Level 3....clear!

And just barely!  I found myself in Denver at 6:00, waiting for a storm to pass through.  I still had 25 miles to go until Alicia's aunt and uncle's place outside Boulder, and when I went back to the bike, the rear tire was almost flat!  I'd been dealing with a slow leak, so I pumped it up and was on my way.  About 30 minutes later, it was flat again, this time for good.  The rear tire itself was mostly shot, but I put a new tube in anyway, hoping it would last the rest if the day.  Well, it didn't, and 30 minutes later it was flat again.  This time I put on a new tire as well, which almost didn't go on.  New tires can be hard to put on the first time, and I was pretty exhausted, which didn't help.  I declined an offer of a ride from Alicia's aunt, and after a moment of panic, was able to get everything working.  I pedaled the last 10-15 miles, arriving well after dark.  But I made it, and dinner and beer was waiting for me.  A happy ending!

The rest of the day was great, though.  The road from Colorado Springs to Denver went right up against the edge of the mountains, and was a beautiful ride.  It rained for about 30 seconds - the largest rain drops I've ever seen.  Like little water balloons.

Once near Denver, there was a paved trail that followed the river all the way downtown.  For all you geography nerds, Denver is on the South Platte River.  The trail was great, and featured overpasses that kept me dry when I needed shelter during the aforementioned storm.

Coincidentally, my route took me very close to Columbine High School, and I rode over just to see it.  I was a senior in high school when it happened, so I remember it pretty well.  At this point it looks like any other school, which I suppose is as it should be.