The bizarro world of Kerry and Tophie - part 1

So this guy I know, Kerry, decides to hike up Niwot Ridge. He parks just past the Colorado University Mountain Research Station at the "Official Vehicles Only" gate. He and his dog, Tophie, started hiking up the road towards the Niwot Ridge biome. There are signs all about the delicate scientific equipment and fires prohibited. After about an hour on the road they came to

the "No official vehicles beyond this
point" gate; after passing this gate they saw numerous odd looking boxes, some of which Kerry kicked to show his disregard for the scientific community.












He also found several coils of heavy duty video cable piled up in preparation for the repair of the TundraCam (but that's another story).




After about another hour they were up to treeline and the road was blocked by an extensive snow field which was fifteen feet deep at some points.















Kerry found a small alcove next to some stunted evergreen trees and decided to set up a small campsite so he could start his grill. Kerry had bought his Chill and Grill (no longer avaiable it seems) at a Walgreen in Poughkeepsie; it comes with an insulated compartment for the food (chill) and two cooking grates (grill) hinged on one side with collapsible handles on the other. Unfortunately for Kerry, he had left the cooking grates at home. Let's see what happens next.

So Kerry takes 12 Matchlight charcoal briquettes out of a Tupperware container, leaving four for an emergency, and after several attempts with his "windproof" lighter gets a fire going. Clouds have been coming and going the entire trip but at this moment it is mostly sunny so Kerry decides to take Tophie and explore the snow field. The snow is packed from warm daylight and cold nighttime temperatures so the walking is easy. The snow field is about 150 yards wide and when they get almost to the other side Kerry sees a sink hole where a stream flowing under the snow had melted away the substructure.



Suddenly it occurred to Kerry why crossing a snow field could be very dangerous. Imagining falling through ten feet of snow to drown in a river of slush, he walked very carefully to the edge of the snow and onto the tundra. From there he could see the CU weather station and the continental divide about four miles away where it crosses Navajo Peak. The tundra was carpeted with clumps of purple and white flowers.





















Kerry made sure that he stomped on a few because if it was alright for elk it was alright for him and following the same logic Tophie proceeded to take a dump on the tundra.



About that time the thunder clouds began to move in with threatening earnest. Kerry decided it was time to head back to his make shift camp at the edge of the treeline and check on how the coals were coming along. The only way back was across the treacherous snow field and Kerry thought it would be cool to try to get as close as possible to the sink hole so he could get a picture of the bottom of it. Water seemed to be draining from everywhere on the saddle of Niwot ridge percolating down into the aquifer. There was one particularly strong stream that ran under the snow field just above the sink hole.

Kerry and Tophie crossed the stream and edged out along the south side of the collapsed snow and holding his camera high over his head tried to take the picture.

What happened next will have to wait because it is now 11:57 on July the 5th year 2009.

Poster's note: All of these pictures and a video are the exception to the rule, in keeping with this production of the theater of the absurd.

--- Jer