Rocky National Park

After Denver we me made the short trek to the Rocky Mountain National Park. In true GART fashion we got a much later start than expected and drove through Estes Park and into Moraine Park at night. Excited that we were camping in a national park we decided to camp on a hill so we would have a beautiful view in the morning. We even put the fly on the tent backwards so the shorter side of the fly did not fully cover the screen side of the tent and allowed us to have a view while still in the tent (we now just realized how absurd this fabulous idea was).

We never set out to travel gracefully and this becomes more and more obvious to us with each passing day

At around 1am we all woke up to the walls of the tent billowing and whipping in the wind. We had yet to stake down the tent since we left. While setting up the tent earlier that night we thought it would be a good night to use to stakes but after a few minutes of rummaging through the trunk and Thule we came to the conclusion that we had lost them. We laid therein the tent, barely spoke a word and tried to rolled over and went back to bed.

We woke up soon after as the wind continued to catch the tent and pull the walls inward. Keefe thought the fly might have been one of the reasons the wind was successfully whipping the tent. Molly and Keefe went outside and twisted the fly around securing it accurately. Back in the tent we, yet again, rolled over to fall asleep hopeing this small change would end the collapse of the walls.

We woke up (again) soon after to the tent lifting off the ground as well as the walls of the tent completely engulfing us.

Lilly and Keefe decided to take matters into their own hands, they brought four boulders into the tent and placed them into the corners, acting as the stakes would.

This seemed to be the perfect solution until the next gust of wind came and didn't successfully lift the tent but rather, or more dangerously, rolled the boulders towards our heads. In addition, the wind had to go somewhere so instead of lifting the tent it now just flattened it on to us.

Making some minor changes such as moving towards the bottom of the tent we managed to catch some much needed zzzz's.

We had a slow morning taking in the beautiful snow covered Rocky peaks. We also witnessed in full day light the stark difference between how seasoned travelers keep their camps compared us carefree GARTers.


one of these things is not like the others



the morning after






we're still confrazzled...how do they do it?

We packed up our haphazard camp and set off to cross the Rocky Mountains en route to Wyoming.



our view from our campsite, we weren't crazy after all for wanting a great view first thing in the am





the road was closed due to ice :(


these people had keys but closed the gate before we could squeak through.... So we had to turn around and retrace our steps alll the way through Boulder


at least we saw an elk (for the millionth time)


So our plan to drive through the Rockies and head to Jackson changed and we spent ANOTHER night in Boulder with our trusty hosts Will and Addison. Thanks again guys!

Love,
GART

Boulder Betchezzzz

We rolled into Boulder early Saturday night. We stayed with Will and Addison (more Tyler Place friends) and two born and raised Boulderites. We ordered some amazing pizza from Cosmos, and chatted with our hosts. Addison was planning on going on a hike the next day and wanted to show us Boulder from a birds-eye view. But before all of that we wanted to see Boulder from the college perspective seeing that it was a Saturday night, our hosts dutifully showed us a night on the town.

The next morning we woke up and Addison made us a great breakfast as we got on our hiking gear and headed to the Flat Irons.















Addison pondering






We almost lost Lil



flatirons



str8 chillin


here we are still in one piece, altitude and all







They live in an apartment building for student housing (Addison goes to CU Boulder) and so with all our crap, the four of us literally took over the entire living room. So thanks guys!

Denverrr

We celebrated lil's 50th birthday (shes over the hill )at a Cuban restaurant, Cuba Cuba (very innovative name). The dinner was fabulous but the company was even better!!

Food pic

After we hit up Pour House and reaped the benefits of an empty bar, $3 anything drinks. A few $3 anything's later, the idea of going rocking climbing with the avid climber, Sam Tyler, sounded exciting, thrilling, bad ass, adventurous, athletic, awe-inspiring, rocky and overall straight bitchin'. However the next morning while standing face to face with a 60 ft rock face we were shakin in our climbing shoes (well lil's chacos and keefe's skate shoes).

Keefe scaled the wall with the ease and grace of a young spider monkey

Look at him go




Katharine braved the wall with the grace of an otter out of water.



Molly tearfully followed shrieking hail marys under her breath the whole way



Lil spryly ascended the wall, chacos and all



The girls all agreed that it was the worst experience and would never touch a rock again. Keefe was stoked about the climb and took advantage of the opportunity to learn how to "trad" climb.



One on one lesson

Thanks to Sam and Amanda we were able to spend two nights in Denver Colorado. We all thoroughly enjoyed Denver but rock climbing really was the cats pajamas.

Rount Mushmore

We woke up at KOA campground and decided to take advantage of the $3 breakfast before we embarked on our journey to view some national monuments. The meal consisted of all-you-can-eat, rubbery pancakes topped with an ice cream scoop of margarine but, served to you by this guy:



John Horton
cowboy/ cowboy poet/ professor of psych at U. of Nebraska/ the man who's made 1million+ pancakes (literally)/ recovering alcoholic



and this is his postcard

Yes we learned all that about him and a whole lot more. He is a history buff and obsessed with the fur trade. He is an avid hunter, using only authentic flint rifles and his homemade knife that he made out of an old Mexican blade. Not to mention, he is an ex-bull rider and has the scars to prove it. one that stretched from his left ear, under his chin, all the way to his right ear.





Lil HATES the knife


After a very interesting breakfast with John we moved on to Rount Mushmore. It was cool! We are happy to be able to say we have seen it, but we didnt stay long.












Then we moved on to Hrazy Corse! Some how we were duped into thinking more than Crazy Horse's face was completed...needless to say we didn't hang around here long either. Maybe in 100 years when it's finished we'll cough up the 25 dollars it costs to get in and appreciate it's beauty!




At that point in time though, we were just jonesin' to get to Boulder!

Location:The Black Hills

We now return to our regularly scheduled programming...

OK look were sorry. No yeah no we know it's been awhile. Like three weeks been awhile. You trusted us to post regularly and we just totally blew it.
I mean jeez no need to get haughty about it, what do you think we are the associated press?? We'll post when we wanna post!
OK no wait were sorry, that was mean. We'll do better. We were on a really good run before! Truth is, we just haven't had time to post. We've been so busy!
We just got spit out a vortex of reunions, booze and bison on the far side of the continental divide. But we're alive, and as soon as we screw our heads back on straight we'll be sure to tell you alllll about it, we promise. Whatcha say? Can we start over? Cool, I'm really glad this didn't end our friendship.

With love,


GART

Location:Continental Divide

These Lands are Bad

So how do you guys feel about a butt load of photos??




we took this photo to showcase the sheer beauty of the badlands. Little did we know...




we made it! And it's not raining!




Boom! Badlands!





jump on three! Not so much.










tumbleweed! Get it Keefe!




almost got it!




Aww damn soo close

Keefe returned with no tumbleweed and thorns in his hands. Who knew tumbleweeds had thorns?




but we got a new sticker. Yeaaa Badlands yeaaa!!



we had to stand like this because it was THAT WINDY.



that's a lot.

The badlands were gorgeous, but the best part of the day?


BISON!!!!


meat +5, meat +5; you have too much meat to take back to the camp




national park regulations require us to remain 100 yards from wildlife...WHOOPS.




We had lunch at the primitive campsite ( best tuna fish sandwich everr)










the wind cannot be depicted well enough





and then s**t got really exciting





we got real close, one of us was gored by a buffalo, another died of dysentery. Oregon trail gone bad.




Just kidinggg, no one got gored by a bison. But seriously, Lilly has dysentery please send help...





The Badlands rocked, but it was time to move on and see the rest of exciting South Dakota!

Which brings us too... WallDrug, a psuedo truck stop amusement park. A place of mystery and intrigue that we had to stop at after seeing billboards every fifty yards on the highway since we entered SD. We were told by those in the know that we should avoid it, but we had to go to any place that advertised such things as 5 cent coffee and FREE ice water. It was kitschy, but charming, like a wild west version of the pirates of the caribbean ride at Disney World. As expected the five cent coffee was delicious.




but the ice water sucked




and Keefe found a friend!

After the magic of Wall Drug, next on the agenda was Mt. Rushmore, The Crazy Horse Monument, and the historic Deadwood. But the day was growing dim, so we posted up in a campground outside of Rapid City, saving the best of South Dakota for tomorrow.

Goodnight, sweet dreams. Love from the GART.

-KLMK

Location:Badlands, South Dakota