I met a guy last night in a bar in Aspen. As we talked, we started to get to know each other a little and when we parted I said...
"I hope our paths cross again someday, its been great meeting you. You think you will remember me?"
He said....
"You bet I will.....If you hit me hard enough!"
How true huh??? Seems the most memorable moments in our lives are ones that not just gave us great pleasure, but those that cause us great pain as well... Pretty profound little statement from some ole mountain hippie! LOL!!
So we packed up most of our stuff (AGAIN) and moved up to Silt Colorado to a place that we had only seen in pictures, had heard things about that made us nervous (100 year old house....Has its issues....etc....) but we were offered a month to month lease, it had 10 acres and a barn, they would let us have all our animals and the most important part??? IT IS IN THE MOUNTAINS!!
When we said our goodbyes to my family in Colorado Springs, it was a strange emotional experience. I really didn't want to have to live with family to make this happen in our lives, but I am BLESSED with a wonderful family and we all love each other very much. As sad as it was to leave them, there was as much joy for the accomplishment and the fact that I was finally getting out of their house that left us in tears and laughter.
I cant say enough about my family.... They are truly special people and We are so fortunate to be so tight nit and caring for each other. My parents did a hell of a job keeping us all close and together!
The original plan was to have my parents, my sister, my brother in law, my daughter and maybe my nephew all help us move up to Silt. The more we thought about it, the more we realized this wasn't necessary so on Saturday, December 29th, at about 8:30 am, Donna and I loaded up in our vehicles, headed out east to pick up the horses, got them loaded and then started to head to the Mountains.
The majority of our stuff, 2 dogs, 1 cat, 3 horses and a stomach full of knots for our new adventure. It was a cold day and we were supposed to get snow on the mountain passes. As we got outside of Denver, the first hurdle showed up....The trailer brakes on the horse trailer were starting to go on and off... It was possible we wouldn't have trailer brakes on the passes (10k lbs....UUGH).
We discussed what we should do, and decided we would do it and just "gear down" the passes and see if we could make it. If you have not driven I 70 West from Denver, it doesn't take long for you to realize that you DEFINITELY aren't in Kansas anymore.
We made it through Eisenhower Tunnel and Down the backside of the pass into Summit County and the Keystone area. Its was slow going but it looked like we were going to make this with no worries.
Entrance to Tunnel
Hwy going into tunnel
A look at the tunnel and how much mountain it goes through
We made it to Vail Pass and then down into Vail, brakes still in tact and everyone safe and sound. Donna is a TRUE RedNeck and she drove that truck and trailer with her horses like a champ! Once we hit Vail, we knew it was smooth sailing from here!
This Canyon is AMAZING!
Back in the day!
Truly breathtaking!
The highway that goes through it is even cool!
I will be here in the Summer, THATS for sure!
As you exit the Canyon, this is the first thing you see; The Glenwood Hotsprings Resort and pool.
Donna was in her truck with a load, I was in mine with a load and for this trip, I had a LOT of "windshield time" to think about all of this.
This plan.....This DREAM, it was all coming together. We are now on the final stretch of making this dream a complete and total reality. Of course, we still have some hurdles in front of us, there is still a little insecurity, but all in all, this shit has come together JUST as we planned.
In spite of the nights apart, the desires to go back home, the moments of throwing our hands up and saying "SCREW THIS" has all come to a conclusion that we had envisioned. A plan we had made.... We TRULY stuck by our core beliefs and structure about making life work for us, through the most challenging of emotions and times, and we are ABSOLUTELY DOING IT!!
As many of you know, the asshole side of me is just one side....The sappy, big hearted guy is the other side, and I was teary eyed as I drove out of that Canyon and into Glenwood with my baby in my rear view and a new life out the windshield.
As you pull out of the Glenwood Canyon, almost immediately you see the thing that makes Glenwood famous....the Hot Springs! In the pics here, you will see the resort itself. There are three pools. They are all varying temps with the coolest at about 104 degrees. The other two are like 107 and 110.
The resort has been here for as long as I can remember and my parents took us here when I was a child. We are going to wait for a huge snow storm and make our first experience of the Hot Springs together something REALLY cool. I have a dream of sitting in that pool during a blizzard!!
Glenwood Springs is full of sights, history and amazing views! There are natural hot springs in various areas that you can hike to and get in and there are spots on the river where the hot springs feeds the river and you can go sit in those areas as ice floats by you. We are looking forward to checking those out.
Shoot, even the McDonalds is cool here!
Doc Holiday is buried here and you can hike to his grave and visit it. People do it and leave trinkets on his grave....cards, poker chips, whiskey bottles. Again, another "non snow" adventure we will be checking out at Spring Thaw.
As many places are in Colorado, the Rockies was full of mining towns, and this area is no different. There is much history about this area...And after driving here in a vehicle, and on paved roads, I gotta say, the adventurous spirits that drug themselves through the mountains to get to this place on horse and buggy?? Well, lets just say they had bigger balls than me, that's for sure!
Glenwood, and the surrounding towns are in what is known as the "Roaring Fork Valley" and all the towns are around the rivers here. They are as spectacular as everything else here. Cold, clear, full of trout and a sportsman's paradise. In this picture, you can see how Glenwood is snuggled into a valley.
There are river trips available and tons of areas to experience, hiking trails, mountain biking, back packing, lots of fly fishing...And no, the freezing water does NOT stop some enthusiasts (We saw this guy floating the river fishing, then later saw his boat in the parking lot....I think I will wait till summer!)
Silt is about 18 miles West of Glenwood. It sits more on the Grand Mesa than nestled in the cliffs and valleys of the mountains like the towns South of Glenwood (Carbondale, Basalt, Aspen). However, the mesas and canyons make for some of THE most spectacular sunsets and sunrises.
Our FIRST Sunrise from our front porch
Our first sunset from the back porch
Sun starting to set as we pull into Glenwood
Sun setting on Mt Sopris
Sunrise last week on the way to work
AMAZING Sunset!
Silt sits on a small mountain range that boarders the National Forrest and although you have the mesas out the front door, we still have some mountains out the back door. Silt is a REALLY small town of about 2k people and most live on 5-10 (and bigger) acres of property. Lots of horses and cattle and you are DEFINITELY in the Country living here!
As we pulled up to our little house, we were met by our landlords parents. This is a VERY typical ranch couple....Lyle and Sarah. Been here for 20-30 years and if you have met "Ranch Folks" you know this couple. Lyle is a funny, gruff, cuss like a sailor kinda guy and his wife is the sweet, soft spoken, caring, loving personality....DEFINITELY just good ole country folks.
When we got here, there was about 6 inches of snow on the ground....Since we have been here, that has not changed much. Our little house is definitely off the beaten path and our closest neighbors are a few acres away. The property is beautiful and perfect for the horses..... The house??? well???
Its very cute... Its 100 years old, has some add ons, is drafty, cold and needs quite a bit of work....But for us? We LOVE quirky old rent houses. They have character, history and they are always an experience!
The Spread
Our backyard
The bedrooms are pretty small and our king size bed takes up one of the bedrooms COMPLETELY. the house has NO closets (I guess you didn't need closets 100 years ago) and has one propane style heater that was designed to warm the dining room and kitchen. We are living off space heater heat for sure!
When we got here, there was no running water (hurdle 2) and it seemed like we might have to stay at a hotel our first night. We got lucky and the well guy showed up to fix the water.
After watching that guy work out here in the snow, in 4 degree weather, I understand the meaning of "Colder than a well diggers ass" What a miserable ass, cold job....Reminds me why I didn't want to do manual labor for a living!
We were able to get the water running and got the horses all unloaded and then we went to check out the house and see what needed to be done there.
I personally love the little place. I wouldn't own it, but to rent it, its PERFECT. It did take us a full day to get the house warm enough to walk around in jammies in, but it is definitely a house, with a view, and the property we need so we are staying for a while.
We were able to get the horses out in the snow and surprisingly, they LOVED IT!!
As some of you know, we were concerned with what it was going to take to get THREE horses here so at one point in this move, we tried to find a couple of the old guys homes. To my amazement (yes, that is sarcasm) my wife couldn't find anyone to take the horses, so they HAD to ALL come with her.
The paint horse and the white horse (Dandy and Pixie) they didn't know what to think of the snow, but our old racehorse Noah, he came from the North East and he was revisiting an old friend when he saw snow...HE LOVED IT!
As you can see, it dint take them long to get settled in and roll around in the snow. The had a little spunkyness to them when their feet hit the ground!
There is a specific time in the evening when the sun sets and it really looks like God is shining a flashlight up the valley...The light bounces off the cliffs and bends through the valley...It is BREATHTAKING!
Noah, we found, he likes to watch the sunsets. He will even stop eating and walk to the barn door and stand mesmerized as he watches the sunset...Almost frozen and he just stands there and watches it...People who think horse are just animals and don't have souls??? Well you are all WHACKED!! They GET IT! Noah is quite the cool old man!
The sunsets here are just incredible. As the sun sets on one valley, it will light up another and when you see Mt Sopris at sunset, you will understand that there is a God...WOW!!
From my house to where my office is, I get to drive up the South Canyon into Glenwood every morning. In the two weeks or so we have been here, we have seen three Bald Eagles. One was just standing on the ice in the river and we were able to get a picture.
Two mornings in a row I saw Bald Eagles...One followed my up the river as I drove for a little while, and another morning one flew passed me as I drove up the canyon. AMAZING!!
The wildlife here is pretty amazing too. We were concerned when we left Kerrville that we wouldn't have deer in our yard again. We left a herd of about 14 white tails in Texas. After unloading our trucks and making enough noise to raise the dead, these guys showed up and at one point were 10 yards from us.
I started to walk towards them to get pictures and it hit me pretty quick how significantly larger Mule Deer are than White Tails... If one decided I was too close, these guys could really hurt you!
Things were unfolding nicely as we unpacked and settled in. We are less than a half a mile from the National Forrest....About 1.5 miles from a reservoir and surrounded by BLM land.... There are Elk, Bears, Mountain Lions, geese, ducks, turkeys.... We are DEFINITELY out in the sticks here...And its JUST our speed!
National Forrest just a few miles from the house (can you see the blue reflection on the snow from the sky?? WOW!!)
I started my new job and really like it. I met my staff and so far, we seem to all get along well. My office is in West Glenwood Springs and every day that I walk to and from my car, this is my view!
We have made sure that on just about every free moment we get, we are looking around the area, seeing sights we have heard about and just taking in the new surroundings. We took a day and just drove around and made a trip back into the National Forrest....SPECTACULAR!
Storm rolling in
We took a night and went to Doc Holidays pub in Downtown Glenwood Which use to be called the Crystal Palace Saloon. We met some of the locals (Very colorful) and met a few visitors.... A really cool bar!!
If you look at the old pic below, we sat right where the two guys in white shirts were and had drinks and some grub.... Colorado, Rocky Mountain Oysters...NOM!!!!! If you don't know what they are, don't ask; you dont want to know!
We are waiting for a storm to do the hotsprings but one of the things I wanted Donna to experience was Aspen and what a Ski Town is like. She has never really experienced that, and Aspen, although it is one HELL of a ritzy place, it is DEFINITELY a Bad Ass Ski Town!
So, on 1-12-2013, we decided to go to Aspen, catch the Gondola to the summit, have some grub, some drinks, check out the views and watch the Broncos get beat by the Ravens...Sad day for football, GREAT day for us!
As we pulled into Aspen (and I wish I had a picture) the first thing we see is some 30 year old girl, blonde, wearing tight, spandex type pants, tan leather boots with a tan fur coat, hair all done did, big ass sunglasses, walking a dog that looked JUST LIKE HER!! Oh yes Toto...we are DEFINITELY in Aspen!
I have often stated that the only difference between eccentric and crazy is MONEY and after spending a little time in Aspen, you will find that to be a truth.
When we got to Aspen, it was friggin COLD!! It was about 5 degrees, the wind was blowing a little and there were storms rolling in and out of the town. It was REALLY cold! We were not "clothing prepared" to be walking around Aspen.... Which is a shame, because downtown Aspen, the outdoor mall there, its pretty damn cool! Oh well, save it for another trip!
We went to the ticket office, got two tickets to ride the gondola to the summit (29.00 a piece) and then jumped on the Gondola.
About halfway up...Aspen looks cool even from here!
I have been to my fair share of ski towns, and although they are all pretty cool, Aspen in unique in the fact that you can ski from the summit, to the base, pop your skis off and be 2 blocks from all the nightlife, dining, and shopping you want. Aspen is a VERY cool ski town!
Downtown Aspen
We rode the gondola to the summit and took some pics at the summit...
The dark clouds are just one of the snow storms that rolled in.
We got to the lodge, watched the first half of the game, sat near the fire, took some cool ass pictures (BREATHTAKING PICS) and then at 4:00pm, they shut down the summit house and you have to ride back down the mountain.
The snow this year, so far, has been horrible, but for as bad as it has been, Aspen didn't look to bad in regards to a snow base. Not the greatest mind you, but not bad! If we dont get snow soon, its going to be a rough year for Colorado, draught and wildfires!
Wouldn't have mattered either way to me that day....It was DAMN cold and I was glad I was not on skis on this day!
We came down from the summit and ended up at the Mall, freezing our asses off, looking for a place to watch the rest of the game. In Downtown Aspen, they have little "fire spots" where there is a nice fire roaring and people standing around the fire....If you could jump from fire to fire, you could see downtown Aspen, but we wanted inside!
We were told about a place called the "Finnbar" and made our way through the mall to get there. When we did, the Broncos just scored, the crowd in the bar was ROARING with cheers but it was PACKED...Not a seat available!
We left Finnbar and made our way to a place called Rhynos where we found a seat, got a pitcher and watched the game. We both smiled at each other, SOOOOO happy to be together and LIVING THE FRICKIN DREAM man! We are 1 hour from our house, sitting in Aspen Colorado, Snow falling and and wind chill biting, but man, THIS is amazing!
As it generally goes with us, we had a couple who approached us in the bar and said ...
"The bar is full, we see you have 2 seats, can we sit with you and watch the game?"
Showing our Southern Hospitality, we stood, shook their hands and inviting them to sit with us.
The guy was probably 140 lbs, 6'3", blonde hair down past his ass, his wife was a Brazilian girl, much shorter than he and we could tell right away....These two were unique!
We asked them if they lived in Aspen and they said they had for 16 years. We asked them what they do in Aspen and they said "hang out"
Who the hell stays in Aspen for 16 years and "hangs out?" This was going to be interesting!
As we talked to them, they started to tell us that he is a musician in a Heavy Metal Band called "Landing Gear" (jokinly he said his instrument he played in the band was a ukelalea) and they lived in Aspen for 16 years but had a second home in Atlanta... As we talked, this guy didnt strike me as a superstar, but he did strike me as someone who has lived the live of a rock and roll star for 30 years....Fried and wild as hell.... While talking he said....
"Oh yeah Brad, in my years on the road, I lost my mind a few times....Can ya tell?"
I said....
"Yes bro, I CAN tell as a matter of fact"
We hung out with them for about an hour and until the game went into overtime and then we decided we needed to get back to the house. It was getting dark, it was storming on and off and it was time to go....
We shook hands and parted ways and left with YET ANOTHER experience with the FREAKS! I swear, we are like magnets to them and always appreciate each experience!
Mark one up for Aspen!!
So, for another update, things are going well. we are still somewhat living out of boxes and trying to get settled in and stay warm, but we are having a GREAT time!
We are back together, Donna has all her horses, she LOVES the snow and even tolerates the cold better than I do. The job is good, the area is fricking spectacular and we still have SOOOOOO much to see and do here!
THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT!!
I generally like to keep my blogs on a positive note with a positive message so let me end this that way....
I do not believe that people can be a stand for what is possible in life by standing on the sidelines and yelling how it should be. To truly experience life and the game that it offers, you HAVE to get on the field and take the risks.
I don't want to come off as anyone holier than thou or better than anyone....I AM NOT!!
I ma a simple guy who wants to experience life in a profound way. I am not rich (money wise) and am generally broke most of the time. I have no special skills or talents that allow me to live a life of carefree and without worry. I BELIEVE that the life people imagine is POSSIBLE and totally attainable but i also believe that to achieve that life, you HAVE to GO GET IT!! Trust me, it ain't coming to you!
I hope people see that I struggle like anyone else, I have breakdowns like anyone else, I am scared as much as anyone else and I am as ABLE as anyone else to go get it.
I remember a "coach" I had one time that said....
"Life is a game! PLAY HARD!"
And I GET THAT! If you want the life you have imagined, PLAY HARD, GO GET IT and know that every struggle, every hardship, every deterrent that you come to along the way, they are there to make the reward that much richer when you get there. Your life is not signified by ANYONE else.... It happens on YOUR terms.... Believe that or not, but your life happens, or doesnt happen because you SAY SO!
I want to also end this by thanking ALL OF YOU who have supported us in this effort....All the kind words, the shoves from behind pushing me on, those who always had encouraging words to offer....And most of all, the Nay Sayers...the ones who said and thought we couldn't make this happen...The haters.... I want to thank all of you! It has been quite a journey so far and I am looking forward to whats next!
OWTFDWIT!!!
