Have plans for next Memorial Day weekend?

No?

May I make a suggestion?

Head to Boulder.

Why?

One reason—the Bolder Boulder 10K race—that results in much fun. It’s more than just a great workout… although it certainly is that.

Need more details?

First of all, there’s lots of free stuff… free Clif bars, free Gatorade, free Silk soy milk and free Einstein bagels. Free energy drinks, coffee and sunscreen. Free hats, free water bottles, free light bulbs and free Frisbees.

The race itself is amazing. Close to 50,000 people panting to the finish line, smiling through their pain and fatigue. It’s beautiful.

Spectators line the length of the whole race hollering and cheering. They offer Doritos and bacon, beer and beef jerky. They play rock music, folk music or the same clip of “Don’t Stop Believin’” for three hours.

If you get hot while running, jog through a sprinkler, hop in an inflatable pool or run through a slip-n-slide (like Mike did). You’re likely to see Thing 1 and Thing 2 make a hullabaloo, and a group of buff boys in short shorts jazzercising. There are people dressed up as bananas and people dressed up as gorillas; people dressed in tutus and people dressed in lederhosen. A ghost chased Pac Man. Other runners boasted American pride, Colorado pride, CU Buffalo pride and gay pride. More than one baby’s head was bobbled as his dad trucked toward the finish line.

The Bolder Boulder is an event to see and be seen. Try it.

Photos courtesy of kbroussalian on Flickr.

At age 15, Enos Mills stood 14, 255 feet high at the top of Longs Peak and looked down on an expanse of land that he would one day help to preserve as Rocky Mountain National Park.

He later described the joys of summiting a peak: “Few experiences can put so much into one's life as to climb a mountain summit, and from among the crags and snow and clouds look down upon the beautiful world below.  In ascending heights, one becomes an actor amid changing and inspiring scenes.  The climber sees nature's best panoramas, great roof gardens, illimitable distances of sunshine and shadow, winding streams and sunny fields, mountain ranges, forests and lakes, the relief map of the world.”

Longs Peak. Photo courtesy of Rich'sPics at Flickr.

Mills was born on April 22, 1870, one of Enos Mills Sr. and Ann Lamb’s many children. Though he grew up in Linn County, Kansas, his mother would tell him stories of her days in Breckenridge, Colorado as he helped with chores around their farm.

As a young child, Mills was weak, thin and sickly. His enjoyment of the outdoors was often stifled by his ill-health, and he was frequently too frail to help out with the more difficult tasks on the farm. By age 13, his illness—which was never diagnosed—had progressed to such a state that a local doctor predicted Mills would not live much longer.

But the boy was determined to set out on his own, and the next year, after discussing the matter with his parents and receiving their blessing, he took a train to Greeley, Colorado to see his older sister, and then to live with other relatives in Estes Park.

He also visited cousins from his mother’s side of the family. Reverend and Mrs. Elkhanah Lamb lived on the Lamb Ranch at the base of Longs Peak, and their son, Carlyle, guided people up the mountain. It was Carlyle who took Mills on his first trek up Longs.

Mills trekking on his snowshoes. Photo courtesy of OldEstes.com.

Mills loved to learn. He pursued knowledge through books, adventure and travel. “By the time he was 35, he had had a campfire in every state and territory in the Union, including Canada, Alaska, and Mexico.”[1] On a trip to San Francisco, when Mills was 19, he was walking along the beach, and was intrigued by a piece of kelp that was lying on the sand. Unabashedly curious, he asked an older man standing nearby to tell him more about the plant so foreign to an in-lander.

Famed naturalist John Muir looked at the young man and proceeded to explain the kelp. They became friends, and Muir mentored Mills in conservation and appreciation of the natural world. Much of what he learned would later be applied to Mills’ own crusade to set aside the lands of RMNP.

Throughout his life, Mills wore many different hats. He went from sickly child to avid outdoorsman. He was an innkeeper, a hiking guide and a conservationist. He wrote extensively in a journal about his adventures, took photos, gave public addresses and wrote over 18 nonfiction books. He was also a husband and father hoping to preserve the natural beauty that he so greatly enjoyed for future generations.

Mills with his daughter. Photo courtesy of PBS.org.

“These trees are not to fall.  They are to stand.  In parks, we have provided for trees a refuge with ourselves.  They are to live on, and with them we shall build stately mansions of the soul.”

Sources:

http://home.earthlink.net/~enosmillscbn/history/page1.htm

http://www.oldestes.com/EnosMills.htm

http://home.earthlink.net/~enosmillscbn/eamquotes/qrmnp.htm

Yes, and for me, that day was yesterday… which is why my left hip is bruised, my right calf has a long and lovely scratch mark on it, and one of my new road bike’s handles had to be rescrewed and returned to its standard position… about five centimeters to the left from where I’d managed to displace it.

Some people practice a few times in their new clip-in pedals before heading out to the road. They lug their bike inside, don their bike shoes and mount their 27-speed steed in a doorway, using the door frame to steady themselves as they practice clipping in and unclipping.

You might say that those people are smarter than me… I just think they have more time.

So instead, I put my shoes on and headed out to the street. It felt great. I clipped in easily and instantly felt the difference. I was getting power from each movement of my quads, building speed with each push and pull, not just the push. It was glorious.

I kind of felt like this dude... some guy named Lance. He's famous for having strong arms or something...   Photo courtesy of G. Dan Mitchell on Flickr.

I cruised along the pavement, heading to the designated meeting spot from where Laura, Andrea and I would depart for a quick jaunt up to Lyons. I pedaled up to the stoplight, ready to dismount.

Now I’d been told by people who know that it’s a good idea to unclip a little ways before the intended stopping point… especially if you’re new to the pedals. And really, only one foot needs to be unclipped, a temporary kickstand until the light turns green, and you’re off once more. So I did as Laura had told me.

And here’s how it played out:

20 feet from the stoplight: began slowing down

18 feet from the stoplight: started yanking on my right foot

16 feet from the stoplight: continued yanking on my right foot

14 feet from the stoplight: still yanking on my right foot

12 feet from the stoplight: finally managed to dislodge my right foot

11 feet from the stoplight: said a silent prayer of thanks

9 feet from the stoplight: braking

7 feet from the stoplight: braking

4 feet from the stoplight: preparing for dismount

3 feet from the stoplight: said another silent prayer in fear

1 foot from the stoplight: leaned to the left, leaned to the right, tottering, leaned to the left (the side on which I’m still clipped in), falling to the left, falling to the left, muttered a few bad words

0 feet to the stoplight: CRASHED… and explained to the people in the car next to me who watched my pitiful fall, that yes, I’m alright, no, I’m not bleeding, yes, this is my first day in clip-ins.

But I got back up, got back on, met up with my friends and began the ride. And it was good.

A lot of activities in Colorado (and in life, for that matter) have a steep—sometimes literally—learning curve. Whether it’s tromping up mountains, climbing up cliffs or even just breathing at an altitude higher than you're used to, it’s a place that often demands a bit of pride-swallowing on the journey to dream-fulfillment.

Many people associate Estes Park with John Denver’s “Rocky Mountain High,” but this weekend, put away your straw hat and bust out that little black dress.

Saturday, May 15^th and Sunday May 16^th mark the 20^th edition of the Estes Park Jazz Festival. Performers will grace the stage from noon until 5:30 both days in Performance Park.

Who’s going to be there?

Saturday:

Noon  Estes Park Jazz Big Band

1:05    The Derek Banach Quintet

2:30    Barbara Ernst

3:55    Convergence

Sunday:

Noon  The Max Wagner Quartet

1:20    Manuel Lopez and the Latin Jazz Project

2:40    Houston Person

4: 00   Pete Olstad/Bob Montgomery Big Band

Need directions? Performance Park is located at 417 W. Elkhorn Ave., Estes Park, CO 80517.

Houston Person, the show’s saxophonist headliner, blows his horn. Photo courtesy of Litchfield Performing Arts.

Of course there’s an almost endless array of trails and treks to pursue up in Rocky Mountain National Park, but if your feet are blistered and your thighs are burning, maybe check out the Boulder County Farmers’ Markets instead of heading out on another hike.

Here’s my recommendation:

Don’t worry about waking up too early. The Farmers’ Market opens up at 8:00 a.m. on Saturdays, but really gets hopping around 9:00, and it stays open until 2:00 in the afternoon.

Photo courtesy of nashveggie at flickr.

I suggest starting out with chai, coffee, or an extravagant flavor of tea at the Dushanbe Tea House. It’s a gorgeous venue with hand-carved and hand-painted tables, columns and ceiling. If your tummy is grumbling a bit, try one of their scones—I loved the five-spice variety (it was like baked chai tea… delicious!), and my two friends were quite happy with their orange-macadamia nut choice.

Photo courtesy of GirlontheBand at flickr.

After you’ve solved world peace and figured out the meaning of life over your warm beverages, move outside to the market. Vendors—many of them locals—sell kale and cabbage and spinach and romaine lettuces. There are flowers in baskets, flowers in pots and flowers in those little plastic containers ready for you to take home and replant. Samples of smoked salmon are worth a try, as are tastes of fresh salsa, natural granola and gluten-free anything. Carb-addicts will find all kinds of fresh bread, and Atkins adherents can take home an assortment of cured meats.  

Photo courtesy of a t m o s at flickr.

Stick around for lunch from one of the local restaurants’ booths. Have everyone pick a different ethnic dish and have a worldly (and filling) lunch. 

 Cheers!