Among my people

Hello Everyone, 

Some more random thoughts from my time here in Crested Butte. 

I had the cops called on me yesterday for leaving Arthur in the truck while I was in the library doing some work. I park in the shade and leave a note with my phone number on the dash in case someone thinks he is in distress. I got there just as the officer was going to call me. He said it was all good, Arthur was fine. They get more calls about dogs in vehicles than for anything to do with kids here apparently. That says something. 

I spent a couple of days biking on Mt. Crested Butte, which is the ski hill/bike terrain just north of the town. I don't actually know that dogs are allowed on the hill, especially on a slightly busy Friday. So when I was at the very top and a couple of trucks rolled by, I thought I might have to explain myself to some employee of the hill. But then they went by and I saw I was among my people. Scruffy beard, beat up pickup, dirty hat, making $12/hour so he can ski the winters. Yeah, I know that guy. I know a dozen guys like that. I am a guy like that. He only slowed down as he passed so he could see Arthur. He gave me the slight nod that passes for communication in my tribe. There's a 100% chance he has a dog like Arthur at home that he rides with, or that he wishes he did. 

As much as this is a mountain sports town, and it is, they have some inflated ratings on their trails. I don't want to get into the trap of saying everything is so much more hardcore back home, but I rode a bunch of black diamond trails and was not bothered once with a technical element. If you ride a black diamond in Vancouver's North Shore, you are going to see some hardcore shit. If you ride a double black there, you're taking your life in your hands. Here, a double black just means the there's some table top jumps you can hit. You know, if you want. 

Wes

Photos 

The first is from a hike near our campsite. Some nice fall colours. The second is from our ride on the mountain. The last is of the supplemental oxygen they sell in the grocery store in town. It's that kind of town.