For weeks, my Xterra occasionally wreaked of something sweet yet foul.

The smell would come and go seemingly at random, and I couldn’t find whatever it was that was stinking up my Xterra. From the scent, I knew that it was a fruit of some sort, probably stuffed under the seat by my 15-year-old brother. But due to college and other obligations, I just never made the time to deep-clean my vehicle. Instead, I just drove with the windows rolled down. 

That was until the semester ended and I finally made some time to clean my Xterra from top-to-bottom, as well as secure the heatshield to the Xterra’s frame, so it no longer made the most obnoxious rattling noise known to man as the engine idled. Donning rubber gloves and carrying a trashbag, on Monday morning I went to work looking for the rotten fruit. Under the seats I found several empty cans of Zevia Cola (which I’ve been drinking instead of Diet Coke), some melted Halloween candy, and finally a little green ball that was once an orange. I couldn’t help but dry-heave as I pulled it out from under the passenger seat and tossed it into the trashbag. 

Moving on to the trunk, I pulled everything out: fishing gear, blankets and pillows from my previous trip to a cabin, bottles of water, shopping bags, my YakTrax ice grippers, extra hats and gloves, and a coat I’d been missing for quite some time. Once everything was out and tossed onto the front porch, I got the Shop-Vac and sucked up all of the dust and dirt that had accumulated in the trunk over the last year or so. 

Finally, I put the pillows and blankets in the washer and dryer, put my fishing gear in the garage (I hadn’t renewed my fishing license yet), and started making a list of all the things I’d need for my birthday stay at a cabin near Steamboat Springs. 

We’d only be staying there for a total of two nights, but knowing the remoteness of the cabin we’d be staying in, I topped off the gas in the evening before leaving, and packed liberally early the next morning. I packed enough supplies to last five days, and clothes heavy enough to keep me warm well below freezing. I also packed my own bedding, which took up almost half of the space in the trunk. Oh well… There was still plenty of room for my grandparents’ things (and, of course, us). 

Minutes after I stuffed the last pillow against the side window of the trunk, my grandparents pulled up on the street behind me, with huge grins on their faces. 

“Are ya ready to go?!” my grandma Connie called out as she stepped out of their silver Honda Pilot. 

“Absolutely!” I replied as I went in for a hug, “I was too excited to sleep much last night!”

Indeed, I barely slept a wink the night before. I tossed and turned in bed, anxiously awaiting the morning. I eventually fell asleep, but woke up when my dog, Toby, started barking and kicking me in his sleep. After waking him up, I turned to go back to sleep, but not very heavily. As soon as my body registered an iota of sunlight in the dusky sky through one of my bedroom windows, I was up and at ‘em in seconds! I was just so damn excited to escape to the remote wilderness of Colorado for my birthday!

At exactly 10:00 AM, we drove off in my Xterra. My grandpa had the wheel, my grandma rode shotgun, and I sat directly behind my grandma with Toby by my side and my camera in my lap. After the Bald Eagle flew over my head at Chatfield State Park over Spring Break, I vowed to never be caught without my camera ready to go again. Only God knew what I’d see between my house and the ranch, after all. 

Because it was a Tuesday morning, there was hardly any traffic (for Colorado standards, that is). Of course, the 470 to I-70 junction was a bit clogged up. But as soon as we got through Mount Vernon Canyon, the road opened up and it was smooth sailing from there. 

We followed I-70 into Silverthorne, where we stopped for gas, snacks, and a much-needed bathroom break. Up there, it was cold. Not cold enough for the drizzle to turn to flurries. But certainly cold enough to warrant a coat, which I dug out from the trunk as I kept Toby’s leash tied to my waist. Toby waited patiently for me to put my coat on, before I led him across the parking lot to a line of yet-to-bud Aspens where he could mark his territory. It was there I took my first photo of the adventure using my beloved Rebel T7: A zoomed in picture of the snow-capped Keller Mountain.

After taking such a serene photo in a parking lot that was anything but serene, I leaned my back against the side of the Xterra and people-watched with Toby while I waited for my grandparents to return.