Beyond the urban sprawl of Montrose (identical to the highways out of any of the sizeable towns we've passed through)-the hills welcomed us once more. After a few hours hard-yakka, we passed a picnic area and Matt called for a nosh-break. I sat munching on peanut butter sarnie whilst digesting the ominous clouds above the mountains we were yet to ride. The rain started to fall on our map as Matt pointed to our far-flung destination for the day. Just the other side of those two mountain passes – the first mountain we could just make out beneath the grey clouds. For the first time this trip, I sheepishly suggested we perhaps, er stay in the town this side of that mountain? While I ordinarily rise to Matts' physical challenges, I didn't feel up for a torrential uphill trudge. Donning our hugely daggy matching (once) white waterproof jackets, we cycled a few miles to the small town of Ridgway. It was already past 3pm and the rain had properly set-in. A short refuge in the towns' library allowed us to find a local RV park and intriguingly, nearby thermal springs we hoped to check out.
On our way to the RV park, we couldn't pass by a thrift-shop. If only our bikes could carry all the cheerful crap we found in that place! I cradled a 'This Captain runs a tight ship' mug I wanted to send my dad, while Matt admired a rubber climbing action figure he wanted to send Leo. Sadly for our respective family members, we couldn't see a place for them on our onward journey. We did however find two bathrobes for $2; the perfect thermal-springs solution to our sodden travel towels. So we hit the road with a plastic bag stuffed with terry toweling billowing from my bike.
Webbers RV park is on the outskirts of Ridgway, where we met its' manager, Randy. He asked a few questions about our ride, and seemed very impressed. When we asked him about the thermal springs, Randy advised us with some trepidation that they were 'clothing optional'. Perhaps we appeared prudish, because Randy quickly offered to drive us to the public baths a little further in Ouray. Better still, he had a special pass which could get us in much cheaper than the nudie baths anyway. Once we set up camp, Randy stopped by our tent (where we were cowering from the rain)- and chivalrously asked us when we would like a ride to the baths, and how long we would require there. Colorado; the state that keeps on giving! Twenty minutes later, we were cruising to the Baths in a comfy sedan with Randy and his wife, Linda. They had moved to Colorado from Arizona, to run the RV park 4 years ago. Linda flashed some entry tickets to get us into the baths and left us to get into our trendy new (kinda)- robes. We hit the blissful bath-warm mineral-rich waters and basked in the misty mountain views surrounding us.
A happy hour passed before Randy and Linda joined us at the pool, we floated over to talk travel, philosophy and family as steam rose around us. Randy has an inspiratoinal resistance to life in debt; which he likened to a kind of slavery. Providing financial independence for his family has been paramount to him, and so his daughters and their families have built houses on the land he owns. Linda told us of their daughters' impressive charitable travels throughout Africa and Asia. This was a family who had strong morals and lived by them, which really made an impression upon us.
Soothed and soaked by the hot waters, we returned to the RV park where Randy insisted on cooking us up some dinner.... And what a dinner! A first for us vegetarians (when not crossing the continent) - Elk meat burritos! We quite literally 'ate up' Randys' view that this was fresh organic and sustainable, lean meat. Thoroughly en-deering (sorry.) Beyond the culinary experience, we relished more family chat as we were joined by daughter Jamie and her gorgeous, appropriately peaceful 2 month old son. We had a great evening being inspired by the Smiths' family ethics and humbling generosity. Randy laundered our wet clothes and we slept in our tent cocooned in dryer-heated bathrobes. As we bade him goodnight, he insisted we meet them back at the house in the morning for Colorado peaches and breakfast burritos. It wasn't just the warm robes which kept us warm that night - but the kindness of strangers.
No comments:
Post a Comment