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mellymellWe arrived in a strange way to Denver, as I said, up from the south end instead of coming in the northeast via I-70. We came around the southwestern side of the city towards Morrison, which was nearer to our hotel and to Red Rocks. We stayed at the Sheraton in that area (the one nearest to Red Rocks). If you're ever going to a show there, I'd recommend it. A really nice hotel (if you can get a decent deal on it) and it's right in between Red Rocks and downtown. Really perfect for a nice rounded stay.
When we got to the hotel, the room wasn't quite ready yet, so we took off to Total Beverage. Of course we were on a mission to find things we had only read about or heard of. I think we hit the freakin' jackpot! This place's beer selection was phenomenal! We spent probably 45 minutes in there (or more) and damn near close to $200 (some bottles being priced at $10+ each). Super special stuff. I'm excited to try some of the "reserves". We of course had to stock up on stuff to drink on the trip as well, so we hit up the local microbrew coolers for a couple of six packs and a Great Divide Brewing Company sampler. By the way, their DPA is exceptional! We also got their last Oak Aged Yeti. Really looking forward to that! The rest of their beers (the ones in the sampler) were ok, but nothing incredible. I'd really have to look at the stash to remember what else we got. We were just grabbing stuff off the shelves really. I only skimmed the German and Belgian section, typically skip the Asians altogether (they use a lot of rice and tend to taste too much like flavorless American macrobrews). Beer mecca, that's all I have to say for this place. Beverage mecca period! Aisles upon aisles of wines and liquors, one major aisle of beers and a wall full of coolers. We will be visiting this place again!
Heading back to the hotel, our room was ready. Top floor (well, aside from the private suites at the top of most schwanky hotels). We carried our gear up, then headed for Wynkoop Brewing Company for some dinner before the show. We were unfortunately running late already. As if that wasn't enough, we turned a corner trying to follow Carputer's directions and there were cars racing around downtown Denver. We later saw banners that it was the Denver Grand Prix. A very bizarre site! I had only seen such things in video games before. I really wish I would have gotten some pics of it, but we were so far behind, we just wanted to get food and some beer and get to the show.
The food there was phenomenal! I never knew a salad could be orgasmic! I had their Ranch Steak salad ("Grilled medallions of beef with ancho BBQ sauce, tomato, red onion and bleu cheese crumbles on mixed greens with a chipotle ranch dressing, with crispy onions.") What I didn't realize until I got it was that the tomato and red onion were grilled or roasted as well, which just added to the complexity. The combination of smoky chipotle and blue cheese was stunning and the steak was cooked to perfection (medium rare, center still red and cool). Nothing could have been more perfect! The beer I had (the Railyard Ale), unfortunately left much to be desired. If I had noticed on their menu that it was their "most popular" I wouldn't have ordered it. I was looking forward to an Oktoberfest, but instead it was more like a lifeless Amber Ale. Oh well.
Chris got the Thai Cobb salad, which I thought was really good, but he liked mine better. ("Chicken, avocado, bacon, cucumbers, sweet and spicy peanuts and Thai dressing over mixed greens and rice noodles.") The dressing was excellent, and really spicy! He got the Churchyard Ale to drink which is their strong scotch ale and just happened to be their cask conditioned one on tap that night. We wound up with a growler of it. It was really excellent!
The building and area it was in I guess was known as the warehouse district. They took these old brick warehouses and have remodeled them into trendy restaurants and shops. Wynkoop itself had a plaque describing the history of the place. The warehouses represented Denver's growth from a mining town to a trading center. Interesting story there.
From there, we realized we needed some extra layers to go to the show, and back to the hotel we went (it was on the way, so not that big of a deal). But, the extra stop put us that much further behind schedule. I'm glad we stopped though, or we would have been soaked and cold at Red Rocks.
As we approached the venue, we could hear STS9 had already started, and in fact, was in the middle of their set. Really disappointing since that's who we were there to see for the most part. People in line were starting to bug me as they were calling out to their friends, "oh, no that's Sound Tribe, we're not late yet." I turned to the guy and said, "no see, that's the thing, you ARE late!" The best part of the show and they had no idea they were missing it. Security was being a little overzealous, really patting people down, thoroughly searching through backpacks and what not. I was worried that they'd take the camera because I didn't notice until we were already almost there that the tickets said no cameras, video or recording (Trey is releasing a DVD of the show). But, to avoid confrontation, I pulled it out along with my wallet and anything else in my pockets and held it in my hand as the guy checked my jacket pockets and sent me on my way. Maybe he didn't notice it, or thought it was a cell phone. Regardless, we weren't able to get great pics of anything inside anyway. When we weren't in a cloud or being rained on, it was dark. We caught the last 2 or 3 songs of STS9's set and left early from Trey.
Sound Tribe was awesome! Trey, not so much. It's like he can't keep up with his own music anymore. He's dumbed everything down, stripped out the complex stuff and slowed it down significantly. He's aiming for a bluesy funk, but he's no longer in his element and it shows. I'm all for branching out and trying new directions, but as Chris said, when they suck, maybe you should try something else. Looking at the set later, we didn't miss a whole lot. Some nostalgic, acoustic Phish tunes (seems that's become a gimmick of his now, since he first did it at Bonnaroo in 2002 when they were on hiatus, then it seemed heartfelt, now it seems rehearsed). On top of it all, we had listened to a set from this tour on the way out there, and I feel like we heard practically the same freakin' set there that night.
I could hear uncontrollable, drunken white hats all around me shouting "we love you trey" and "this is the best show I've ever seen". Chris and I hung out on the very last row of seats for a while just observing and I heard the really drunk guy near us at the end of the row saying, "this isn't my first one of these things, you think I don't know what's going on? I know! I've been to these things before." He seemed as though he was in his early 30's and although may have graduated from college, never really moved on. I just shook my head. These kids aren't there for the music. They're not even there for the experience (meaning the metaphysical experience). They're there for the big party, to get fucked up, fall down the stairs, go nuts, hook up with some chic or dude, and they don't even notice that the musicians are slipping. They eat it up like it's the best thing in the world. They flock to venues because of a name with a promise of a good time at the hands of a shitty beer and a little weed and/or some pills.
And then it occurred to me that I was old. But even when I was young and stupid and getting fucked up at these things, I was there for the music and fellowship and experience and I noticed when the musicians weren't up to par, no matter what chemicals were in my system. When it got to the point that I didn't feel it was worth the ticket price to get into the show, I stopped going and looked elsewhere for fresher acts that still had that magic or at the very least impressed me musically. I suspect these people never felt that magic to begin with.
I met some neat guys toward the end of the STS9 show, though. They had driven out from Ohio and it was their first time in Colorado. I shared a little of our experience coming out for Phish in 2000 before the hiatus and told them to enjoy their stay. Then we moved on. You have to feel them out, but there are still good folks in the crowd. Tiny pockets of light amidst a sea of darkness.
It was about 10:30 when we got back to the hotel. I've never been back from a show so early. I just didn't want to subject myself to rain and cold and stupid people for mediocre music. But I did get to see Trey's 92 year old grandmother on stage. That was kind of sweet (he brought her out because several years back, they brought out their grandmother's on stage at Red Rocks during a Phish show). I have this notion that Trey is growing into a nostalgia act. He seems to be trying to equate his current projects with the Phish heydays and is missing the mark. I can't say I blame him, but it's ironic (if that's what's going on) since he wanted to end Phish to prevent the same from happening to them. Oh well, I just think I'm done with those sorts of shows. I'll leave the white hats to their parties.
Regardless of the empty bodies around me, there was an incredible vibration at Red Rocks. I'd like to go there when there's nothing going on some time, just to really feel out the place. It's just amazing! Something about it puts your life in perspective. It helps that a lady at the table next to us at the restaurant mentioned something along the lines of "life is hard, but the harder you work, the more rewarding it is." She went on to talk about her situation and how she felt like she had been working so hard for so long and really toughing out some things and coming to the realization that she's never going to get to the rewarding part because of where she was. I wanted to hug her for the insight she had just given me, but I thought it odd enough that I was eavesdropping. Synchronicity is beautiful sometimes. Her words perfectly described my feelings about my situation when I left home. Working your heart out, feeling like it will eventually be rewarded, and coming to the realization that it just won't be appreciated by the ones your working so hard for. There's a point (and I think she mentioned this) where you have to realize you're pouring your energy into the wrong things and you have to take a leap of faith in another direction. After this trip, and some much needed closure, I'm ready to make that leap.
The next day we got up and kept our eyes on the weather channel and watched the radar online as we slowly woke up and got ourselves ready. We decided instead of heading southwest towards Gunnison National Park then Weminuche Wilderness (our original plan), where the storms were, we'd head north, where there was the promise of clear skies and nice weather (meaning nice views from gorgeous peaks).
Chris did some research before I got moving that morning and thought the Indian Peaks Wilderness looked like a good spot. It meant we'd drive through Boulder and Nederland, two great little ski towns, to get to where we were going. But before going, we needed some things (more information, maps, food to cook since we weren't backpacking and of course we ran off and left without pillows, yeah, roughing it, ha!)
So, we headed to the busiest Wal-Mart I've ever seen (tried to go the day before, but they were even busier then and we didn't have the time to wait, already being behind). Then we headed to THE biggest REI store (their flagship store in downtown Denver). This place is massive! They've got a parking deck! They've got like 3 floors of camping, biking, backpacking, kayaking, canoeing, outdoorsy type stuff! I could have spent all afternoon in there! But we just needed a book and a map and that's it. So we got what we needed and then got some chocolate covered cherries and espresso beans too and headed out. Then we were trying to find a grocery store and saw a sign for a Whole Foods store. Well, it was "coming soon", but in driving around in the area, we found an open air Farmers' Market. We got some of the freshest corn I've ever seen and huge all natural rib steak too cook one night. The steak was frozen so it wouldn't even be thawed in the cooler for a couple of days and was vacuum sealed and would probably be good for a few days after that. I kept thinking of how much![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
branflake would love that area of the city! We walked up to the market thinking it was like an Oktoberfest celebration or something (bistro-like tables and a guy playing an accordion). Then we started walking through and there was a guy giving chiropractic consultations, a lady selling homemade soaps and oils, the guy selling the all natural beef, plenty of produce and all sorts of other goods and foods! Right in the middle of downtown Denver (or I think maybe more like midtown)!
Oh, funny thing you'll probably catch in one of the Denver skyline pics, there are John Elway car dealerships all over Denver! Any brand of car you can think of, he's got a dealership for it.
Finally, getting out of town extremely late, we headed to Rainbow Lakes campground in Roosevelt National Forest (at the edge of the Indian Peaks Wilderness).
There are a few pics of the drive and I took a bunch of video too. Boulder is great! Their water system is glacier fed, their transit system even reaches what seems remote, great little city! Nederland is even more gorgeous, nestled in the mountains with a nice big lake!
We finally got to the campground and the hosts were working on cleaning out sites. I guess we were early enough. They directed us to #9, which was in their opinion the nicest site in the place. I couldn't agree more! Right next to the trailhead, backs up to a stream, and plenty of wildflowers around. Just beautiful! We set up camp, then took a small walk up to the Rainbow Lakes. All of those pics are here. The first six are of the drive up, and the rest are the area around the campsite (including a tiny trout in the stream by the site) and the walk up to the lakes and back. Nice day, though still a little overcast. And only 2 miles walked on the trail so far, so we weren't completely exhausted by the altitude and such (the site was at about 10K and the highest lake is about about 10,300 I think). A nice little conditioning.
The wildflowers were incredible! I was in such awe. They're not really anything like the ones here. The Columbines were in bloom, as were the Indian Paintbrush. Plenty of pics of those, along with some interesting fungi. The glacier you see in the pics is not the Arapaho Glacier we'd hike to the next day, but something else, possibly not even considered a glacier any longer (but you could see the effects of a glacier where we were standing, a large basin of discarded boulders, which looked to be glacial debris, according to two ladies who seemed to know a lot more about it than we did).
I talked with our neighbors when we got back to the site a bit. She asked where we were from in Alabama because she had lived in Auburn and just moved to Boulder two years ago. Her boyfriend was a dredy and they had a nice big dog named Sampson (so sweet and friendly!). She asked what brought us out here and I said mostly vacation and mentioned seeing Trey and Sound Tribe at Red Rocks the night before. She asked how the show was and I gave her my honest opinion. She mentioned a friend of hers went and raved about it, but that she was "one of those. . . insane people". I shook my head, knowing what she was talking about, saying, "yeah, there were a lot of 'those' there". We talked briefly about how he seems to be playing the same set almost every night across a tour and how she remembered seeing him at the Fox in Atlanta and such and she agreed that he'd been slipping since about 2002. Then we talked a minute about where we were headed after we left there and talked about Utah and how it was a "completely different kind of beauty". Fun stuff, good conversation. Wish we would have gotten some time to hang out with them.
Chris cooked Jambalaya for dinner and we had a nice fire and a couple of beers that night. It was incredibly cold that night though! Not a comfortable sleep, even with our mummy bags almost zipped all the way up and with socks and a full body of clothes on (fleece and all). I guess it's time for new bags. They're old and they're Coleman. They still work ok for most things, but I bet it was pretty close to freezing that night.
When we got to the hotel, the room wasn't quite ready yet, so we took off to Total Beverage. Of course we were on a mission to find things we had only read about or heard of. I think we hit the freakin' jackpot! This place's beer selection was phenomenal! We spent probably 45 minutes in there (or more) and damn near close to $200 (some bottles being priced at $10+ each). Super special stuff. I'm excited to try some of the "reserves". We of course had to stock up on stuff to drink on the trip as well, so we hit up the local microbrew coolers for a couple of six packs and a Great Divide Brewing Company sampler. By the way, their DPA is exceptional! We also got their last Oak Aged Yeti. Really looking forward to that! The rest of their beers (the ones in the sampler) were ok, but nothing incredible. I'd really have to look at the stash to remember what else we got. We were just grabbing stuff off the shelves really. I only skimmed the German and Belgian section, typically skip the Asians altogether (they use a lot of rice and tend to taste too much like flavorless American macrobrews). Beer mecca, that's all I have to say for this place. Beverage mecca period! Aisles upon aisles of wines and liquors, one major aisle of beers and a wall full of coolers. We will be visiting this place again!
Heading back to the hotel, our room was ready. Top floor (well, aside from the private suites at the top of most schwanky hotels). We carried our gear up, then headed for Wynkoop Brewing Company for some dinner before the show. We were unfortunately running late already. As if that wasn't enough, we turned a corner trying to follow Carputer's directions and there were cars racing around downtown Denver. We later saw banners that it was the Denver Grand Prix. A very bizarre site! I had only seen such things in video games before. I really wish I would have gotten some pics of it, but we were so far behind, we just wanted to get food and some beer and get to the show.
The food there was phenomenal! I never knew a salad could be orgasmic! I had their Ranch Steak salad ("Grilled medallions of beef with ancho BBQ sauce, tomato, red onion and bleu cheese crumbles on mixed greens with a chipotle ranch dressing, with crispy onions.") What I didn't realize until I got it was that the tomato and red onion were grilled or roasted as well, which just added to the complexity. The combination of smoky chipotle and blue cheese was stunning and the steak was cooked to perfection (medium rare, center still red and cool). Nothing could have been more perfect! The beer I had (the Railyard Ale), unfortunately left much to be desired. If I had noticed on their menu that it was their "most popular" I wouldn't have ordered it. I was looking forward to an Oktoberfest, but instead it was more like a lifeless Amber Ale. Oh well.
Chris got the Thai Cobb salad, which I thought was really good, but he liked mine better. ("Chicken, avocado, bacon, cucumbers, sweet and spicy peanuts and Thai dressing over mixed greens and rice noodles.") The dressing was excellent, and really spicy! He got the Churchyard Ale to drink which is their strong scotch ale and just happened to be their cask conditioned one on tap that night. We wound up with a growler of it. It was really excellent!
The building and area it was in I guess was known as the warehouse district. They took these old brick warehouses and have remodeled them into trendy restaurants and shops. Wynkoop itself had a plaque describing the history of the place. The warehouses represented Denver's growth from a mining town to a trading center. Interesting story there.
From there, we realized we needed some extra layers to go to the show, and back to the hotel we went (it was on the way, so not that big of a deal). But, the extra stop put us that much further behind schedule. I'm glad we stopped though, or we would have been soaked and cold at Red Rocks.
As we approached the venue, we could hear STS9 had already started, and in fact, was in the middle of their set. Really disappointing since that's who we were there to see for the most part. People in line were starting to bug me as they were calling out to their friends, "oh, no that's Sound Tribe, we're not late yet." I turned to the guy and said, "no see, that's the thing, you ARE late!" The best part of the show and they had no idea they were missing it. Security was being a little overzealous, really patting people down, thoroughly searching through backpacks and what not. I was worried that they'd take the camera because I didn't notice until we were already almost there that the tickets said no cameras, video or recording (Trey is releasing a DVD of the show). But, to avoid confrontation, I pulled it out along with my wallet and anything else in my pockets and held it in my hand as the guy checked my jacket pockets and sent me on my way. Maybe he didn't notice it, or thought it was a cell phone. Regardless, we weren't able to get great pics of anything inside anyway. When we weren't in a cloud or being rained on, it was dark. We caught the last 2 or 3 songs of STS9's set and left early from Trey.
Sound Tribe was awesome! Trey, not so much. It's like he can't keep up with his own music anymore. He's dumbed everything down, stripped out the complex stuff and slowed it down significantly. He's aiming for a bluesy funk, but he's no longer in his element and it shows. I'm all for branching out and trying new directions, but as Chris said, when they suck, maybe you should try something else. Looking at the set later, we didn't miss a whole lot. Some nostalgic, acoustic Phish tunes (seems that's become a gimmick of his now, since he first did it at Bonnaroo in 2002 when they were on hiatus, then it seemed heartfelt, now it seems rehearsed). On top of it all, we had listened to a set from this tour on the way out there, and I feel like we heard practically the same freakin' set there that night.
I could hear uncontrollable, drunken white hats all around me shouting "we love you trey" and "this is the best show I've ever seen". Chris and I hung out on the very last row of seats for a while just observing and I heard the really drunk guy near us at the end of the row saying, "this isn't my first one of these things, you think I don't know what's going on? I know! I've been to these things before." He seemed as though he was in his early 30's and although may have graduated from college, never really moved on. I just shook my head. These kids aren't there for the music. They're not even there for the experience (meaning the metaphysical experience). They're there for the big party, to get fucked up, fall down the stairs, go nuts, hook up with some chic or dude, and they don't even notice that the musicians are slipping. They eat it up like it's the best thing in the world. They flock to venues because of a name with a promise of a good time at the hands of a shitty beer and a little weed and/or some pills.
And then it occurred to me that I was old. But even when I was young and stupid and getting fucked up at these things, I was there for the music and fellowship and experience and I noticed when the musicians weren't up to par, no matter what chemicals were in my system. When it got to the point that I didn't feel it was worth the ticket price to get into the show, I stopped going and looked elsewhere for fresher acts that still had that magic or at the very least impressed me musically. I suspect these people never felt that magic to begin with.
I met some neat guys toward the end of the STS9 show, though. They had driven out from Ohio and it was their first time in Colorado. I shared a little of our experience coming out for Phish in 2000 before the hiatus and told them to enjoy their stay. Then we moved on. You have to feel them out, but there are still good folks in the crowd. Tiny pockets of light amidst a sea of darkness.
It was about 10:30 when we got back to the hotel. I've never been back from a show so early. I just didn't want to subject myself to rain and cold and stupid people for mediocre music. But I did get to see Trey's 92 year old grandmother on stage. That was kind of sweet (he brought her out because several years back, they brought out their grandmother's on stage at Red Rocks during a Phish show). I have this notion that Trey is growing into a nostalgia act. He seems to be trying to equate his current projects with the Phish heydays and is missing the mark. I can't say I blame him, but it's ironic (if that's what's going on) since he wanted to end Phish to prevent the same from happening to them. Oh well, I just think I'm done with those sorts of shows. I'll leave the white hats to their parties.
Regardless of the empty bodies around me, there was an incredible vibration at Red Rocks. I'd like to go there when there's nothing going on some time, just to really feel out the place. It's just amazing! Something about it puts your life in perspective. It helps that a lady at the table next to us at the restaurant mentioned something along the lines of "life is hard, but the harder you work, the more rewarding it is." She went on to talk about her situation and how she felt like she had been working so hard for so long and really toughing out some things and coming to the realization that she's never going to get to the rewarding part because of where she was. I wanted to hug her for the insight she had just given me, but I thought it odd enough that I was eavesdropping. Synchronicity is beautiful sometimes. Her words perfectly described my feelings about my situation when I left home. Working your heart out, feeling like it will eventually be rewarded, and coming to the realization that it just won't be appreciated by the ones your working so hard for. There's a point (and I think she mentioned this) where you have to realize you're pouring your energy into the wrong things and you have to take a leap of faith in another direction. After this trip, and some much needed closure, I'm ready to make that leap.
The next day we got up and kept our eyes on the weather channel and watched the radar online as we slowly woke up and got ourselves ready. We decided instead of heading southwest towards Gunnison National Park then Weminuche Wilderness (our original plan), where the storms were, we'd head north, where there was the promise of clear skies and nice weather (meaning nice views from gorgeous peaks).
Chris did some research before I got moving that morning and thought the Indian Peaks Wilderness looked like a good spot. It meant we'd drive through Boulder and Nederland, two great little ski towns, to get to where we were going. But before going, we needed some things (more information, maps, food to cook since we weren't backpacking and of course we ran off and left without pillows, yeah, roughing it, ha!)
So, we headed to the busiest Wal-Mart I've ever seen (tried to go the day before, but they were even busier then and we didn't have the time to wait, already being behind). Then we headed to THE biggest REI store (their flagship store in downtown Denver). This place is massive! They've got a parking deck! They've got like 3 floors of camping, biking, backpacking, kayaking, canoeing, outdoorsy type stuff! I could have spent all afternoon in there! But we just needed a book and a map and that's it. So we got what we needed and then got some chocolate covered cherries and espresso beans too and headed out. Then we were trying to find a grocery store and saw a sign for a Whole Foods store. Well, it was "coming soon", but in driving around in the area, we found an open air Farmers' Market. We got some of the freshest corn I've ever seen and huge all natural rib steak too cook one night. The steak was frozen so it wouldn't even be thawed in the cooler for a couple of days and was vacuum sealed and would probably be good for a few days after that. I kept thinking of how much
branflake would love that area of the city! We walked up to the market thinking it was like an Oktoberfest celebration or something (bistro-like tables and a guy playing an accordion). Then we started walking through and there was a guy giving chiropractic consultations, a lady selling homemade soaps and oils, the guy selling the all natural beef, plenty of produce and all sorts of other goods and foods! Right in the middle of downtown Denver (or I think maybe more like midtown)!Oh, funny thing you'll probably catch in one of the Denver skyline pics, there are John Elway car dealerships all over Denver! Any brand of car you can think of, he's got a dealership for it.
Finally, getting out of town extremely late, we headed to Rainbow Lakes campground in Roosevelt National Forest (at the edge of the Indian Peaks Wilderness).
There are a few pics of the drive and I took a bunch of video too. Boulder is great! Their water system is glacier fed, their transit system even reaches what seems remote, great little city! Nederland is even more gorgeous, nestled in the mountains with a nice big lake!
We finally got to the campground and the hosts were working on cleaning out sites. I guess we were early enough. They directed us to #9, which was in their opinion the nicest site in the place. I couldn't agree more! Right next to the trailhead, backs up to a stream, and plenty of wildflowers around. Just beautiful! We set up camp, then took a small walk up to the Rainbow Lakes. All of those pics are here. The first six are of the drive up, and the rest are the area around the campsite (including a tiny trout in the stream by the site) and the walk up to the lakes and back. Nice day, though still a little overcast. And only 2 miles walked on the trail so far, so we weren't completely exhausted by the altitude and such (the site was at about 10K and the highest lake is about about 10,300 I think). A nice little conditioning.
The wildflowers were incredible! I was in such awe. They're not really anything like the ones here. The Columbines were in bloom, as were the Indian Paintbrush. Plenty of pics of those, along with some interesting fungi. The glacier you see in the pics is not the Arapaho Glacier we'd hike to the next day, but something else, possibly not even considered a glacier any longer (but you could see the effects of a glacier where we were standing, a large basin of discarded boulders, which looked to be glacial debris, according to two ladies who seemed to know a lot more about it than we did).
I talked with our neighbors when we got back to the site a bit. She asked where we were from in Alabama because she had lived in Auburn and just moved to Boulder two years ago. Her boyfriend was a dredy and they had a nice big dog named Sampson (so sweet and friendly!). She asked what brought us out here and I said mostly vacation and mentioned seeing Trey and Sound Tribe at Red Rocks the night before. She asked how the show was and I gave her my honest opinion. She mentioned a friend of hers went and raved about it, but that she was "one of those. . . insane people". I shook my head, knowing what she was talking about, saying, "yeah, there were a lot of 'those' there". We talked briefly about how he seems to be playing the same set almost every night across a tour and how she remembered seeing him at the Fox in Atlanta and such and she agreed that he'd been slipping since about 2002. Then we talked a minute about where we were headed after we left there and talked about Utah and how it was a "completely different kind of beauty". Fun stuff, good conversation. Wish we would have gotten some time to hang out with them.
Chris cooked Jambalaya for dinner and we had a nice fire and a couple of beers that night. It was incredibly cold that night though! Not a comfortable sleep, even with our mummy bags almost zipped all the way up and with socks and a full body of clothes on (fleece and all). I guess it's time for new bags. They're old and they're Coleman. They still work ok for most things, but I bet it was pretty close to freezing that night.