Thursday, March 28, 2013

Ready or not we are off!

It’s the night before a yurt trip and I am anxious as always. Flash backs of food, poles, skins, beacons, gloves, sleeping bags, boots, and even skis forgotten by years of former yurt guests all cloud my mind with a thick fog of hesitation.  Then as if a long awaited breath to hungry lungs it is all clear again, this is a PRIVATE trip. The past years of preparing for such adventures have made packing into its own sacred ritual. Everything placed in my pack with care, sounding off a mental “check”.


 Then the thought of being engulfed by the wilderness exploring foreign terrain for the next few days brings with it a welcomed familiarity. My anxiety quickly gives into excitement. The list of lines I have been drooling over for years start piling up. Memories of giant beasts lurking in the vast nothing of the Bear River mountain range are clear as the present. I think of how many people before me stood in the same shadows of these giant mountains and were as awestruck by their enormity as I.


The excitement grows with each breath and now at the last second here it is... ready or not! We are leaving in a few hours. I just keep telling my self... This is living my dreams daily.

 




Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Home...

The mountains seem to manifest a calling within me more and more each year. I am tied over in May, June and July with my bike, big white water, and the cast of the fly. However come august the mountains begin calling, beckoning my presents. A longing, an ache, an indescribable urge, insatiable urge comes over me and I start wishing, hoping, praying for, and needing snow. Fall hikes are filled with “beta collection” for winter lines. My bike no longer becomes an escape but a means to train and prepare for the snow. It is the days between fall and winter that the majesty of the mountains is unveiled. As if every year she, Mother Nature, prepares herself for the rebirth. I feel like the dreams of deep fresh snow tend to bring deep self reflection, thoughts of the why we are drawn to the mountains with such a strong conviction. The sense of connection. To be so far from anything and feel completely at home. There is no feeling quite like putting in that last turn on a ridge the moment before you reach the summit. The entire journey she whispered to you her story. Views rush into you as fast as the air rushes into your lungs. The vastness of the white desolate world surrounding you is humbling. As I grow older the connection I share with my mother nature grows stronger. With each adventure she provides me, we grow closer; our love for each other thrives. She never ceases to amaze with her beauty, pristine vistas, and awe striking power. My hopes are for this to be a place where my hopes, dreams, goals, and wildest imaginations come to life and are showcased to be shown to the entire world. This is me living my dream daily….