What quote am I vibing? "I'm a Teddy Roosevelt Republican. I believe there's a role of government. I believe that government has to be part of the solution. I mean, regulation and oversight has to be absolutely essential. Teddy Roosevelt said unbridled capitalism leads to corruption. I believe in it." John McCain (Lovingly remembered ❤ )
Road Day: 29
Trails Hiked: Foothills Nature Trail (Roosevelt National Forest -- I'm pretty sure. Let's just agree that it is.). 2 miles. Elevation change: 448 feet. Trail Surface: easy, packed down dirt
Today I drove to Colorado. I left South Dakota via Buffalo Gap Grasslands into Wyoming. If South Dakota was endless hills and prairie, Wyoming is endless sky. It's hard for me to sleep the night before drive days, and last night was no exception, and somewhere in my middle of the night or early morning trip research, I came across a site I knew I had to see. I took a slight detour to see the Oregon Trail Ruts State Historic Site.
Carved into the sandstone is the path of thousands of wagons that came through what is now Guernsey, Wyoming. This area is near the North Platte River, an important part of the Oregon Trail. Being there was grounding.
On my trip west, I experience few hardships and infinite joys. I wonder if I would still make the trek if the opposite were true, as it very much was for these frontier people. Once I left the area and got back on the road, I saw young, huge mountains for the first time in my life. I guess I felt the same way that the pioneers did. "Worth it." But then they had to figure out how to get through them before they got dysentery. I don't have that problem.
I arrived in Colorado early enough to do a hike this afternoon/evening, and I chose the "easy" Foothills Nature Trail - one mile to a lookout point then back the same way. You guys saw me pull that truck - I'm not without strength, but something happens to me when I walk up up up. My little lungs struggle. The trail for me was not "easy." Well, except for on the way down.
I'm taking the night to unwind and sleep early. And hopefully for a long time. The journey continues tomorrow.
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