Tuesday, September 9, 2025

  



 Dad and I hopped on a plane in Albany, N.Y., this morning around 5:30 a.m. and headed for Denver. In all the years of going West, I've only flown one other time, and that was the first time we ever went bow hunting for elk in 1992. 

  After killing my best bull to date that year, we never flew again due to the issues we ran into with getting everything home, including the antlers and meat. However, this year Brian and Dave are driving Brian's truck with all of the gear. They set the tent up a few days after they arrived. 

  After touching down in Denver and getting our rental vehicle, a Jeep Rubicon, we headed south. We would travel over a few passes and stop in Gunnison before finishing our journey just outside of Lake City, Colo. 

  As we headed into the mountains, I began gaining elevation and realized we should probably fill the gas tank before going too far. When we pulled into a small-town mountain-top convenience store, I got a happy feeling inside. I love being in little areas that feel homey. 

  After wandering around inside the store and finding a hot dog for lunch, I walked to the register to pay for it and the Diet Mt. Dew in my hands. Upon pulling out my wallet, the woman behind the counter smiled and said, "It's so nice to see that people still carry pictures in their wallets every now and then." 

  I smiled back at there and started a brief conversation. I was impressed with her observatory skills. More than anything, I think she was just trying to make conversation, and I enjoyed the exchange. Within minutes after walking out the door, we were back on the road. 

  A few hours later, we rolled into Gunnison and stopped at the grocery store to pick up some food we would need for the next few weeks. We made quick work of it before going down the street and stopping at the Gunnison Trading Post, which was filled with mounted animals. Here's one of my favorite scenes in the store. 




  I was cool when I looked out the airplane window and saw a crop field that reminded me of when I used to play Pac-Man in my early years. 

  Although we are tired, we are going to get up early and get after it. I'm not sure what to expect, but we shall see what happens. 




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