Fun and Ease.

Lately, it keeps coming to my attention how easy I have it.  I don't say this, as if it is some happenstance over which I luckily rendezvoused with.  I have created a life of ease.  I have carved out an existence that is focused on seeking out and squeezing the fun out life.  I'm not really sure why one would do it any other way, but this blog is about me.  While I don't think seeking fun was my original, deliberate intent, it certainly is now and if there is anything I am committed to...fun and ease are it.

While both are on the positive side of the emotional spectrum, fun and ease might not be that close together.  In some ways fun can be far away from ease, as fun can be synonymous with adventure, new experiences, risk, putting oneself out there.  The path to fun is not always an easy one or at least not extreme fun.  Ease, bliss, simplicity are states that are more devoid of their opposite negative emotions or maybe that is just how I recognize them.  My life vacillates between ease and extreme fun.  Sometimes, especially when in the midst of extreme fun, I tell myself I can/want to sustain that forever, but, I have found that times or even seasons of ease can feel just as good and provide the contrast to be able to recognize and appreciate that more fun-filled times.  This winter, I experienced extreme ease.  

Robot in Paradise

Robot may have a boring connotation to some, but I do not find that to be the case.  I often enjoy being a robot.....because it is easy.  Robots are programmed with few and simple tasks and do not need to think for themselves.  While this may not sound appealing, I work seasonally, so is not something I could/or would want to do forever or even more than a few months at a time.

This winter I was forturnate enough to be a robot in the most beautiful place I have yet called home.  I was a lift operator in Crested Butte, Colorado.  I had previously only visited Crested Butte in the summer and since, it has been high on my list of places to live.  As the quintesential mountain town, Crested Butte is an optimal place to find extreme amounts of fun, but after a fall of outrageous non-stop fun, I was more in the mood for ease and bliss, and it delivered.  

I had the same job all winter (December-March), but moved half-way through.  The second half of winter was way more fun because of closer proximity to work and the town of Crested Butte, but the whole thing was easy.  The first two months, I lived 30 miles down the valley from the resort and rode a free bus both ways.  My quality of life dramatically improved with I moved up to Mt. Crested Butte, and found myself with three extra hours a day that had previously been spent commuting.  

The latter home was a five minute walk to our locker room that was 100 yards away from the lift I worked on.  This was the first time I have lived within walking distance of ski lifts.  It could not have been much easier.  The job itself was the robotic part.  After a few minutes anyone can operate one of the lifts, so the rest of the four months is a mental game of endurance and withstanding the ever-changing weather conditions.  While this was my sixth winter in a high-altitude mountainous environment, it was my first working outside, and apparently, I picked one of the coldest places in the US to stand outside all day.  

What seemed like those brief times, when it was warm enough to remove some of the 30 pounds of clothes, I was wearing, it was really an enjoyable (borderline blissful) job.  The views from my work stations were unreal.  While pictures can't do it justice, either can my words.

View from the top shack, where I worked once or twice a week.

Same view.

Although set in extreme conditions amongst extreme beauty, it turned out to be the most "normal" jobs, I've had in awhile.  Same time, same place, eight hours a day, five days a week.  While not something I want to make a habit of, I relished in the robotic experience and took advantage of the serenity of the winter to rest for what is next.

And what is next, if the past is any indication, is likely to lean more towards the extreme fun side of the spectrum.  After an a week long transition that included van-dwelling and mountain biking in the desert and traversing the Great Basin, I am back at the Stanford Sierra compound, gearing up for the spring conference season that starts tomorrow.  Life here is beyond easy and there is as much fun available as I am willing to suck out of this sweet little spot tucked in the Tahoe Sierra.

Summer Wrap-Up

Although I know there is plenty more summer weather to come, I have transitioned into the next phase and have left my carefree summer ways behind…yeah right.  Anyway to (semi-)briefly recap the summer: 

On July 1^st I woke up to the sound of snow plows.  I was sleeping on top of Loveland Pass, the coldest place along the way, after escaping Denver, which was experiencing uncharacteristic humidity at the time.  It wasn’t powder, but it was fresh and I snowboarded on it, as nearby Arapahoe Basin (ski area I happened to have a pass to) was still open.  I managed to get in a few runs before it got too soft and then passed through Leadville for the night to begin my planned loop. 

Fresh snow on July 1st on Loveland Pass

My only real objective for the summer was to do the famous Four Passes Loop in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness, which is in the mountains between Aspen and Crested Butte, Colorado.  Realizing (at the beginning of July) I still needed to give the high country a few weeks to dry out, I planned to keep myself occupied with lower lying trails and exploring the towns of Crested Butte and Aspen. 

And I did just that.  I ran on a lot of trails.  The first few weeks included hundreds of soggy stream crossings.  My friend and former co-worker Ben (who was also circling Colorado) met me in Crested Butte and joined me for a week and half.  After a couple more scenic and soggy runs and beautiful camping spots, we made our way to Aspen, which required us to drive down out of the high country into the fiery gates of hell for part of a day, reminding us how perfect summer up there is.  In the Aspen area we hit a bunch of popular trails including one leading to the ridiculously, amazing Conundrum hot springs.

Trailhead to Conundrum Hot Springs (near Aspen)

After Ben took off, I headed to the trailhead for the Four Passes Loop, where I parked for a few nights before starting the loop.  The loop is 25ish miles.  I decided to backpack the loop instead of running it in one day.  Although easily doable in one day, I thought I should take two days to go slow and take it all in.  I was happy with that decision and the decision to bring a camera, which I hardly ever do.  Definitely worth the extra weight this time.

Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness on the Four Passes Loop (near Aspen)

Next, I spent about a week in the actual town of Aspen.  Aspen was pretty happening after spending weeks out in woods.  I had a good time there.  Two friends, Lilian and Stephen, both of whom I know from working with at the Rainbow Lodge in Northern California, were living in Aspen.  It was great to see both of them and nice to have places to stay in the crazy metropolis of Aspen.  I also found a future live/work spot (where Stephen was living/working), right in downtown Aspen.  After I had enough of all that, I made my way back to the most authentic of mountain towns…Leadville.   

Leadville

Leadville is a special place.  It was the first placed I lived after leaving the Midwest (about 6 years ago).  I have lived in half a dozen other places and visited hundreds and have never found anything even remotely comparable to Leadville. 

In Leadville, I stay with my friend Wizard.  Aside from cooking and cleaning for Wizard, I spent most of time running on Leadville’s fun and windy eastside singletrack, laying low, and formulating my next move.  While spending a lot of time sitting on Wizard’s porch (that we built while I was there), I realized why I am so picky about weather.  Leadville spoiled me forever.  At 10,200’, the summers are perfection.  I have not found anywhere better…and I have been looking.  Dry and sunny with highs in the mid-seventies…everyday.  Then it completely cools off every night.  Very comfortable.

Wizard and Joe on this deck (that we built one afternoon.  We were both surprised it actually turned out okay.)

During my stay in Leadville, the town was a flutter with elite athletes (and spandex) as I was in there the three weeks leading up to the Leadville 100 mile mountain bike and 100 mile trail running race.  It is definitely inspiring to be around so many people who are there to compete at that level. 

Leadville during the 100 mile mountain bike race.

Home

I then made my way to Denver via the Frasier Valley (where I spent last winter) and spent a few days running and exploring the surrounding high country.  After a final morning run on Berthoud Pass, I flew to Chicago.  This was my first trip home in over a year and a half.  I kept pushing it back, because I knew I would be going for my high school friend, Rocio’s, wedding at the end of August.  The whole trip was awesome.  I had tons of fun with my family, finally got to see Katy and Doug’s house, spent time with my Grandmother, Kali came to visit me from Ohio, and Rocio’s wedding was a great time and something of high school reunion for me.  The whole trip was really fun and really busy.   And the weather was super mild.  Unfortunately, I didn’t get to visit half the people I was planning to, so I’ve decided (almost definitely) to spend the month of December there.     

Rocio at Burger King, right after her wedding ceremony.
(Picture by her husband, Abel)

Back to…Camp!

Just prior to leaving for Chicago, I applied for and got a fall seasonal job in Northern California.  Upon my return to Colorado I had one week to make it out here.  After retrieving Mama in Denver, I quickly made my way back into the hills.

On September 1, I again woke up on Loveland Pass, ready for the next phase.  No snow this time, but nice and blustery up there.  After breakfast with Wizard in Summit County and hitting all the sweet thrift stores in the Vail corridor, I slept on the Colorado/Utah border, before a huge push across Utah and Nevada the next day.  I took a new-for-me route across Nevada (RT. 50 instead of Interstate-80) and made it to Carson City that same night.  The next day I stocked up in Carson City and then made my way up to the incredible Tahoe Basin, where I spent three days running and swimming before moving into my current diggs.

Fallen Leaf Lake

I’m am currently back at the lovely Standford Sierra compound on Fallen Leaf Lake near South Lake Tahoe, California.  Since spending the spring of 2010 here, I knew it was only a matter of time before I made my way back to this special place.  It is an incredibly easy place to be, as work/home/play is all right here.  The hardest part is there just doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day to do everything we have access to.  So, until next time, I’ll be here, trying to do it all.

Into A Painting

Me being normal near Crested Butte.

I've spent the last three weeks of summertime bliss in the the high country of Colorado, near Crested Butte and Aspen.  While "regaling you with these wonderfully long-winded boring stories of banal minutia" is tempting, I will resist and let the pictures do (most) of the talking.

Conundrum Creek Trailhead (leads to SWEET hot springs).  Near Aspen.

My friend, Ben, teeing off on the Mt. Crested Butte course.

Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness, near Aspen

Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness

Same pond.

Maroon Bells