Dream a little dream

As we watched a kayaking drama unfold along the bank of a fast-moving creek Saturday morning, I remembered my first pair of hiking boots.
What, you may ask, do hiking boots and kayaking have in common?
I’ll explain. We had hiked to one of our favorite fishing spots Saturday morning; a rocky creek that’s really just a pipeline channel leading to a reservoir. From bank to bank, it’s about 10 feet wide at its widest point. As we sat watching the clouds move in and the jumping trout flash silver in the sunlight, a pair of kayakers approached. They were properly outfitted, but their gear was emblazoned with the logo of a local rental shop and we guessed they were visiting Colorado, or were at least newcomers to this particular sport.
The gallery of anglers grew quiet and studiously watched their fishing lines as the men passed by. Then, the lead kayaker hit a rock and unceremoniously turned upside down in the chilled, shallow water. In silence, he pulled himself and his boat out of the water and soon the pair headed back to the open water. No one was hurt except for maybe the kayaker’s pride.
Now, back to my hiking boots. In the mid-1970s, there weren’t a lot of choices for hiking boots in Iowa (where we lived). So my husband and I each bought a pair of leather Timberlands and set out on our Colorado vacation. The first day, we chose a 12-mile trail in Rocky Mountain National Park. About three miles in, we realized we were in trouble. Both of us had oozing blisters and shin splints from pounding on the rocky trail in our shiny, stiff boots. At one point, we met an elderly hiker, his own boots well-worn. “Did you break those boots in before you came here” he asked.
You know the answer. We limped six more miles and left the trail, catching a shuttle bus back to our car. We didn’t hike the rest of the week, but we still talk about that trip.
So here’s the point: Colorado is filled with people finishing the sentence, “I’ve always wanted to…” and realizing their dream. That’s why they come here. That’s why we live here. Isn’t it great?