A Mountain Post

Here I am, reporting in from Breckenridge. We've been having a great time. I don't have too long, since Emily will need the computer shortly to work on her tech writing class (online through DCCCD), but I'll give some highlights.

• Thursday night we camped in Sugarite Canyon State park just outside of Raton, NM. We got to use all our new camping stuff for the wedding, and it was very fun. It also got very cold that night, which was great!
• We rolled into Breckenridge around 1 on Friday. We were greeted by Susie and had lots of time to get settled in to the house, which is *very* nice, before John, Emily, and Luke returned from a hike.
• Saturday was a lazy day. While John was fishing, the rest of the crew went to the Peak 8 activity center on the ski mountain. It has things like the Alpine Slide, trampolines with bungee suspension, putt-putt, and a maze. After we'd completely exhausted its possibilities, we returned to the house, leaving again to have Mexican food with Matt's Aunt Trish and Uncle Neville (they'd driven in from Denver). A lively game of Uno was played beforehand.
• On Sunday we all drove up to Boreas Pass and hiked and picnicked there. It was very beautiful, with wildflowers everywhere. Then we spent the afternoon walking around town.
• Monday was rafting day. We left Susie to have a relaxing morning, while John, Matt, Emily, Luke, Jeff and I went to raft the Arkansas River in a section called "The Numbers." The water was running high from rain, so the rapids were only class IVs, but they were all fours (at some water levels they can all be class V). It was the most technical run I've ever done, but it was great. The 6 of us had our own raft with Axe the guide, and we were a great team.
• Yesterday Emily and I drove north an hour for three hours of private horseback riding, while the boys went mountain biking. Em and I had fun time - we were on horses that were best friends. Hers was Comanche, a brown and white paint and I was on Tom, an Appaloosa. Our guide took us around the land, which was beautiful and had some amazing views. After riding, lunch, and driving back, we collected Susie and went to town to paint some pottery. It was a nice relaxing afternoon. The boys popped in while we were there and Matt showed off his bloody knee, acquired when he fell of his bike. That and Jeff's empty stomach were the only casualties from their trip, for which the womenfolk were grateful!

And there we are. A summary of what's been going on up here in Colorado. We don't have many plans for the rest of the week. Jeff leaves early on Friday, and the rest of us on Saturday. Matt and I are doing the drive in one day, which will be very interesting. He'll have to let me drive more, that's for sure!