We dearest readers, there is so much to cover! Nearly two weeks since my last update, how horrible you all must think me. I guess it's a sign of how busy I've been. Overview: rowing; yellowstone; classes' assessments; gym.
First up, ROWING! We all know what a huge part of life rowing was back in the UK, and since my last post I have actually been out on the water here in Colorado. We row here:
This is a massive reservoir called horsetooth, and it is stunning. Set in the foothills of the rocky mountains it was hard for me to avoid being distracted by the scenery. I appeared a week ago today for the first meeting of the rowers, both novices and seniors, and was quickly put out in a quad with 3 other lads, one of which hadn't sculled before (he picked it up really fast though). It was a cracking outing, I seem to have the third most experience out of everyone, and so i was thrust into stroke seat - quite a big privilege for a chap none of the others had rowed with before! The pressure was on! Overall it was a good outing, short but good, the boat was fairly well set, though I cannot express the difference the altitude makes to a man's fitness! Such hard work! Its a struggle to get the boat in and out of the water as we have to wade waist deep into the glorious water of horsetooth to avoid damaging the rudders, nevertheless it was incredible, and I would love to row there regularly. HOWEVER... the training Mark (north American ex-Olympian coach) has asked of everyone is a water outing EVERY day, 5-7pm... Those who know me well know that these are my favoured hours of work, and so I have had to make a tough decision. I will not be rowing competitively here in Colorado *gasp*. Instead I am contemplating joining fort collins so I can train in a single whenever I like... we shall see, though at the moment there is no let up on the work front... Busy busy!
Next big thing is our group's trip to Yellowstone National park, home of Yogi and BooBoo! We left last friday early am on a brutal 7 hour drive which would take us across Wyoming, a vast and barren state, the journey looked like this:
As you can see, this journey took us merely seven hours, compare that to the size of america and you get some sense of how HUGE it is. The drive was epic, plains, mountains, plains again, then canyons and more mountains. We mostly followed the Yellowstone river once in Wyoming, and to see how it carved its way through the landscape was incredible:
We eventually reached our campsite at roughly half past ten at night, and the challenge was to get our tent erected in the dark. Alistair (Aussie) had the bright idea of using the car headlight. Win:
No wood for a fire that night meant that we were cold immediately, and it was an early night for all. I love camping and so it took me a while to settle down, after many rollings over the others in the tent I snuggled down in my amazing sleeping bag - capable of protection down to -20degrees (whether that's F or C i have no idea... still it would keep me warm even in the chuffing cold! The university has an awesome camping rental service where we could rent sleeping bags, mats and even tents if we needed. We didn't as Lindsay had everything we needed. Including a hatchet which provided much jolliment:
Whoever says that they can throw one of these at a tree and get it to bury itself in the trunk is lying. if I can't do it, no-one can. This was quickly confiscated as I was apparently a danger to myself and everyone else. :-( sad Jack. Our campfire was epic, and the whole weekend we marvelled at the way in which Grant showed us to cook eggs:
Putting the eggs in a hole in slices of break was for me a stroke of genius. Tasty bacon fat fried break nomnomnom. Big fan of that. We took a trip to the YS Grand Canyon, which provided us with our fair share of both smelly sulphur and wonderful waterfalls (oh hello alliteration):
The raw power of nature was expressed in no ambiguous terms here at YS, you found yourself feeling that humanity should know where we stand. There was one let down: Old Faithful, the geyser, which was not as incredible as the million people waiting for it to erupt suggested (having said that there is nothing in the UK to come close... apart from going to the loo after a night out...):
Then of course, it started snowing.
Apparently I was the only one excited by the prospect of waking up to a foot of snow, so the general thought was drive 40 miles back to the nearest city (Cody, WY) and find a place to stay for the night. by this stage I was worrying about funds, and would have loved to trudge thru snow early am, but I wasn't driving home the following day, so swallowed my hopes and dreams and helped pack up. We drove to Cody and asked at a motel for a room for the night. They were unfortunately full but said that we could use a cabin up in the foothills for the night for the same price! Incredible deal, this cabin was bliss. I had a bath and a bed for the night!
As you can see I was a very happy boy to be clean - don't get me wrong, I love camping, but I also love personal hygiene, innit. The next morning we awoke to this glorious view:
Then the drive home was ahead of us. We departed Cody and about an hour later we managed to get this picture:
Speeding. That's all I'll say. Well its not all iI'll say, Lindsay was driving and her speed control wasn't great, she got a ticket on the way there, but luckily Joey and I used our British charm to convice the officer not to give her another ticket. We thought $230 was enough for one trip! When we reached the next town I swapped into the driver's seat, and drove all the way back to Colorado!! A good 5 hours drive! Epic, this was the road trip feeling I had been craving!
Driving in the states, who'd of thought it. We stopped at a sulphur hot springs on the way back too, which were just incredible, I loved that, water heated by the power of the earth, it's enough to make you go hippie!
What a trip, something I doubt I will experience again!
After the trip, I booked another trip, this time to Paris! Going to spend my new year under the Eiffel tower, and it's going to be the best new years I have ever had. It's not got many tough one's to beat! Apart from new year skiing in Bulgaria, that was a giggle eh Mum!?!
Since then, I've been working pretty hard, my grades are consistently good, just handed in my first major paper, which I should do pretty well on, and am probably averaging near 90% in all my little tasks. Fingers crossed it will stay that way. I've developed a new work ethic since I've been here... Except I've just realised I have something due for tomorrow that I had completely forgotten about, classic Jack! had a soccer match last night which we won, which was a great laugh, and a wonderful addition to my training programme, which involves: Run, Lift heavy, relax. :-) Tip top.
For now, dear readers, that is all, as I have to go and write a question paper, I will explain all at a later date.
Much of my finest american and english love,
Jack
xxxx
