Homeward Bound

WEDNESDAY APRIL 15, 2009

We came in great wind and it looks as though we will go in great wind. This morning we awoke to a great dust storm.  Great Lakes Air called and asked if I could be there by 12 for a 1:15 flight. They were combining their two flights (Peter’s was supposed to leave at 11 and mine at 2) so that they could try for only one take off, weather permitting. This screwed up Peter as he’d had a tight connection to begin with and now would miss it. He spent some time on the phone with Southwest and finally got things settled. He would fly out of Denver at 8 p.m. My connecting flight in Denver was not until 5:30 or so, so I would have time to make my connection.

In the morning we ate breakfast at the Best Western—they had the largest breakfast assortment I’ve ever encountered in my many mornings in motels—even had a waffle machine that made four small round waffles. I had granola with yogurt. Back at the room, Jess transferred the pix from my camera to her computer and made a CD of Kim’s pix for me. Then the three of them enjoyed a hot tub followed by showers.

All that settled, Jess and I ran to the bookstore because I wanted to buy a map of the river (same one that I’ve scanned into this blog) and perhaps a pair of earrings. I’d lost one of my silver lizard earrings on the River. Got the map but not the earrings.

Jess & Kim are going to continue their vacation--biking, camping, hiking and visiting friends in CO and UT, so there was a lot of sorting and washing. Finally, we off-loaded a pile of stuff from the 4-runner which Kim was going to sort through and consolidate, and Jess drove Peter and me to the little airport 16 miles west of town.  We stopped at Subway to grab a quick sandwich, but the line was out the door. Peter and I had to wait in a tiny room (a converted garage with a sliding door actually) at this tiny airport until about 2 pm when the pilot though he could take off in the dust storm. The plane was not as small as I had imagined—about the size of American or Delta commuter planes—one row of seats on either side. Peter and I sat opposite each other.

Here one can glimpse the dust storm that we were taking off in

Crossing the snow-covered Rockies

When we got to Denver we became separated for about an hour because Great Lakes could not check my luggage through. I had to get my bag, get my Southwest boarding pass, and pass through security again. Finally as I was gliding along on the moving walkway, Peter and I found each other, he gliding along on the moving walkway in the opposite direction.

Denver Airport imitating the snow-covered peaks of the Rocky Mountains

The two of us ate dinner at a small grill almost on top of my gate, then said good bye as Peter’s gate was at the opposite end of the terminal. Though my flight was delayed 30 minutes, it wasn’t long after we parted that I was homeward bound.

I absolutely LOVED this river trip and would like to do it again, maybe starting at the top in Labryinth Canyon.