Alex Henes - Merely A Flesh Wound
You've GOT to go check out my buddy Alex website! Not only is he an incredible person, he's got an incredible site, with incredible photos of the incredible things he's done.
OK, I think you get the point! Alex sucks the marrow out of live in a way that would humble Thoreau.
When I went to work at Level(3), I imposed upon Alex to let me rent out his basement, thinking I would be there a month or two. About 11 months later, I was finally gone. We both learned alot from each other, although I am sure I walked away the richer!
Looking at Alex' website immediately creates in me a sense of the possible. A feeling that life is incredible.
Thanks for everything, Alex!
12 October 2006
05 October 2006
Welcome to Dave & Jess' Big Day!
Welcome to Dave & Jess' Big Day!
d00d,
The wedding was perfect, actually, the entire day was perfect. From the minute I finally rolled out of bed, around 9a, until I fell into bed just before midnight, it was one of the most perfect days of my life.
The entire wedding party had spent Friday night in downtown Denver at the Adams' Mark Hotel. After a couple of quick run throughs of the ceremony with the dignitaries, we met up at the Spaghetti Factory. Almost 20 folks in the immediate family & wedding party, and every one thoroughly enjoyed each other's company at dinner. Jess & Dave showered everyone with thoughtful gifts. It was a perfect presage to the following day.
Later that night, I hung out with the friends of the bride & groom down at the bar. There was a pretty cool white funk band with a black lady lead singer. They were decent, but then I'm a sucker for live music. The best thing about hanging out with young folks is they haven't heard any of my jokes, so I can go on almost all night & seem really funny & cool. Or at least it seemed that way. I was in bed a little after midnight & slept like a rock, until the morning would no longer be stayed.
I went out on the 16th Street Mall for some breakfast & cash. I returned to an awakened queen with a present of her favorite Starbucks' drink: Venti Soy White Mocha, no whip. As I finished my morning ablutions, I began to sense that it was going to be a perfect day. There was no whiff of stress in the air. The day was cool & cloudy, but not cold. The air had a hint of humidity in it, unusual for Denver, but not uncommon. In fact it was a typical fall day, just 3 weeks early.
I had just finished with the monkey suit when Cheryl realized she had forgot the wine of which she wanted to share a glass with Jessica as they got ready for the wedding. It was a suggestion from a good friend of hers, who married her daughter off the year before. For a split second panic seemed ready to burst through the seams, but I remembered we were in a hotel & told Cheryl to just order room service & not worry about it. Swooooosh, serenity restored.
Chris & I met up in the hallway. He had picked out the tux style for us & the only person at the wedding that looked sharper than me was Chris. Damn fine suits! I kept flashing on Spike Lee & Denzel Washington strutin' down the street in their zoot suits at the beginning of Malcom X. I was totally jonesin' on a serious helmet, like 18 inch diameter brim, min! Man, we made those suits look good!
We went down to the lobby to direct the honored guests to the limousine. I asked Dave & his to be down ready to go by noon & they were there. You could tell there was a dog the previous night, but the dog just got a few nips in, no serious bites. After the second time the limo left without the boys, I was starting to feel bad. I peeled off a twenty & told the groomsmen to get a little hair of the dog that had bit them last night & they were gone like scalded cats. When Dave came back down, I told him they were in the bar & was kind enough to show him where it was. Dave ordered a short bloody mary & i ordered a single shot of my daily drinker, Maker's Mark. The bartender had already succumbed to the wiles of the groomsmen. She made Dave a 16oz bloody mary & poured me the stiffest 3-finger shot I ever saw. As the drinks came across the bar, the limo pulled up. Dave & I hit the drinks hard, but neither one of us made a dent. It was purely for show.
Chris had gone with the first load & was directing folks at the Denver Botanic Gardens. I took the next to last limo over & Cheryl made sure that all the girls were ready when the last run was made at 1:30 to bring Jess & her bridesmaids over. I tried to take pictures, be a gracious host & generally maintain. It seemed like I was maintaining, but I was sure that pretty soon folks were going to notice that my feet weren't touching the ground. No one ever said anything, so I guess no one noticed I was high! ;-)
Around 2p, I got the word that everyone was in place & Jessica was coming around the back of the venue. When I picked her up, I had a fleeting thought of meeting a blubbering, I mean a total, mascara dripping wreck. At least, I had steeled myself for that as one of several possibilities. What I found, back behind the wall, was a beautiful woman, totally in the moment. She was beaming like the sun & I suddenly understood why the sun had hidden behind the clouds that day, because Jessica could light up the world that day. I stole a quick peak at her feet & sure as shit, her feet weren't touching the ground either. I just smiled at her & she smiled at me, like so many times before, all the way back to when she smiled back up at me just 2 minutes old.
As we walked towards the venue, she observed that everyone would be looking at her. I told her that everyone would be looking at her with love & her challenge was to absorb all that love & channel it towards Dave. She hugged my arm & I walked her down the aisle & gave her away. Actually, the question was "Who presents this woman?" Which set a lot better with all three of us, Cheryl, Jess & me.
The ceremony was beautiful. Dave threw in a line that added a touch of silliness & romanticism. I thought to myself that poor Jess ended up loving most a man that had some of my strongest, yet most questionable traits. I was very proud of her. I really appreciate the man she has chosen. Not just for how he reminds me of me, but also for how different he is from me. Funny how that works.
After the ceremony, I knew I was gonna get ripped off, because like Colin, "I feel like I'm walking round, a ten feet tall". We did the picture thing & I flashed back on every wedding I had been in since Cheryl & I took each other's picture at her sister's wedding in 1976. Yeah, baby, we've been smoochin' for over 30 years! Dig that! Anyways, I followed the Higgins around & got some great shots, based on watching & mimicking the photographer. By 4p, they were exhausted & needed to catch the limo back to the hotel. They were really glad to get the F lenses out of their faces.
Chris, his friend Katherine & I rode the last ride back to the hotel & got there around 5p, just when the reception was supposed to start. Chris is an amazing man. He was totally engaged in the ceremony. He stepped up & helped where he saw opportunity. He had great ideas & he treated everyone with whom he came into contact with the greatest respect! You just can't imagine, unless you take the best of Cheryl & the best of me & mix it in with a totally repressible double dash of the weird, one dash from Cheryl & I respectively. He was totally zen-like, moving things along without pushing, making guests feel welcome effortlessly, totally surfing through the whole day. He was the essence of cool.
By the time I got to the hotel, the reception was underway. I could barely hug some of my friends, with the ten or so little details to wrap up. Nothing major, just details & I had a beer in my hand, so coo. The snackiepoos looked good, the few bites I got before I ran into the dinner room were tasty, but by then I was starvin', Marvin! We got everyone in the reception hall & seated for dinner & I realized that soon I was gonna have to grab part of my 15 minutes of fame in front of 100 of Jessica & Dave's favorite people. I was still maintaining, but my feet were back on the ground. The tux coat was starting to get a little heavy.
Dinner went well. The steak at the tasting, three weeks earlier, was not very tasty, nevertheless, when someone offers me a 2 inch thick chunk of dead kuh, I'm gonna eat it! The actual reception dinner was almost as good as a hundred dollar steak at Morton's. But as soon as I was done eating (& it didn't take long with that chunk of cow!), I knew that the toast I had been thinking about for over 2 months was about to come due. I knew I needed to come in under 5 minutes, so that ruled out any giving of advice in the toast. I avoided giving advice, but acknowledged that there just wasn't time for decent advice in the toast. All present were appreciative. I talked about the strong bond between a father & a daughter. How special it was. I recognized the ceremony we had just witnessed and encouraged the bride & groom to look to themselves, their new families, their wide group of friends to work through the years of bliss coming. Dave's parent's have been married 30 years & Cheryl & I coming up on 27. They have a powerful foundation upon which to build.
I managed to keep the toast short & then I relaxed. My responsibilities that day were done! I had a few tips in my pocket, but the ceremony was complete! Everything had been perfect, my beautiful wife, my cool son, my beaming daughter, her happy husband, his happy friends, the grandparents, the friends, the weather, the circumstances, everything was perfect. I finally got to do my thing & work the room. I got lots of hugs from folks I knew & loved & those I knew not before. Everyone had a great time, appreciated the ceremony, loved the bride & groom & expressed their happiness. I was starting to get high again! ;-)
The next thing I knew, it was 10:30 and almost everyone was gone. I realized there were still a few beers in the keg, so I ran outside, grabbed a bunch of (25-30yo) kids & said "Gitchyer ass back in there & kill that keg, goddammit! They did & I did. We shut down & by 11:30, Cheryl & I were falling back into the tiny little queen size bed. We were sated. The day had been perfect. We knew it was perfect. We knew while it was happening it was perfect. We talked about it being perfect while we watched it being perfect. Beyond expectations. The culmination of a quarter of a century of blood, sweat & tears. It was such a beautiful day that no one cried.
Well, Jess cried a couple of times at the reception. I heard Dave was close to tears once, but he maintained! ;-) Everyone else just radiated!
It was a perfect day.
Love,
Trent
d00d,
The wedding was perfect, actually, the entire day was perfect. From the minute I finally rolled out of bed, around 9a, until I fell into bed just before midnight, it was one of the most perfect days of my life.
The entire wedding party had spent Friday night in downtown Denver at the Adams' Mark Hotel. After a couple of quick run throughs of the ceremony with the dignitaries, we met up at the Spaghetti Factory. Almost 20 folks in the immediate family & wedding party, and every one thoroughly enjoyed each other's company at dinner. Jess & Dave showered everyone with thoughtful gifts. It was a perfect presage to the following day.
Later that night, I hung out with the friends of the bride & groom down at the bar. There was a pretty cool white funk band with a black lady lead singer. They were decent, but then I'm a sucker for live music. The best thing about hanging out with young folks is they haven't heard any of my jokes, so I can go on almost all night & seem really funny & cool. Or at least it seemed that way. I was in bed a little after midnight & slept like a rock, until the morning would no longer be stayed.
I went out on the 16th Street Mall for some breakfast & cash. I returned to an awakened queen with a present of her favorite Starbucks' drink: Venti Soy White Mocha, no whip. As I finished my morning ablutions, I began to sense that it was going to be a perfect day. There was no whiff of stress in the air. The day was cool & cloudy, but not cold. The air had a hint of humidity in it, unusual for Denver, but not uncommon. In fact it was a typical fall day, just 3 weeks early.
I had just finished with the monkey suit when Cheryl realized she had forgot the wine of which she wanted to share a glass with Jessica as they got ready for the wedding. It was a suggestion from a good friend of hers, who married her daughter off the year before. For a split second panic seemed ready to burst through the seams, but I remembered we were in a hotel & told Cheryl to just order room service & not worry about it. Swooooosh, serenity restored.
Chris & I met up in the hallway. He had picked out the tux style for us & the only person at the wedding that looked sharper than me was Chris. Damn fine suits! I kept flashing on Spike Lee & Denzel Washington strutin' down the street in their zoot suits at the beginning of Malcom X. I was totally jonesin' on a serious helmet, like 18 inch diameter brim, min! Man, we made those suits look good!
We went down to the lobby to direct the honored guests to the limousine. I asked Dave & his to be down ready to go by noon & they were there. You could tell there was a dog the previous night, but the dog just got a few nips in, no serious bites. After the second time the limo left without the boys, I was starting to feel bad. I peeled off a twenty & told the groomsmen to get a little hair of the dog that had bit them last night & they were gone like scalded cats. When Dave came back down, I told him they were in the bar & was kind enough to show him where it was. Dave ordered a short bloody mary & i ordered a single shot of my daily drinker, Maker's Mark. The bartender had already succumbed to the wiles of the groomsmen. She made Dave a 16oz bloody mary & poured me the stiffest 3-finger shot I ever saw. As the drinks came across the bar, the limo pulled up. Dave & I hit the drinks hard, but neither one of us made a dent. It was purely for show.
Chris had gone with the first load & was directing folks at the Denver Botanic Gardens. I took the next to last limo over & Cheryl made sure that all the girls were ready when the last run was made at 1:30 to bring Jess & her bridesmaids over. I tried to take pictures, be a gracious host & generally maintain. It seemed like I was maintaining, but I was sure that pretty soon folks were going to notice that my feet weren't touching the ground. No one ever said anything, so I guess no one noticed I was high! ;-)
Around 2p, I got the word that everyone was in place & Jessica was coming around the back of the venue. When I picked her up, I had a fleeting thought of meeting a blubbering, I mean a total, mascara dripping wreck. At least, I had steeled myself for that as one of several possibilities. What I found, back behind the wall, was a beautiful woman, totally in the moment. She was beaming like the sun & I suddenly understood why the sun had hidden behind the clouds that day, because Jessica could light up the world that day. I stole a quick peak at her feet & sure as shit, her feet weren't touching the ground either. I just smiled at her & she smiled at me, like so many times before, all the way back to when she smiled back up at me just 2 minutes old.
As we walked towards the venue, she observed that everyone would be looking at her. I told her that everyone would be looking at her with love & her challenge was to absorb all that love & channel it towards Dave. She hugged my arm & I walked her down the aisle & gave her away. Actually, the question was "Who presents this woman?" Which set a lot better with all three of us, Cheryl, Jess & me.
The ceremony was beautiful. Dave threw in a line that added a touch of silliness & romanticism. I thought to myself that poor Jess ended up loving most a man that had some of my strongest, yet most questionable traits. I was very proud of her. I really appreciate the man she has chosen. Not just for how he reminds me of me, but also for how different he is from me. Funny how that works.
After the ceremony, I knew I was gonna get ripped off, because like Colin, "I feel like I'm walking round, a ten feet tall". We did the picture thing & I flashed back on every wedding I had been in since Cheryl & I took each other's picture at her sister's wedding in 1976. Yeah, baby, we've been smoochin' for over 30 years! Dig that! Anyways, I followed the Higgins around & got some great shots, based on watching & mimicking the photographer. By 4p, they were exhausted & needed to catch the limo back to the hotel. They were really glad to get the F lenses out of their faces.
Chris, his friend Katherine & I rode the last ride back to the hotel & got there around 5p, just when the reception was supposed to start. Chris is an amazing man. He was totally engaged in the ceremony. He stepped up & helped where he saw opportunity. He had great ideas & he treated everyone with whom he came into contact with the greatest respect! You just can't imagine, unless you take the best of Cheryl & the best of me & mix it in with a totally repressible double dash of the weird, one dash from Cheryl & I respectively. He was totally zen-like, moving things along without pushing, making guests feel welcome effortlessly, totally surfing through the whole day. He was the essence of cool.
By the time I got to the hotel, the reception was underway. I could barely hug some of my friends, with the ten or so little details to wrap up. Nothing major, just details & I had a beer in my hand, so coo. The snackiepoos looked good, the few bites I got before I ran into the dinner room were tasty, but by then I was starvin', Marvin! We got everyone in the reception hall & seated for dinner & I realized that soon I was gonna have to grab part of my 15 minutes of fame in front of 100 of Jessica & Dave's favorite people. I was still maintaining, but my feet were back on the ground. The tux coat was starting to get a little heavy.
Dinner went well. The steak at the tasting, three weeks earlier, was not very tasty, nevertheless, when someone offers me a 2 inch thick chunk of dead kuh, I'm gonna eat it! The actual reception dinner was almost as good as a hundred dollar steak at Morton's. But as soon as I was done eating (& it didn't take long with that chunk of cow!), I knew that the toast I had been thinking about for over 2 months was about to come due. I knew I needed to come in under 5 minutes, so that ruled out any giving of advice in the toast. I avoided giving advice, but acknowledged that there just wasn't time for decent advice in the toast. All present were appreciative. I talked about the strong bond between a father & a daughter. How special it was. I recognized the ceremony we had just witnessed and encouraged the bride & groom to look to themselves, their new families, their wide group of friends to work through the years of bliss coming. Dave's parent's have been married 30 years & Cheryl & I coming up on 27. They have a powerful foundation upon which to build.
I managed to keep the toast short & then I relaxed. My responsibilities that day were done! I had a few tips in my pocket, but the ceremony was complete! Everything had been perfect, my beautiful wife, my cool son, my beaming daughter, her happy husband, his happy friends, the grandparents, the friends, the weather, the circumstances, everything was perfect. I finally got to do my thing & work the room. I got lots of hugs from folks I knew & loved & those I knew not before. Everyone had a great time, appreciated the ceremony, loved the bride & groom & expressed their happiness. I was starting to get high again! ;-)
The next thing I knew, it was 10:30 and almost everyone was gone. I realized there were still a few beers in the keg, so I ran outside, grabbed a bunch of (25-30yo) kids & said "Gitchyer ass back in there & kill that keg, goddammit! They did & I did. We shut down & by 11:30, Cheryl & I were falling back into the tiny little queen size bed. We were sated. The day had been perfect. We knew it was perfect. We knew while it was happening it was perfect. We talked about it being perfect while we watched it being perfect. Beyond expectations. The culmination of a quarter of a century of blood, sweat & tears. It was such a beautiful day that no one cried.
Well, Jess cried a couple of times at the reception. I heard Dave was close to tears once, but he maintained! ;-) Everyone else just radiated!
It was a perfect day.
Love,
Trent
24 September 2006
BBC NEWS | US report says Iraq fuels terror
BBC NEWS | US report says Iraq fuels terror
First the UN says torture in Iraq is 'worse after Saddam', now the National Intelligence Estimate says that the so-called war on terror is actually increasing the threat of terror! So, HeBeGeeBee2 has actually created a war of terror and a war for terror! If our pitiful Congress goes ahead with proposed legisation to exempt government employees, e.g. HeBeGeeBee2, Rummikens, et al. from the War Crimes Act of 1996, then there is really no recourse from anywhere in the world for the heart-breaking tragedy HeBeGeeBee2 has wrought upon the world. It's a sad state of affairs. Never have so few been able to wreak such destruction on so many.
First the UN says torture in Iraq is 'worse after Saddam', now the National Intelligence Estimate says that the so-called war on terror is actually increasing the threat of terror! So, HeBeGeeBee2 has actually created a war of terror and a war for terror! If our pitiful Congress goes ahead with proposed legisation to exempt government employees, e.g. HeBeGeeBee2, Rummikens, et al. from the War Crimes Act of 1996, then there is really no recourse from anywhere in the world for the heart-breaking tragedy HeBeGeeBee2 has wrought upon the world. It's a sad state of affairs. Never have so few been able to wreak such destruction on so many.
Mind Hacks: Brain dissection video tutorial
Mind Hacks: Brain dissection video tutorial
I kid you not! This link is a blog I follow on My Yahoo because they track lots of interesting things about the brain. Following the link on the Mind Hacks blog will take you right to the dissection videos which are linked via little pictures from the dissection videos. Note, this is not for the squeamish, weak of heart or those who might otherwise relate more to the cadaver than the information! :-)
On the otherhand, if you wish to see a real dissection, this is the link for you! I have only been able to watch one so far, the one about opening up the spinal column.
I'll watch the brain dissection video after I get over my cold & can have a nice stiff bourbon!
In the meantime, "Beware, your brain may no longer be the boss!"
I kid you not! This link is a blog I follow on My Yahoo because they track lots of interesting things about the brain. Following the link on the Mind Hacks blog will take you right to the dissection videos which are linked via little pictures from the dissection videos. Note, this is not for the squeamish, weak of heart or those who might otherwise relate more to the cadaver than the information! :-)
On the otherhand, if you wish to see a real dissection, this is the link for you! I have only been able to watch one so far, the one about opening up the spinal column.
I'll watch the brain dissection video after I get over my cold & can have a nice stiff bourbon!
In the meantime, "Beware, your brain may no longer be the boss!"
11 September 2006
Duffy's Tavern
Duffy's Tavern
BTW, stop in when you get a chance and check out my buddy Marty's blog. It is always an interesting dialog with Marty & if he posts any pictures, that's double bonus, because he's a great photographer!
BTW, stop in when you get a chance and check out my buddy Marty's blog. It is always an interesting dialog with Marty & if he posts any pictures, that's double bonus, because he's a great photographer!
Count Down Special Comment on Bush's speech
CountDownSpecialCommentBush512K.mov (video/quicktime Object)
This guy doesn't pull any punches, but he doesn't go in for the kill either. It's nice to see that some one is actually clearly stating the abuses of power of the Bush regime on nationwide media.
This guy doesn't pull any punches, but he doesn't go in for the kill either. It's nice to see that some one is actually clearly stating the abuses of power of the Bush regime on nationwide media.
16 July 2006
It Was An Epic Day For an Epic Hike
"It was an epic hike on an epic day!" exclaimed Jackrabbit Slim for the ninth or nineteenth time on the way down from the North Arapahoe Peak. I call him Jackrabbit because he's fast up & down the trails. I call him Slim because he's not. The logical contraction J'im, is his name,
so it all fits together poetically, not including the reference to Pulp Fiction.
It really was an epic day. We drove out of Boulder around 7:45 in the morning as the temperature rapidly climbed to over 100 degrees F. We managed to keep in the cool until we arrived at the Fourth of July trailhead just before 9a. We started at about 10,210 feet above sea level and hiked a little over 2 miles up to the base of South Arapohoe where we were at about 12,700 feet. More or less, for every two steps, we were stepping up almost a foot from 9 until 11:30.
The wildflowers were incredible. I saw more Columbine blooms
in one day than I have ever seen in my life! We saw 16 marmots, but that was mostly on the way down. Even though it was obvious flowers were starting to die, there were signs that last weekend's two days of rain had revived every single plant on the mountain. The colors were vibrant.
The first part of the trail is below the treeline & the path through the pines was cool and shady.
When we came in full contact with the sun above treeline, we were still cool and refreshed, in spite of the grade. At the end of the tundra, we were looking up at a 700 foot vertical scramble up a 1500 foot bed of talus to the top of the South Arapahoe peak at 13,397 feet above sea level. That scramble took almost another hour and we were at our first major milestone, South Arapahoe Peak. 
The plan was to ascend to the south Arapahoe peak and then traverse the ridge between them to the north Arapahoe peak which is at nearly 14,000 feet above sea level. (This might be a good time to mention I live in a neighborhood called "Arapahoe Ridge" and as I drive or bike into work every day, I see the Arapahoe ridge!) We left the south peak a little after 12:30p and started across the ridge. Although from my house the ridge looks fairly smooth, up close it was obvious that some real mountianeering skills might be required.
While coming up the talus base to the south peak involved choosing what might generously be termed paths, starting out around the ridge to the north peak was just walking across large rocks with the goal of maintaining or slightly increasing altitude. It was a fairly precarious hike with fairly disasterous consequences, but Jackrabbit Slim had been there before and was a conscientious, careful & concerned guide for which I regularly expressed my (literally) undying appreciation! We walked past 2 glacier fields, which are landmarks visible from where I live & work. It was a little strange standing on top of a glacier that fell away over 600 feet at a grade of over 80%, but we took each other's pictures anyways.
About halfway there, I had to ascend a slab of rock about 10 feet high with no casually discernable or significantly useful outcroppings. It was basically just a 10 foot high slab of granite. I still don't understand how Jackrabbit Slim got up there
, but when he offered to pull me up, I grabbed his hand, pulled with all my might, got a knee up on the rock (scraping & scuffing) and sat down beside him. I was intensely aware of my rate of breathing. Between altitude & adrenaline, I was grateful for every molecule of oxygen sweet mother earth could provide. And speaking of sweet mother earth, I realized I was over 13,400 feet above sea level on a rock platform about 6 feet wide and 9 feet long and it wasn't completely level. There was a patch on the west end of the platform, about 4' x 6', that was sittable, so I sat there and announced my decision that I wasn't going any further. That decision came from some deep and primeval part of my brain. There was no logic or rationality associated with that decision. As I looked north towards the next steps and saw big boulders with a drop of indeterminite height on a knife edge of 80% on one side down glaciers and 65% on the other side down a boulder field, the logical parts of my brain confirmed the decision and I continued to sit.
Jackrabbit Slim had talked for years about this hike and it was a big one for him. He had only gone across the ridge successfully once before, having been turned back by thunderbolts & lightning (very, very frightening!) and having to scamper back down. I knew how big it was for him to get to the north peak, so I told him to go on, I would wait right there. I had previously informed him that I would only go as far as I was comfortable and I had gone significantly beyond that point! He promised to be to the north peak in 30 minutes, eat his PBJ (with Udi's bread) and then head back across. I repeated my promise to wait right there and encouraged him to reach his goal. He walked, almost hopped, down the big boulders and out of site. He reappeared on the knife edge and within minutes had completely disappeared from sight.
While the rational side of my mind was fully committed to sitting right there (right there!), it was exerting every Jedi mind trick in the book to prevent the primeval part of my brain from running away, literally.
Here was the mind-body instance of Trent sitting on the continental divide which was really just a rock pedastal 10' above it's supports, the aforementioned 80% & 65% slopes to the east & west respectively. There was only one short way down and that was down a 10 foot, 85% slope slab of granite. Fortunately, the intellectual side of my mind won control of my body and I continued to sit, for the entire 2 hours it took Jackrabbit Slim to get back. I moved occassionally: I got food out of my Camelback, I put a windbreaker over my crossed legs when I felt the sun beginning to bake them, and I occassionally turned to look in a different direction, although I wanted to keep an eye on Jim, in case I had to start down by myself.
His 30 minute trek to the north peak took almost an hour, with interminible 10-20 minute chunks out of my line of sight, although from my vantage point I could see for scores of miles in almost every dicection. When I looked at the map and realized my butt crack was pretty much exactly on the continental divide, it was only the rational side of my mind that was able to acknowledge the signicifance of my position and that the emotional side of my mind would eventually appreciate that fact, once it (my emotional side) had been resuscitated, nay resurrected.
Jackrabbit Slim took his own sweet time (seemingly) and was back at my perch at 3:30ish. In the interim, I had come to strong grips with my acrophobia (fortunately) and was now prepared to figure out how to get off my perch. (Much later, literary referencial capability returned to my brain & I was able to compare my position to that of Drool Rockworm at the beginning of Lord Foul's Bane). Once again, Jim excelled as a guide and a friend, descending first and either offering advice as to placement of limbs or actually placing them, a literal lifesaver! Back on the large rocks at the base of my platform, I was very disconcerted to realize that finding the path back was almost as difficult for Jim as it was for me. But after an hour of painstaking pathfinding, we were back at the South Arapahoe peak and this time, we had it all to ourselves! The summer afternoon thunderheads had not yet developed and we had a very close sun (pity the fools down only a mile high and 100 degrees) and a very cool breeze. It was 4:30pm and we had to scramble down 700 feet of much more than less trail-less rock. I managed to get way below the trail, and it was only Jim calling to me that led me to maintain enough altitude to avoid disaster (only the slightest of exaggerations there)! Finally, by 5:30 we were back on the tundra and a real discernable trail! As my literary sense began to return, I decided tiggers don't like honey & trents don't like scrambling!
The walk down was great, although the sun baked my calves. As previously mentioned, there were marmots galore. Some were brave, others correctly cautious, but all were fat with beautiful pelts. It made me think back that over 150 years before, the mountains were full of beavers. The flowers were still spectacular as we walked down, although many had closed up shop for the evening, pulling in their petals like awnings in a hot middle eastern village. We were back to the trailhead a little after 7p, and Jackrabbit Slim said for the tenth or twentieth time: "It was an epic day for an epic hike!" I heartily concurred!
so it all fits together poetically, not including the reference to Pulp Fiction.It really was an epic day. We drove out of Boulder around 7:45 in the morning as the temperature rapidly climbed to over 100 degrees F. We managed to keep in the cool until we arrived at the Fourth of July trailhead just before 9a. We started at about 10,210 feet above sea level and hiked a little over 2 miles up to the base of South Arapohoe where we were at about 12,700 feet. More or less, for every two steps, we were stepping up almost a foot from 9 until 11:30.
The wildflowers were incredible. I saw more Columbine blooms
in one day than I have ever seen in my life! We saw 16 marmots, but that was mostly on the way down. Even though it was obvious flowers were starting to die, there were signs that last weekend's two days of rain had revived every single plant on the mountain. The colors were vibrant.The first part of the trail is below the treeline & the path through the pines was cool and shady.
When we came in full contact with the sun above treeline, we were still cool and refreshed, in spite of the grade. At the end of the tundra, we were looking up at a 700 foot vertical scramble up a 1500 foot bed of talus to the top of the South Arapahoe peak at 13,397 feet above sea level. That scramble took almost another hour and we were at our first major milestone, South Arapahoe Peak. 
The plan was to ascend to the south Arapahoe peak and then traverse the ridge between them to the north Arapahoe peak which is at nearly 14,000 feet above sea level. (This might be a good time to mention I live in a neighborhood called "Arapahoe Ridge" and as I drive or bike into work every day, I see the Arapahoe ridge!) We left the south peak a little after 12:30p and started across the ridge. Although from my house the ridge looks fairly smooth, up close it was obvious that some real mountianeering skills might be required.While coming up the talus base to the south peak involved choosing what might generously be termed paths, starting out around the ridge to the north peak was just walking across large rocks with the goal of maintaining or slightly increasing altitude. It was a fairly precarious hike with fairly disasterous consequences, but Jackrabbit Slim had been there before and was a conscientious, careful & concerned guide for which I regularly expressed my (literally) undying appreciation! We walked past 2 glacier fields, which are landmarks visible from where I live & work. It was a little strange standing on top of a glacier that fell away over 600 feet at a grade of over 80%, but we took each other's pictures anyways.
About halfway there, I had to ascend a slab of rock about 10 feet high with no casually discernable or significantly useful outcroppings. It was basically just a 10 foot high slab of granite. I still don't understand how Jackrabbit Slim got up there
, but when he offered to pull me up, I grabbed his hand, pulled with all my might, got a knee up on the rock (scraping & scuffing) and sat down beside him. I was intensely aware of my rate of breathing. Between altitude & adrenaline, I was grateful for every molecule of oxygen sweet mother earth could provide. And speaking of sweet mother earth, I realized I was over 13,400 feet above sea level on a rock platform about 6 feet wide and 9 feet long and it wasn't completely level. There was a patch on the west end of the platform, about 4' x 6', that was sittable, so I sat there and announced my decision that I wasn't going any further. That decision came from some deep and primeval part of my brain. There was no logic or rationality associated with that decision. As I looked north towards the next steps and saw big boulders with a drop of indeterminite height on a knife edge of 80% on one side down glaciers and 65% on the other side down a boulder field, the logical parts of my brain confirmed the decision and I continued to sit.Jackrabbit Slim had talked for years about this hike and it was a big one for him. He had only gone across the ridge successfully once before, having been turned back by thunderbolts & lightning (very, very frightening!) and having to scamper back down. I knew how big it was for him to get to the north peak, so I told him to go on, I would wait right there. I had previously informed him that I would only go as far as I was comfortable and I had gone significantly beyond that point! He promised to be to the north peak in 30 minutes, eat his PBJ (with Udi's bread) and then head back across. I repeated my promise to wait right there and encouraged him to reach his goal. He walked, almost hopped, down the big boulders and out of site. He reappeared on the knife edge and within minutes had completely disappeared from sight.
While the rational side of my mind was fully committed to sitting right there (right there!), it was exerting every Jedi mind trick in the book to prevent the primeval part of my brain from running away, literally.
Here was the mind-body instance of Trent sitting on the continental divide which was really just a rock pedastal 10' above it's supports, the aforementioned 80% & 65% slopes to the east & west respectively. There was only one short way down and that was down a 10 foot, 85% slope slab of granite. Fortunately, the intellectual side of my mind won control of my body and I continued to sit, for the entire 2 hours it took Jackrabbit Slim to get back. I moved occassionally: I got food out of my Camelback, I put a windbreaker over my crossed legs when I felt the sun beginning to bake them, and I occassionally turned to look in a different direction, although I wanted to keep an eye on Jim, in case I had to start down by myself.
His 30 minute trek to the north peak took almost an hour, with interminible 10-20 minute chunks out of my line of sight, although from my vantage point I could see for scores of miles in almost every dicection. When I looked at the map and realized my butt crack was pretty much exactly on the continental divide, it was only the rational side of my mind that was able to acknowledge the signicifance of my position and that the emotional side of my mind would eventually appreciate that fact, once it (my emotional side) had been resuscitated, nay resurrected.
Jackrabbit Slim took his own sweet time (seemingly) and was back at my perch at 3:30ish. In the interim, I had come to strong grips with my acrophobia (fortunately) and was now prepared to figure out how to get off my perch. (Much later, literary referencial capability returned to my brain & I was able to compare my position to that of Drool Rockworm at the beginning of Lord Foul's Bane). Once again, Jim excelled as a guide and a friend, descending first and either offering advice as to placement of limbs or actually placing them, a literal lifesaver! Back on the large rocks at the base of my platform, I was very disconcerted to realize that finding the path back was almost as difficult for Jim as it was for me. But after an hour of painstaking pathfinding, we were back at the South Arapahoe peak and this time, we had it all to ourselves! The summer afternoon thunderheads had not yet developed and we had a very close sun (pity the fools down only a mile high and 100 degrees) and a very cool breeze. It was 4:30pm and we had to scramble down 700 feet of much more than less trail-less rock. I managed to get way below the trail, and it was only Jim calling to me that led me to maintain enough altitude to avoid disaster (only the slightest of exaggerations there)! Finally, by 5:30 we were back on the tundra and a real discernable trail! As my literary sense began to return, I decided tiggers don't like honey & trents don't like scrambling!
The walk down was great, although the sun baked my calves. As previously mentioned, there were marmots galore. Some were brave, others correctly cautious, but all were fat with beautiful pelts. It made me think back that over 150 years before, the mountains were full of beavers. The flowers were still spectacular as we walked down, although many had closed up shop for the evening, pulling in their petals like awnings in a hot middle eastern village. We were back to the trailhead a little after 7p, and Jackrabbit Slim said for the tenth or twentieth time: "It was an epic day for an epic hike!" I heartily concurred!
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