Off to Colorado timrask@worldnet.att.net Saturday August 24, 2002 16:26:34 Man does not live and party by bike ride alone. Sometimes, a guy has to branch out and see what else the world has to offer. Following that dictum, I actually took a vacation that included absolutely no bike riding. Before you think I’ve gone completely insane, there was still booze involved. Allow me to tell the tale. My good friend, Brewmaster Jeff, is what we call a hot springs aficionado. Every year, he likes to journey back to his former Colorado home and soak. This year, he asked me to join him on a quest to reach Conundrum Hot Springs, located 11,200 feet up in the mountains near Aspen. Sounded like fun to me, so I purchased a back pack, got my other gear in order, and the same day that RAGBRAI ended, we hopped in Jeff’s Bronco and headed west. Sunday, July 28 found us smack dab in the middle of Colorado. Before we dove on in to Conundrum, we (or at least I) needed some time to adjust to the higher altitude. After driving through the mountains, we wound our way to Radium Hot Springs near the town of Kremmling. This is a funky little spot located alongside the Colorado River. After a short hike and scramble down some rocks, we found ourselves in a pool flush against the cliffs, watching fisherman and rafters drift by. It would have been an idyllic scene, were it not for some local drunks who were hanging out in the spring. Guess I’m used to a more sophisticated crowd. Not to worry, though. We ambled on up the road to Steamboat Springs. When you’re in a strange town with someone who’s both a hot springer and a brewer, what do you think you’d end up doing? If you guessed ‘go to a brewpub, then soak in an hot springs’ you would be correct. We dined and drank at the middling Steamboat Brewery, then headed for a dip in Strawberry Hot Springs. For those looking to delve into the hot springs culture, Strawberry is a good place to start. Three pools, with water temps ranging from a high of 105 degrees to a warm pool that’s in the mid-90’s. All for a mere $10. They let you bring in your own beer, provided it’s 3.2, and after dark, the place is clothing-optional. Conundrum Hot Springs Timmy timrask@worldnet.att.net Saturday August 24, 2002 16:27:15 All right, enough for the preliminaries. The whole point of this little excursion was to tackle the hike up to Conundrum Hot Springs. About 5 miles outside of Aspen sits a small parking lot, from which the ascent began. It’s a pretty low frills operation, despite falling under the purview of the National Parks Service. There’s a small sign with a rough map and a list of rules for the area, along with a guestbook for you to sign (they want to know who’s up there, in case rescue operations become necessary). It all looks pretty rugged, but the signboard touts the hike as “moderate.” Fair enough. I was fairly confident in my ability to make the trek, although I was mildly concerned about the altitude factor. Sure, I’ve been biking a lot this summer, but bicycling at 700 feet is a bit different from hiking with a load on your back at 8000 feet plus. Still, I had a newly-purchased backpack from REI, and all my lightweight camping gear that usually resides in my panniers. The whole thing seemed pretty doable. Let me say a little bit about Brewmaster Jeff’s gear. Jeff’s no babe in the woods when it comes to hiking in the woods. He used to live in Colorado, and frequently hiked up the slopes to “peak out” the various mountains in the state. He’s got an impressive array of gear, suitable for just about any situation. One problem though. It would be best if the situation occurs in 1977. I’m not saying Jeff’s gear is old, but.. Oh, forget the Henny Youngman jokes. The man’s stuff is old. And bulky. And heavy. The kind of stuff you give your kids to “camp out” in the back yard. Still, I held my tongue (other than one comment, “Oh, you brought THAT tent?”). We loaded up our backs, put on the sturdy hiking boots, and proceeded through the gate. Perfect weather, gorgeous scenery, and a path leading us up to the crown jewel of Colorado hot springs. About a half-hour into the hike, I began to notice the panting. Not a good sign when your hiking partner needs a rest stop less than a mile into a nine-mile hike. No problem. Sometimes even a veteran needs some time to reacclimatize to the thin air. However, when you hear utterances like “Fuck!” and “I’m too heavy,” you’ve got a bit of a problem. We put down our packs, redistributed Jeff’s gear and moved a couple items into my backpack. Then we pressed on. And on. And up. And on. Stop for breather here, fill up the water bottles there. Finally, as the late afternoon shadows were growing pretty long, we made it up to the springs. Or at least to the sign telling us we were at the springs. The actual hot springs were located up a steep path about a quarter mile farther up. Jeff made the executive decision that we eschew the campsites closest to the pools in favor of one of the sites located by the entrance. That way, we could pitch out tents, and—free of our backpacks—glide on up to the soak. After the rough trip, the springs were definitely worth it. Sitting right at the treeline, Conundrum beckons with three pools. The upper mud pool, is suitable only for a couple people, and since Jeff and I are both straight, we passed on that one. The largest, the middle pool, provides a glorious mix of scenery and soaking. We stripped off our clothes, poured some homebrewed cider (yes, we lugged it up the mountain—we’re not animals), and settled in to soothe our sore muscles. I’m not even going to attempt to describe what it’s like to take in the stars on a moonless night at 11,200 feet with a cocktail in your hand. I’m sure you’re creative. Picture it yourself. After a relaxing night’s sleep, we went back up to check out the lower pool. Smaller than the main pool, it nevertheless is the size of a jumbo hot tub, and provides yet another relaxing spot to soak up the scenery. For the entire day, we fell into a pattern: soak in the lower pool, drink some cider, take a break for food, soak in the main pool, socialize, drink some Woodford Reserve bourbon, soak. Due to our diminished food supply, we did have to tear ourselves away from Conundrum and hike back down. Whereas the trek up took us about 8 ½ hours, the trip down took about five. We loaded up the Bronco, and headed to the next spring. Wrapping it Up Timmy timrask@worldnet.att.net Saturday August 24, 2002 16:28:03 After camping out, we decided to reward ourselves with an actual motel room in Salida, Colorado. (They had a hot tub, so it was kind of like going to a springs). Any stay in Salida is not complete without a visit to Amica’s Brewpub, home of some damn fine wood-fired pizza along with some great beer. After our respite in Salida, we headed south to visit Valley View Hot Springs. Valley View is a private resort, with a swimming pool filled with hot spring water, along with some natural pools. Camping is also offered, so we paid our $20 each, threw off our clothes, and partook of what Valley View had to offer. We had been tipped to visit Valley View’s upper pool, located on the side of the mountain, for a sunset soak. Sadly, the clouds obscured the sunset, but the soaking proved to be spectacular all the same. We filled up our giant trucker-sized insulated mugs with vodka and Hansen’s kiwi-strawberry soda, and dove in for an evening of soaking. Before the darkness descended totally, we adjourned to the lower pool, to continue our soaking and drinking enjoyment. And when you’re soaking strangers, there’s nothing better than alcohol-fueled conversation. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention our discussion about trying to remember the words to the “Flaming Moe” song from The Simpsons. See what you’re missing? After a Mexican breakfast at the funky Villa Grove General Store, we journeyed on to our final major stop: Orvis Hot Springs just south of Ridgeway. This swinging little town is where True Grit and some other westerns were filmed. Orvis is a private springs about 2 miles south of town just off the main highway. A huge central pool beckons, with a few side pools, including the “lobster pot,” which offers a skin-scalding 110 degree soak. Our only disappointment there was that the group of foreign exchange students who were visiting kept their bikinis on. Come on, girls, we’re giving you a free show. How ‘bout some reciprocity? So that’s the story, or most of it. After a two-hour stop at one of Jeff’s old favorites, The Well just south of Colorado Springs, we pulled another all-nighter across Nebraska and headed for home. We’re thinking about doing the whole trip again next year. Wanna join us?