Steamboat Springs Trip: Day One

I can tell if I've had a good trip by how tired I look when it's all said and done.

Yesterday morning, the bags under my eyes had their own bags, which means I played hard enough to justify my travels.

Thursday morning, I was up at 4:20AM, out the door at 4:28AM, and on a plane at some ungodly hour.  CLT>IAH>DEN... then a four hour shuttle ride sitting next to a young woman with a bone in her nose who was learning needlepoint from a grandma (not hers) in a nylon tracksuit... and then I was "home."

The Storm Peak Chalet, a decadent four story wünderhome with a view of the slopes... errrr, bike park.

I took the stairs to my fourth floor room... most of the time.  I did have to play on the tiny elevator just once in order to form a proper opinion of the place.

Inside, I met Nikki (our Steamboat host) and fellow industry insider douchebag, Daniel Dunn.  Unfortunately, Sarai Snyder was dealing with the Colorado flood of the century and couldn't make it.  After a very quick information-gap-filling conversation regarding what Bike Town USA was all about, I had a few minutes to dial in my ride for the next few days, the MOOTS Rogue 650b YBB.

Within an hour of my arrival, Daniel and I were off on a ride with our guide, Doug (not guide dog)...

down the Yampa River Core Trail (bumping into Corey Piscopo from MOOTS on his way home) and then headed north (to me) but west (to the rest of the world).  Past the MOOTS factory and headed to the Mad Creek trail head, our final destination of Strawberry Park Hot Springs was just a short ride away.

I destroyed that image with a filter and saved it accidentally.  Doh.

Upon our arrival, we changed and then soaked like Greek gods, moving from pool to pool, enjoying the variance in temperatures and steaminess.  I woulda thought I could only soak for minutes without a beer, but somehow we were there till well past dark.

Then on to the Double Z Bar and Bar BQ, where I randomly bumped into former MOOTS employee and one of the nicest guys I've ever met in "the industry,' Dave Dietrich, and had a way too brief catching-up.  Steamboat equals small town atmosphere for sure.

After a day of mostly abstaining from shitty airport food, I felt no guilt in ordering the Z-Burger.

Destroyed.

Just enough pitchers of beer to justify a couple trips to the bathroom later...

more Bike Town USA talk, a story from Doug that I can't remember but I'm pretty sure it was funny, and it was time to go back to the chalet.  Wanting to unwind after a 21 hour day, I attempted to turn on the gigantic television in the main living area, but the smart remote was smarter than me, so I retired to my modest room for a (relatively) good night's sleep.  Set the alarm, lay my head on the fluffy pillow, and roll myself into a 1,000 thread count sheet burrito.

Big ride day tomorrow...

or maybe not.