The adventure truly begins

Greetings from Trinidad Colorado!
   This blog will consist of two days of fun adventures filled with interesting and gracious fellows. The first day was monday and we awoke a bit warm, a bit late, but ready for the last of our major Colorado passes, Cuchara pass. We started our morning by saying goodbye to Marilyn as she was leaving us and starting her own long journey back to Michigan. We wanna give a huge thanks to Marilyn for all the things she did for us from cooking us delectable meals to making sure we had a safe place to stay. We truly appreciate everything you have done for us and we probably would have died or just not made it up those passes if it wasn't for your follow car fanatics and your strive to just help. Just so luck would have it as our follow car leaves we just happened to have our trusty, rusty pal, AJ, with us with his wonderful Cadilac to take over and haul our stuff up the last pass. Leaving La Veta we started on a steady climb from 7000 feet up to 9995 at the summit of Cuchara Pass. Side note; Why only 9995 feet? Why could they not make it 10000 just to make us feel good. At least all of our heads were over 10000 feet. Anywho, the climb was spectacluar. We agreeded that it was the most sceanic ride we have done thus far. With the massive Spanish Peaks to the left of us and rocky outcrops all around there was definitly something to look at as you struggled up 3000 feet.
    We passed through a small tourist town called, Cuchara, who would have guessed. We stopped for some stickers and chatted up some store owners before begginning again up the hill. The last part of the climb was a 4.5 mile 6% climb that compared to Wolf Creek Pass was a breezy piece of pie ala mode. Once to the summit we stopped for a few pictures and AJ told us that we should go down to North Lake for a quick dip before we went to Monument Lake where he had found us a place to throw up our tents for the night.
    North Lake was picture perfect with the clear blue apline lake look that you only see on Nat Geo. The lake was a bit cold seeing that it was at 8400 feet, but we all decided to jump in anyways seeing that it was our first alpine lake. With an instant brain freeze and a refreshed, rejuvenated body we biked the 3 miles to Monument Lake where we set up for a lovely lunch of salsa and anything you can or cannot dip in salsa. Side note; Oreos are delicous with salsa, also puff chettos, crushed doritos and ciabata bread.
    After lunch and a bit of crayfish huntin, we decided to go for a bit of a hike and some rock climbin. The rocks were on a ridge a few hundred feet above the lake and were full of great hand and foot holds so the climbing was fun and not as dangerous as you would think. Ok, maybe a few spots were a little dangerous. Once at the top, because you have to go to the top, we had a few photo ops and then made a short hike to the other side of the lake where the campground was and filled up our water as we were all quite thirsty after our rock scrambling adventure. Just as we arrived at the campground we spotted a black bear, who was brown, walking along the lake shore. We took a few pics and then on our way back to our campsite we saw the most badass thing you could see. A man reached into the water with his bare hands and pulled out an at least 3 pound rainbow trout. Just like a wild mountain man with no fear he put his life on the line to pull out a prize rainbow trout. O yea there are pictures. After that we sat down with a nice fellow named Mel, his son Mel jr. and his buddy louie louia, whoa whoa, we gotta go aye aye aye aye aye. We sat with them and had a few beers and watched them catch 3 medium sized rainbow trout. Monument Lake is full of fish. Get yourself there and catch some monsters. At about 7pm we said goodbye to AJ as he had to work at noon the next day and he had a 4 hour drive ahead of him. With AJ gone our adventure had officially begun. No follow car , no help, nothing but our bikes, our tents, our bags and our legs. We went to bed with a new outlook on how great the rest of this trip is going to be. 
   As I (Nate) lay in my tent in a light slumber, I was suddenly awoken by a sniffing and snorting sound.  I rolled my head over my shoulder to see... a big ole bear starin back at me! After the initial wave of shock rolled over me and the realization that the only thing between me and the bear was a net like mesh. I grabbed my knife and my hammer (that's right,I sleep with some protection) and continued to stare into the black figure that was the bears head as he sniffed my tent and nudged my back. After  a few min of the ole poke and sniff the bear walked off. I remained cleanching my weapons and thinking to myself, Holy #*!@*! 
Alright so after that I layed there for a couple of hours trying to go back to sleep but with the 30 mph wind gusts and the lingering thoughts of bear, sleep was no longer an option. It started to get light out, and I decided no point in laying here any more. Got up and hollered at Matt and Joey, whom where both awake. We got up, went thru our bags, strapped up  and hit the road jack. Matt with his favorite words its all down hill from here and we were off.
Cruising along Hwy 12 we had our morning chats about this and that. Feeling pretty good about the first day with all of our gear now on our bikes and backs like Manly men coming down from the mountains all geared up and comin in hot. 
   Trinidad, Colorado. Tucked in a nice valley sitting at 6,000 ft. this small tourist town right before the big mountains seemed a great first stop of just the three of us. As it turns out, it is one of the best days we have had so far. We've met some of the most interesting and nice people here in Trinidad!
   Upon entering the city, we strolled around and found a nice stop to chill at the Corner Cafe! Matt had what appeared to be a delicious Sante Fe wrap! I (Joey) had 3 good cups of jo and Nate was licking his lips drinking a tall, cool glass of lemonade! Whilst us sitting outside the cafe a man with a Nikon camera rolled around the corner... Just so happens this man works for The Chronicle here in Trinidad! Mike Albanese jotted down our information, what seemed to be some quote taking, our purpose, our thoughts, and finally snapped a picture of us! Hopefully Trinidad will be seeing our faces in their local news!
   We hung out some more at the cafe couch surfing (the website) and checking out warmshowers.org (a touring bike website). Upon uploading a few pics to this blogpost, we took off in search of our place to stay for the night.
   What a search it turned out to be!!! While aimlessley biking around the hills of Trinidad, we came slowly up to an intersection. I thought I heard Nate say, "go up"... As in go up that hill right there... Turns out he actually said, "Co-op"! Right then and there, out the door of the Co-op comes out Ed! We started chatting about our journey and what we are up to and he, out of the kindness in his heart, offers us stay at the Co-op! HOW COOL?!?! So, mission accomplished, with a place to stay, we went out to grab a few grocieries and go for a swim in the river!
   We've been in and out of the Co-op all day, chatting up people and telling our story. One of the fine folk we met was Raggio, an artist who lives in here in Trinidad! An amazing artist who opened our eyes to different avenues, he burst out of the "norm" and through his art displayed that abstraction can take the form of anything, and everything can take the form of abstraction. He was in a motorcycle accident in his first year of college which changed his life. After healing from the accident he, instead of forestry, took up ceramics. This is how he so perfectly described how art has changed him through out the years. "With ceramics, you first find a center, then you can dig in, then you open up from the inside and build from there." He is optmist in the very heart of the word, searching and constantly finding what makes him happy in life. He is philosophical in his words and made a lasting impression on all of us! He allowed us into his home to show us his transformations through art. We got the chance to see his personal gallery, all the way from his first every sculpture, to his workings of today. Inspiring in his work, enlightening to talk to you, with a positive vibe and message of let your mind wander and do what makes you happy! Don't get caught in your tracks, open your mind to new outlets, and don't be afraid of "changing lanes."
   So a huge shout out to Tara, the manager of the Trinidad Community Co-op! Ed for being the man and right off the bat offering us a place to stay and later telling me that I (Joey) "Have moose balls". Linda for being such a sweetheart! Joni and her Earth Mountain Farm! An awesome organic farm that hosts of WWOOFers. Niva, for being kind as we trotted in and out and bothered her with a few questions. Alas, to the rest of the members in the Co-op! Keep it up!
   Also a shout out to Francis, owner of the Corner Cafe, for allowing us to be smelly and enjoy her cafe!

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North Lake, look how blue it is!

Alpine beauty at its finest

Monument Lake from our rock top perches

On the rocks with the Spanish Peaks in the bakground

Who is taking these pictures?

Simply glorious

It be but a wee little bear

America here we come with no car

 Raggio's artwork. What do you see?

Raggio's gallery with the man himself. We got a personal tour.

 Matt defying gravity

 Huge trout caught with his bear hands

Perfect size table in our co-op home