Nicolai and I started the day by shopping for a pair of proper boots which he needed prior to the onset of winter.  We then joined Jeanine who had secured us a table at a very popular breakfast cafe where we enjoyed a delightful meal. We bid Nico farewell before returning to our hotel for a much needed nap. Fully rested we walked to the nearby Manitou Cliff Dwellings and Museum. These Anasazi ruins were originally located in McElmo Canyon, in the southwest corner of Colorado near Mesa Verde and Dolores. The process of relocating them began in 1904 and was completed in 1907 when the preserve was opened to the public.

Jeanine used her superior restaurant sniffing skills to identify the Jerusalem Cafe as our destination for dinner.  The meal was the best of our vacation and we wrapped up the evening with a stroll through the quaint town of Manitou Springs.

Jeanine and I met Brady Grainger (mother of Nico’s roommate) for coffee and breakfast.  We were eventually joined by her son (Tom) and daughter (Aliza) both at Colorado College as well as Nicolai who had spent the night on campus.  Jeanine and I also made a brief stop to deliver a care package to Karuna (Nico’s girlfriend and CC freshman) who was not feeling well enough to join us for breakfast. We then drove up to the Catamount Center to see where Nicolai was living and learn more about the program.  The setting on two lakes at the base of Pike’s Peak is nothing short of stunning.

Nicolai lives in a bio-thermally heated high tech structure high on campus which stands in stark contrast to all other buildings which are very rustic.

Nicolai is studying here as part of the Teaching and Research in Environmental Education (TREE) program, a 16-week, residential semester program that mirrors the traditional study abroad experience. The TREE Semester is specifically designed for undergraduate students interested in exploring both environmental and educational fields. Nicolai will spend over a hundred hours teaching a group of  K-12 students while simultaneously cultivating his own conceptions of environmental stewardship and researching his students’ development.

Visiting parents were treated to astudent-ledd tour of the campus and later Nico, his friend, Cameron, and I hiked to the location where he did his solo vision quest returning to base just as the Grainger family arrived.

A subsequent hike was aborted due to the onset of a brief hail storm. The entire group had dinner together at a Mexican restaurant in Woodland Park.  I joined the group later after returning to the Catamount Center to take advantage of the post storm evening light.  I lucked upon a herd of elk that were perfectly positioned at the top of a ridge and am very happy with the resulting images.