On Saturday, my friend Stephanie and I went hiking to Red Rocks outside of Denver. If you don't know what Red Rocks is, it's basically an area with a few trails you can mountain bike, horseback ride and hike. Honestly, it's a dessert out there, so if it's the middle of summer be sure to wear sunscreen (especially if your skin is prone to turning lobster red) and bring plenty of water and some snacks. There is also an amphitheater that (pre-COVID) had concerts and events throughout the summer. It's huge!!! I'm not sure how many people it sits but it's pretty cool to look at. Many runners will use the stadium as a way of exercise. Crazy, I know. Not only are there stairs leading to the amphitheater but also the stairs within it!
After debating for awhile on what trail to go on because of the heat/length of the trail, we set off to the Trading Post trail. By accident, we veered off trail and found ourselves near the highway. At one point, I honestly thought this was our last day on earth. Stephanie definitely has more faith than I do. We got to a bend and I was scared to death to walk any further. From my vantage point, it looked like there wouldn't be enough room between us and cars zooming past. Stephanie prayed for the both of us and set off. I was CLOSE behind her praying the entire way. By the time we started to go around the bend, I saw the path was a lot wider than it started out as. THANK GOD! HONESTLY!
Eventually, we found the trail again and up we went. By this time, there was little shade and the temperature was probably hovering around 90 degrees. With the full force of the sun in addition to the smoke from surrounding fires in Colorado, we had to stop several times to catch our breath and drink water. I mean, guzzle water. I'm so glad we both brought two water bottles.
Since Stephanie was so out of shape and also had a reaction to medication, we took more stops for her sake. I wasn't in any hurry so it wasn't a big deal to me, plus I got to take more pictures! She was thankful that I was patient but that's what friends are for!
When we got to the car, we both collapsed! After we rested for a good twenty minutes, we set off for Golden for lunch/dinner. By the time we sat down at the restaurant, it was almost 3 pm! Good food with good friends is always a win in my book!
