Things to do in Denver if you’re alive

Lots to do in Colorado in early March.  It gets quite warm and sunny in Denver, and the snow is often the best up in the mountains.  See below for some ideas:

Ski the steeps at Snowmass with your brother-in-law and the brother of your brother-in-law (did I say that right?). 

Scott and Mark Baby about to go big

Watch Big Air Friday at Snowmass from the best Apres Ski bar in Snowmass, the Cirque

Big Air Friday from the Cirque bar

Go Rock climbing in Morrison Colorado, outside Denver. 

Bouldering

Do some backcountry skiing into Francie’s Cabin near Breckenridge

Francie's Hut in the backcountry outside Breckenridge, Colorado

Go mountain biking at Matthews/Winters Park near Denver 

Mountain biking Matthew/Winter Park with my friend Pete who lives out there now - lucky bastard

Apres Ski with a ski bunny or two

Apres Ski in Snowmass

Take your little nieces sledding 

sledding with my amazing nieces

Take your nieces sledding at the Snowmass Club

Ski Breckenridge 

Skiing Breck with Ryan Weaver, in from Chicago for the weekend

Ski Arapahoe Basin

A-Basin

Snowboard Loveland Pass and hitchike back to the top of the pass.

Hitchiking up Loveland Pass after an embarassing attempt at snowboarding

Stay and visit with old friends in Denver and eat a yummy meal

At the Reichardt's from grad school at DU - maybe not the best pic...

Hang out at the Hotsprings pool in Glenwood Springs

Hanging out at the Glenwood Springs pool, late February

Eat lunch up on the mountain and watch people compete in skiing off cliffs freestyle at Snowmass

Snowmass Freestyle cliff jumping competition from Gwyn's

Go to the greatest mountaineering store ever, Neptune Mountaineering, in Boulder, check out their museum and talk about famous climbers with the famous staff and owner Gary Neptune.

Incredible Ice Axe selection at Neptune Mountaineering in Boulder

Party and grill out with thirty  new friends at the amazing Blue Sky Basin at Vail, gorgeous view of several 14ers including Mount of the Holy Cross and Mt Elbert.

View from Blue Sky basin in mid March, 2009, lots of folks grilling and enjoying

Go bouldering in Morrison, Colorado.

Bouldering

Stay with some old friends in Boulder that have become quite a bit more successful than when you knew them a few years back!

The super fun and terrific Teegarden family from Boulder!

Take your girlfriend snowshoeing in the backcountry after spending the night in a backcountry cabin

Backcountry snowshoeing and telemark skiing

First day, hiking in to the cabin

Road Trip! Chicago to Colorado for 2.5 weeks :)

Heading west tomorrow!  Packing up my Blazer with all my winter toys – snowshoes, alpine skis, telemark skis and skins, snowboard, hiking boots, sleeping pad and bag.  Lots of time to have fun in the mountains, gotta have the proper equipment.  It’s 1000 miles exactly from Chicago to Denver, about 15-16 hours.  I’ll leave in the afternoon, put down 6-10 hours, crash in the car or a cheap hotel, get up and drive to Aspen to meet the family and extended family for three fun days.   Then the following weekend a place in Frisco, stay with a buddy in Vail a few nights, maybe do Couchsurfing.com for a few nights, maybe spend a night in a backcountry hut, see some friends in Denver, other friends in Golden and the Bundy’s in Fort Collins, last weekend with Brinks’ and their in-laws in Vail, Lisa flys out to join me for a few days and drive back with me.  Looking forward to it.  See I have this season ski pass, I HAVE to get my money’s worth  

It’s pretty stressful to travel like this – lots of things to be done, work to worry about, all this stuff to pack.  It’s hard work to break out of the everyday momentum.  Was thinking about that today.   But so worth it – makes a life more exciting and interesting in my opinion.  And it gives me life – gets me fired up.  I really love the mountains.

Chicago to Denver road trip map

Cross Country Skiing Near Chicago

Lisa and I went cross country skiing today.  Very fun.  We drove only about thirty minutes south of Chicago down I-55 to a forest preserve called Arie Crown - was beautiful and about the right length, took us about 45 minutes to do the yellow loop.  We got a great workout, Lisa a big ball of sweat at the end.  We found it on the Internet.  Rented Gear at a great place called Viking Ski Shop at 3422 West Fullerton in Logan Square.  Got great stuff for only $30 a person.  The snow was terrific.   Halfway through I saw a herd of six full-grown deer bounding through the forest, beautiful sight.  

Deer in the winter (I didn't take this pic)

At the end we found a small lake with a handful of ice huts with people ice-fishing – we skiied out onto the lake, fun stuff.  Highly recommended.  There are lots of other forest preserves – there may be better, Arie Crown did have a section along a busy road and a bit amongst some homes and apartment complexes.

Arie Crown Forest Preserve Trail Map

Winter Hike at Chain O’ Lakes State Park

Lisa and I drove up to Chain of Lakes State Park today to do some winter hiking.  Cold day out, started sunny but ended cloudy.  Enjoyable hike, we did the yellow and the white trails. 

Winter hike at Illinois Chain of Lakes State park

Saw some wildlife including a hawk which circled high overhead and screeched repeatedly.  Lisa saw some deer but I was behind her and missed them, though on the drive out a bunch crossed the road and bounded through the tall grass, erect white tails flashing with each huge bound.  Those guys can move.

Giant Pinecone

  We discussed how amazing it is that they manage to eat and be active and outside all day and all night, all through the winter, regardless of weather.  Seems lots of animals hibernate, including of course the bear, but also some others that maybe you wouldn’t think about such as the Chipmunks, ground squirrels (also hide food – good strategy!), echidnas, possums, hedgehogs, hamsters, skunks, bats, prairie dogs, marmots, badgers for mammals, and for the cold-blooded folks I’ve read you can find species of lizards, frogs, toads, newts, snakes, turtles, and insects like bees that hibernate.  Glad I have a nice warm home to live in.

Hiked about 3.5 miles, got the heart pumping.  A bit of a long drive for an hour and a half, but good to explore.

View during Winter hike at Illinois Chain of Lakes State park

2008 What a Year in Adventure-ness

Reflecting on the adventurous aspects of 2008…  One of the best ever for me second only to 2000 when I travelled the world for 6.5 months.  This year I was so fortunate.  Five foreign countries, two new mountains climbed, fourth Chicago to Mackinac sailing race, surfing, skiing…  I must list all the adventures and trips I was lucky enough to participate in this past year, and be so grateful for the opportunities I was blessed with.

1. Elwha Trail hike in the Olympic Mountains West of Seattle with four good buddies.
2. The 100th running of the Chicago to Mackinac Sailing race, on a J120 named Valkyrie, placed well in our class, finished in around 55 hours.
3. Cruised the North Channel of Lake Huron on a 38 foot Ericson sailboat owned by my parents with a highlight being Topaz lake.
4. Nantucket Massachusetts for several days with my oldest friend Spencer and his family, driving on the beach, catching bluefish from the shore, enjoying old friends, meeting my namesake, Cormac Thomas Carney
5. Upstate New York at my girlfriend’s grandparents’ “camp”, waterskiing, kayaking, mountain biking, swimming.
6. Climbing the highest point in New York State, Mt Marcy, ticking off the 12th state high point on my quest to do all 50 of them.
7. Jamaica for work, Kingston.
8. Cayman Islands to visit my cousin Megan for a few days.
9. Jazzfest in New Orleans for a bachelor party
10. Numerous mountain biking excursions around Chicago
11. Numerous sailing parties on my boat, a 28 foot Ericson christened the Imjatse after a Nepalese mountain I climbed.
12. Rock climbing in Red River gorge, Kentucky
13. Rock climbing at Mississppi Palisades twice
14. Summiting Mt Belford, a 14,000 foot mountain in Colorado, then sleeping in a bivy sack on its flanks overnight in about 15 degrees.
15. Pilgrimage to the original Chipotle in Denver
16. 35 person white water rafting trip sponsored by the adventure ministry I run at church, running class III and IV rapids.
17. Kayaking the Vermilion River in very high, fast water.
18. Costa Rica!  Staying at my friend’s resort, surfing, jungle hikes, four-wheeling.
19. Talon’s Challenge at Vail, skiing thirteen black and double black runs in a single day with a reward of a free beer and a free hat.
20. Skiing at Aspen with the family
21. Moving my friend’s sailboat 200 miles down the intracoastal waterway from Norfolk to Beaufort NC, just my father and I.
22. Two winter attempts of Mt Humphries, the tallest mountain in Arizona, each a failure, but getting closer and I lived to climb another day.
23. Thanksgiving in Boston
24. Ten person caving trip that I led through Buckner’s cave in Southern Indiana.
25. Ski trip to Wausau Wisconsin and Granite Peak Resort.
26. Raced the Cohasset Triathlon
27. 40+ person sea kayaking trip led by my group

What a wonderful year, with lots of love and great relationships started, nourished, and deepened during all these adventures and trips. 

I have to give a lot of credit for this year to Tim  Ferriss, author of The Four Hour Workweek for his writings and inspiration to live like this – thanks much Tim and all the best to everybody in 2009.  I always wanted to live like this but never knew anybody who did – I didn’t think it was really possible until I read Tim’s stuff and embarked upon the adventure.  Inspirational.  This year has been the best to date for my business, relationships, and adventures and experiences.  I hope for an even better 2009 and hope for the same for everybody.  I have to copy some of Tim’s stuff from a mentor of his here  – good food for thought:

“While many are wringing their hands, I recall the 1970s when we were suffering from an oil shock causing long lines at gas stations, rationing, and 55 MPH speed limits on Federal highways, a recession, very little venture capital ($50 million per year into VC firms), and, what President Jimmy Carter (wearing a sweater while addressing the Nation on TV because he had turned down the heat in the White House) called a “malaise”. It was during those times that two kids without any real college education, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, started companies that did pretty well. Opportunities abound in bad times as well as good times. In fact, the opportunities are often greater when the conventional wisdom is that everything is going into the toilet.

Well…we’re nearing the end of another great year, and, despite what we read about the outlook for 2009, we can look forward to a New Year filled with opportunities as well as stimulating challenges.”

Manuel Antonio, Costa RICA

What a country!  What a trip!  I love third world countries – Costa Rica has made so much progress since I was last there 20 years ago.  Fresh, drinkable tap water, enviable health care system, beautifully paved roads all the way from the capital to Manuel Antonio, social safety nets, thriving capitalism.  I was very impressed.

We went down to stay at my friend’s resort – the falls at Manuel Antonio.  What a gorgeous, amazing resort.  I couldn’t believe it.  Who would think I would know a guy that owns a stunning resort in the heart of that lush tropical paradise?  25 awesome, huge, immaculate rooms, great breakfasts, stunning garden with 140+ different plants and trees.  Yum breakfast, pool, hottub, waterfall, internet, bar…  Loved it.  We were going to stay two nights but stayed the whole time.  Right acrosse the street from “El Avion”, a bar/restaurant with a giant C-123 cargo plane left over from the Iran-Contra affair inside – massive place, all open-air, breathtaking view over the ocean and cliffs and beaches.  The weather was great, rain most days but not for long and never was inconvenient somehow.  Nearing the end of the green season.  Warm and wet is fine I always say, cold and wet isn’t so fun.

One day Richard, the owner (and my friend) went out to look at some property way back in the hills, took along three tico men and Lisa and I and we  went bombing way up into the mountains on this muddy two track, through rivers, around bridges that were out, up steep hills, through giant mudpuddles.  Got stuck at going around one steep uncompleted bridge for about 45 minutes, gradually enough villagers joined and we were able to push the landrover out after much futzing around moving rocks and gravel.  Took about seven tries to get it out, worrying about falling off down the steep waterfall to the right the whole time.

Walked through the jungle one day, had a guide, saw sloths, monkeys, leaf-cutter ants, deer, alligators, and a “Jesus Christ” lizard that can walk on water.  Gorgeous beaches and jungle, amazing.

Took a long bus ride the first day – goal was to spend under $300 to remind me of my 6 month trip around the world – and also to save money of course.  We went over budget but did pretty well I thought all in all.  Ate out at some very nice places, and also lunched at some ratty roadside grills, which I thought were equally delicious, if not better.  I love street food.  You can be pretty sure they aren’t loading it up with crap as you watch them make it.  Good times, love that stuff.  One of my most memorable street food experiences was in Cameroon Africa, in Yaounde, at about 11 at night we wandered to a main street and along the highway was an old lady who cooked little fish on a little grill for us and put them in newspaper – yum.

And the last day we surfed – so much fun!  And I sucked at it.  But tried and fell of repeatedly.  I for some reason always think I can surf – I used to live in Newort Beach and actually owned a surfboard…  and lived a half block from the beach… and I still suck.  Maybe one day I will be able to actually catch a wave.  Put it on the life goal list.  I left Lisa alone for about five minutes and immediately she had a Costa Rican out there helping her surf – I rented a board and got out there pretty quick to join her

We rented a car to drive back to San Jose.  Halfway there I was pulled over for speeding by a fellow standing in the road with a contraption that looked sort of like a hair dryer/flashlight combo.  He was acting very upset and told me I would get two tickets, one for no license and one for speeding.  He then told me I could pay him $40 right there or we could go somewhere and report it.  I told him “$40 es muy grande”.  He said, “twenty dollar ok”.  I said “Done!  Here you go!”  He was then very friendly and shook both our hands and was all smiles.  Off we went.

Cubs and Sox, back to back

Sunday night went to the Cubs game with four buddies.  Monday night went with Lisa and her girlfriends.  Similar experiences and at the same time very different experiences.  Guys at Wrigley is about drinking and carrying on and taling about baseball and watching the game and joking around and betting.  It’s in a very

Wrigley Field August 2008

old stadium, 1908 I believe?  In the middle of a neighborhood.  Rules on going in are very laid-back, you can bring drinks, kids, backpacks, whatever.  Beer guys, food vendors walk around all night.  Super fun, an experience in Chicago for sure.  At least once a summer if not more.  Then there are bars all over around the stadium so we migrated to one afterwards, the Nisei I think?  Next to the Dark Horse.  My friend Art ordered 4 gin rikkis which are basically glasses of gin and we played darts, very competitively, then I made my exit, taking it easy on the sauce as I had to work Monday.  Cabbed home.

Now the White Sox/Red Sox game was a bit different.  Still take the red line, took it right after work, but you take it south.  Get off, walk across the street and into the stadium.  No bars or restaurants or really neighborhood that I could tell surround the stadium.  It’s new, nice, giant megatron TV screen in the

From the bleachers at US Cellular

outfield, huge billboards, flashing lights and fireworks going off.  Much more of a spectacle and entertainment, much more of a show and also a baseball game.  Still very fun but a completely different experience.  The girls I went with were all from Massachusetts and talked about people, relationships, etc all night, which is still

The girls I was with

fun, but as I said a different experience entirely.  Though very much the same in many ways.

Great times in Chicago, back to back ball games at different stadiums, something not too many cities offer so easily as Chicago does.

Sailing in the North Channel of Lake Huron

After the race to Mackinac Island Lisa met me up there for the party.  Then we drove four hours east into Canada to meet my folks on their sailboat in Little Current Ontario at the Spider Bay Marina.  They cruise on their sailboat every summer for 4-6 weeks.  How cool is that?  They have their 38 foot Ericson totally decked out for living aboard.   They sleep on the boat every night that whole time.  It’s so cool – all sorts of little hidden coves and bays inlets and islands – similar to cruising the Carribbean in some ways but a much more wilderness experience.  We went hiking one day to

View of Topaz Lake and my feet from a cliff

Topaz Lake – a deep gorgeous, big blue lake surrounded by quartz mountains.  So stunning.  You could jump off cliffs into the water.  Craziest thing was it is a dead lake – so no seaweed, algae, anything.  The perfect temperature.  We spent four nights on the boat and they went by so fast.  Parties on shore or on other boats in the harbors most nights.   We drank and partied on “Rum Rock”

View from Rum rock into the Harbor, folks boat is far right

one day in Baie Fine – couples from five boats met on shore for ‘cocktail hour’ and drank a 23 year old bottle of rum, ate appetizers, swapped stories and generally enjoyed life.  It’s the craziest subculture, all these sailboats out there cruising around, enjoying nature and each other, all with a great attitude.  My father I don’t think I’ve ever seen so happy, he absolutely loves it up there and loves his boat so much.  The entire cockpit is screened in and can be opened to the air, screened in, or glassed in if it gets too cold.  Grill on the back, dinghy, solar panel.  they can go completely off the grid.  Pretty exciting stuff – makes me feel like a slacker, just doing daytrips on my boat.

Looking for a prince

Triathlon with an Olympian, Nantucket Fish Haul, Mount Marcy Climb

Just took a week long vacation – haven’t done that in a few years.  It was action packed.  Started by flying into Boston and eating at Lisa’s folks – they always make amazing dinners – had pasta for us Saturday night in preparation for the Cohasset Triathlon on Sunday.  My good buddy from age five, Bill Burnett, puts it on, and what an amazing job he does.  This year Jarrod Shoemaker (representing the USA in the triathlon in Beijing!) and 900 other people raced it, including a number of elite competitors.  Jarrod beat me.  In just two years it’s become a huge deal in the northeast.  They had a giant stage and all sorts of gear and food available.  Super foggy and a heavy surf in the morning but they did the swim anyways, which added that much more difficulty to it.  I finished on a mountain bike, next year I’ll get a real bike, though I’ve said that for the last 8 triathlons I’ve done and never have.

Wayne and I before the Cohasset Triathlon

The next day we left for Natucket to stay with my very close family friends the Carneys in their beautiful home in the town of Nantucket, overlooking the harbor – such a nice place.  But boo, it’s on the market, bummer.  My best bud Spencer was there with his kids, including new baby Cormac Thomas – named after me!  How cool is that?  2 months old, and amazing.  Also his older sister Daley, who at three is super fun to hang out with.  Went out to a super nice dinner at Orin Moore’s with Spence, Sue, Lisa and I, highlight was when the waiter brought a french press and pushed down on it at the table, spraying coffee and grounds all over the table and putting out the candle – we found it hilarious, the head waiter not so much.  Went sailing several times on their Rhodes 19 in Nantucket harbor and through the cut in the jetties to the open ocean, a little sketchy coming back in but fortunately the tide had shifted in our favor.  And a highlight was driving out on the beach on Coatue and surfcasting – we caught four huge bluefish!  I can never get over how you can stand on the beach up to your ankles in water and take this giant rod, cast out a huge lure, and reel in these 4 or 5 pound (guessing) fish.  Plus the added bonus of driving on the beach which is always a good time.  Letting the air out of the tires first so they are somewhat flat is fun too.

Fish in hand

 

After Nantucket we went to Lisa’s grandparent’s place in upstate New York, on Indian Lake.  A terrific two houses they have, on the water next to each other, a bunch of waterfront  with docks, ski boat, swim platform, rowboat, kayaks, canoe, and sunfish.  And over the course of five days we used them all!  Taught Lisa to sail one day which I expect will do wonders for her confidence on my boat here in Chicago – so much easier to “get” sailing on a small boat.  Swam every day and showered and shaved zero days – just an “Adirondack shower” in the lake each day.  So fun.  For the 4th we went and climbed Mt Marcy – 3200 feet or so of elevation gain, 7.2 miles up and 7.2 miles down – it took us 4 hours up and I couldn’t believe it, but also four hours down.  Weird.  The last couple hours seemed to take forever.  The summit was really beautiful, above tree line so huge views, 360 degrees.  Count it as my 12th state high point! 

Nearing the Summit of Mt Marcy

Actually quite incredible fireworks that night on the lake for such a small town – we took the rowboat and speedboat out to watch.  The next night I went on about an hour long mountain bike ride around Indian Lake, which is no small feat considering the trails are for snowmobiles not bikes – and are overgrown and mosquito infested and swampy in places.  Kevin, Lisa’s uncle, was in better shape and kicked my butt up the hills – one particularly long one – tough to train for that kind of stuff in Chicago.  Was a blast, and really cool and pretty.  A interesting aside – at one trail intersection in the middle of nowhere out in the woods there were advertisements on the trees for bars, hotels, restaurants, etc – for the snowmobilers.  Was something I’d never seen before.

Managed to chop a whole bunch of wood for Lisa’s grandfather, he appreciated it and I enjoyed the physical labor.  Small repayment for such incredible hospitality and relentlessly delicious meals, one after the other.

Got back late Monday night, tired but refreshed.  I need to figure out how to do more and longer trips!  Actually in a couple weeks we have the Mac race and then a few days sailing in the North Channel with my folks – so good stuff.

Sailing

Got out sailing today!  How great is that?  The motor was apparently running very hot – so I did some work on it – turns out the impeller that drives water had gotten jammed up – so not cooling of the engine – I replaced it and I think we’re good.  Of course I had to test her out – so took her for a spin solo.  15 knot winds, chilly breeze, and great sailing.  Blue sky, sunny, makes a guy smile   Life is very good these days.  we’re moving into new office space and have a number of solid business deals in the works.  All is well. Off to climb, camp and canoe at mississippi Palisades – should be a bunch of fun for the long weekend.  Only a couple hours away.  We’ll borrow my buddy’s canoe, adn meet some other climbing friends there.  Looking forward to it.