid them when we finally drove off. 

Now back at the high prairie camp, I am content to stare wistfully at the mountains and watch the clouds roll overhead. Colorado feels good, it feels like exactly where I am supposed to be right now. My life feels full and complete, and everyday is an adventure. 

UPDATE:
August 2nd (tomorrow) will mark the start of Ally’s and my thru-hike of the Colorado Trail! Tonight we are staying just outside of Denver, with a friend of mine from the AT in 2018, Madlib. So much exploring lies ahead!