Gut check — A time to test your will power, courage, fortitude, etc. Rarely does it involve any physical strength or skill, instead being an almost entirely mental challenge.
Skydiving in Colorado? Talk about a complete 180 turn from my NYC life 2 years ago.
Like to think it was all my idea, but gotta give credit to Annmarie who peer-pressured me & John into buying into a Living Social (Groupon) deal a couple of months earlier. Annmarie sent the link, John purchased – and 2 days later I manned up & then we were 3.
After another solid week of winter weather, met up with my 2 Denver-based friends under sunny skies & temps in the 50’s.
Out of the Blue Skydiving is located in Penrose, approx 45 minutes west of Colorado Springs. After watching a 15-minute training video, we signed waivers, weighed in, suited up and met our tandem partners. Took a few group photos, then loaded onto a truck for the short trip to our plane. Unfortunately, a solo parachutist (her 3rd time) dropped from the sky & landed hard, damaging 2 vertebrae in her lower spine. We waited for an ambulance & sheriff to attend to the accident (yeah, immediately before we were to jump). Back on the truck, we roll toward the plane. My video guy Rusty films another outtake & off we go.
Ok now my stomach is churning – tinged with both excitement & fear. JD (my tandem partner) continues to engage me in conversation. I try but my eyes are fixed, staring out the window. Mind is racing – gonna take a mammoth-sized gut check. JD shows his wrist altimeter – 2,000 feet more climb left. More talk. JD assures me I’m now attached to him by 4 links. Snug, tight – this is gonna happen soon.
Door opens & life pace speeds 10x. Sound of air rushes in. Loud. 4 parachutists are sucked out of the opening. Never saw these guys jump – folks are exiting both frontwards and backwards. I can’t think. Life is happening to me. Move up, move up. I scoot forward on the bench. Annmarie is at the door with her partner Andrew. Like a pro she falls forward and plunges out of the plane. This girl has no fear – true superstar. Move up, move up. I grab for the bar and awkwardly push my feet out the plane.
Wait. Wait. What am I doing? The wind is crazy loud. Hold on, I need to think. The human body has a strong, instinctual survival mode. That said, it’s the most empowering feeling to turn off your mind & best that fear.
Cross your arms, head back and thrust forward with your hips – thrust outward into open space.
So what were you thinking? Were you scared?
Life is happening to you, it’s all so fast. HUGE adrenalin rush, free falling. Amazing, faith-building, leap of courage – must be how eagles feel. Soaring with air currents. Flash of mountain scapes beside me, no they’re below me. Excitement, joy – but absolutely zero fear. I’m flying, the wind pushing around me.
Parachute opens, we abruptly shoot upward – and it (the adrenalin fix) ends. Everything is now crazy quiet. We’re floating. I’m aware of where I am, how high I am. My mind turns back on.
JD asks about my ride & if I want to spin – experiencing a full 360 Colorado panorama. Pikes Peak. How crazy is that?
Feet up, soon we’re landing. Quick turn into the air field. Down, down. Dust flies. Textbook landing.
Heart’s still racing. I watch John land across the field & spot Annmarie right of me. YES! AMAAAAZING!
Group hug-it-out moment, walk back to the office & discard gear. Pics, signed certificates & last minute goodbyes to our tandem guides. One of the most exhilarating, life changing moments in my life. I will not forget this day or the folks I shared this day.
Change takes courage. Say no mas to your day-to-day drag. Wish I had had the courage to live simply sooner. We get so hung up on what we’re supposedly to have, supposedly to do – that we miss opportunities to LIVE.
Lunch at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. 5-star ending to a 5-star day. LOVE LOVE LOVE my Colorado life!
WATCH my YouTube Video ‘Skydiving in Colorado!’
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- heck yeah we’re doing this!
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- group pic with JD (tandem partner) & Rusty (camera guy)
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- on the plane – no backing out now!
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- close quarters – lotta jumpers!
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- arms crossed, head back – then just fall into the jump
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- FAN-FRICKIN-TASTIC!
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- Pikes Peak in the background – LOVE LOVE my Colorado life!
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- What can’t I do? ROCKSTAR day!
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- now…can he stick the landing?
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- piece of cake
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- …and still smiling – WOW day!
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- done & off the bucket list 🙂
ESTES PARK, Colo. – Two people hiking at Rocky Mountain National Park on Sunday suddenly spotted a bear.
“Spotted this black bear at Cub Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park on April 6, 2013,” Doris Rummel wrote on YouTube.
Rummel was hiking on the relatively easy path, a 2.3 mile trek, with a friend when they spotted the bear about 100 yards away rolling in the snow across the lake.
“If you really watch, his meal is dead and he is rolling around on it and playing with it like a cat might,” Rummel told 7NEWS.
Rummel said she and her friend watched the bear for about 15 minutes until he decided to run off into the woods.
Rummel said she’s seen several bears at Yellowstone National Park, but this is the first bear she’s seen at Rocky Mountain National Park.
“This was by far the most interesting, fun, bear experience I have ever had,” Rummel said.
black bear video (RMNP 2013.0406)
black bear spotted at Rocky Mtn Nat’l Park
Spring starts right after Easter in Colorado – so technically I rushed the season by a day to enjoy my first Spring hike of 2013.
Had already logged in 12 hikes by this time last year but also didn’t have a marathon goal in 2012. All said, after this day’s hike I realized what’s recently been missing from life – HIKING! I 1000% expect to add some extreme hiking into this summer, right after Alaska. Humbled & centered again – LOVE the mountains!
Ro & I left early for Shanahan Trailhead in South Boulder. Today’s hike goal: Devils Thumb. Warm sunny Easter eve. Goal was to hike the 7 mile trail (roundtrip) in approx 3 hours to beat the forecasted rain.
Hooked Ro to the bungee leash this day – expected him to be super excited & didn’t want to feel like I was the one being taken for a walk 🙂 Done and done. Good decision.
Almost 2 miles of slow steady incline before we reached snow and any true climbing. Passed a guy left behind by a group of 12 hikers who were soon in my sights. Nope, I wasn’t late for the group hike – but instead a last minute tag-along. Altitude was approx 7,000ft for most of today’s hike so a GREAT first burst back onto the hiking scene.
Stopped for a few minutes at a false summit where we shared some stories & introduced ourselves. Lotta questions about Ro of course – what breed? has he ever hiked before? does he shed? Doesn’t take long around Ro before you fall in love with Ro. 🙂
The last half-mile took a crazy amount of time to summit. Crampons are best used outside of my hall closet. Icy climb to a tree where I’d hold on and catch a foothold before progressing higher. Any sudden moment by Ro would cause me to lose ground fast. LOVED the camaraderie of the group of 12 Boulderites! Kept hearing – are we there yet? HA!
Unfortunately Ro got spooked during the final scramble so watchfully waited a few feet back while I summited.
So was it worth it? Heck yeah! Needed to feel small in the enormity of my outdoor Colorado surroundings. Put life back into perspective. Expect to see a few 14er hikes again this summer.
Have been super inspired these days by skyrunner Kilian Jornet (subject of tomorrow’s post) so said goodbye to the group & decided to run down the mountain via Fern Canyon…adding another 7 miles to my journey with an elevation change of 3400 feet. Ro did GREAT! I’ve been dogging Ro for a year on how bad a runner he is…but this day, he did FANTASTIC! Will take another year for my body to manage combining trail running & hiking like Kilian Jornet. Of course he is 25 and I am….well, not 🙂
ROCKSTAR kickoff to Spring season! (Snow forecasted for Monday…but it won’t last long.)
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- today’s hike destination: Devils Thumb
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- Flatirons base
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- Ro leads our trek UP
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- W-O-W shot – my life in Boulder County!
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- group hike tag-along
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- end destination in sight
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- Ro stayed back while Dad scrambled to the top
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- summit roster signing
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- SUMMIT PIC!
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- group shot before Ro & I start Fern Canyon trail run
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- wore “Y” cap to support BYU’s run to NIT semifinals
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- happy dog, happy day
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- crisscrossed dirt, snow, dirt then snow again – AWESOME trail run thru Bear Canyon!
