Steamboat Springs, Colorado
October 3, 2020
Saturday morning. Went to bed warm under a blanket. Woke up pretty cold in two sleeping bags, the blanket and a hooded sweatshirt. 34 degrees. I headed into town to get some breakfast - in reality it was to warm up and get a cell signal. I may enjoy being remote but there are some features of modern living that I have gotten kind of used to.
A gas fillup, a visit to Safeway and a walk around town and now I am back at my wagon.
In the Safeway an older gentleman (can I still say that?) greeted me with a wahoowah - caught be off guard. At the farmers market I was greeted with “hey UVa” by a woman selling vegetables. Turns out she and her husband are Gobblers and live here year round. She said they miss the spring in Virginia. Oh, I should say that I was wearing a Virginia sweatshirt - you know, a tribal thing. I have found that wearing it has been a conversation starter as I suspect My camera and appearance scream “tourist!”
There is a vibe here that reminds me of other ski towns. It’s not the affluent vibe you get in Vail and Aspen. It reminds me of Mammoth Lakes. Relaxed, care free with a certain degree of hippiness added in. Steamboat Springs is bigger than I expected - which is not to saw big, but more of there is a permanent community here. Signs say “chains or snow tires required November 1 to May 1” which is a nice way of saying it must snow here a lot and for six months. Interesting to see several hot springs which has me thinking this might be a caldera? I’ve not heard of geothermal power in Colorado - something to investigate.
I’ve transitioned back to a population of healthy looking people. With all the outdoor beauty it is not had to understand people spending a lot of time outside. But add in that it is clear lots of folks here have very healthy diets. Will it be
motivating? Can I take my diet to the next level??