Climbing in altitude as we entered Colorado, the air was dry and thin, chapping our lips and straining our lungs. Heading thru the mountains we climbed into a snow storm as we hoped from 10,000 ft pass to 10,00ft pass, {3,300M for those metric foreigners} sliding on icy winding roads with nerve twisting drop-offs.
Johnathan had suggested we follow a old scenic pass into Glenwood Springs where he lives and works; but we had chosen poor weather for such a road and the four hour crossing took nine.
The scenery was stunning, fog shrouded trees covered with ice in one valley, crystal clear skies and snowy cliffs in the next.
We followed the trail of old rich mining settlements in the mountains down to the modern, richer skiing towns in the valleys below. Johnathan showed us around his favorite spots, took us to the naturally heated Glenwood springs pools, and into uber fancy Aspen; it was a nice change in pace to see a friend so far from home and to be shown around by a local.
Aspen is wedged between two nature reserves, forcing the village to concentrate into a wedge of huge houses and massive wealth; Gucci rubbing against Prada, old money tolerating new money and Johnathan hiding amongst Hollywood's A-list.
Following the valleys West, progressive little towns filled with educated modernists begin to thin out, soon only gas stations and Indian Reservations doted the highway leading us into Utah.
