C.A.M.O. Trip 2013

Crewpose

 

I took two skins the other day. Can I call the act of skinning on skis, taking a skin? Sounds weird now that I’ve written it out…

Anyway, I took two skins the other day. The first was with clients, a group of vets, each of whom was missing something. A body part, a part of their mind, a part of their life. The second skin I took I took alone. Both skins started from the hut we were staying and ended on a ridge about 1.5 miles later and 800 feet higher. Both skins were exhausting, inspiring, and moments I won’t ever forget if I am lucky. I keep running the two experiences over in my mind, comparing them, looking for the right words to sum up my feelings. But so far I haven’t come up with a shorter version than this:

The first skin took 3 hours and involved cajoling tired clients, who at one time were very used to sand and heat and easily hauling 90 pound rucksacks over high mountain passes – but that was in the past, before they’d been blown up. There was a lunch stop, a couple of pee stops, and of course a stop at the top to take in the view. Of which there was none. Unless you count snow coming at you sideways as a view. In which case the view was amazing. And there was laughter, of all things.

The second skin took 40 minutes and involved a lot of huffing and a smile or two. The view was of the same amazing whiteout.

The vets – The Crew, sheltered under the pines for lunch, eating, drinking, and trying their damndest to knock the snow from the pine boughs to land “just so” on their neighbor’s head. Which is hard when you only have one arm, or can’t bend your back, or your parts just don’t work as well as they used to. Somehow, however, a lot of great clumps of snow fell on a lot of heads.

And later, the trees standing quietly, with intact mantles of snow as I cruised easily past.

The shouts of encouragement from one Crew member to another. Sometimes a kind word reminding the other that “we’re all in this together”, sometimes a barb reminding the other that “we’re all in this together.” It seemed none of them wanted to be out there getting dumped on by Mother Nature, yet none of them wanted to be anywhere else at that moment. Including me.

The silence, dampened deeper by the falling snowing, broken only by the snick snick snick of my skis sliding on fresh powder and my heavy breath.

The trail the Crew left in the snow was wide and rowdy and tamped down hard as it snaked its way around trees and over rollers and through wind slabs. Here and there a one winged snow angel.

The same ground, an hour later, blank, new, untrodden, until I laid my twin lines up the side of the hill.

I wonder if there’s a metaphor in there somewhere – an inspirational poster with a picture of a mountain on it and some cosmic truth distilled down into a simple sentence to hang over the water cooler. Something about challenges, living in the moment, or nature and mountains and people. Maybe?

Or maybe not.

Maybe some things, like mountains or people or magical moments, ought not be distilled. Some things need to be big and complicated and thought about and pondered for days or years on end. I am thinking that this is one of those things.

 

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America’s Uphill 2013

I went into Ute Mountaineer to buy a few ski straps and some electrolytes and accidentally registered to race in America’s Uphill. I can handle the 2.5 miles. I can even handle the 3,260′ elevation gain. No prob. But why does it have to start at 7 in the AM? This is going to be so hard… to get up so early!
Wish me luck this Saturday.

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Come for a Visit

Looking for something awesome to do this year? Come visit us in Aspen! I am now working as a guide with Aspen Alpine Guides and can take you up a 14er or teach you to rock climb. My wife, Signa, is now a ski instructor with Aspen Snowmass Ski Co.and can teach you to ski or can give you horseback riding lessons.
We plan to open an Air B&B at some point to make it even easier (and WAY less expensive) to visit Aspen.

My Rockin' Life

My Rockin’ Life

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Update

So maybe I’m not the writer I was I hoping I was. Meh. Wouldn’t be the first time I was no good at something.

Yes, I have in fact quit my job, moved to Colorado, and started down the road to “Becoming and Independent Adventurer”. That road has been filled with courses, classes, big dollar receipts, and so much joy I almost can’t believe it.

I am Wilderness First Responder certified now. I took the course in Lyons, CO with Ryland Gardner. Highly recommended!

I am AMGA Single Pitch Instructor certified now as well. I honestly can’t wait to teach someone how to climb.

I have bought my first Alpine Touring setup and it can not snow soon enough! Hiking, in the backcountry, in the snow!

In December I’m going to take an avy course so I can travel on my AT skis safely.

Tomorrow night I am planning on doing an overnight trip to somewhere in the Elk range. I’m not sure to where yet, but I know, wherever I do go, it will be beautiful and cold and hard and awesome.

 

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Click Click Boom

So today marks the beginning of the beginning of my adventure. Today I gave my notice at my job. Next Friday I will be officially unemployed. I feel like I ought to stand up and shout “YES!” But really I’m still kind of numb to it. After all, I’ve been dragging myself there every day for the past 21 years.

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The Million Dollar Question

In 20 year’s time your 401k will be worth $1,000,000. Good for you! After you retire you’ll be able to collect about $50,000 per year until you die – maybe in another 20 years. For those first 20 years you’ll have to work a boring, often times pointless, job. But, you will have the money and vacation time to pursue your passions for 3 weeks once a year. And of course all this assumes your 401k won’t bust, you won’t get cancer, get hit by a bus, randomly fired from your job, etc. Nothing is guaranteed.

OR

You could take your chances, live freely, fully, perusing your passions for a solid year or two, after which you will have to try and find a new job. Hopefully one which brings you satisfaction for the next 20 years – maybe even some money. But again, nothing is guaranteed.

You know where I’m going with this…

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