July 14, 2023
"ALL GOOD THINGS ARE WILD AND FREE."
From Walking by Henry David Thoreau
For those that were required to read Thoreau, you're likely familiar with a concept of his. To him, the good life required balancing the civilized and the wild, and his idea of nature informs his idea of liberty. There were many individual and social benefits that Thoreau found in the wilds. The wilds were a place where a person could discover and recharge oneself, furthermore, it is a place that allows for experimentation.
In today's world there are less "wild" places that are easily accessed. After all, much has changed from 1862 when Thoreau last saw America. Instead let us modify wilds to nature. In Colorado, we have great access to natural areas that are less frequented by individuals. We decided to take Thoreau's advice and head for the hills.
On drift location. Taken by Dave @daves_not_h3r3_man
On location photographing
Siding after golf ball sized hail
Reset
I needed a break.
I had camped at the track for a few days covering a drift event Then I headed to Endicott, NY for a client shoot that required me to be gone for 7 days. During my absence, Denver had a hail storm that wrought havoc across the metro area. Kristin had to deal with fallout of golf ball hail and high winds. Insurance will cover everything, so no harm. Everyone was safe and that's all that matters. It is funny, every time I leave the state for a client shoot, something has gone wrong at the house. The point to all of this, I needed to get out into nature to reset.
So Dean and I packed the Jeep up and left for the mountains.
After a short drive out of the city, we found ourselves on the side of a mountain overlooking a lush green valley. Colorado has benefitted from the large amounts of rain and everything is still beautifully green in the mountains. Yes, there are power lines in the view, but to my earlier point, there are less and less wild places. The air was fresh and we didn't have much traffic.
The campsite was an old tailings pile off a four wheel drive road. There aren't many spots on the mountain so we didn't have any camping neighbors. Our friends arrived later Friday and we sat and chatted the afternoon away.
We ate dinner and told stories around a propane fire pit. We've adjusted to using the propane fire pit instead of a rock-ringed fire pit because Colorado summers typically lead to fire bans. The propane fire pit allows us to still have a fire under certain stages of fire ban because it can be turned on or off with a switch. Regardless, Friday came and went.
Saturday our friends decided to go do a hike to an alpine lake. Dean and I instead decided to see where the four wheeling road would take us. The name of the trail was Argentine Pass. It was originally known as Snake River Pass to the wagons that were filled with miners crossing the mountain. The top of the pass is approximately 13,200' and there is parking at the top. We were lucky enough to have it to ourselves for a bit. I find that when on top of a tall mountain, I feel like I can accomplish anything, as if, there is no more hills to climb to get to the rewards. I suppose that's why emotions are often compared to peaks and valleys.
Stop and smell the flowers
There were wildflowers everywhere! Even in the high tundra, there were small flowers. I was reminded by Dean to not forget to stop and smell the flowers. I'll be honest though, they didn't smell like anything beside earth to me. Even so, it was nice to slow down and enjoy the littler, unnoticed things.
What's an adventure without wildlife
The high altitude is littered with broken rock, but the broken rock makes a habitat for the yellow-bellied marmot. I spotted several of the marmots at the top, but was unable to snap a decent picture. Dean felt like he had the worst luck, always looking where they were last seen. It wasn't until we were headed down that we stumbled upon a photogenic marmot. Sporting a robust body with a stout build, marmots display a striking combination of yellowish-brown fur and a distinctive yellowish belly, which gives them their name. These sociable rodents are highly skilled diggers, creating elaborate burrow systems that provide shelter from predators and extreme weather conditions. They are herbivorous animals, feeding mainly on grasses, leaves, and flowers. With their playful nature and curious demeanor, yellow-bellied marmots often captivate onlookers as they bask in the sun or emit high-pitched warning calls to alert their colony members of potential dangers. Victorious in seeing his first marmot, Dean commented that the "chunky dude" was indeed quite cute.
We found a nice parking lot to air up the tires. I raise the hood to let some of the heat escape easier as we air up.
This is my bag I keep easily accessible. You'll find a winch controller, air up hose, tire gauge, tie downs, bungies, zip ties. Anything that gets used often (air up supplies) or needs quick access (winch controller and gloves).
The KMC machetes have two valve stems. It makes it easy to connect the air and a tire gauge and let the tire fill. Filling all four of the 40" tires takes approximately 20 minutes to fill from 10psi.
I also have locking hubs on the Jeep that I have to disengage before going back on to the highway. The benefit is the front axles and driveshaft as left to not rotate, giving some rotating efficiencies. Yes, those efficiencies are immediately offset by weight.
Wrapping it up
For me, nature becomes a moment to capture, a canvas painted but never seen. For Dean, it becomes an endless playground limited only by the imagination. Wondrous moments that would often be overlooked become milestones to cherish. Both Dean and I came back tired, stinky, but better adjusted for the days the come.
Try getting out in nature. Try sharing it with someone that you appreciate. There's no better way to get to know someone that being around nature, disconnected from the world.
