Went Wandering in Colorado


Spoke to the owner for quite a bit, amidst the bustling kitchen
She had the house for herself then was affected by the banks' crumbling
Avoided foreclosure but to make mortgage, it's now out for rent
Amazingly cheerful about it, with just a what-can-you-do shrug of her shoulders

Not sure what her penchant for mirrors were
I was reminded of my mother's superstition, mirrors portals to the other side
Demons, sharp claws, dripping poison, waiting to kidnap poor unsuspecting mortal souls
Who leave them uncovered, shining through the night
But I was wasted(!) and slumped down into the soft bed, baatezu be damned...

 

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The house was cold, reeeeeeeaaaally freezingly cold
And elevated it was, with pipes that run below, vents appearing in all rooms
It was cold and we pushed the louvers close in all the rooms
Going to sleep shivering and layering as many as we could

The morning was no different, felt oppressively cold
In the low ceiling extension-turned-kitchen
And in the claw foot bathtub with an under-the-sea theme
The portable heater of no respite, I was almost driven
To place my hand along with the sizzling bacon and crackling eggs
Adding to our breakfast of leftover KFC biscuits

Midway through we looked out and snowflakes slowly drifted down
The path and indolent random zigzag
A perfect backdrop to our sinful morning feast
By the time we were done, a carpet of white lay outside
We ran out, tongues stuck out in anticipation
Before crossing the threshold, her foot over one of the closed vents
A gasp, for the hot air, the heater was working after all
Doh!

<67>


Flickr​
 

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The fun of playing with snowflakes in the morning took a turn for the darker when it simply poured white from above
We drove out but to the exit of town then decided, with visibility less than 3ft
To turn back and take shelter in the town hall/visitor center
Aimlessly browsing the brochures and listening to the townsfolk gripe about the weather lol
And getting helpful tips with our route, the neon pink highlighter making lines on our map
While I think the GPS is heaven-sent, there's nothing that a machine has that beats a local's input

When it died down a lil' we ventured out, not without some trepidation
The wicked curves and blind spots made worse
Stopped when I saw this clearing and this slope on the mountains
Like the giant barber in the sky just ran his clippers into the mountain bald
Great ski run? lol

<68>


run fast (CKC_5544) by Zichar, on Flickr
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When it finally thinned, the town of Ouray came into sight
Around the bend up atop the cliff just like the the town before
We stopped and I hopped off, finding
A short trail that led to giant cross on a large boulder
Overlooking the town like from the start of The Killer's When You Were Young
Hurried and messed up the shot

Driving down to the town itself we found a small rusted signage
Ouray's Famous Box Canyon Falls
With puzzled looks, we didn't remember reading any of this
As a quick flip through our LP confirmed this
But hey, adventures are made from impromptu decisions

From the melting icecaps above
Came rushing waters downstream, green and cold
Patches of snow clung on to the rocks
Like partially melted frosting, a gigantic finger swiping up most of it

<69>


CKC_5552 by Zichar, on Flickr
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Fully rusted but otherwise sturdy metal scaffolds
Made for an unbelievably cold (and dubiously safe) walkway
All along the tops of the falls, as we peered on down through the shadows
Snow-wet, the hatched crisscross barely grip the soles of our shoes
Sitting on the metal bench an ill-advised 'couple shot' opportunity

 

The entrance to the Falls' park was empty
Wind swept debris curling beneath the boarded up booth
The chipmunk looked up lazily, almost mocking, then ran off diving into the bushes
Using my forearm to rub a circle through the dust like they do the movies
Then cupped hands as a shield, peered in to look at all the stuff ubiquitous to tourist information offices worldwide
A large map tacked on to the wall, postcard stand, long counter strewn with paper
Vending machine whirred buzzed, casting a cold white glow
The American flag on the stand a silent sentinel

With a shrug of my shoulders, we skipped on down to the fork in the trail:
Up above to the bridge or down below to where the water swirled wildly?
Down first I yelled in glee! and walked we did
Through narrow paths with minor snowfalls and some with rocks jutting out half-screened
Simple chains to stop us plummeting, the metal structure less comforting than before

Falling snowflakes in a dark cavern
And a light drizzle of rain made for a surreal descent
Into the dark depths, a multi-tiered staircase of 8 flights led below
The loud roar, murky brown waters rushed out from the gaps between the rocks
When the metal creaked and groaned
Our gaze drawn to the father daughter pair coming down
Each step reverberating, dislodging drops of water
My heart always races, placed on full alert, spidey sense a-tingling
In a solitary location, taking photos with not another soul within earshot

 

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Closed the sign said
The Ouray Ice Park, from readings online much later-wards, know that
Water piped through tubes and sprinklers to farm ice
Formed over and on the walls of the gorge
Come Festival day. crowds would stay atop the bridge to observe ice climbers
Have a go at the sheets and walls of ice with picks akimbo

<72>


'twas closed (CKC_5578_bw) by Zichar, on Flickr
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A position of power, the little general in me whispered
Impregnable as a fort with a huge mountain in your backyard
Although roads a lil' wonky and buildings leaning over front and back
A challenge to the finicky photographer aiming to keep all lines straight

An idyllic afternoon spent, sweet candy in one hand
And even sweeter, thick iced chocolate drink the other
Wandering in and out small shops with all manner of tchotchkes

My mind recalls a half shop with dim orange lights, a retail etsy store
Selling a variety of items from household to dresses and handmade jewellery
Three women, friends gathering to whilst away the time perhaps
Drawn to my five fingered shoes, an incredibly popular conversation starter
The owner moved from NY >7 years ago and
will never move back to the East, she proclaimed
Where people walk with their heads transfixed on the ground
Gruff greetings and thank yous to be extracted with dentist's pliers
Gave it all up for a simpler life
For clean air and friendly neighbours she smiled
Then proceeded to give me tips on what to look out for on our next leg

<74>


ouray, co (CKC_5593) by Zichar, on Flickr
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Damp wet weather do not a happy traveler make
Granted I had pretty lofty expectations, almost a sure sign of disappointment
To the ski town of Telluride, the undiscovered Aspen
Where Prada, LV, Gucci and Dior have yet to invade
Yet stars are beginning to descend (sic) buying up land like delivery parcels
Despite the price, I intended to splurge, cozy cabin-like cottages promising hot spa, hot cocoa, hot everything!
But we couldn't spare enough precious daylight hours to make up the distance

Oh you're a week too late, a sigh escaping from the Ouray women
Ski season just ended then or you would have seen Tom Cruise
And Oprah was there too, they cooed
I don't know what you're gonna find up there, she said wistfully

And after miles of driving: absolutely nothing!
With the tourists gone, the town shut down
In ominous presage, heavy rain dumped on us when we rolled into town
Even the path from carpark to tourist information counter a run too far
Pulling out then jerking to a stop when a coyote, ably blend in, stepped out from the sides
Scrawny and disinterested, taking a long lazy look into town
Then loped off into the blinding sheets

Signs hung from doors everywhere flipped to close
Tummies rumbling, upturned chairs resting on tables a depressing sight
As we grew desperate, stopping at every food joint, squinting into the darkness
Dimly lit or not open, was that a faint movement I detected in the shadows?

We ordered up a storm in the sports bar/restaurant whose neon lights beckoned
Warm food when large raindrops pelt the window panes, a primal satisfaction
And drove around on lonely roads, reaching the edge of town, a simple orange asphalt jogging track
Wrapped around a small creek, the cold air mingled with rain to produce tufts of mist

<75>


to hell you ride (CKC_5602) by Zichar, on Flickr
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Look out for the tepees, we were told
All that land, such a great view too, they exhaled
Belongs to Ralph Lauren y'know who he is?

Falling into ill-logic, I had browsed through
two Polo outlet stores in previous towns gone by, I wondered why
The savings weren't substantial

Miles and miles of wooden fence posts whizzed by
Until we saw the colorful conical tents
And pressed a mental thumbtack into my mental map

Photos from Oprah (maybe she drove past and wondered too) who visited
in May 2011
http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Tour-Ralph-Laurens-Double-RL-Ranch
Dang that's purdy...

I got only as far as the turn-in, and even then didn't feel
Particularly brave enough to drive in until the gates

<76>


double happiness (CKC_5611) by Zichar, on Flickr
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Another bookmark slotted into the folds of my mind
Gladly slated for a later approach as it was much too bright

Speeding past with one eye starboard
I do recall being angry when I took this
As with most arguments with the missus, I have absolutely no recollection of
Probably something petty(?) though if I asked her...
Not worth the grief to complete the narrative methinks

In a huff, slamming the door, emotions roiling
Screeching to a halt a distance away, jogging back to the spot
Poor form really, because it meant I couldn't keep steady
enough for the lower speeds evening light demanded

 

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Always coming into this thread and always learn something here... Thanks for sharing...:)
 

Was missing your poetic wanderings...

Came back to read and revisit all 6 pages of this thread. Thoroughly enjoyed all over again... Cheers

PS : The B&W conversion techniques that experienced folks have written, escape this dull mind. I am better off enjoying the images :)
 

MGohzxc said:
Always coming into this thread and always learn something here... Thanks for sharing...:)
Click to expand...

Thanks Manita :) Happy someone read my ramblings hehe

asterixsg said:
Was missing your poetic wanderings...

Came back to read and revisit all 6 pages of this thread. Thoroughly enjoyed all over again... Cheers

PS : The B&W conversion techniques that experienced folks have written, escape this dull mind. I am better off enjoying the images :)
Click to expand...

Thanks for dropping by! I've gone back to read the conversion stuff too at times, keep forgetting what to do... lol

>>

<78>


trask, bolivar (CKC_5616) by Zichar, on Flickr
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Too bushed and much too late to explore when we reached the motel at Montrose
A Best Western, which truth be told was the swankiest for our entire trip
Did all the lazy stuff, shopping at Wal-Mart in between watching a lot of Food Network
With sodium-laden Arby's for dinner, whose neon signs beckon from across the street

My eyes lit up when I saw it in the ethnic food aisle
The holy grail ... Mexican coke, none of that HFCS artificial-ness
Just raw cane sugar for all that sugary goodness
Admittedly it tasted funny, a hint of clove? Like a mixture of Teh Botol and regular Coke

<79>


mexican coke (CKC_5619) by Zichar, on Flickr
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Rock-and-roller cola wars
I can't take it anymore!

If only I remembered to bring it with us...
Can't remember how many food items I've left behind in the hotel fridge ;p

<80>


mexican pepsi (CKC_5620) by Zichar, on Flickr
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Thanks JacePhoto for the comments and foxtwo for the likes

>>

I should have titled this as Despair...

The late night dinner + junkfood from the supa had us both in a mild stupor
And sleep so deep the abyss claimed us in
My alarm blared in the dark and I barely peeled off the covers
To part the curtains out an inch for a peek
White clouds streaked the night sky
Legs splayed sitting down on the carpet, the motel wifi's recommended position
Decided to give it a miss, inclement weather this morning

When awake, refueled on generic free breakfast
A quick 15min drive to the Black Canyons of the Gunnison National Park
Red lettered and in uppercase for my journeys here
Countless nights scouring Flickr, contacting contacts

The earth simply split and left this crack in its crust
Gorge so deep the chasm barely invites sunlight within
A marvel of nature years passed, nay aeons ago
The rushing river beneath cutting a swath through solid rock
If one strains to hear, Where do we go Master Frodo? Samwise asks

Grey clouds and light drizzle did nothing to deter us
The short visit to an oddly fossil-stocked giftshop before the turnoff almost pleasant
Until tiny chinks audible
Mini missiles started pelting the metal hood and top of our ride
And tendrils of fog and mist started reaching out from the sides

We swerved into the first turn we could see, the Rangers' Office
Gathering up courage and breath for that short burst
Collars upturned hoods drawn, treacherous ice patches slicked our soles

To unknowingly our prison, for hours on end

Enveloped in a giant cotton candy ball
The large windows otherwise offering panoramic views across the chasm
Was filled with soft white gauze
Like a scene from Stephen King's The Mist, we were trapped
Visibility so poor driving was prohibited

The two rangers offering consolatory words, checking the radio and website
at regular intervals, clucking sounds of disappointment
Silver lining - identifying the muskrat I shot a few days ago
And playing with the shih tzu in the basket
besplendent with eggs and faux rabbit ears
An odd accompaniment for a 55-year old male ranger

The photos on the walls a constant reminder of what lay beyond
Seething rage gave way to disappointment to despair, fatigue
As I slumped through my 3rd attempt of viewing the info documentary
Only seats in the house
The moving lights a strobe on my closed eyelids

When we did manage to take off, all we could see were clouds of white
Our champagne coloured Impala a dangerous object on the roads
No other option left but for the better comforts of our room

<81>


so many monsters (CKC_5624) by Zichar, on Flickr
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Not promising, I remarked, eyes looking heavenwards
Even gloomier than the morning, the world simply converted to a greyscale palette
Shaking off disbelief at the bright red bedside alarm clock, that read 17:00
Our last chance, shoulders sagged, muscles fatigue

Deja vu as we drove up the same route, passing again
The giftshop shack shuttered and closed
An empty ranger's guardpost greeted us at the entrance
Nonchalantly zoomed past, wheels spitting out ice and snow

Not a single vehicle but ours, an odd mixture of creepiness and peacefulness
The air so crisp, salads rejoice in their presence
I half-ran skipped, hands rubbing each other in glee or warmth
Shoes breaking the newly formed sheet ice
To plunge into inch deep puddles
Keenly interested in where the tripod feet landed instead
To watch the last rays of sunshine light the tops of the canyon
Its gullet, as black as ever before

<82>


now i am become (CKC_5640) by Zichar, on Flickr
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