Two months on expeditions in Asia, three months working in remote Western Africa, two months climbing in the Alaska range; enough rallying in 7 months to wear out even the most motivated among us. Back in the city, soothed with it's familiar pace, faces and sounds, it is easy to settle in, to give into the hipster attitude and to chill. But alas, for those of us in perpetual motion, the urban space only offers a temporary reprieve. So when a call came from Colorado offering what I sought, I bought a plane ticket.Blake was organizing a “Glacier Gorge Extravaganza” up to the heights of Rocky Mountain National Park. In short, a week of good friends eating good food, living under rocks surrounded by gorgeous granite. For the tribes of folks who chase the challenge of the wild mountains of the world, who put it all on the line for little in return, it is trips like these that give us the real rest that we need to keep psyched. We spend months scabbing by on scraps to keep the body fueled, searching through used books to keep our minds learning and pushing our bodies to discover new ground both physical and mental. But to head into friendly mountains with good friends to climb, is a true gift and offers a well earned rest. The others came with similar stories, from huge Patagonian towers to months under heavy school and work loads. In each of our minds we hold an ideal, and with our hands we sculpt how we would like to achieve it, we train, we work, we suffer and sometimes, we send. Everyone’s grail was different as was their method for finding it. But a week away was a reminder as to why we work so hard. To better know ourselves, those around us and the terrain we hold so dear. Refueled, we move back into the state of perpetual work and motion, as objects under newtons law we only slow when specific outside force is applied. But is weeks away like the GG Extravaganza supply such outside force and give us the breaks that we need to keep the dream alive. Huge thanks to Blake and Allison Herrington and Scott Bennett for organizing the GGE. Also thank you to Forest Woodward and Garrett Grove for their exceptional work with their cameras.
