Why Last Chance is called Last Chance?

a

I pulled an all-nighter before leaving Chicago, so I was completely exhausted and nearly crashed my car more than 10 times. While driving through Idaho, I started seeing red lights and wondered if I was hallucinating from fatigue. To make sure I wasn’t losing my grip on reality, I took out my phone and recorded it.

Those flashing red dots turned out to be Aircraft Warning Lights atop wind turbines. From a distance, the entire wind farm became a field of synchronized pulses, blinking in silent rhythm against the night.

It felt less like reality and more like a scene from a sci-fi film, a coded message from another world. (Why won’t they let me attach a video here?)

b

Stayed at this shitty motel when I was in Omaha. Omaha is freezing, colder than any place I’ve ever been to. The lady at the front desk had an exaggerated tone, so exaggerated it was almost weird. The only people I saw in the lobby were old folks. And as I passed by other rooms, I could hear kids screaming and parents yelling curses. It had the same eerie vibe as Psycho.

c

Had a blast in Winter Park, but they should mark some of those blue-black trails as black, not just because they don’t have moguls, but because they’re actually steep enough. Colorado people need to chill with their obsession with moguls.

d

Hiked up this mountain for a panoramic view of Golden. If you look the other way, you also get a view of Denver.

Oh, and if you accidentally knock anything off the cliff, make sure to yell “ROCK!”

e

I don’t think I’ll ever want to ski moguls at Copper again (though I’m pretty sure I will). It was a complete nightmare—it took me forever to get down, and at one point, I genuinely thought I was going to fall to my death (I didn’t actually fall, though).

f

Went to Boulder. They have this main shopping street called Pearl Street Mall, but it’s just full of touristy junk. It’s like an upscale college town for yuppies.

Seriously, why is Davis so crappy while Boulder is so pretty and chill? The buildings look new and have this unique red-brick style.

Hiked Chautauqua and watched the sunset over Boulder. Such a beautiful town. I know I’d probably find it boring if I actually moved here, but for now, it’s just perfect as it is.

Also, chat, should I hike Bear Peak next time?

g

Some sunset views from Daniels Park. If you’re in the mountains, you just can’t help but love watching sunsets.

I feel like I’m in The Little Prince:

“One day, I watched the sunset forty-four times.”

“You know, when people are very sad, they love watching sunsets.”

“On the day you watched forty-four sunsets, were you very sad?”

The Little Prince didn’t answer.

h

I drove for one hour and a half to an abandoned town called Last Chance for stargazing. I was hesitating between it and Jackson Lake State Park, but Last Chance just seemed way cooler (definitely not because the state park charges a $10 entry fee).

To get there, you have to head east of Denver. Once I got off I-70, the road was so quiet and dark. I probably saw only five cars the entire way. It’s pitch black out there, and I’m guessing it’s vast farmland during the day. Every few miles, if you’re lucky, you might spot a single lit-up barn or farmhouse in the distance.

After what felt like forever, I finally arrived in Last Chance. I saw maybe three buildings and a playground. It had that bleak, abandoned Silent Hill vibe, but not in a scary way, more like a place frozen in time.

I parked my car by the gate of some random farm. When I looked up, the Milky Way was right in front of me.

My phone had completely lost signal, so I switched to the radio. Strange—why do radio hosts sound the same in every country? That same fake yet sentimental tone, almost hypnotic.

The station was talking about something related to Christ. I couldn’t understand a word.

Do you know why Last Chance is called Last Chance? Once upon a time, it was the final stop before the endless plains—the last place to refuel, to gather, to turn back. Beyond it lay nothing but open land, wind, and sky. Now, the town itself has faded into that emptiness, leaving behind only a name, a few forgotten buildings, and a night sky untouched by time.