Day 3: Buena Vista, Colorado To Nathrop, Colorado

	The Hike Begins In Buena Vista, Colorado I take my first step and I feel like I'm home. All those worries are gone. I'm back. Have you missed me, railroad tracks? Oh what a sweet friend you are! I lean down to capture the adjacent photo of the tracks. I think it's my best one!
	My hike feels casual. I feel giddy inside because I only have 7.5 miles to go today. An array of sounds surround the tracks. Birds are chirping. Children are laughing and shouting in a park. A man walking his dog near the tracks says "hi" to me. The tracks cross Cottonwood Creek, a main tributary creek of watersheds encompassing areas east of the Continental Divide that include Mineral Basin, Cottonwood Pass, Mt. Yale, Birthday Peak and Mt. Harvard. If I hiked in natural terrain, I would likely walk downhill to reach the creek level, followed by a climb back up. But not on these tracks, which were designed to be as flat as possible. More uphills and downhills than necessary are not ideal when carrying large massive hunks of steel. Interestingly, although these tracks look flat, I have been hiking on a gentle descent. The elevation slightly decreases the entire course of the tracks, as it runs in the same directional flow of the Arkansas River.
	I walk through very familiar territory, and it's all from a unique corridor. I snap a photo of the back of the 7-11 and City Market across Highway 24.
	Buena Vista High School.
	I walk past Cornell Street. I have friends who live on that street. :)
	Behind Bongo Billy's Cafe on the south edge of town. Originally I envisioned stopping to buy coffee for my hike, but Keith generously filled my coffee thermos at his store this morning.
	I reach the southern edge of Buena Vista; this is not a large town. I also turn back to capture the view of the Buena Vista entrance sign. There is so much to say about this community. Below are some of my better Buena Vista pages of things around town: Car Show Town's Only Traffic Light Snow in October Hot Air Balloons Ice Cream at Punky's Snow in Buena Vista, CO (Video 8:45) The Overlook
	The tracks travel along Highway 24. In the foreground are buildings at the Chaffee County Airport. If the mountains were not dominated with thick clouds, the view of Mt. Princeton would be very impressive. Sigh!
Buena Vista Colorado Correctional Facility Photo Above: This photo of the correction facility was taken after my trip was over. I was parked on the shoulder of Highway 24 and en route home.	I walk closer to the prison and I am nervous. I know the prison really can't do anything about my presence as the tracks run parallel and outside their property. Yet I trepidate over any possible trouble. Maybe someone in the watchtower will become suspicious of me. Signs exist in this area stating not to pick up hitch hikers. What if someone suspects I escaped from the prison, or that I'm trying to break onto the grounds?! My mind runs wild with possible scenarios that I do not want to contemplate. To make matters worse, the tracks run along the highway, and in many stretches there are no bushes to conceal me. A police officer or prison security personnel could easily spot me and give me trouble. So I walk hard. Hard and fast. Don't stop. Don't take any pictures. Just keep your head down and walk swiftly and confidently as if I am exercising. The tracks run through an area with thick red brush (adjacent photo) on each side. I keep walking. I see in my periferal vision that the main prison building is on my left. Another 50 yards ahead is a large clearing on the right (west), and anyone on the highway will notice me. At the opening, a sand-colored pick-up truck slows down and make a U-turn practically in front of me. I wonder if in this moment I will hear "Hey!" or someone will come out to confront me. But I keep walking. Hard. I try to be casual and make no eye contact with the truck. The truck rides off and I hear its engine accelerating behind me. I am free and clear.
Photo Above: Facing south, the bridge of Highways 24 & 285 in Johnson Village.	Johnson Village, Colorado I approach Johnson Village, an unincorporated area that Highways 24 & 285 run through. By the way, do you know I am running for mayor of Johnson Village? If you live there, please vote for me! :)
	I hike south of the highway bridge and the intensity from the prison wears off. If nobody confronted me on that previous stretch, I will be okay here. I relax. I capture another photo of Johnson Village and notice many smaller mountains I've climbed are in the background. This hilly and mountainous range does not have a particular name, but the general area east of Buena Vista and north of Highways 24 & 285 is known as the Fourmile area. (There is one large watershed and creek named "Fourmile.") During the winter months, when I don't want to deal with huge amounts of snow, I spend time here. Below are peak names and links to their hikes: 1 - Midland Hill 2 - Garufi Point 3 - Unnamed 9,124' Point 4 - Unnamed 9,390' Peak 5 - Limestone Ridge
	South of Johnson Village, the scenery becomes pretty, but the roar of vehicle engines and rubber tires humming on the highway spoils the scenery. A large field of beautiful horses is on the right. Many of the horses stand calmly, looking at me with curiosity. Mt. Princeton would look great from this spot, but ahhhh, clouds conceal the peak.
	I turn back to capture another view of Midland Hill. Two beautiful horses pose on the right.
	An engine sound reverberates from the sky. It is loud - louder than the highway noise - it is an airplane flying in the valley! I pull out my camera and do my best to photograph it. My fingers fumble with the camera settings, and I don't have time to adjust them perfectly. The aircraft is flying fast! I go with whatever default camera settings and hope for the best.
	The tracks become quiet, lonely and dusty. A slight breeze is constantly making its way from the west. I slow my hiking pace and look down at the railroad ties. I have my spiritual experience here. I ask God questions with an insistence for answers - like a child tugging at a parent's shirt who has not quite learned their manners yet. God has his own things to say, and they are not about my list of problems. In my spiritual journey, the theme seems to be God is more interested in having a personal relationship with me - a connection so intimate and full of love that to truly grasp it would surely transform one's life. I look up and notice I am approaching a bridge. I will be crossing the Arkansas River again.
	Two photos of the bridge.
	The Arkanas River TOP: The Arkansas River as I face east. This stretch of river is known as the "Milk Run" - it is rated as quite docile in the upper Arkansas River Valley. Kayaking beginners or rafters desiring to expeirence more of a "float trip" might like this part of the river. SECOND: I look down at the river from the bridge. Various shades of green and gold contrast with the contours of rocks in the river bed.
	I walk past milemarker 236. I am making progress! :)
	I encounter an animal's skull (deer?) and a rusted tin can on the tracks.
	I continually attempt to photograph Mt. Princeton to the west, but the clouds do not relent.
	A green rock. This one is so interesting to me that I place it in my backpack as a souviner.
	Chaffee County Road 301 I reach Chaffee County Road 301, a long dirt road that connects Johnson Village with Highway 285. It kind of serves as a short cut to Fisherman's Bridge river access point, a common spot for kayakers and whitewater rafters to launch onto the river. Notice the clouds that have rolled in the past hour.
	The blisters on my left toes feel better. I notice my sneakers are lighter and easier for walking long distances, but the lack of ankle support seem to make it harder on my ankles. After 5-6 miles of hiking, I am near the Fisherman's Bridge area and rest. It is a good time to pull out the camera too. Of course, with my luck, gusts of wind slam hard against me once I set the camera on the tripod. The hike becomes long. Oh so long! Yes, the walk is shorter today, only 7.5 miles, but again I notice my morale does well for about five to six miles, and then it declines. I am ready for the end.
	I cross another bridge over the river. That is a nice view of Sugarloaf Mountain, a mountain I climbed in 2008.
	I keep walking. At the spot where the tracks split, I notice houses in the distance - that is Nathrop!
	The view of Ruby Mountain.
	Nathrop, Colorado Arrival in Nathrop. Although many homes in the valley use "Nathrop" as their mailing address, this cluster of homes and streets is considered the actual historic area of Nathrop. It is an unincorporated town. I walk about 0.25 miles from the tracks to Highway 285. My car is parked across the highway near the post office. My last picture that includes the Chaffee County Fire Department building includes Ruby Mountain and a pointed peak to its right. In October 2009 during the World Series, I hiked to its summit and claimed it as Yankees Mountain. ;)