A Salad On Top
31 Jan 2024 NCAR At the top of the hill, there is a cafe. And because S and D were hungry (it was lunchtime, after all), up they went, ascending the trail for about 450 feet (or, if you’re metric, 134m).
Despite almost a week of dry conditions and balmy temperatures, the trail was still icy and muddy. The tall grass at the edges had been stamped down by passers-by, and this provided some degree of traction; the average traveler, however, is advised to carry traction devices (micro-spikes, trekking poles, etc.). But of course we are not describing the average traveler here. Our intrepid explorers practically sailed up the icy hillside, with nary a slip, barely a slide.
They were, however, cautious: lunch was at stake, after all.
And so our fearless adventurers arrived unscathed at the top, whereupon they scraped the mud off their soles and walked into the building.
Plenty of tourists, as usual, easily avoided. Some science exhibits, rather interesting, but not quite interesting enough to distract these hungry explorers from lunch.
No line in the cafeteria, and several open tables out on the sunny veranda. A good view of Bear Peak to the south. Some other adventurers, asking for a photo. Balmy, 60 deg F, no wind, blue sky.
Three guesses as to who had which plate:
Then it was back inside to wander around the science exhibits: a tornado generator, lightning simulator, a bowl of clouds, some charts and graphs.
And down the hill they went. All in all, a pretty good BNO, even though it wasn’t really N, but close enough.