A day of White Water Rafting

This is the day Sarah and I had been waiting for during this trip. Steve, Bronson, Corinne, Sarah, and I were going to be getting on the Cache la Poudre (pron. cash le poo der) River a ways northeast of Estes Park. The day started at 6:00am, as we prepared Sydney to go to breakfast at a restaurant called The Egg and I. Corinne and Bronson found their meals unsatisfying, and just average. Sarah had French toast, which both her and I thought was absolutely delicious. I had some omelette with bacon, tomatoes, and artichokes, which I likewise found very tasty. Their dark roast coffee was also excellent.

Steve was not feeling well all morning, and by 8:30 had decided not to go on the rafting trip with us. We met as the Estes high school, the "home of the Bobcats." By 9:30 everybody was there (the scheduled departure time was 9:15) and we embarked on our hour and a half bus Journey through Big Thompson Canyon. We then went up through Loveland and Fort Collins, where we stopped at Ted's Place, a little gas station in La Porte, CO. We drove up the mountain, went through two separate sets of rapids over about a 3-hour interval. I was hoping for somewhat wilder waters, but it was exhilarating nonetheless. According to our guide, Jesse, at its peak in early June, the Cache La Poudre flows at 1500 cubic feet per second past any given point. It was only flowing at about 1200 cfs today.

Eating is always a highlight of the day, and dinner tonight was spectacular. As we sat down in a little italian kitchen and steakhouse called the Dunraven Inn, the decor reminded us of Savute's back home. Sydney was being a bit fussy tonight and required constant attention and shuffling as Sarah and I tried to eat our dinners. Sarah ordered Filet and Lobster, which she though was excellent paired with a Pinot Noir I had selected. I had a garlic and gorgonzola-stuffed filet that rivaled steaks from high-end steakhouses. At three inches thick and a perfect warm red center, the filet dissolved in my mouth and left me wanting for more. While Sarah's Pinot was good, I much preferred the Cabernet that I had ordered, although I did not make a point to remember the producer or vintage of either.

The night ended with a relaxing mix of conversation, cards, and cans of soda. I stayed out of the card game and just relaxed playing with my daughter and writing of the day's activities instead. On tap for tomorrow: hiking in the Rocky Mountain National Forest.

-RMz