Page 64 of The Reluctant Roommate
The snow that had kept them inside over Thanksgiving was now just dirty mounds thrown up by the snowplow along the road’s edge.
They reached 285, and Morgan turned west.
Heidi rummaged in the canvas bag. “I told myself I wouldn’t break out the snacks until we started climbing into the foothills, but, honestly, I can’t wait.” She pulled out a bag of Skittles, ripped it open. “Hold out your hand.”
Morgan did so, and Heidi tipped a handful of candy into it.
The car cruised along the highway, taking the curves as the road climbed through the foothills as easily as the flatlands. The snow was deeper, fresher, here, the pines and firs weighed down with ice. When the highway dropped down to Bailey and ran alongside the North Fork South Platte River, Heidi sat forward, staring at the icy water.
“Does it ever freeze completely?”
“Oh yes. There’s a lake near Georgetown that freezes hard enough that they have ice-racing competitions for four-wheel drives. People drive their RVs onto the lake and camp!”
“Has anyone ever fallen through?”
Morgan shrugged. “Probably.”
The road climbed up to Kenosha Pass. Morgan pulled into the trailhead parking and cut the engine. Heidi jumped out of the car. “This is amazing.”
Morgan looked around, seeing the scene through Heidi’s eyes, as if for the first time. They were still below the tree line. The silvery trunks of aspens surrounded the parking lot, and the snow banked up around the edges. A couple sat on the tailgate of their SUV, strapping snowshoes to their feet.
Morgan walked to the edge of the road, to where Highway285 wound down to the wide, bare expanse of South Park. A bone-biting wind blew strongly, and she shivered.
“Let’s keep going.”
Heidi nodded, they got back into the car, and Morgan drove steadily down from the pass.
“Are you hungry?” Heidi asked. “I am. And I don’t think I can face Serena on an empty stomach.”
Morgan nodded. “I thought we might have lunch in Buena Vista, but Fairplay’s closer.” She slanted a glance at Heidi. “Ever watchedSouth Park, the TV show?”
“Of course.” Heidi’s lips twitched. “And, yes, I know we’re driving across South Park, notSouth Park.”
“It’s based on Fairplay,” Morgan said. “Or so many people claim.”
“Then we are totally stopping there for lunch.” Heidi leaned forward as if willing Fairplay to appear. “I can’t pass on that.”
Morgan pulled off the highway into Fairplay, passing coffee shops and stores before circling around to pass the entrance to South Park City, a museum where many old Colorado buildings had been relocated. In the older main street, she found a parking spot in front of a shop selling a mix of polar fleece and hippie-vibe candles. “Bar or diner?” she asked.
“Bar,” Heidi said. “Then I can have a beer with my burger.”
They sat at the counter and ate thick burgers and fries washed down with a cold beer. Outside, the wind howled down the street, and soon the sky was a whirling mass of snow.
“Where are you girls going?” the bartender asked. “Weather could be settling in.”
“Leadville.” Morgan crunched the last of her fries.
“Better get going.” The bartender collected their empty bottles. “It’s two thousand feet higher than here. Snow could be heavier. You should be able to get through if you go now.”
“Thanks.” Heidi signed the tab, then they walked out into the whirling snowflakes.
After Trout Creek Pass, the snow eased for them to drive into Buena Vista, but as they turned north on Highway24 and the road started to climb again, the snow increased. When they reached Leadville, it was thick on the road.
“We should have booked a motel,” Morgan said. “They all look busy.”
“I wasn’t sure if we’d be staying,” Heidi said. “But I don’t think we have any choice.”
She pulled out her cell phone and opened the hotel booking app. “Ouch. Looks like they’re taking advantage of the weather to put the prices up. But there’s one here that’s reasonable. We should be close to it. There!” Her finger stabbed at the windshield. “Pull in. I’ll see if I can get a better price as a walk-in.”
