| It all started with one click and two putts as my '94 | | | | up the evil empire's walker). The fantastic Mary |
| Buick Skylark drove out of the drive way. With high | | | | Hously saved the day with some fabulous home |
| expectations for the trip and very low expectations | | | | cooking. |
| for my car, we half smiled as we went along are | | | | Warm bellies and well rested, Austin and I were |
| way. Not excited for the 16 hours of driving I had to | | | | ready for an adventure, climbing up Birthood Pass. It |
| do, I focused on what fun we would have skiing, | | | | really should be called Mount Doom or Middle Earth. I |
| hiking, and being burly men with a little too much | | | | heard scientists saying that it's harder to climb |
| freedom. 20 hours later, with more caffeine then | | | | Birthood Pass then it is to climb Mount Everest. I |
| blood in our systems, and looking like we turned into | | | | leave nothing to the imagination. Snowshoes? Check. |
| zombies, we made it to the colorful state of | | | | Water? Check. Endurance? Well, we'll see. After an |
| Colorado. | | | | hour of hiking we said, "What a view so far!" After |
| After 15 minutes of slipping and sliding on the Hously's | | | | two hours of hiking we said, "Are we there yet?" |
| mountain of a driveway, we made it to our home for | | | | After three hours of hiking we said, "I need water, |
| the next three days. It's a beautiful log cabin with a | | | | give me some water!" With a half hour left to go we |
| heavenly view over-looking the great thundering | | | | said, "Where's my oxygen tank?" Finally, after three |
| Rocky Mountains. | | | | and a half hours of turmoil, panting, and crawling we |
| With barely any sleep and barely able to stand, we | | | | made it to the top. We felt like kings of a nation of |
| headed towards the wonderful and magical Winter | | | | ants as we looked high and low. It was a spectacular |
| Park. (Now, I have never skied before but my friend | | | | view up top of Birthood Pass. |
| Austin, reassured me that I would be "fine"). After a | | | | After we waved goodbye to the Hously's, the |
| ten minute ski-lift ride, hills so steep my hands sweat | | | | Rocky Mountains and Tom the cat; and as we |
| and less oxygen then in a space shuttle; I had a hard | | | | headed toward home, I couldn't help but think to |
| time believing him. This was a mountain and I was | | | | myself, what a marvelous adventure it was to visit a |
| about to learn how to fly! After a hair raising two | | | | great state of beauty and wonder. What a marvel it |
| times flying down the mountain, I was getting good! | | | | was to boast in the great freedoms we have, for I |
| My legs, feet, and buns were feeling like someone | | | | am truly touched by the majestic wonders of the |
| stomped on me with cleats (or like that scene in Star | | | | earth. |
| Wars where the Ewoks released a pile of logs to trip | | | | |