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Tying the Knot

Since my last entry, too many things have happened to even describe. However, one huge event has taken place. Here is my version of the event followed by Carrie's version: His Version So we finally decided to tie the knot. Carrie and I made it official yesterday during an all day proposal. Here’s the story: Carrie and I got up around 6 AM on the important day. Carrie decided to head to an 8 AM yoga class, to which I eagerly encouraged. Of course, as you’ll find out, I had no intention of letting her attend the class. We went about our morning in typical fashion – coffee, OJ, cereal. After watching a little morning television, it was time for Carrie to head to her yoga class. At that time, the plan began to come into implementation. At that time, I told her that she couldn’t go to her class because we were going on an adventure. Surprisingly, she didn’t balk too much at this request as she sincerely seemed intrigued by this very strange request. I told her that the plan would be relayed to her by 930 AM and that she needed to be ready by that time. I received the typical “what should I wear?, what will we be doing?” questions. I indicated that normal clothing and shoes would be appropriate. The next hour and a half went by very slowly as my anticipation grew. Finally, 930 rolled around. At that time, I put my long-scheduled plan into motion. I told Carrie to head upstairs and look in my suitcase. When she did this she found a piece of paper and my GPS unit. On the note were some very specific instructions on how to operate the GPS unit and exactly what we’d be doing for the day. The instructions told her that we’d be using the day to drive around Colorado to some preloaded secret locations. I, as the driver, would only go to locations that she told me to go based on the GPS unit. If she didn’t say anything while we were driving I’d go straight. If she told me to turn, I’d turn. We left the house shortly after the plan became clear on the way to our first secret location. Carrie and the GPS unit led us to our first point, which ended up being Red Rocks Amphitheatre. For those of you who don’t know, this location is the first place that Carrie and I reconnected one and half years after first meeting at Greg and Kim Harris’s wedding. Once we reached the first location, another clue was given which directed Carrie to a hidden treasure box beneath her seat. Within the first treasure box was the original ticket to the concert that we attended on that reconnection night. Also inside the box was some reminiscent-type language that let us look back upon the last two and half years since that day. After hanging out at Red Rocks for a while, another clue was given which led us to our next secret point. It was a rather long drive to our next location, which turned out to be Boulder Humane Society, the place where we got what we consider to be the most perfect dog, Mesa. Carrie did a great job directing us without having a clue as to our upcoming location. Once we reached the kennel, another treasure box was provided. Inside this box were multiple memorabilia-type items which referenced Mesa: dog collar, dog training clicker, dog treats, and some Mesa dog tags. I think this was Carrie’s second favorite box of the day. You’ll find out about the favorite shortly. We hung out in Boulder for a bit and took a quick tour through the Humane Society to revisit Mesa’s old digs. When it was time to go, another clue was given which referenced our next location. Carrie used the GPS to guide us to our next point, which was the Golden Cliffs in Golden, Colorado. This is the location where Carrie and I first went rock climbing together. As I’m sure you’ve figured out the pattern by now, Carrie got a new treasure box once we reached this location. This treasure box was filled with a small section of climbing rope and a carabineer. The rope and beaner represented some mushy stuff that I won’t pass along to you. ? We hung at the cliffs for a while and played with the other member of our journey - Mesa, of course. When it was time for the next clue to be revealed, my stomach began to really turn some loops. The reason for these loops was because the next clue was leading us to our final destination – back to our house. As Carrie directed us back to our home with the GPS, I think she figured out where we were going. When we arrived at the house I instructed her to head in through the front door. And guess what……there was another small box awaiting us on the front stoop. This small box contained a glued-down key to our home. There was, of course, some meaningful language inside the box which told of the reason behind the key. The final clue located inside the box directed Carrie inside the house. As we entered the house, Carrie noticed the rather large wooden chest-type box on the coffee table. She knew what to do immediately. As she sat down on the couch and prepared to open the large box, my stomach was absolutely going crazy. She slowly opens the box to reveal the words, “Will You Marry Me?” in 3-inch wooden letters glued inside the felt-lined box. As she tries to take it all in, I’m fumbling for the ring which I had stuck in my sock at our last location. I showed Carrie the ring as she was screaming, “Yes!” I couldn’t have been more excited. I have to tell you a little bit more about the box and letters in which the proposal was ‘held.’ About two months ago I bought the box (pictures below) for 5 dollars at Goodwill with the hope that it could turn into the amazing box which was held in my minds eye. It did and then some. When I first starting working on the box during Carrie’s travel weeks, it was covered in about 25 layers of paint, stain, and other various unidentifiable layers. I hand stripped the box down to its original oak base. I had no idea that the box was going to be as beautiful as it turned out. After spending about 40 hours hand stripping, sanding the box, and restaining it with red oak stain, it was amazing. Now it was time to work on the interior. I had the 3-inch wooden letters cut and shipped from Utah. Upon each letter, I glued different mementos, items, and photos which walked through some of the history of me and Carrie. There were shells from Costa Rica, tickets from multiple events we’d attended, climbing rope, and some dog mementos, amongst other items. So, basically, when she read the all-important words, it not only requested her hand in marriage, but it also represented our history. All in all, I’m estimating that I spent about 60 hours on the big box, the small boxes, and all the planning. Thankfully, it all turned out well. After all was said and done, the day was great and everything that I had long imagined. Carrie accepted my proposal and I couldn’t have been happier. Thanks for reading my long-winded story. Our friends and family mean so much to Carrie and I. We can’t wait to share our exciting news with you in person very soon. Her Version As far as I knew it was any other Saturday. We got up earlier than usual. Scott walked Mesa and got breakfast going, and I got dressed for my yoga class. At around 7:45 I got up to grab my keys, my mat, and head out the door. Scott stopped me on the stairs and said, “You can’t go to yoga today… I have plans for us.” An hour later, I was “ready”… as ready as one could be when having no idea what to expect from one moment to the next. Scott sat me down and said, “We are going on an adventure. To get us started, I need you to go upstairs and open my suitcase. There is something waiting for you.” Inside the suitcase was a note accompanied by Scott’s GPS unit. “Wow, he’s not messing around,” I thought. The note instructed me to go outside, turn on the GPS, and find our “adventure route” for the day. Scott then explained that my job today would be to navigate from one location to the next, using the GPS as our guide. His job was to drive and listen… he would not be making any turns unless I told him. For those who have never used a GPS, this is basically like using a compass to get somewhere. So while the desired destination is set, the journey is completely variable. I would only appreciate this analogy 4 hrs later. Upon reaching our first destination, Red Rocks Amphitheater, I received an additional clue. I was to look under my seat and discover my first of 4 “memory” chests. I opened the little brown wooden box, and found it was decorated with the ticket stub and concert sticker from a show we saw together at Red Rocks two and half years ago. Inside was a note, commemorating the day when we first reconnected since meeting a year and a half earlier at Kim and Greg’s wedding. To honor the moment, we threw a Frisbee in the parking lot… just as we had while tailgating at the show years before. The note in the memory box also contained instructions to access the next set of coordinates. I set the GPS and we were on our way. 20 miles later, we reached the Boulder Humane Society. This is where we found the second love of our lives… our new puppy Mesa. We brought Mesa in to visit her old stomping grounds, and I received another memory box and a note. The box was decorated with a duplicate set of Mesa’s dog tags, her collar, a training clicker, and a few of her favorite treats. I also got new note, which started with, “Aren’t we lucky? We found each other and then Mesa found us” (Ok, so you are either a) rolling your eyes and wondering how our dog fits into what is supposed to be the most romantic day of our lives, or b) nodding your head in full acknowledgment. If you fall into option b and do not already own a dog, you darn well should). Another set of instructions, another programming of coordinates, and we were on to our next destination, 15 miles south. This one turned out to be the Golden Cliffs, where Scott and I first rock climbed together. This time the memory box was decorated with a climbing rope and carabineer. The rope to represent the bond that ties us, and the beaner to protect us when we are apart (ok, so you are either a) rolling your eyes or … well, let’s just move on…). We broke for lunch before heading to our final destination. Truth be told, our lunch stop at our favorite neighborhood sushi place could have easily been one of our “spots” (I would learn later that it was an early candidate, that had been cut for timing). We fueled up, and got back on the road. Once we jumped back on Wads and the GPS brought to light the fact that our final destination was exactly 3 miles and almost exactly due north, I had a strong feeling I knew where we were heading. 10 minutes later, we were back where we started. Or perhaps more accurately, four hours and ten minutes later. It was the home we had shared for the last year and a half; where we shared many memories, laughs, and lessons on “how to live with a boy / girl”. There was a small box on the front steps. This one had a single key, and another note. I was to walk through the door I had walked through hundreds of times before. I walked through the door, thinking to myself that I would never walk through that door as quite the same person again. I moved through to the open space in the living room… it was if the rest of the room melted into the background. My eyes focused in beautiful stained wooden chest. It was gorgeous. I looked to Scott He gestured for me to open it. I heard no noise… everything fell silent, as a slowly opened the lid. The contents of the box came into focus … the photographs, the memorabilia, the beautifully decorated letters forming four words, Will You Marry Me. I sighed, and smiled. I then turned my head to Scott in perfect timing to see him bend to one knee, and draw out a little velvet black box. He took out the ring… I took in its beauty and thought to myself, I will have this on my finger for the rest of my life. Scott then asked me to marry him. I, in the most composed and graceful moment of my life, whispered “Yes”. So… if you feel satisfied with this ending, you are welcome to stop here. Or you can read further and choose what you think the REAL ending is. Like on Scooby Doo. I walked through the door, and tripped over my own two feet. After recovering, I looked around for a minute, and then turned to Scott and looked at him like, “Ok, now what should I do”. Then he reminded me that I was supposed to “look around” for my next “clue”. So I turned toward the open space to the living room, and there it was sitting, as obvious as can be, mockingly, as if to say, “eh hem, over here Nancy Drew”. It was a beautiful wooden stained chest. It was gorgeous. I sat down on the couch, looked at Scott, and then opened the box. I looked straight into the bottom of the box, and saw the letters “Marry Me?” Then chaos set in. Suddenly there was this loud noise (me screaming), which was distracting from the scene playing out in my peripheral vision (Scott bending on his knee, pulling out a velvet black box), which further distracted me from the realization that the box – the wooden one - contained more letters (i.e. .WILL YOU Marry Me?) and each letter was wonderfully decorated with pictures, and memorabilia (climbing ropes, Costa Rican sand and sea shells, chopsticks, dog collars, concert stickers). Just as I was beginning to venture the notion that my boyfriend had a secret talent for arts and crafts, and simultaneously attempt to muster up a vision of him surrounded by glue, paint brushes, felt and photographs cut precisely to the shape of the letters with the help of an Xacto knife – it happened. Scott was on his knee asking me to marry him. Funny enough, neither of us can remember exactly what he said. I think we were both overwhelmed by the moment. I said yes, we talked, we laughed, we cried (I was still trying to bring my my heart-rate down…). I then immediately picked up the phone and called my mom. Alright, that’s not true either (sorry Mom). We savored the moment. I looked at my beautiful proposal box. Scott told me how he had found it at a thrift store, and spent months restoring it. We looked at my ring. I had not looked at it for the first 15 minutes it was on my finger (now I have to force myself to not stare at it). We talked about how many times we thought we would actually use the term “fiancé”. If you think about it, you really only use that term when you introduce your significant other to a stranger. We talked about how we might put ourselves in the path of some unknowing stranger to be our pawn (this has yet to happen, as of this writing). We talked about how insanely happy we were, and the fact that we can’t wait to spend the rest of our lives together. Then I called my mom. Incidentally, screaming runs in the family. Thanks to all those who kept things a secret in the spirit of helping Scott with his plans. And thanks to those who took the time to read our story and share in our special day.

May 4, 2008

Costa Rica and Tahoe

Since my last entry, Carrie and I have been on two amazing trips: Costa Rica and Lake Tahoe, California. The first trip to Costa Rica, January 18 through 27, was absolutely beyond words. We are in the final stages of producing our Costa Rica webpage. Hopefully, it will be done in the next few days. About two weeks after we got back from Costa Rica, Carrie and I flew out to Sacramento to see our friends Matt and Melissa Pruden. Matt has been my friend since we were in high school. We skied two days at Kirkwood Ski Resort. Prior to our visit, the Lake Tahoe area had been experiencing one of the most dry winters in the last 100 years. Fortunately for us, it started snowing the night before we arrived........and it never stopped. Before we left, Kirkwood had received approximately 43" of new powder. We had a great time playing in the deep powder for two days. We didn't take that many photos, but here are a few:

February 20, 2007

Costa MoFo'n Rica
That's all there is to say.

January 17, 2007

Winter Ascent

On Sunday, Joe and Alissa, and Carrie and I completed a winter ascent of Squaw Mountain, elevation 11,486 feet. Kim was along on this adventure too, but had to turn back near the summit as her dog Duke was starting to get some dangerous ice crystals forming on the pads of his feet. This ascent was mine and Carrie's first real opportunity to try out our new snowshoes. The ascent was rather easy, only requiring about 900 feet of vertical gain over 1.9 miles. However, there were some major winds whipping that day. I would estimate that they were blowing at 40+ miles per hour at the summit. As expected, our snowshoes performed perfectly. It's great to have another activitiy to do, besides skiing, during the winter. We had a great time. To see the few photos from the ascent, click here. The previous night, Carrie had arranged for she and I to have a nice dinner to celebrate my 29th birthday. Following dinner, our friends, as seen below, joined us for a few drinks. I appreciate all these peoples' friendship. They are good people.

(from l to r): Me, Carrie, Greg, Stacy, Erik, Robyn, Kim, Joe, and Alissa

January 9, 2007

Blizzards of and Goodbye to 2006

As was highly publicized on the national news, Denver got two rather large snow storms during the last few weeks of December. Unfortunately, the mountains didn't get their fair share of snow. During the first storm, we received a little bit more than two feet of snow in about 36 hours. Carrie and I were basically immobile within the house because you definitely couldn't drive anywhere. Here are a few pictures from around our house:

Thankfully, Carrie and I were out-of-state for the next storm, where we received another foot of powder. Last night was New Year's Eve, for which we celebrated greatly. Carrie and I went up to Evergreen for the night and what turned into the early morning. We had a great time with our friends. The party was actually a theme party where each person or couple had to dress up like a city, country, or state and then bring a food and drink representative of that place. Carrie and I chose Nashville, Tennessee as our city. We dressed up as Johnny Cash and June Carter, brought Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey, and some bombastic baby back ribs. Click here for the abundance of photographs taken at the party.

January 1, 2007

A Third Thanksgiving and Tree

So that Joe and Alissa could have some much-desired Thanksgiving leftovers, they decided that they were going to have their own Thansgiving dinner on Dec. 2. Thankfully, they invited me and Carrie over for dinner. Upon arrival, Joe and Alissa were prepping the bird. It was definitely looking good. Prior to dinner, Joe and Alissa surprised me with a new rock hammer, every geologists best tool, and new business card holder. They are great friends. For my safety, or maybe for theirs, they also got me some safety goggles for when I'm swinging my new hammer. The safety goggles were just for fun, but I of course had to try them on:

The next morning, me and Carrie, Greg and Kim, Erik and Robyn, and Joe and Alissa got up early for a Christmas tree-cutting adventure. We made our way down towards Deckers, Colorado, an area ravaged by the Hayman and Buffalo Creek fires of 2002. Fortunately, there were enough trees for us to cut down. In case you are wondering, cutting down smaller trees is actually a help to the forest service. Cutting down these smaller one thins the forest and ultimately reduces the chances for a large-scale fire. The eight of us walked into the forest to find the right tree for our homes. Carrie and I finally found one, an approximately 9-foot tall Ponderosa Pine. It's a little thin of branches, but that's ususally what you are going to get from a natural tree. The forest trees are definitely not as thick as the ones that you go and buy at a tree farm.

After all of us had cut down our trees, we proceeded back to the cars, had some hot cider and pumpkin bread, and got the trees tied down. After we left the cutting site, we proceeded to the nearby chili dinner at the local fire station and to snap a photo with everyone's favorite bear, Smokey. After leaving our chili (and chilly) lunch, we began the trek home. Well, that didn't last long as Greg and Kim's tree decided that it wanted to stay in the forest and flew out of the back of their truck. Obviously, we all pulled over to help him retrieve the tree. Joe and Alissa, whose vehicle Carrie and I were riding in, pulled off the side of the road. As soon as the car hit the ice-covered shoulder, we slid off the road. We didn't slide too far, but far enough to get thoroughly stuck in the snow. Thankfully, with everyone being in the holiday spirit, a fellow tree-cutter stopped, hooked up a tow-rope to the car, and yanked us out of the ditch. It was a comedy of errors.

December 9, 2006

Scott A. Wisher, P.G.

Last Saturday, I received the registered letter in the mail indicating that I had passed the second and final portion of the Professional Geologists licensure exam. This is a huge deal for me: it increases my billing rate, it will increase my salary, and it makes me only the second P.G. in my office. To make the understatement of the year, I was going crazy when I read the letter. It's a lifetime licensure, so I never have to take those damn tests again. My mom arrived from Indy yesterday for Thanksgiving. We almost immediately headed to Howard and Karen's house and then up to Greg and Kim's. We had a great time at both, but I really thought I was going to be sick from the over-indulgence of turkey, casserole, rolls, and pie. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.

November 24, 2006

D.T.M.S.G

Wow, it's been a long time. I do, however, have great excuses. Since my last entry in August, I've been in the following states: Illinois, Connecticut, West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kansas, Montana, Arizona, Nevada, Nebraska, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa. There's definitely plenty to talk about. For Labor Day, I went out to Connecticut to see Carrie and her family. As always, we had a great time visiting with the family. On the actual holiday, Carrie and I drove to the extreme northwest part of the state for our second attempt of the Connecticut State Highpoint, the south slopes of Mount Frissell, elevation 2,380 feet. This time, we came prepared with a better map and my GPS unit. We were determined to not be turned away this time. After a 1.5 mile hike with 900 vertical feet of gain we attained the summit of Connecticut, my ninth state highpoint and Carrie's second. While the State Highpoint was very exciting in my quest for all 50, nothing could compare to the excitement of The Decision. You ask what decision I'm sure. Well, it was the decision that Carrie and I were going to finally remove this 2,000 mile gap from between us by her moving to one of the most beautiful places in the world (IMHO), Colorado. Wow, what a decision, we both thought. Neither of us have lived with anybody else for at least 5 years, let alone a significant other. Of course, since we take pictures of almost everything we do, we had to take a photo of the exact moment we made this decision:

After one more day in Connecticut and breaking the good news to our parents, I made my way back to Colorado. My life for the next month, after the recent excitement, was much less so. That's because I had to really buckle down for The Test, i.e. - the upcoming Professional Geologists exam in Laramie, Wyoming. Basically, for the next month or so, my life revolved around studying. I couldn't get enough of Bowen's Reaction Series, transgressive and regressive seas, and my favorite subject (truly), groundwater contaminant transport. As of today, I haven't received the results of the test, but I'm feeling pretty confident. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. As a stress reliever after the test, I drove the 1.5 hours to the Nebraska State highpoint, Panorama Point, elevation 5,434. Isn't this what everyone does to relieve stress and relax on a Friday night?

Well, one week after completing the PG test, I flew out to Philly to commence The Move. Carrie had already packed up the majority of her stuff in the CRV and Uhaul trailer and driven it from Connecticut down to Philly. After taking my first commuter train to a station near her house, we proceeded back to continue the packing mission. After a few hours of additional packing, we were ready to head to Colorado. After a much-needed nights rest, we arose at 5 AM to begin the trek. We got on the road around 6 for the approximately 1,730.37 mile drive, but who was counting? On the first day, we made it all the way to Terre Haute, Indiana near the Indiana - Illinois border. We could have made it farther, but we had stopped for a few hours in Indianapolis to see a few family members and friends for dinner. Once we reached the hotel, we passed out instantaneously. Even though we didn't do a damn thing except get some extensive window time that day, we were exhausted. Another earlier rise the next morning and we were back on the road. Our goal: Hays or Colby, Kansas. We made it Hays, which turned out to be a hellish long day. But we made it. Not too much to report except that asphalt is black and road signs are green. Our next morning was an exciting one, because we know, barring any unforseen obstaces, we'd make it to my house in Littleton. By 1 PM, we had made it. Unfortunately, we didn't have any minions to unload all of the stuff. Therefore, we became the minions. For the next few hours and all of the next day, we unloaded, hung photos, and rearranged the house. The house looks great now, but we both had to make some compromises as to what was going to be hanging throughout the place. It's great for her to be living here.

One of the first things that Carrie got to experience after her arrival was The Show, put on by rock god, Trey Anastasio. This show, performed solo and acoustically at a local record shop, was amazing. There were about 400 people there just grooving to some acoustic guitar woven by Trey. Not much to say other than this: totally f'n sick. Too bad the pictures were a little blurry from the weird lighting.

And finally for the night, let's talk The Goose, part deuce. The Goose, aka Vegoose, is a great musical festival in Las Vegas that was begun last year. Once again, we went with our great friends, Greg and Kim Harris, of whom's wedding Carrie and I first met. Once again, Vegoose was great and we had a great time. First day highlights include Damian Marley (stole the show), The Raconteurs, Medeski Martin and Wood featuring Maceo Parker, and Jurassic 5. While the first day was quite spectacular, the Goose revolves around the second day. This day we saw Galactic, the aforementioned Trey, Phil Lesh, Mike Gordon, and Widespread Panic (the band I'm enjoying at this exact writing moment). Once again, Vegoose turned out to be a great time. We stayed at the Imperial Palace with their sweet Dealertainers in a room straight out of the 70's with shag carpeting and all. A few of our Vegoose photos are below, or click here to see them all.

November 13, 2006

Vegas, Pike, and the Devil

I made it back alive from Las Vegas. Overall, there is not too much to report from there. Thankfully, no one got arrested, but a few people tried their hardest. Basically, we drank a lot. This was my first vacation with my long-time Indiana high school and college friends. We are going to have to make this a yearly trek to unknown destinations. Click here to see our Vegas photos, all taken by Ang.

After a whirlwind trip to Vegas, I made my way back to Denver. I was here for a few, flew down to Phoenix for work, and then returned to Denver. Carrie was waiting for me when I arrived. She and I spent the first few days of the weekend lounging around and went and saw Pirates of the Caribbean II, which I do recommend. On Sunday, she and I, and Joe and Alissa summitted Pikes Peak, elevation 14,110 feet, the easternmost 14er in the U.S. It was Carrie's highest point of her life. We parked at the Devil's Playground trailhead at approximately 13,000 feet and hiked the remaining 3 miles and 1,100 vertical feet to the summit. Pikes is one of two mountains in Colorado that has a road to the summit, and is also the El Paso County highpoint, my 18th such location. Due the touristy nature of this mountain, we were, by no stretch of the imagination, the first people at the top, despite the fact that we were the first hikers to summit that day. There's actually a gift shop at the top with thousands of overpriced items. Joe and Alissa brought along their dogs, Quill (below) and Ann, for their first big hike. They were a riot with their coats and backpacks strapped on.

Following our descent back to the car, we summitted nearby Devil's Playground, the Teller County, Colorado highpoint, my then 19th county highpoint. From there, there were some amazing views of Pikes and the surrounding mountains. Here are the photos, mostly taken by Carrie.

August 28, 2006

A few new highpoints to talk about

Since my last entry, I've completed four new highpoints: two Colorado counties and two states. Two Sunday's ago, Joe and I summitted Long's Peak, the highest point in Boulder County, Colorado, and the highest point in Rocky Mountain National Park, elevation 14,255 feet above sea level. We completed just over 5,200 vertical feet over 7.5 miles. It was an asskicker in every sense of the word and set a new personal best for vertical completed in one day. We started at the trailhead at 2 AM, summitted at 8 AM, and returned to the car at 1 PM. The pictures can bee seen here. This past Sunday, I again awoke early (4 AM) to drive out to "summit" Mt. Sunflower, the highpoint of the State of Kansas, elevation 4,039 feet above sea level. While not physically challenging, it was nice to get in my 7th State highpoint. Those pictures are here. After summitting Mt. Sunflower, I drove the five hours into the western extreme of Oklahoma in order to summit Black Mesa, elevation 4,973 feet. This was actually quite a long hike of 8.4 miles, but only about 700 feet of vertical. I completed the roundtrip to Black Mesa in about 2 hours 15 minutes, just in time to avoid the largest storm I've ever been driving through. It scared the crap out of me. There was lightning everywhere, close enough to make the radio crackle every time it struck. I was mostly driving on gravel roads that are not normally maintained, therefore, they easily became flooded. I was doubting that I was going to get out of there and back to a paved road without sending my car into the ditch. The pictures from Black Mesa including the storm and some cows I ran in to along the way can be found here. The day following Black Mesa during my drive back to Denver, I stopped at my 17th Colorado county highpoint in Lincoln County, elevation 5,960. While quite uninteresting, this highpoint gets me one step closer to completing the 64 Colorado county highpoints. Lincoln County photos are here. There will be no highpointing this weekend, as I am proceeding down to Las Vegas for a weekend with my high school and college friends: Ryan and Angela Kirkendall, Matt Pruden, Steve and Tracie Pruden, Andy Taylor, Jeremy and Jill Vaughn, AJ and Sarah Piga, Stephanie Buchenberger, and of course, Carrie (she's not a high school or college friend.....but we let her come anyway :) Debauchery to the nth degree is about to commence.

August 15, 2006

Hooping Master
Yes, I can hoop. Click the video.
Video: Doing the Hoop	Download Windows Media Player

August 2, 2006

I can't believe how long it's been

It's been over 5 weeks since my last blog entry. In the last five weeks I've done so much that I don't think I'll remember it all to write about on here. Near the end of June, I went to Connecticut to visit Carrie and her family. After that, she and I went to Newport Beach, Rhode Island to celebrate Robyn's birthday. Unfortunately, it rained every day during the trip. Literally, I don't think the sun came out one time in the five days we were there. While I was in Connecticut, Carrie and I attempted to summit the Connecticut State highpoint. Unfortunately, due to lightning, heavy rain, and heavy underbrush, we were unable to locate the highpoint before we had to go. Following the CT/RI trip, Carrie came out here for 9 days over 4th of July. We had a great time, but were pretty busy the entire time. On July 1, we went whitewater rafting in the Arkansas River beneath the Royal Gorge, the highest suspension bridge in the world. During Carrie's time here, we went climbing two times with Joe and Alissa and went to a party at Greg and Kim's new mountain house in Evergreen. The day of Carrie's departure, Joe, Tim, Adam, and I attempted to climb Long's Peak, the Boulder County highpoint and one of the most difficult 14ers to climb in Colorado. It rained on us the whole time. We made it about 4 miles in and had to turn back. I'd show you the pictures but my camera got so wet that it hasn't turned back on since. Great. Well, since I've waited so long to update this, Joe and I will again attempt to summit Long's on Sunday. We are planning on being at the trailhead at 130 AM and summitting by 10 AM. Hopefully, I'll be able to cross this county highpoint off my list before the sun sets on Sunday. Carrie was just here again for four days. We were supposed to attempt a climb of Lone Eagle Peak with Joe and Alissa. Unfortunately, due to their dog, Ann, being hit by a car they had to stay at home at watch here. That's fine, it's just a good thing that the dog is still alive.

August 1, 2006

Upcoming hikes
Tomorrow, I'm hiking the Mt. Democrat, Mt. Cameron (an unofficial 14er), Mt. Bross, and Mt. Lincoln combination, comprised of four named 14,000 foot peaks. I'll let you know how it is on Monday.

June 17, 2006

Dude, I got so high yesterday......

.....in elevation, that is. Joe and I hiked Mt. Elbert, elevation 14,440. This mountain has special meaning to me for multiple reasons. Here is the list of the criteria for which Mt. Elbert is the highest: the highest point I've ever attained, the highest point in Lake County, Colorado, the highest point in the Sawatch Range, and the highest point in Colorado. Furthermore, the criteria that I'm most awed by is that Mt. Elbert is the highest point in the entire Rocky Mountains. In addition, Mt. Elbert is the second highest point in the continental United States; second only behind Mt. Whitney of California. Pretty sweet if you ask me. The views from the top were amazing. From the summit, you could see the San Juan Range, the Gore Range, the Maroon Bells over 60 miles away, Mt. Massive, the second highest peak in Colorado, and La Plata Peak, the fifth highest mountain in Colorado.

To see the pictures from this hike, click here.

June 12, 2006

90th Running of the Indianapolis 500
Check out these videos from the race. I will add more tomorrow, including the pictures from Humphyrey's Peak, the highpoint of Arizona.
Video: Let's Go Racing	Download Windows Media Player	Video: Yellow Flag Restart

May 31, 2006

A Really Full Weekend
Too much to get into right now, but I went rock climbing for the first time on Saturday. Click here to see the photos. On Sunday, Joe, Alissa, and I hiked 12.2 miles to the summit of Bison Peak in the Lost Creek Wilderness. We got caught in a very scary lightning storm. Click here for the pictures. Too much information to form into words right now, will give details later.

May 15, 2006

Detailed Philly Account

I was much too tired a few nights ago to really delve into my vacation to Philadelphia, my first visit to the City of Brotherly Love. Here are all the pictures. Day 1 - April 27, 2006: I arrived at Philadelphia International Airport around 6 PM. Carrie was already there to meet me. We proceeded to Trader Joes, a mostly nationwide grocery chain which specializes in organic and naturally grown food. Unfortunately, we don't have this store in Colorado so this was my first Joe's experience. We bought the makings for our upcoming dinner of fish tacos made with orange roughy. After purchasing our wares, we headed to Carrie's rental house near Wayne, PA. The rental house, while small, is very nice and is located just outside Valley Forge National Historical Park. To get to the house, you must drive right through the Park. We saw at least 100 white-tailed deer eating in the fields next to the road. According to Carrie, this is not an uncommon theme. Here is a picture of Carrie's house.

Day 2 - April 28, 2006: This day was reserved for tourist-like activities in Philly. We got to downtown around noon and immediately proceeded to Independence Hall, the location where the Declaration of Independence and US Constitution were created. We toured exhibits in and around Independence Hall including the first Congress Building which housed the first US House and Senate. After leaving Independence Hall, we proceeded to the US Mint. Unfortunately, the Mint had closed just minutes earlier. Because of this, we proceeded down to the Betsy Ross house. Ms. Ross was commissioned to create the first American Flag by-then General George Washington. Following the Betsy Ross house, we proceeded to the Benjamin Franklin interactive musuem. There, we learned much about this great American. Ben had been a printer, author, founding father, and inventor who was revered by his colleagues (with the exception of Andrew Jackson). Following many hours of touring, it was definitely time for dinner. Of course, we were going to get Philly Cheese Steaks at either Geno's and Pat's. During our long walk to get some steaks, we came across a small little place called Ralph's. We decided to eat there instead. Little did we know that were about to engorge ourselves with pasta at the the oldest family owned Italian restaurant in the country. The likes of Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Dean Martin, and Tommy Lasorda have all eaten at Ralph's before. Basically, it's the real deal. No canned sauces in this joint. After a few more stops along the way to have some local beer, namely Yuengling, aka Lager, we proceeded home.

Day 3 - Highpointing: A strange hobby of mine in which you attempt to reach the highest point of some given object. This hobby started out as just the quest to reach the highpoint of each individual Colorado County. It has now spread to include the highest point of each individual state, of which I've completed three thus far. It's actually an amazing way to see the countryside from the plains of Kansas and Nebraska to the high peaks of California and Colorado. But I digress. My hobby is apparently rubbing off onto Carrie as she wanted to complete the Pennsylvania State Highpoint, Mount Davis, elevation 3,213. We set off for the highpoint around ten in the morning for what we thought would be a three hour drive, at most. Since we had so much time, as we thought, we stopped in the Pennsylvania Capital, Harrisburg, and toured the capitol building. Recently, this capitol building was voted by the Smithsonian Institute to be one of the most beautiful capitol's in the country. After touring that for a while, we continued our trek to Mt. Davis. Finally, at around 5 PM, we reached the High Point Trail, the path on which we would encounter the highest point in the State. After an easy 0.5 mile hike, we reached our destination, elevation 3,213. Mt. Davis is located in Pennsylvania Dutch Country in the southwest portion of the State. Ironically enough, we were only about 30 miles from where Flight 93 crashed on September 11, 2001. After enjoying the highpoint for a half hour of so, we made our way back to the car and back to Wayne, arriving around 1 AM. It had been a long day, but well worth it.

Day 4 - After a brutally long day on Saturday, getting up early was not an option. After finally awakening, we met Carrie's friend Danielle for lunch and a hike in Fairmount Park, a city park which boasts over 215 miles of trail. Despite the fact that you are right in the middle of an urban area, you would never know it. We were surrounded by large, old trees while we walked parallel to Wissahickon Creek. This day was very relaxed, but nice after the bustle of the previous few days. As my trip came to end the next day, I was disappointed for many reasons to be leaving so soon. Philadelphia is a beautiful city rich with history. Despite the great history, I'll be back to Philly for one reason, and one reason only, as shown below:

May 3, 2006

Philadelphia Vacation
Just got back from a vacation to Philly with Carrie. Too tired to write about it now, but here are the photos.

May 1, 2006

South Tarryall Peak
Went out for the first real hike of the year on Sunday. Adam, Allison, Alissa, and I went and climbed South Tarryall Peak, located in the Lost Creek Wilderness approximately 75 miles southwest of Denver. This map shows all the designated wilderness areas in Colorado, including Lost Creek:

Total distance of the hike was approximately 8.2 miles, with 1.5 miles of it being a dense bushwack. The hike was a little tough for the first of the year, but we all managed to make it through. It'll just make us better for the rest of the year; and what a year it is shaping out to be, with the following mountains on my schedule: Blanca Peak (elev. 14,345), Pikes Peak (elev. 14,115), Longs Peak (elev. 14,261), Lone Eagle Peak (elev. 11,920), and Mount Elbert (elev. 14,440). Click here to see pictures from this hike.

April 26, 2006

Body Worlds and Kickball

Yes, these two items are lunar opposites of each other being discussed in the same entry. Yesterday, I went to Body Worlds, the anotomical exhibit of real human bodies at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. It was absolutely amazing. The forms that these people have been shaped into are spectacular. You can really see what is happening inside our bodies which are comprised of an amazing conglomeration of nerves, arteries, bones, and muscle. The process that has formed these bodies is called plastination, which is a process that replaces water in the body tissues with fluid plastics that harden after vacuum-forced impregnation. Hardening the plastic in the specimens allows the bodies to be fixed into lifelike poses, which illustrate how our bodies respond, internally, to movements in everyday and athletic activities. It's really beyond words and I highly recommend seeing a nearby exhibit. Once again, the kickball season has started. It's very nice to be playing in the spring and summer as compared to the late fall. Plus, our team is much better this season. We've gotten rid of a few weak links this year. We currently have two wins and one loss. To check the current standings and other events related to the Western Alternative Sports Association, click here. Here is the team, minus one person:

(back row l to r): Ethan, Steven, Anthony, David, me, Adam, Justin (front row l to r): Christa, Zo, Allison, Tina, Melissa, Stephanie

April 16, 2006

New Happening's

Once again, it's been too long since I've updated this. And, once again, it's due to my ever-changing travel schedule. In the last month, I've been to Boise, Idaho, Liberal, Kansas, Pierre and Rapid City, South Dakota, and Little Rock, Arkansas. There's not too much good to say about Pierre and Liberal, but Boise and Little Rock are nice in their own rights. While in Rapid City, you are only about 30 minutes from Mount Rushmore and 45 minutes from Crazy Horse Monument. Of course, if you are close enough to these features, you must visit. I had been to Mount Rushmore three previous times, but had never visited Crazy Horse. I visited both these features during darkness, therefore, the pictures I took are basically crap. Check out the links if you've been living under a rock for the last 30 years and don't know about these monuments. I also made an attempt at the South Dakota state highpoint, Harney Peak. Unfortunately, at this time of year, access to the trailhead was not available by 2-wheel drive vehicle. In mid-March, Carrie came for the second month in a row for a ski trip to Breckenridge and Copper Mountain. She and her friend Shannon Spicer (more commonly referred to as Spice) had planned this trip about six months back. Therefore, we had quite the crew head up to the mountains for the weekend. Plus, it was St. Patrick's Day weekend, which just added to the debauchery. Click here for pictures from our ski trip. For the fourth consecutive year, members of Clayton Group Services have taken off the afternoon for the Opening Day of baseball, a Federal Holiday in my opinion. This year, we had five people go: myself, Kelsey, Tim, Adam, and Eric. The Colorado Rockies, while basically the laughing stock of baseball, do provide a pretty good time on Opening Day. And, in identical fashion to last season, managed to win the game in extra innings. However, while that was exciting, that proved to be quite lame compared to the next occurrence. A few hours after the game, we all went to Old Chicago to get food and watch the championship game for men's college basketball. While sitting there, we notice that Mark Grace, quite possibly the greatest Cubs first baseman in history, sitting just a few tables away. Needless to say, I'm very excited. Starting in 1988 (I was 10), Mark was the Cubs left-handed first baseman. He was a great hitter and fielder and will hopefully someday be in the Hall of Fame. He had more hits than anybody in baseball during the decade of the 90's. He is currently the color commentator for the Arizona Diamondbacks, the team whom the Rockies had played earler in the day. I had to introduce myself. I didn't pull the drooling fan nor did I ask for an autograph. I just shook his hand, we introduced each other. I told him that I hope he was enjoying our city. He said that he loved it here, and it was left at that. The best part about the whole situation was that no one knew who he was. He was so quiet on the field that he doesn't emit a personality that everyone remembers. Either way, it was a great thrill. Last weekend, at the first weekend of Sunsation, a Copper Mountain event celebrating the end of the ski season. I saw a band I had never heard of before, Particle. I thought they were really good, but only when they didn't sing. Thankfully, they kept their singing to a minimum. I recommend that you check them out.

April 6, 2006