Finding My Groove

At 7,500 ft., the trailhead that leads into the Chicago Basin rest at the bottom of a 5,000 vertical foot rise that is stretched over a punishing 7 miles.  This 7 mile gut-wrenching hike ends in belly of one of Colorado's most scenic areas, the Chicago Basic.  The Chicago Basis rests in the middle of the Needle Mountains, and the beauty of these mountains lead one to believe that the hike ahead will be just as breath-taking as the view from the trailhead; it is; however, not all for the same reasons.

Oklahoma air and Colorado air don't have much in common, and every summer when I arrive in Colorado to make this same hike, I am quickly reminded of this as my lungs scratch and bite for ever breath.  My trip starts in Durango, Colorado where I board the Durango-Silverton train and take it high into the mountains.  A three-hour trip that tip-toes along sheer cliffs, rushing rivers filled with the summer's snow melt, and rows and rows of pines that stretch to the horizon leads me to the heart of the Needle Mountains.

Once off the train, the air is crisp, and the adrenaline is flowing, but it's not long before reality sets in; this is going to take some hard work.  For the next six hours, a forty-five pound pack digs into your shoulders while your quads feel like you've bathed them in molten lava. The air gets thinner and thinner, and the closer you get to the end the harder it gets. Really, the the whole thing is like some type of sick human tractor-pull, but as painful as it is, the pay-off is well worth it. The view from 14,000ft. is beyond description.

These trips to Colorado have meant a lot to me, and I have found that most of what takes place in life in general is not much different in terms of principle than my experience climbing in the Colorado mountains, one foot in front of the other until you reach the top.  For me, the progression of events that take place when heading up the mountain translate well to just about any endeavor.  The thing that I have found so helpful from my time in Colorado is this: the next step is that most important one.  In the mountains one step is worth quite a lot, and looking too far ahead or too far behind can have a severe penalty.