A smoking family and their cat . . . priceless.

More evidence that Denver is located near the Seventh Layer of Hell.

Since it was 70 degrees in Denver today, DenverHotPants (and the rest of the state of Colorado) decided that a hike was in order and headed off to Red Rocks to conquer the Dinosaur Ridge. Not letting the mob scene at the trailhead bother her because she knew the rest of the pansies would make it up the first hill then turn back, DHP set out. In turning the first corner, DHP encountered what will now be known as the most bizarre hiking encounter ever. There they were, in their acid-washed pegged jeans and bongo t-shirts, two smoking parents and three children hiking with their cat. I shit you not . . . THEIR CAT! Not even on a leash. It had never occurred to me that hiking was a cat-friendly activity, but what does this HotPant know?

Word spread along the trail and quickly became lore among the hot-t mountain bikers and balls-to-the-wall hikers who successfully conquered the mountain. “Did you see the people with the cat?” “My dog almost ate it!” “I almost fell off my bike.” “There’s one thing I thought I’d never see!”

Given that hiking with a cat is a very slow paced activity, then add the chain-smoking up the mountain, DHP encountered the family on her way back down (they had just made it up the first hill! – an hour and a half later). Well, you know what they say about curiosity. DHP had to ask. Turns out they had never been hiking before and the cat had never been out of the house so they made the trip on this day. They thought this might be the last time they ever try either of these activities. Good plan.