"Confused By All The Choices"

"I grew up exuberant in body but with a nervy, craving mind. It was wanting something tangible. It sought for reality intensely, always (as) if it were not there. So I climb."  Letters From a Man, John Edwards

An Ordinary Hike on Lovely Ouray's Perimeter Trail

If ever in Lovely Ouray, the Perimeter Trail is a convenient hiking option with, well, lots of options. This 7 mile circumferential trail encircles town, undulating over 1500 feet through hill, dale, and forest, and can be accessed, or bailed from, at numerous points along the way...in case you get hungry, thirsty, tired, or an insatiable craving for a Scrap Cookie from Mouse's Chocolates.

Terra Firma Versus Terror Firma

As with overbearing mother-in-laws who overstay their welcome, winter extended its stay in Lovely Ouray till almost summer, and I believe the extra snow may have put a dent in the usual wildflower extravaganza. That, along with a recent hail storm that shredded a good deal of alpine foliage, means I've yet to score the "LSD high" normally associated with wildflower seasons in the Rockies...I'm talking the glaze-eyed bejeweled kaleidoscope 3D Imax version of Fantasia kind. The search is on!

Strange Dreams

Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure... than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat. Theodore Roosevelt

On "Mass Insignificance:" Thoughts and wildflowers along the way to Blue Lakes Pass

“As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods.
They kill us for sport.” King Lear, William Shakespeare.

"True Adventure," part II...On Fate, Destiny, and Random acts of Blindness

Picking up from the last post, Bobbie and I were studying the precipitous, sun-cupped slab of frozen snow that stood like a raised drawbridge between us and a 13er summit. Undeterred and un-deteoured, I ventured onto the ice in order to test its resilience against attempts to stomp/carve a reasonable path. They were promptly rebuffed, which hatched a kaleidoscope of butterflies in my stomach. I could feel toes trying to clench a grip on the snow through the soles of my boots. One slip and I'm a human bobsled, going for the "gold."

On True "Adventure;" Confessions of a Malcontent with holes in his Genes

It's easy to say I'm not cursed, that I am blessed: lucky in just having the chance to come...steal a moment in such a high place. Andy Kirkpatrick, Psycho Vertical.