Day 10: Campers Haven – Golden

By Deanna on June 15, 2013 • ( 2 )

Today: 27km, 112m

To Date: 774km, 8,496m

To Go: 7,026km… almost under 7,000!

Looking at today’s mileage you can probably guess – I had a bit of a rest day! It was basically a day of very boring (to you, exciting to me) errands – laundry, groceries, getting a new saddle – a woman specific one. I won’t share with you all the details of the problems I have been having with my previous one, but the moral of the story is – if you are a woman and you find your seat uncomfortable – don’t wait too long thinking you will adjust – get a woman specific one! And try it out around the block before you buy. It makes a world of difference.

I highly recommend that if you are ever passing through Golden to stay at DreamCatcher Hostel (if you are a hostelling type). I knew the instant I saw two large furry bodies eagerly waiting for me to come through the door that I was going to like this place! And after meeting the two resident dogs, the place just got better (well let’s be honest, it couldn’t). The owners – Gerald & Abby – were lovely and thought of everything I could need. The common area had heaps of books, games, and soft couches. The kitchen was large and fabulous with a large supple of free food at the moment (always a plus), and an ever-present coffee & tea station. The bedroom was cute and the duvet!!! Oh the duvet! It was down and pure heaven. I have been to a lot of hostels in my life – far more than I can count and this was one of the best.

Golden is a somewhat cute town – it has a small downtown heritage area which is nice and the Kickinghorse River flows through it – but all in all it did not make too great an impression on me. I went for a small walk along the Rotary Loop which took you along the river and up to look out down the valley. Again nice, but not overwhelming – I must be getting spoilt by all the mountain vistas I am getting through the parks!

And talking about getting spoilt! That night two other hostel guest – men from Israel here to climb the Buggaboos – offered me and two German boys some of their most amazing dinner – crab, lobster, roasted veggies and salad! Fantastic. Three of them had never had crab before and hilarity ensued as everyone tried to get at the meat inside.

Have I mentioned how much I can eat? This was all my second dinner – just about half an hour before I ate a whole package of Lipton Sidekicks pasta (with a can of tuna, some sundried tomatoes and a babybell cheese), a rather large spinach salad with strawberries, blueberries and goat cheese, then a cup of tea, a package of peanut butter cups, and a quarter of a watermelon for dessert!! I amaze myself! :)