One of the most memorable parts of visiting Medicine Bow National Forest was our tour guide Alison.  She was kind, funny, & made the trip all the more enjoyable with her contagious charisma.  She had grown up in the area and knew the best places to visit to avoid large groups of tourists.  One day I really remember was hiking up to the Continental Divide Trail.  It was about a six mile hike uphill.  It was a terribly long and tiring hike, but we had left early that morning in order to avoid the heat.  We stopped to eat lunch on rocks bigger than any of us.  Eventually we made it all the way to our first marker.  Everyone thought this was so neat because we were each able to pick out a rock to stack next to the marker.

It was quite the adventure.  I was so excited to be in the great outdoors taking in Mother Nature in all her glory.  I had never been to a National Park before, but it seemed to me I was in one.   Later, I would find out I had actually had my adventure only miles from a National Park, I had been at a National Forest.   As we continued our hike, we learned from our guide that in the area they had a man named Hector, who was one of the younger men in the small town near the park.  Hector’s job was to respond to emergency calls out on the trails.  He also had the reputation for being easily the most handsome eligible bachelor in the area. 

The girls I was traveling with really, really wanted to meet this attractive man, and often tried to figure a way to have him come save them, like damsels in distress or something.  I didn’t pay them much mind.  I had better things on my mind than that. Nevertheless, the show went on.  We took some pictures, then began our descent back down to our vehicle.  Everyone there was positively thrilled about the day and seemed to be sprinting downhill.  I tried my best to keep up with them, but next thing I knew the world was spinning and then it was gone.