The Nixnerd

Day Two: Friday August 17, 2007

Zaiden didn’t sleep very well. Nikki and I are pretty sure he got cold. She ended up pulling him into her sleeping bag where he slept like … well, like a baby.

Mom fixed a feast of a breakfast. Over breakfast, we all discussed what we were going to do, today. I suggested a nice drive or hike (and I have to admit, I was leaning towards “drive” ). We decided we’d pack up a lunch and drive up to Cottonwood Pass. Mom made sandwiches and I got the FJ ready to take the 6 (mom, dad, Nikki, Zaiden, Moose, and me) of us up the mountain.

Before heading out, we stopped at Alco. Nikki’s friends always stop there whenever they’re in Buena Vista. Apparently, you can get some good deals on stuff. We needed anther bag of ice for the cooler and some other things. Nikki and I got a contraption to wipe your feet off before going into the tent, a floor mat to go along with it, and some nice towels (they were inexpensive and quite nice). Dad stepped next door to the Ace Hardware to pick up some things he needed for their trailer.

Then we were off. It ended up being a great drive. Zaiden was giggly and happy with Nikki and mom keeping him company. Dad and I sat in the front and got along famously when I cued up the “Good Country” playlist on my iPod (consisting of Johnny Cash and Kenny Rogers songs).

On the way, we discussed the fact that dad’s dad (say that 10 times fast), my grandfather, worked on that road for four years about the time my dad was in college. He reminisced about Christmas in 4′ of snow with his college buddy. We even found the camp site that grandpa built for them all to stay at 50 years ago!

Once we reached the top, we had a late lunch (it was already about 3:30). Zaiden decided he was hungry so mom, dad, and Moose took of on a hike. It was kinda comical watching dad try to keep up with Moose. I snapped a few photos of the view and hung out with the family.

On our way back down, dad wanted to find a spot where he and his buddy, Chuck, used to hike up to Ptarmigan Lake. These days, there is a trail head there but dad found the spot where he and Chuck used to head on up for a few days of fishing.

On our way down we were discussing what to do about dinner. We didn’t know when Paul and Marlin were going to make it. Should we go ahead and eat or wait? Well, when we got back to the camp, we got in touch with them and they hadn’t left Denver, yet. We called them later and they were stuck in traffic just outside Connifer. Paul sounded a little discouraged — I’m guessing he was hoping to get to Buena Vista earlier. He said they grabbed a bite before they left so we decided to go ahead and eat.

Nikki and I brought The Traditional Burrell Family Camping Dinner: Dinte Moore Beef Stew and bread. You’d be surprised how tasty and filling that can be after a long day of hiking, fishing, or merely driving up to Cottonwood Pass. Mom offered to add some salad to the mix and we all ate quite heartily.

Zaiden was getting quite tired by this point so Nikki took him off to bed while the rest of us waited for Paul and Marlin to get in. Luckily, the weather had cleared up and we didn’t have to set up their tent in the rain like dad and I did. They were tired and frustrated (understandibly!). I was pretty sure that would wear off, though, once we got up the next day to go have some fun.

I snapped a few photos of my FJ after we got back. It got kinda dirty! >:)