Longstride

Today took me off the trail, to Denver, where I’ll spend a few days with my partner, CareFree, who is flying in from Germany.

• Around 8, I left the Viking to seek out breakfast. I had my sights set on a restaurant, when I passed the local Lions Club having all-you-can-eat pancakes for very cheap. I easily had eight blueberry pancakes (and also plenty of sausage and orange juice) before I was too full to eat anymore.
• On the walk back to the Viking, I passed Rattler, who I hadn’t seen in a while.
• I checked out and went to the bus station, conveniently located across the Viking’s parking lot. There, I met Ypsilon, who I’d seen regularly in comments in our trail guide, but never actually met before.
• It took about an hour and a half for the “Bustang Outrider” bus to get to Denver’s Union Station. I walked to my hotel and checked in.
• I got a local bus to REI. They were completely out of fuel (and said that getting fuel in Denver was very difficult because it was in high demand), but I was able to get a few new pairs of socks to replace ones that had worn out, and an Ursack Allmitey bear-resistant bag to use once I enter grizzly country. I also tried to get new boots, but they were out of the size I needed.
• I went to another local outfitter, Wilderness Exchange, which did have fuel.
• I stopped by a third store, specializing in hiking boots. They did not have the size I needed either.
• I went to a burger joint, “Illegal Burger” for lunch, and then later, Subway for dinner.
• Late in the evening, I returned to Union Station to catch a train to the airport, to pick up CareFree, whose plane arrived after 11 pm.

Denver