Steamboat Springs Marathon Finish

Laura completed her first marathon today. Me and my crazy-shaky hands were there to capture the moment. If any of you know Laura at all, you can appreciate the awkward hug at the end.

Laura got what we came here for–a medal.

Steamboat Springs Trip Day #3 or 4

It is early Sunday morning.  Laura has left on a bus to the marathon’s starting point.  I can’t go back to sleep, and feel a little guilty for laying around in the hotel room while my wife prepares to run a distance that took me over 30 min. to drive yesterday.

We had all these great pictures of our journey through the mountains to get to Steamboat Springs, but somehow they vanished from our digital camera when I tried to upload them to my laptop.  I realized that pictures are like proof you did something memorable.  No one will believe that we crossed the Continental Divide, or that I saw an elk, or tried to walk over some snow and sunk in up to my thigh without them.  It is like it never happened.

It took us about three hours longer than we had planned to reach Steamboat because the road we wanted to take over the mountains was CLOSED due to snow.  Laura and I looked at each other, astonished, then back at the kindly park ranger in disbelief.  We had to backtrack towards the highway, then take another pass through the mountains.

Yesterday Laura and I stared Death in the face and laughed as we rafted down the Colorado River.  A good time was had by all.  Those pictures will come later since they were taken on a waterproof (non-digital) camera.  Here are a few pictures of the drive to and from the river:

 

It is called “Finger” Rock. . . 

 

This WAS some famous lodge that had burned down the night before.  It was right across the river from the white water rafting place.  That night we were watching the news in the room, and the lead story was this fire.  The “eyewitness” person interviewed was our rafting guide!

 

 

This is the starting point of the race.

 

 

The name of the company says it all. . . .