Last weekend I went off and did something completely out of character. Under normal circumstances, I'm a pretty boring person. I don't do wild things (except for going into the wild with my family for days on end, but around here we consider that normal). I don't spend money unless you pry it out of my wallet with a crowbar, and I don't party. You get the idea. Just another middle-aged housewife who's excessively responsible and well-behaved.
So, like I say, I stepped wholly out of character last weekend. I left my family behind, flew to Colorado (yup, spent a boatload of money just on me!), met up at the airport with someone I know only from the Internet and drove with him into the mountains to hike before joining a whole lot of other folks, only of few of whom I'd ever met in person, at a campground to party (okay, talk and eat and watch others drink--I was suffering too much from the altitude to touch alcohol). Then on Saturday, we all took off to hike. In further proof of my insanity, I went off with a group to climb 14,295-foot Quandary Peak.
That's right. I spent money on myself, partied with strangers (well, sort of strangers. Strange folk, anyway, though I mean that in the nicest way), and climbed to over 14,000' barely more than 24 hours after leaving sea level.
Clearly I've gone mad.
But it was a lot of fun!
Colorado aspens turning color!
Me on the far right hoping my coffee cup will hold me up and keep me going.
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The triumphant author, clutching the summit post to avoid falling over. Oxygen is NOT over-rated.
Holy carp it's a long way down from here!
Our group on the summit. Almost all of us are sea-level types, and for I think 4 of us it was our first "14er", so we were excited!
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