Last week of 2 Hagas in the office. Ash said her goodbyes Wednesday, the future in-laws were first to arrive [from New Jersey]. PS gifted the couple a [Sprout] integrated amplifier & set of [ELAC] speakers. Very nice. Many thanks!
Sunday wedding. Family arrived on multiple flights mid-day Friday/Friday nite/early Saturday/Saturday afternoon. Hit the highway Saturday morning, easy 2 hour drive – destination: Silverthorne CO, elevation 9,035ft. BIG smile ❤
Stopped at ‘The Happy Cooker’ in Georgetown for late breakfast/early lunch. Window seat. During the meal, saw an unusual number of pack mules. As luck would have it, BEST LOCATION to watch today’s Burro Race. Finish Line literally across the street. Promptly paid my tab & watched the day’s first finishers. LOVE LOVED it – start of what’s undoubtedly gonna be a SUPER FUN weekend!
13th Annual Historic Georgetown Railroad & Mining Days Pack Burro Race
Georgetown, Colorado
The Western Pack Burro Ass-ociation seeks to continue a great sport begun by Colorado’s miners.
Approximately 8-9 miles from Georgetown to Empire and back. Remember to follow traffic pattern around the roundabout, yield to downhill runners, and stick around after you’re done to check for ticks. And, there will be a prize at the end of the race for the runner who picks up the most trash on the course!
Entry fee: $50
Weigh-in time: 9:00 am
Start time: 11:00 am
Race Director: Bill Lee (Red Tail) – 720-234-8200 – laughingvalleyranchco@gmail.com
Back on I-70, cold drizzle turned to SNOW. 4 days ‘til June – more importantly, 30 hours before the OUTDOOR Wilpiszeski wedding begins. Snow is good luck, right?
Hotel check-in, afternoon altitude run (’cause every day’s a run day). Met up with Ash & Tom at ‘Wilp Manor’, the in-laws’ Airbnb mansion rental. Rehearsal dinner followed soon after at Dam Brewery in nearby Dillon.
FAM-FEST tomorrow – hanging with Mom, my siblings & their families first-half Sunday.
3pm pictures, 5pm WEDDING! Weather Forecast: SUNSHINE ☀
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- PS product gifting — super nice 🙂
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- last work day as a Haga
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- Team Wilpiszeski
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- sport begun by Colorado’s miners
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- rehearsal dinner ‘Pigeon Shirt’
Georgetown Burro Race
Memorial Day weekend SNOW
Less than a month ‘til Ash & Tom’s Colorado wedding. Deadlines & historic moments flying by at record pace.
- April 19th – attended Ash’s final dress fitting
- May 5th – couple picked up their marriage license in Boulder
But most important, there have been dance lessons – 3 of them to be exact. Talking ‘bout father-daughter lessons of course. Yep, I was a bit slow on the uptake – but the final result? FAAANNNTASTIC!! Thanks to ‘miracle worker’ Lindsay at Streetside Dance in Boulder.
Performed in front of Lindsay’s real dance students Friday afternoon, our final lesson. Yikes!
Now for the BIG stage May 28th – WEDDING day 🙂
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- final dress fitting
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- WOW!
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- it’s ‘almost’ official — SUPER excited!
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
my annual ‘thin air’ reset
Sleep struggle, labored morning runs, work deadlines & pre-wedding [family] squabbles — been a tough first week home from New Zealand. Wednesday, Ash asked if I could scope out potential wedding pic locations for her Silverthorne wedding in May. Full day in the mountains…absolutely, sign me up! Crisp thin air, snow surrounded – PERFECT!
Early a.m. start – 4 mile run (‘cause every day’s a run day), followed by a 2-hour drive in the Rockies. Half day scouted photo locations, half day hiked HIGH altitude.
Bridge near Ash’s Silverthorne venue – easy, done. 8 miles toward Breck on Swan Mountain Road checked-out Sapphire Point in Dillon. Ample parking, short packed-path, mountain overlook – wedding money shot. Exactly what the bride-to-be ordered: snow-capped Colorado peaks [without the pre-wedding hike]. No wildlife stains on Ash’s pricey East Coast wedding gown GUARANTEED.
Completed the loop in nearby Frisco. While ALL are counting on sunshine for Ash’s big day – just in case, scoped out an alternate venue (May in Colorado/could be snow). Covered pavilion (backed against mountains), historic rustic cabins & the town’s first jail (log cabin, circa 1881). Nabbed a large handful of county maps at the Frisco Hotel. Route-marked today’s 10-mile loop in bold Sharpie. Task complete 🙂
Silverthorne Pavilion (wedding venue)
Sapphire Point (Dillon CO)
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- wedding WOW shot!
Frisco Museum, covered Pavilion & Historic Jail
Saturday Part II – retraced steps to Idaho Springs, I-70 exit 240. 30 minute drive, just past Echo Lake…my annual spring pilgrimage up Mount Evans. Off loaded Sno’ Ro – couldn’t have been more excited. Leashed for a mile while we passed lodgepole pine, packed with squirrel & chipmunk (makes my pup crazy uncontrollable). 2 miles UP, path now contained by 10-15ft snow drifts, I let Ro run & run & run. Up-n-back: exploring ahead, returning for hand treats.
3-mile marker, passed a stretch of wind-stunted pine. Visually stunning. Wind started to blow, cold stung my face 🙂
Matched my website photo inlay 4 ½ miles UP. 5 years ago, Ro tethered to my leg, snapped that shot & broke for lunch. Soaked in the moment today. Open armed, took in thin air. LOVE LOVE these mountains!
9 miles roundtrip. Sandwich shared with Ro on the hike return. Pup’s eyes rolled 10 minutes into our drive home. Good day. Mentally back, ready for Bighorn. Training hard April & May – 52 miles, bring it!
Mt Evans spring pilgrimage
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- wind-stunted pine
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- off-leash freedom
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- just past tree-line, 12,000ft UP
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- LOVE LOVE this place!
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- tuckered pup, happy hike day
