Colorado!

Plains Conservation Center

Published January 27, 2019

Lazy Sunday start. Up with the sun, walk ‘round Hecla with Pup. FIVE eggs over easy – 3 for me, 2 for Ro. Fueled up & ready for today’s long run. Miles before forecast’d SNOW. Colorado in January ❄️

e-470, past the airport, hour-15 from home, Aurora. Plains Conservation Center. Google-search, never previous. Center closed – just wide open Plains. AND Katya. My bestie from Antarctica. Surprise 🙂

Past work week, trouble assimilating/fitting back in. Six days ago I woke in Chile. 10 days prior, Antarctica. Penguins. Guanacos 🦙 Flamingos. I wore Bib #1. Elite for a week. Was it all just a dream?

Today, the two worlds touched.

Katya. Same blond ponytail, same Russian lilt – but in Colorado, my home.

Couple brief hours. 14 miles of trail. Laughs, shared lunch, talk of adventure past.

White Continent, we BOTH were there. Notta dream.

Colorado my happy place, mountain soul. We’ll move on. Life forward. But moments quiet, I’ll smile, I’ll remember. Punta Arenas, the brass toe of Magellan. And my friend, both feet in the icy Antarctic water.

: Sunday sunrise ☀️

: wide open Plains

: Colorado Katya

: trail SMILES

: 14 miles shared

: Antarctica reunion ❄️

Plains Conservation Center

Posted in Denver Metro, Run Challenges | Leave a comment

Nuggets v 76ers

Published January 26, 2019

Antarctica telenovela now over. Bring on da NUGGETS/Denver’s NBA franchise. Eight years a resident, tonite my first game. Don’t have to travel 7495 miles to find Adventure.

Saturday game at the Pepsi Center. VIP tickets thru AAA (Black Friday bargain purchase). $30/seats – included $15 concession per ticket. STADIUM FOOD! Brew, bratwurst & BASKETBALL. Better way to spend a random January nite? Nope, none better.

Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson.

NBA Reality. Denver casts a heavy Serbian guy name Jokić & whole lotta skinny college kids. AND we’re playoff bound – first year in several. Go Nuggets!

Courtside pre-game for warm-up. Faces not the haggard heroes of NBA past. These guys were soooo young. Up CLOSE, just babes. Dudes with skinny stick legs. Guess they’re clippin’ downcourt faster than my 9 min/mile. LOL> Hanging with marathoners, our legs are TRUNKS. Massive by comparison. Surprised. Didn’t know.

Count myself crazy lucky. Son-in-law a HUGE NBA fan. LOYAL Nets fan – EVERY year, win or lose. Literally YEARS of games under his belt. GREAT insight, GREAT first NBA experience. Thanks man.

Nuggets beat Philly 126-110. Bratwurst, brew & Basketball. SUPER first nite at the Pepsi Center 😊

: mascot ROCKY

: VIP tickets

: pre-game COURTSIDE

: PURPLE kicks 💫

: youth FAN CLUB

: LIVE @ the Pepsi Center

: HOME TEAM win

: first Nuggets game

Nuggets v 76ers

Steamboat Holiday ❄️

Published November 24, 2018

New Dions, fresh snow. This year I’m thankful for Steamboat!

Quick Friday turnaround, still bloated from prior day’s feast. Up early, I-70 West to Silverthorne (same exit as Ash & Tom’s 2017 wedding venue) then another hour-half north on Hwys 9 & 40. Only option to Steamboat, Trail Ridge Road closed for the season. I-70 would shut-down at 11am today, Silver Plume exit (11 miles before the Tunnel). White-out conditions. PERFECT day to scuttle early & only hear ’bout highway closures (while comfortably snacking on the other side of the Divide).

Elevation climb. Snow DUMP thru Rabbit Ears Pass, then an easy roll into Steamboat.

Cabin with Pup privileges. VRBO-booked while flight connecting in Philly last September. Turned a flight delay frown/upside down. Lemons into Lemonade. Sometimes I really dig technology. Reward for banging out another crazy long run season, no more than two-a-month in 2019.

Mountain crib did not disappoint. VRBO is kinda pricey (ton of add-on charges) but just like my Hawaii digs in Kona – FAAANNNNTASTIC! Fenced-in yard & a day bed for Ro. One better? Dog friends next door. Waited outside ‘til I let Ro play. SNOW. Chicken soup for the mountain soul ❤️

Saturday: 16 inches of white. Snowshoe HOLIDAY. Nixed the pre-planned hike in Walden. Steamboat’s Howelsen Park would do just fine. Kept Pup leashed 20 minutes, then realized it was just US & blowing snow. No people traffic. Think I could explain that logic with a ranger.

Mexican eats, hot shower, lazy fireplace comforts – dog show for Ro, Christmas flic for dad.

It really is a Wonderful Life 😊