Over the past few days we’ve been packed into a Honda Pilot with two people in each of the three rows of seating. We drove a total of well over 2,400 miles over blacktop, concrete, gravel, rock, and dirt. On the mountains and trails we hiked many miles and went well over 7,000 feet up in total elevation gain. We had rain, sun, heat, cold, frosty rocks, and wind. Much of the time everything went as well as or better than planned, but there were also a few times when things didn’t work out as we’d hoped. We went to bed early and rose by 3:15am each day to get out the door by 4am so we could be well on the trail by 5am. We put in a lot of work on this trip.

Why did we do it? There are certainly more than a handful of very accurate answers including:

• Because we could
• To enjoy the outdoors
• To experience new wilderness activities
• To explore
• To push ourselves physically and mentally
• To rejuvenate and re-focus
• To become closer to the people we are meant to be
• To satisfy our wanderlust
• To enjoy time together doing something we love

While all of those answers are true to a point and 100% acceptable, there is something else that really drives me to to things like this. Technically, I guess there is one reason split three ways 😉

Dreams. Something like this comes from initially from one person’s dream. “I want to summit a mountain.” Once the dream is thought up it can be manifest. After the dream is completed it will quite often lead to another dream – “I want to climb a 14er.” From that dream this trip was sparked.

From this trip, the completion of a dream, more dreams spring up.

“I want to climb more mountains – specifically these dozen or so, including multiples in one day.”

“I want to bring a camper out to Colorado for an entire summer to climb as many mountains as I can.”

“When we get older we should hike the 400-ish mile Colorado Trail together.”

“I’m coming for you Mt Massive!”

“I want to watch a sunrise from either Hope Pass or atop Quail Mountain.”

One simple dream, completed. Another dreamt up from the success of the first. A bigger dream completed. More dreams, grander in scale, created through the success of the second. Dream momentum. That is what I am thankful for today, the dream momentum each of us has as a result of an intensely awesome experience like this.

Dream momentum, worth every single ounce of blood, sweat, tears, and sacrifice. One of the greatest forces in all of life… and now my boys and I have it rolling stronger and stronger. I can’t wait to see where our next sets of crazy big dreams take us!

Thanks!!!

Nothing like starting the day off with a hot cup of coffee on a cool morning while sitting out on the deck… especially with a view like this!

What a perfect start to our last day in the mountains. Chilling out, sipping a mug of hot coffee, enjoying the quiet that is only broken up by the sound of hummingbirds flying a few feet from my head, and savoring the view of the mountains in the distance. What made it even more serene was the sight of both the mountain we climbed yesterday, Quail Mountain, and the mountain I’ll be back to climb one day, Mount Massive. My eyes slowly shifted focus from one to another and then to the rest of the range in front of me.

I didn’t have a book. I only used my phone to take a photo. I didn’t listen to music. I simply sat and existed in the presence of the majestic behemoths in front of me. It was perfect. Another moment I’ll hold in my souls for eternity.

Thanks!!!

Last night we drove out to the trailhead for our hike that we were supposed to do today. With our plan of heading out before the sun came up we like taking time to know exactly where we’re going for the next morning. Imagine our surprise when we were stopped a couple of miles before the trailhead by barricades. We looked at the signs and found out the road was closed due to construction. Due to the length of the trail this addition of five miles knocked it out as an option.

We went back to our rental and went through well over a dozen options before settling on Quail Mountain. Before that time that peak wasn’t even on our radar. It’s not one of the fabled 14ers and isn’t heavily traveled. Based on what we read it sounded like a pretty solid alternative nonetheless.

Our hike today was quite possibly my all time favorite Colorado hike, it was spectacular! The incline certainly kept me breathing heavy, but the views more than made up for it. The trail was perfect! We started in a pine forest and then worked into a aspen forest, each step of the way included a breathtaking view of the mountains all around us. There wasn’t a single step that didn’t include a chance to see something beautiful.

Once atop the peak we saw more mountains all around us than I could count. There were lakes, fields, old mining cabins, and all types of awesomeness in seemingly all directions. My mind is still blown when I think of everything we saw on the trail. It was awesome!

What I’m thankful for is twofold.

First, I’m thankful for preparation. Had we not checked out the trailhead the night before we would have been in a really difficult spot and wouldn’t have had nearly as many options. Thanks to getting ready the night before we had time to come up with a new solution.

Second, I’m thankful for another reminder of how right Mick Jagger was back in the day. “You can’t always get what you need, but if you try sometimes you just might find you get what you need.” Funny how The Big Dude Upstairs knows better than I do what I really want. I thought climbing Mount Massive was the plan and would have been awesome. Instead The Big Dude knew I would enjoy Quail Mountain more than any hike I’d ever done in Colorado. Sometimes adversity provides an opportunity to find more joy than we would have expected. Today was one of those times.

Thanks!!!

Tonight’s blog post involves a bit of a long story, but quite honestly, the full story gets in the way of the intent of my blog tonight.

One of our core values is simply “Do Right.” This means doing the right thing even when the right thing can be very difficult to do. Often it takes a great deal of courage and integrity to do the right thing. When trying to do right we also have barriers to work through, including helping your boss see your right course of action. That scenario takes guts.

Over the past couple of days I’ve seen teammate live into this value. Their courage and determination to stick to their guns created a solution that was wildly more positive and right than it would have been had they not had the courage to act.

I am beyond grateful for the courage they showed recently!

Thanks!!!

This morning I was working on a project with several team members. In the past I’d work very closely with everyone on a similar project to choreograph the entire event. In many ways I was working to drive the project forward. The results would be mixed and I’d feel a combination or stressed, exhausted, and frustration.

Today was very different. I gave a clear goal with loose direction. My teammates all were free to work on the project and adapt as they saw fit. Everything didn’t go as I had planned, it went much better! The feelings I had afterwards were joy, happiness, and positive.

What was really the difference? In many ways it was similar to what I’ve recently learned about writing. The more I push the worse I do. If I breathe, relax, and let go there is success. This doesn’t mean to simply relax and good things will happen, quite the opposite. I have to work hard to prepare and create the space necessary to let go and create. Time and energy must be spent focusing and clarifying the vision first in order to allow others to shine.

Today I’m thankful for some of the life lessons that transcend one discipline. In many ways they seem to be almost universal truths that can be applied to so many aspects of life. By taking time to pause, reflect, and think each day for this blog I seem to stumble upon more and more of them.

Thanks!!!

This morning started off with a pre-sunrise hike in the bluffs. While on the trails there were a couple of thoughts that stuck with me. Thanks to the quiet my brain was able to process things a bit differently and I was able to find a different level of clarity than in the noise of “real life.”

In a meeting with a team a quote was shared by a teammate. As it was read aloud my thoughts went back to backpacking in Isle Royale. A very specific moment in which the stillness provided an opportunity to see something clearly and to allow my brain and soul to take Altus appropriate action. Such a subtle yet meaningful moment which easily could have been missed due to the noise and busyness of normal life.

The first of these moments today was created specifically by being in the woods. The second was in the office but came from the woods. The peacefulness found in the woods continues to shape who I am, or, maybe more appropriately, the woods continues to show me who I could be.

While my soul longs for the solitude of the wilderness I’m contented by the regular visits it makes – whether in reality or memory. I’m grateful for the focus I’ve put on getting outside more this year, the impact of the fresh air has been amazing.

Thanks!!!

There are many items and things that remind me of certain people and events. Many of them sit on a shelf or are stored in a box. Quite often they are out of the way and I almost have to intentionally come across them. They are fantastic at reminding me of many wonderful moments, but they aren’t right in front of me often.

Some of my favorite memory related items are the ones I used on a regular basis. Even though they are in my periphery with stunning regularity the sight of them quickly transport my mind to another place and time. It seems as if they are even better than the other mementos and keepsakes as they are more regularly in my line of sight and usually have a dual purpose, some type of function as well as bringing back memories.

What I am grateful for today falls into the latter category. For a few years I had them stored off to the side as the first items. They didn’t quite match the rest of their kind so I kept them hidden away. Once in a while I’d stumble across them, chuckle, and then move on. Several months ago I came across them and a thought went through my brain. Who cares if they match, they are pretty dang awesome. Now I use at least one of them a few times each week… when I sneak a bowl of Frosted Flakes or have a salad at home.

Dad used to tell my brother and stories about the metal bowls his parents had when he was a kid. He’d explain how all their meals were served in them when he was growing up. For Easter they were transformed into their Easter baskets. Based on all the jokes Dad made Nick and I would joke the the only thing in his Easter bowl must have been a potato. It was a treat, a toy, a meal, and his only friend until he ate it.

We knew them well as Grandma would serve creamed corn or cream of chicken soup in them when we stayed at her house. They are made of stainless steel and there’s a magic to them I can’t explain. Everything tastes better in them. Maybe I’ve just eaten too many meals out of bowls made from the World War II era and they’ve impacted my faculties, or maybe it’s true that everything taste better in them. I know which way I’m leaning. 😉

After Dad passed his wife passed them on to my brother and I. They sat up above my cabinets collecting dust for a while and then I remembered that I hadn’t given any to Nick yet. Once I pulled them down I realized the treasure I was missing out on each time I used a bowl and transferred them to the regular cabinet.

The thing about the bowls I appreciate more than any other has nothing to do with their actual utility though. They help me to remember the smile Dad had on his face whenever we talked about those bowls. What a gift from the simple and ordinary use of a bowl, right?

When I go to the cupboard to grab a bowl there’s always a second when I pause and smile. First I see the stack of ordinary bowls that largely match. Then I look at the small stack of shiny bowls that have no right to be in the cabinet with the others based specifically by looks. I smile as I grab the metal one every time.

Holy Disney moment right here! I am typing this on the back deck with my legs up on another chair. As I was typing there was a loud fluttering sound as a little bird flew right over my head and landed on the chair my legs are on. It just sat there and cocked its head at me for a moment until I obviously bored it. How wild is that?

Thanks!!!

Yes, those are our boys in the front seats. Dominic is driving the used car we just picked up for the two of them to use through high school. On their first drive with it I moved to the backseat about halfway through so they could both get used to the seats they’ll be in often over the next few years.

What a wild time to pause and reflect on just how quickly they’ve grown. Seemingly only yesterday they were riding in infant car seats and now they fill up the front seats. How crazy is that? Such a milestone I never would have expected to have happen so soon.

Look closely and you’ll notice that the car has the latest in anti-theft devices… a stick and manual transmission 😉

Thanks!!!

Sometimes I get feedback I don’t want to hear. I may not want to hear it but I need to hear it. In those moments I am able to get a different perspective. Maybe it is something I’ve been avoiding, maybe it is something I hadn’t noticed, or maybe it was something I’d forgotten. Regardless, that feedback can make all the difference in the world.

What’s interesting is that I’m almost always grateful for that feedback, even if it makes me cringe. That feedback helps me grow and move forward so even when it hurts I know it is a positive. What I’m not always as grateful for as I should be is for the person who shared the feedback. sharing difficult feedback takes courage, guts, a desire to do the right thing, and love.

Today I’m grateful for someone who shared feedback with me that was needed and took some guts to share. I’m eternally thankful for their help and feedback today!

Something else that really hit home for me today was the importance of remembering to focus on the main thing. I’ve been making great progress on a short list of goals this year because I always keep them in front of me. In addition to those goals I need to remember to use that same laser like focus in all areas of my life. It is so easy to become distracted with complexity and adding on, but so often the most work gets done by focusing on the main thing. The reminder today will stick for quite a while!

Thanks!!!