And The Snow Begins To Fall…

From the past week of hiking.

Sometimes You Just Need To Go To The Mountains…

Turned 26 yesterday and finally realized I no longer have anything more to look forward to. (Minus Social Security and being able to call myself a geezer.) Okay so It’s not all bad, but it was a day for reflection, mountain air, and some unseasonably warm November temperatures. Girl is a friend and ironman badass, so the day was experienced at a good clip, with lots of excellent refreshing conversation.

The Hills Are On Fire… Colorado Aspens

Gave up sleeping in on Saturday to head up to Rocky Mountain National Park and soak in the Aspens one last time this fall.  Rumor has it a huge storm is headed our way and the leaves might not last past midweek. So please enjoy.

PS: The girl is Jessie — a good friend from DU who I love to explore the woods with.

 

 

Rocky Mountain National Park – 21-Mile Loop

God I love this place. Saturday was a day of solitude, a day of inner conversations, working things out, and praying about what’s next. I woke at 4:45 am. and immediately cursed myself for dreaming up such an idea. Just short of an hour later I was at the trailhead, basking in early morning light, cinching up my boots and starting the GPS track. The first three miles were the worst, and more than once I almost turned back to watch TV, read and relax. But alas I didn’t. Here are some shots from my beautifully long day hike, which took me up, over, around, and through everything Rocky Mountain National Park has to offer.

Early morning light on the trail:

Sunrise:

Longs Peak shrouded in clouds:

Trail Sign:

The east face of Longs:

Elk in the distance:

Lush meadow:

Aspens:

If you could drop everything what would you do? — My challenge to you

Answer this: If you could drop everything, without consequence, and follow one dream, what would it be?

Now think about what is stopping you? The barriers that immediately shut down your idealism. Are they able to be breached? Are they materialistic? Are they family based? Are they rooted in fear?

My dream?

The Six Degrees of Separation Project

The Mission: America needs to remember its beauty – The idealism that has captivated millions to risk death just for a chance to succeed. To jump borders. Leave family. Drive a taxi by day, go to school at night. America needs to hear the stories of idealism beyond Disneyesque packaged prime time. The need to see the faces of struggling entrepreneurs. Stay-at-home mothers. Hourly wageworkers. Wall Street wonders. The project will link together, using the philosophy of six degrees of separation, the everyday fabric of our lives.

Execution: I would start out with one person, and listen to their story. That one person would then be responsible for introducing me to the next individual. I would then listen, learn, and document their story. The individual would then be responsible for introducing the next person. The catch, however, is the person cannot introduce me to a person the previous person knows. I also will need to spend at least one night with the selected individual, so I can accurately portray a sliver of their life.

Deliverables: By meshing my love for storytelling with technology, I will produce a variety of multimedia components: video, written word, photography, podcasting, GPS oriented content to name just a few. The project would be available via a website, and social networking tools.

The Crux: Before embarking I would compile a bucket list of goals: be a guest on the Tonight Show, run a marathon in a major city, help a kid learn how to throw a baseball, learn how to sail, and have dinner with the President. That I wish to complete during the trip.

Barriers: Capital. That’s it.

My Challenge to You: If you feel as though reaching your goal is out of reach, help me reach mine. I will make a promise to fulfill on this. All I need is a little help. This does not necessarily mean just cash, though that will put some gas in my tank. A simple introduction may be more than enough.

What would this take? Honestly, I’m not sure. Startup costs would be roughly 5K to get the appropriate equipment and website built. Then it’s a matter of gas, food, and enough cash so when I stay with a stranger I can cook them dinner, or take their kids out for ice cream. Ideally I would start in Colorado, and work east.

It is also important to note that I am not just asking for a handout to travel without risk to myself. I am willing to put my own capital behind this journey, as well as my personal name and time. Several people noted that “this seems a little strange,” and “I’m not sure what my first impressions are,” which is more than reasonable. I will work on answering these questions in a more detailed post shortly, but for now I wanted to just put the idea out there.

Think you can help? Let me know. If I can raise 20k I will hit the road and follow a life-long dream, which will hopefully change one persons life for the better.

Note: 20K is also equal to 200 folks taking a $100 chance. Broken up, anything is possible.

Please feel free to circulate this post to whomever you like.

If you don’t know me and would like to talk, please feel free to give me a ring at 303.406.1876 or email me directly at timshisler (at) gmail (.com) – I will be more than willing to answer any of your questions.

Colorado Beauty: Indian Peaks, Mt. Massive and a Stop Sign

Forget Vegas, Colorado is where it’s at. This weekend was the typical go-until-I-can’t-go-anymore fiesta of 14ers, picturesque lakes, rugged trails and Cliff Bars.

We started innocently enough by driving. Once in Leadville, we camped out and drank Tequila awaiting an early morning wake-up call to climb Mt. Massive, 14,421-feet high and the second tallest peak in Colorado. (Read 3 a.m.) A few peanut butter and jelly sandwiches later we signed the register and took off. Nearly 4,500-feet of climbing later we summited to sweeping 100-mile views of rugged mountains. It looked as if God had reached down and pulled the earth upward with no symmetry or reason. Truly breathtaking to say the least.

Post-Massive coffee was enjoyed in Leadville, before we headed back to Boulder for some much needed rest. Of course that meant five minutes at home before heading up to Roosevelt National Forest for a night of camping and fly fishing.

Seven a.m. came way to early–my eyelids were still sealed shut and my head was throbbing–but the morning beckoned and so did Brainard Lake. A few intense hours climbing around the peaks ended with a spectacular storm system building up overhead and what was sure to be excellent get-your-ass-off-the-mountain weather.

All around nearly a perfect weekend.

3:25 a.m. beauty

Signing in

Early morning light (Jim)

View from the summit

Signing the register (Elisabeth)

Heading down (Elisabeth)

Coffee!

Day Two:

Stop!

Flowers

Indian Peaks

Brainard Lake

Monday Morning Reading: Stress, Online Stalking, and CNBC Genius

Griping Online? Comcast Hears and Talks Back – NYT – July, 25

Customers blog and Comcast responds. Interesting read about how companies are realizing they cannot ignore the online community. Of course there is a downside, some people see the commenting and responding as an invasion of privacy and creepy. My take? Genius . Finally a behemoth decides to take on the net and do something beyond putting customers on hold.

CNBC’s editing genius on display in Mark Zuckerberg interview – Valleywag – July, 24

Proof you can’t believe everything you see, this short post and two video insert displays the editing genius of CNBC. It is no secret Mark Zuckerberg is one of the worlds worst interviews, but CNBC polished him up and made the stiff CEO sound confident and precise. Worth just a few minutes of your time, if only to remind you the editing room is a powerful place.

The Last Media Tycoon – Portfolio – August 2008

A detailed, yet fluffy profile of Washington Post publisher Katharine Weymouth, this piece talks new media, old media and the 800 lb. elephant in the room — the death of newspapers. Even though I feel Graham said all the right things, I can’t help but wonder if she has the vigor to change the industry. Money quote: “We are going to have to get smaller and better and still find a way to put out the best product we can. That may mean that we have to make some choices about what we can cover and what we can’t–and those are going to be hard choices.” — Ah, yeah, just one question… “What age demographic are you going to cut out? The twentysomethings? Because that’s your future….

Stressed Americans Leave 460 Million Vacation Days Unused – Marketingcharts.com

This one says it all. Please stop reading and go outside.

———-

PS: Shot from this weekends adventures (more to come shortly)

Colorado Beauty: Lazy Saturday Fly Fishing

Forget climbing 14ers, every once and a while it’s good to view the Rockies from below.

© Kris Wagner 2008

Hanging out with an older lady (There is a good chance she is going to kill me for that)

My coworkers were ready to have Mrs. Robinson playing when I started up my computer yesterday. Forget the fact that Wendy had informed them she was there at my birth, or had driven to Boulder to see me. Nope, they figured I was full of shit. Well, kinda at least. It probably didn’t help that we had margaritas together; and she paid. Or that I took the day off to run her butt up Sanitas, into Rocky Mountain National Park and into the movie theater. On the outside looking in, it must have seemed kinda strange.

It was a great day. One of those days in Boulder where you never feel rushed, but somehow manage to see the Rockies, Flatirons, Rio and Stone Cup without breaking a sweat. The kind of day where conversation flows together, weaving in and out of topics, crashing down at times and then receding back to more comfortable waters.

We talked a lot. I’d like to say it’s because I can add valuable points to conversation, but we all know I’m kidding myself on that one. At one point, somewhere between the flat wasteland of America’s Midwest and Gods natural speed bumps, the Rockies, we talked about her late husband and the grieving process.

The conversation was in confidence, but it stuck out. I had close friends in high school who lost parents, friends and siblings. I somehow managed to sidestep the funerals, memorials and suicide attempts. I did, however, always wonder how I would grieve.

Throughout the day a central theme circulated our conversation. The need to get out and experience life. For Wendy, an “older” woman, it was how to cope with post-kid life. For me, a “younger” man, it was how to start a family and set down roots. We both had our desires. Our aspirations. Our similarities.

There is a country song going around on the radio right now about how life goes faster than you think. I’ll save you from the depressing lyrics, but it was evident yesterday while hiking up to Cub Lake that life was what you make of it.

Wendy got in her car and drove away from home. She decided to shed skins. Look deep inside. Take a journey of self discovery.

En route, she just so happened to spend a day with me, in a place I am growing to love. Living in a town that seems so similar to back home, I’m still alone, wandering into bars with good friends, but new friends. Her familiar face was a welcome site. A grounding of existence. And of course, so was her ability to tell me how it is, and set me back on track.

It’s summer! Wait…scratch that…the F-ing snow is back…

Climbing Twin SistersIt was hot yesterday. Like 75 degrees hot. Of course when I woke up this morning, three inches of snow was on the ground, but at least for one day we had California-like weather.Pics are from our adventure up Twin Sisters peak in Rocky Mountain National Park.