snowfriends

"wandering re-establishes the original harmony which once existed between man and the universe"

two great friends came. one from the northwest. one from south texas. we ventured to the mountains and skied at keystone, one of my favorite spots. there is a way back part of keystone and takes some time to reach but feel like you are in the depths of the mountains and far away from all built infrastructure, except of course for the crucial ski lifts [but those can stay]. here you are free to wander in all the silence of snow capped nature.

[Manda rockin' skis]

[Court on her new board]

glenwoodsprings

so we have a fun list. a list of fun things. fun things we want to do. the list is long. things we think will be fun. and most usually they end up following though. this past weekend was nothing shy of that. great fun.
since we have 10 days to expend at Vail and Beaver Creek we thought we better use them since the snow will soon be gone and these are both unbeatable places to ski. you could spend a whole season at Vail and still not touch every run, it's THAT big. trying to get lost is always the objective when riding there. just when you think you've seen enough on the front side of the mountain you finally cat-walk-it to the back and embark on a new plethora of white trails. a world of bowls and moguls and trees to play in. you could take one named run and never ski the same line twice.

so we decided to stay in Glenwood Springs which is a mountain town west of the two ski resorts and has tons to offer. a town of about 8,000 and not trying to grapple with the showiness of other colorado ski towns. i just found out that Amtrak makes a stop at Glenwood, must be a heck of a great place. Not far from outstanding skiing, tons of mountain biking in the roaring fork valley and all things water on the colorado river. the laid back folk, and a hostel for us to stay in rather cheaply is exactly what we enjoyed. and, after a hard day of riding nothing sounds better than soaking in the hot springs. it's an entire pool of natural water full of salty minerals, diving board included. you betcha we froze our butts off to wait in line behind the 8 year old's to get a few good cannon balls in. nothing like jumping off a diving board takes you back to that childhood feeling. though jumping off of a diving board wasn't on the "fun list" it was a small surprise and these sorts of things happen when undertaking adventure.

[winter aspens of beaver creek]

[the view from copper mtn.]

on winter:
there is a privacy about it which no other season gives you ..... in spring, summer and fall people sort of have an open season on each other; only in the winter, in the country, can you have longer, quiet stretches when you can savor belonging to yourself

i once spoke about seasons. how seasons are an amazing attribute to a place and its specific locality. when a city can offer the residents 4 distinct seasons, i am allured. thank you denver for doing just this but my heart is longing for warmth. spring just needs to hurry on up.don't get me wrong i'm all excited for march skiing and great powder and attempting to wear shorts while flying down a hill of snow but the trip south to mexico hasn't curbed this desire long enough. that is why a trip to moab, ut is in the works. all for some red rock climbing, miles of mountain biking trails, camping along the river and least of which 70 degree sunshine in the desert. it seems that in the depths of the winter i finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer. does summer time seem to set you as free as it does me?
as i looked back to what i described my season of life to be, i've realized since a year ago how i have lived through that season and on into others. not always so boldly obvious but that there was a time needed for that spell of my life. if i gave thought and limited words to the current season i would say: a time of never-looked-at-before-reflection with a side dish of simplifying material needs and a glass of looming educational dedication..hmmm, seems odd. but maybe that is just the winter speaking.

keystone

skiing. wooooooo.
justcan'tgetenough.
justcan'tgetenough.

pretty much views like this keep me coming back for more. and the company :)

[back side of keystone]

[mark and adam about to fight the wind]

slow.it.down.now

gosh i love maps. gosh i love guide books, and i'm partial to the climbing ones. they all help you to understand where you are going, what you are getting into and how in the world you get there. the location for this trip was el potrero chico, mexico. and what? mexico has 31 states. we were in nuevo leon and most near the town of hidalgo, population 22,500. hidalgo is honestly known for its proximity to an endless plethora of limestone towers. offering thousands of feet of bolted lines to climbers of any skill. part of the beauty is that you could come with the most talented of climber and find something to challenge them, while alongside a novice climber and still have routes to choose from.

the camping setup was beyond luxurious and made the 8 days of outdoor sleeping incredibly enjoyable. i've never done camping where you get to take showers every night and a full on kitchen to cook up a storm at your convenience. there was a pool, restaurant, casitas, people from all points of the world laughing, sharing stories, learning languages and all the while with the amazing backdrop of the sierra madres. truly unbeatable, spoiled camping no doubt.

even though we were two or so miles outside of hildalgo we still got to share these week of life in their culture, if you choose to do so. even the people who owned and ran the campgrounds were native to hidalgo and great people to chat with and be around. so i attempted my best spanglish, we went to the local tuesday market for deliciousness of all kinds, we trekked into town in search of a restaurant where a woman in her kitchen make us a burrito to share, even though we ordered two, we drove and got lost, we jammed out to some great Mexican music on many a climbs and just really slowed down to what the pace of life is like there. and time is not of the essence. unless of course you are starting an 11 pitch climb behind a slow moving duo that happen to get there 7 seconds before you and happen to be kicking off their multi pitch experience on the exact same climb you are destined by the stars to climb on your last day, theoretically speaking. other than this scenario that may or may not have happened, there is no rush of any kind really. now i could get used to this. hopefully some of this approach to life will carry with me in my life here in colorado. maybe i'll start with the slow food italian notion which “establishes that people should eat and drink slowly, with enough time to taste their food, spend time with the family, friends, without rushing. slow food is against its counterpart: the spirit of Fast Food and what it stands for as a lifestyle.” we forcefully did it when we lived in rome, which yielded fantastic results and great times.

don't you believe this amazing diverse world has so much to teach and enlighten us about how to live life? i loved that being immersed in other cultures when traveling to an unfamiliar country makes you question your current lifestyle. hopefully enough to attract yourself to get up and change a thing or two.

-to the left-

-to the right-

finally got a camera and can now take pictures of my own again :)

homeagain

say we take a look at things backwards.
homecoming: the final physical step of the leave.

even though the adventure is over with, nothing wraps up a traveling time more than a joyous homecoming. to hug again. to share stories. to see that face. to sit in a known room. comfort food. how the flood gates of familiarity are something that always opens and fills a void. a void you might not of known was missing in the act but can't help but fall into once embraced.
beginning to express the integrity of coming home is something i haven't given too much thought about. though i do know there is importance in the immediate feeling and actions and are about as noteworthy as the head end of the trip. remembering back when i first came home from living in Rome, i was probably the least talkative i've been in my life. not sure if i was taking American lifestyle all in again, or just not used to English echoing everywhere, maybe i finally understood that you can learn a heck of a lot with just listening and watching, most especially when it comes to other cultures.
yesterday morning i got home from a climbing trip to Mexico. this had to of been the most rushed homecoming to Colorado encountered to date. i was literally 7 minutes shy to missing my only nonstop flight which precisely got me back to Denver with enough time to swing by home to change and make it to work in a "i'm only moderately late and not late enough for anyone to really notice, and not late enough to have to stay extra late to make up for it" timely fashion. i plopped down at my desk and didn't know what in the world to do. the whole day was uncomfortably still. the contradiction of this is that Mexico is a slow pace kind of lifestyle and especially in the small town of Hidalgo, our location for the trip. so why would the transition of getting back to work and sitting down and slowing down be an obstacle? i think what it comes down to is a matter of the heart. I recently read that "loving requires a heart alive and awake and free". this is not to say my heart is not alive at work or by routine life, by no means is this what i am saying. i just know that with an adventurous soul and being out filling that, my heart is utterly free. the sun waking you up. the moon crooning you to sleep. mountains delighting in your presence. and all i realized with the homecoming. this transition from travel is crucial and deserves a moments thought and perhaps, personally, some patience to readjust.

mountainoffering

i was recently asked by a friend from a warm climate texas city if the snow and all the effects it has on everyday life is still exciting after living in denver for more than one winter season. now, i personally would much rather be running in scorching heat than see your breath cold, and biking in humidity you could swim in than bundling up for a bitter frozen ride. some might be more inclined to play in the cold, and respectfully so, though just not for me. i account this to my southwest upbringing. though what i have realized most about the colorado winter is that you have to roll with the punches. there is a big difference in getting all giddy about the snow falling from the sky as you watch out the window all snuggled up in a snuggie with some hot tea versus gearing up to go compete and revel in what this snowy wonderland has to offer. even if i supremely hated the wintriness i don't think i could pass up what it has to afford to give the adventurous soul. the biggest bummer about taking a winter weekend trip is that you can't camp, well not really. i mean i have, but pretty positive i wouldn't do it again. it is not very fun setting up your sleeping arrangements on a few feet of snow and only hoping there is enough whiskey to go around so you can fall asleep to a drunken lullaby and forget about that draft of wind. i feel like there is so much hate that spurs from cold weather whether you want to admit it or not.

this weekend was spent taking on what the white covered mountain had to throw at us. it's not everyday you get to ski snow capped mountains with the sun shining down on you. with perfect temperatures to not feel too cold but just cold enough to keep you moving you can't help but be grateful for moments like this in life. i'm glad my friend i was skiing with could agree whole heartily. conversation sparked about how lucky we are as colorado residents to enjoy the mountains year round, that is, if you wish to stomach the cold of mother nature. and if you do, i can promise it will bring you alive a little more.

(hopefully soon i'll acquire a camera and will take and post pictures of my own again)

twoten

the pleasure of start that we loose with time.

ahh, the joy in starting. something. anything. a new year. a skinny love. a hobby or art.

when i think of january i can NOT help but think that it marks the beginning, but why? why can't it just be the next month after december and the month before february, as it actually is? the calendar really is a fascinating thing. mayhaps i'll do some more research on that at a later date.
well, to conform with the norm and bring in the new year and start fresh, what better place to be than steamboat? i went last year and was so happy it worked out again this year. now this is a tradition i could get used to. a long weekend in a cozy welcoming house to reside at, fresh powder snow to ski on, hot springs of water to lounge in, sights to let the mind drift away to. all things i thoroughly enjoy. so we banged some pots, we skied some slopes while dodging trees, we soaked in hot tubs, we snowshoed with too many clothes on, and enjoyed wonderful company. sounds to me this year of two thousand and ten was started off beautifully.

so my hope for you and me this year would be to live in a way [with words from italo calvino] "that what he sought was always something lying ahead, and even if it was a matter of the past it was a past that changed gradually as he advanced on his journey, because the traveler's past changes according to the route he has followed"

dirtyrome

this morning i was walking down a capitol hill alley from my friends house to my car. it was a gloomy beyond gloomy morning for denver and that mixed with the dirty streets of capitol hill made me feel like i was in rome again. and i don't mean dirty in a gross-you-out kinda of a way, or anything against capitol hill, more that the patina of it's walls, sidewalks and streets have aged and been used well enough to give off this feeling. a streets of italy feeling. it is no secret that rome is a dirty city. i was appalled when i first got there and startled by the truth when a roman friend of ours mentioned that graffiti was the wallpaper of the city. i'd like to give romans the benefit of the doubt that they have been occupying this city for their 2,763rd year and it's no doubt well broken in.

a few unglamorous shots of rome that i love:

our local lunch market: campo de fiori

a roman resident


like i said, wallpaper.


an appropriately unkempt jollypower gym


a gypsy with a baby that stole my tears


wet clothes in Trastevere

yesdenver

i read this off of a site i stumbled upon the other day: Urbanophile

He’s very impressed:

I spent the past few days at a conference in Denver, Colorado. And, I’ll tell you, that city impressed the heck out of me. It’s a medium-sized city (just under 600,000 residents), and you can walk across its downtown in about twenty minutes. While the scale is much smaller than my hometown of Philadelphia, Denver seemed to be doing things other cities are only dreaming of.

Denver has a beautiful and efficient light-rail and bus system. The 16th Street pedestrian mall is vibrant, beautiful, and well-used. A free (!) two-way bus system runs every few minutes to take passengers across the fifteen blocks of stores, restaurant, entertainment, benches, trees, lamps, and chess tables. They also have bike sharing!

Cherry Creek and the Platte River run along the west side of the downtown with an extraordinary set of walking and biking trails. At the confluence of the creek and river, one encounters beautiful Commons Park and a stunning vista of the skyline. The gorgeous Millennium Bridge takes pedestrians from Commons Park to the pedestrian mall. The scenery is beautiful, all the while, surrounded by the Rockies.

The architecture definitely impresses. I am not usually a Daniel Liebeskind fan, but his Denver Art Museum is stunning. The new, edgy buildings of the civic center mix well with the historic architecture of the state capitol and other older government buildings. The Denver Convention Center is also a pretty exciting building (yes, that’s a big blue bear pushing against the wall).

Everywhere I looked there was major public art. This is a city that clearly cares about creating a beautiful place for its citizens and visitors. Meanwhile, a host of new condo and apartment buildings are filling in the landscape, bringing more residents downtown.

some things stated i agree whole heartily with and others i struggle to accept. thank you for your rave on denver, as i do just love this city.