Although the date on my iPhone reads mid-July and the sun shines brilliantly overhead, the wind surging through the cabin of this Lamborghini Huracán Sterrato feels as crisp as an autumn day. As we climb towards Independence Pass—the fourth-highest paved road in all of Colorado—the sensation unsettles, but in a positive way, as if the body is caught off guard. The paradox reminds me of off-roading across the Altiplanos of Chile; extreme altitudes create a bizarre and unique visceral experience where the bright sun juxtaposes against surprisingly cool and thin air. It makes you feel alive in a way few climates can.
The curving State Highway 82 ahead looks like someone dropped a bag of
