How did this happen, again?

Okay, so the altitude is a little lower, but I'm still standing 6,683 feet above sea level staring down at the vast expanse of North America below - and I have that sinking feeling.

The 3.2 mile long Mount Sanitas trail had seemed such a good idea at 4pm Saturday afternoon, but an hour later it was all bad.

The decision to take on the 1,300ft climb with a raging hangover and wearing unsuitable footwear in 75F degree heat was certainly not a good one.

How did I get here?

Friday April 1 was the opening day of the baseball season in Colorado and a trip to Coors Field to see the Rockies kick-off the season was a must.

A US Air Force fly-by, the US national anthem, ticker tape and 60,000 people made it an unforgettable experience.

The Rockies lost 7-6 but that certainly didn't dampen spirits in, or outside the stadium.

A local ex-pat had recommended we go, telling us that behind St Patrick's Day it is the biggest day in the Denver social calendar - the Colorado equivalent of the first day of an Ashes series at Lord's.

Rooftop bars in Market Street tempt revellers at every turn and we were among them post-match, helped on our way by a group of Nebraskans looking for a big night out.

We wake the following morning to the conclusion that going out in Denver is like going out with a group of your best mates - everyone seemed that friendly.

And so, we find ourselves here in Boulder trying to get over the hangover that $250 buys you.

It is a town that is both home to the University of Colorado and - bizarrely - TV sit-com Mork & Mindy.

As you'd expect there is a particularly chilled vibe to a place that is home to some 15,000 students.

Street performers dominate the main strip and they have to be good because one band we saw set the bar pretty high.

And I'd have been quite happy sitting listening to the music in Pearl Street Mall, but for my suggestion to take on the Mount.

An hour into our 'walk' I'm gasping, the hangover hasn't disappeared and there are Boulder fitness fanatics, dog walkers and pensioners seemingly sprinting past me as we climb higher.

The view from the top is well worth the effort. The descent was even more taxing given we took a wrong turn.

Maybe we should have read the sign that warned us bears and mountain lions were active in the area before we started.

But we didn't and we made it in one piece - just.

We eventually return to our base in Frisco comfortable in the knowledge we have tasted a slightly different side of America.

And I still can't get over the fact it was 75F degrees in Denver and bucketing it down with snow an hour away.

To be continued....

*We stayed at the Residence Inn, Zuni Street, Denver: $95 a night. Tickets to see the opening day clash between the Colorado Rockies and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Coors Field were $26 each ($71 via ticketstub.com), and while the Mount Sanitas trail was free it shoud come with a health warning.