the fudgesicle set…
to the tub for cleanup…
roasting marshmallows…
I think I mentioned a long time ago that before we were even married, Adrienne and I would take pictures of our feet in memorable locations (usually on trips). I’m pretty sure this is the first photo with our four sets of feet…
Just a pretty pic of Jolee...
Back at the lake house...
Our trip to the Horton Bay General Store. Ernest Hemingway spent his summers in Horton Bay while growing up…
Jolee and Rover (in a bathing suit), relaxing on the store patio…
and berry pie à la mode…
A friend of Adrienne’s family generously gave us use of their lake house in Charlevoix, Michigan for a week in July. What a wonderful time it was! Don’t, however, be fooled by the photos; the water was freezing. Unfortunately, the water was way too cold for Jolee to take a dip. Nevertheless, June was one brave soul. She was a swimming fool.
Just arrived…
Time for some artwork on the beach…
At a beach on Lake Michigan. The wind was whipping and the water was in the 50s. Still a fun outing…
A beautiful scene. If you look closely, there’s a woman and her kids sitting in the surf. They must have been a family of Navy Seals. I don’t know how they could stand being splashed by ice water while simultaneously being battered by the wind…
Back into our happy little cove on Lake Charlevoix…
And back out…
Doesn’t she look toasty?…
A few weeks ago we had a really fun visit from my sister Katye and her fiancé, Tim. They arrived in town just in time for the lighting of Downtown Breckenridge.
Here we are with Ripperoo (he’s the mascot at the Breckenridge Ski School)…
Katye and Tim even watched the kids while Adrienne and I went out skiing together. Talk about a sweet deal.
Their stay was too short, just a weekend, but I think they'll be headed this way again before too long.
Although I’m really enjoying skiing, it highlights one of the things I like most about running: the simplicity. Even for the casual skier there is a lot of gear involved. The necessary gear for running, on the other hand, is barely more than decent pair of shoes. Of course, runners can complicate things with heart-rate monitors and altimeters, but that still comes nowhere close to the gear and gadgetry extremes of the skiing world; there are skis for powder, skis for groomers, alpine touring skis, telemark skis, XC skis, skate skis, etc. etc. etc. And they all have their own boots. Gadzooks, talk about an expensive sport.
Anyways, I’m still running. In fact, I just registered for the Leadville 100 Mile Trail Race in late August. Since we’re living at altitude and we’re surrounded by incredible trails, I figure this could be my best shot to complete this race (the low point of the course is 9,200 feet). My official training schedule started about two weeks ago and I’m off to a good start. Running in sub-zero temperatures reminds me of training for my first marathon seven years ago in the dead of a brutal Michigan winter. Any time the temperature crosses above 20 it feels balmy.
Between now and August 21st, I’m planning on running a couple 50k's and 50 milers. I’m hopeful that I can get some friends together to run the Grand Canyon rim to rim to rim (about 40 miles round trip) in April or early May. If Adrienne’s up for it, I’m also hoping to run the Garden of the Gods 10 Mile Run with her in June. It’s supposed to be incredibly beautiful, so if you’re in the area, give us a shout and perhaps we can get a group together.
On a geeky gear related note, if you’re running on a lot of snowy trails, head to your local hardware store and pick up some 3/8 inch sheet metal screws. At about $1 per shoe, a “screw shoe” is much cheaper than both YakTrax ($30) and Kahtoola Microspikes ($60) and outperforms the YakTrax by a longshot (I’ve never used Microspikes).
On a final note, I especially like the message at the bottom of the Leadville Trail 100 registration form:
You’re better than you think you are. And you can do more than you think you can.
Adrienne and I both agree, living in Breckenridge has far exceeded our expectations. We thought we’d enjoy it, but we’re really having a blast. We knew we’d like the summer months here, but we weren’t so sure about the winter months. Adrienne hadn’t skied in 15 years and I hadn’t skied in 20, so we were a bit apprehensive about hitting the slopes. Well, with unlimited season passes and unlimited lessons to our names, the apprehension vanished within a few days of the mountain opening for the season (the unlimited lesson package is a ridiculously good deal for locals. For the price of two group lessons, we get unlimited lessons for the entire season). Furthermore, a free bus comes by the end of our street every half hour and drops us off a few minutes later at the gondola; we can be up on the mountain skiing within 30 minutes of walking out of our house (not quite ski-in, ski-out, but pretty damn good). Adrienne and I also happen to ski at the same level, so we’re able to take classes together and enjoy the same terrain when we’re on our own. It has been so much fun, and the season is still very young.
Junie will likely be starting her quest for Olympic glory in the next few weeks. Trust me, she’s ready to go…
A week and half ago my friend Mike and I climbed to the summit of Mt. Quandary. Mike is a very experienced climber and had previously done the route several times. It’s considered one of easiest “14ers” (14,265 feet), but it was a much tougher and longer workout than I expected. We got on our way a little after 7am. It was a balmy six degrees below zero at the outset. Despite the frigid temperature, it was an absolutely beautiful day. Mike skinned up and skied down the mountain on alpine touring skis, while I split time between YakTrax and snowshoes. Unfortunately, both of our camera’s batteries died before a single shot was snapped, and my cell phone managed but a single photo before it called it quits (I guess rechargeable batteries aren’t too fond of sub-zero temperatures). Hopefully we’ll get out for more adventures this winter.
Here’s the only bit of evidence of our climb: Mike posing for a shot on the way up…
June looks out for her little sister. If they’re upstairs and Jolee comes within five feet of the stairs, June will put her in a bear hug and exclaim, “I saved Jolee!” She also does the same thing when Jolee gets near the cat food, although she was a little bit late this time…
On All Saints' Day, November 1st, Jolee was baptized at St. Mary Catholic Church in Breckenridge. Molly and Phil are Jolee’s Godparents, and they made the early drive up from Broomfield for the Christening. Deacon Jim Doyle performed a beautiful ceremony. We never found a parish in Denver that we really liked, so we feel especially blessed that our only local option, St. Mary, is such a nice church community.
