Hopkins 4K for Cancer

July 12, 2002

Day 41 (87 Miles) Montrose, CO to Naturi
Our last day in Colorado and we faultily interpreted it as our last day of mountains (who knew that Nevada was the most mountainous state in the U.S.?) Well, nevertheless, we set off down the Million Dollar highway into the Western Colorado Desert at the usual hour behind schedule. According to topographs at local gas stations and diners, our day looked pretty enticing; a steep five-mile climb and then about 50 miles downhill into Naturita, which resided only a few miles from the Utah border. After our climb out of the desert (and our Wendy’s lunch) our decent snaked down steep sided canyons whose terrain morphed into a new landscape every few miles. The canyon was so astonishing that a few us (mostly from Needham) almost veered into oncoming traffic while sight seeing. We passed turnoffs for Ouray and Telluride, but mein furher headed us in the correct direction. Towards the end of the canyon we noticed we still had about 20 or so miles left, and that’s when we saw Norwood Hill. Now the word hill doesn’t do this earth protrusion justice, it rather should be named, Norwood Steep Rock Face. After conquring NSRF, we finally got to see firsthand the Colorado wild fires. This fire, started by lightning a few days earlier, was only about five miles from the town of Norwood (and in fact engulfed the town a few days later.) Our previous accommodations for the night were at the local high school in Norwood, but now numerous firefighters had taken our spot, and so we pushed on to Naturita, home of a pizza place and a market.

- Thayer Hirsh