The night we arrived to Wiggins we watched the sun set over the rocky mountains. We saw shadows of towering peaks in the distance as we all filled with excitement about conquering the mountains after Boulder. The next day, we departed Wiggins to embark on an 80 mile day into Boulder, where we would have a day off. My group started out spectacularly, three flat tires in a row within the first 5 miles, all mine. After falling about an hour behind the group, we got started again. We came to a large hill, and we all knew that upon reaching the top, the mountains would come into view. A few minutes later, we were speechless as we saw the snow covered peaks in the distance.
As the day progressed, the mountains got bigger and more detailed. The experience of cycling in 90 degree heat while staring at snowy mountains was unforgettable. As we approached Boulder, the heat got hotter and the mountains grew tremendously more towering. Thomas unfortunately had some van troubles and got stranded on the way.
From the rantings of past 4k riders, I had built a mental picture of Boulder, a hippie-ish place with outdoorsy stores lining the streets and a beautiful view of the mountains. I was not disappointed! Boulder is quite possibly one of the neatest places I have ever been. We stayed at a church just a few blocks away from Pearl Street, a street closed to traffic filled with live music, street performers, restaurants, and shops. Needless to say . . . the 4k riders did some damage to their wallets.
We heard about a reggae concert going on at night, and decided to check it out. We were told that the singers of the band had polio, and performed while supporting themselves with crutches on stage. The band was called Israel Vibration, and was absolutely incredible. We decided to “play the game” and bust out some psychedelic dance moves to fit the scene. Thats a more elaborate way to say we made complete fools of ourselves. Needless to say, the concert was extremely uplifting and made me think a lot about our own cause. Seeing these singers overcome their disease to do what they love, with such passion, reminded me of all the people we met at the hope lodge this semester, fighting their battles to get back to living their lives.
-Ben Margolis
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