What was, what is and what will be - closing out 2015

At the end of each year or beginning of the New Year I write a blog. My blog is a reflection of all that I accomplished the past year and all I look forward to in the year to come. In January of last year I closed out my blog with this:

“For the upcoming year I’ve decided to seek out and be open to more adventures. I want to travel, to continue to build Yogi Magee Expeditions, to inspire others through healthy living and to change lives through fitness. I want to expose my daughter to as much of the world as possible and hopefully teach her as much about it as I can along the way. I may be continually tired, over-worked and over-committed but as long as there is life in my veins I won’t stop moving and putting myself out there. I’m ready to learn, I’m ready to dive in, I’m ready to work and I’m ready to sacrifice now so I can live the life I want later.”

Looking back on 2015 it would seem that I accomplished this and more. Nearly every month had a highlight which sometimes involved my business Yogi Magee Expeditions and other times my family…sometimes both. So here are my favorite moments of this past year:

January: Visiting Telluride with my husband and Charlotte and hiking the Jud Weib trail that I’d previously done on my Telluride Yoga + Hiking Retreat.

February: Spending a weekend at Snow Mountain Ranch and cross-country skiing with Charlotte for the first time.

March: Celebrating Charlotte’s second birthday and welcoming the terrible two’s (which I didn’t really think were that bad).

April: Co-leading my first yoga retreat in Belize. From staying on a private island to wind sailing, swimming with sharks and sea turtles and hiking through the jungle there were a lot of firsts on this retreat for me. I’ll never forget being drowned out by the sound of ocean and wind while I was teaching or using rocks to anchor our yoga mats and late night hermit crab racing.

May: Hiking the Tetons in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and staying in a gorgeous mansion courtesy of my friend Leanne’s job at Inspirato. We drove to Idaho and had huckleberry milkshakes and had dance parties and late night hot tub sessions every night. My favorite adventure was making it to inspiration falls which we’d previously been turned back from the first year I went due to snow.

June: First camping trip of the season plus a Michigan vacation and finishing the Collegiate Peak 14er’s on Columbia Peak.

July: Checking San Luis Peak off my list, celebrating Chad’s birthday with sloshball and our Anniversary Trip to Telluride where we summited Sneffles. The end of the month was spent hard at work on my first Glamping Retreat in Walden where I had the pleasure of teaching yoga, hiking and getting to know 18 adventurous women all while sleeping in tents and yurts.

August: Climbing Castle and Conundrum Peak then leading my Telluride Yoga + Hiking Retreat which had amazing weather and awesome attendees.

September: Managed a weekend getaway in Crested Butte with my friend Michelle where I climbed Mt. Crested Butte from base to summit then experienced my first Chili and Beer Festival. My husband and I also managed a weekend getaway to hike South Maroon Peak and checked out the Iron Mountain Hot Springs in Glenwood. Also took Charlotte up her first 14er Mount Evans.

October: Took Charlotte to Steamboat for the second time in her life where we stayed in Oak Creek and climbed Fish Creek Falls. My in-laws came to visit and we hit up the Mountain Goat Lodge B&B in Salida which has been on my “to-visit” list a long time.

November: Paid my sister and friend Lisa a visit in DC on a mother-daughter trip with Charlotte and found out I was going to be an aunt! Spent our Thanksgiving in Michigan and enjoyed a weekend of snow and sun.

December: Took Charlotte on her first snow shoe trip up in Nederland and became hooked on the activity ever since. In-between having family visit I’ve been taking Sunday’s to get outdoors and snow shoe when I can since it’s a cheaper alternative to skiing. Being from the South I’ve usually shied away from outdoor winter activities and now I can’t get enough of them.  While my husband worries about Charlotte in the cold, I feel it’s important to expose her to life outside the house where she can appreciate nature and all Colorado has to offer.

So there you have it, my year in review. I typically don’t make resolutions but rather I try to evolve each year. I’m constantly thinking of new ways to expand my retreat business and build my classes at the studios I teach. I’ve met so many new women from these experiences that it only fuels my fire to do and teach more. Becoming a prAna ambassador has allowed me to teach to a different audience and reach new people who I previously wouldn’t have had the chance to meet. Next year I’m leading some retreats in places like Nicaragua and Tulum where I’ve never been and I’m excited to get out of my comfort zone. I’m going to try surfing and more stand up paddle boarding and hoping to add more 14er hikes to my list. Adventure, to me, is how one comes to appreciate life. I’ve had a lot of scary moments this year - hikes where I’ve felt I’ve gotten lost or stuck. What those feelings taught me on the mountain is that I’m even more brave and capable than I give myself credit. No matter what has happened to me I’ve always found a safe way out and have become stronger through each experience.

So for 2016 my goals are to pursue more of what makes me scared….more of what makes me fearful. Fear, on the mountain is what keeps you alive….so I have no doubt that will serve me well off the hills as well.

Thanks Lululemon and the cheerleading team for never picking me

There's no awards for being the best yoga teacher...in fact that's not even a thing. It's impossible to be number one at something that's a constant practice. However, I once believed that the highest honor that could be bestowed upon any yoga teacher was being a Lululemon Ambassador.

You see I, like most people just getting started in the yoga world, once had no idea what Lulu was. I would see people in class with tight fitting spandex clothing all with the same inconspicuous logo on the back or pant leg and wonder, "what the heck is that company?" I wore yoga pants from target and old navy and pretty much any tank top I could find. I'm sure on more than one occasion I wore leggings that were see thru. Fashion, in the sense of working out eluded me because I had always just thought of gym clothing as something you sweat in not something nice. Imagine my sticker shock when I went into Lulu for the first time and saw the prices. My mom bought me my first pair of leg warmers from there that I begged for which were somewhere in the ballpark of $32. My mother in-law bought me my first top, which I'm also sure I hinted I wanted, for around $50. My husband purchased my first pair of black leggings for me which hovered around $100 and I swore was the only thing I wanted for my birthday. It wasn't much of a collection but it was a start.

remy leggins from prAna- $85 for the best butt of your life

When I became a teacher I saw other teachers becoming Lululemon Ambassadors and I thought that was what I wanted. I didn't know why I wanted it, it just seemed awesome to have a clothing company tell you that you were great. They show up to your class and make a big deal of asking you one day and then you get to teach in store here and there. I went to a few of their vino and vinyasa events which were always packed but to me didn't seem any better than the experience I had at my home studio. Why would people come and practice yoga in a clothing store sandwiched next to dressing rooms and clothing racks? Oh yes, because it's free.

I realized however, that's not who I am. I'm not Lulu material because I'm just not that type of girl. In jr. high and high school I tried out for cheerleading and dance team every year and never made it...not once. I finally, at the urging of a teacher, applied to work on the school newspaper. I showed up to school one day to a big sign on my locker welcoming me to the team of writers. It was one of the happiest days of my life to finally be acknowledged for a talent I had all along.

in Angelica duster and prism capris

Enter prAna into my life. I was connected with the manager of prAna through one of my retreat attendees and it was an instant fit. prAna makes clothing that isn't just for yoga but for hiking, rock climbing, traveling and living a well-rounded sustainable life. Rachael and I met for coffee and could have talked all day about our lives and goals and adventures. She brought me on to teach Barre in store and gifted me with some amazing pieces to start my prAna addiction  collection. Everyone who works in the store is friendly and carefree and the students come eager to work and learn. More than just the clothing or teaching, it feels like a place I can call home and the mantra of the company aligns with my values and goals. One look at the website or in store and the girls aren't standing around looking perfect with yoga mats, they are climbing rocks and surfing and living life on the edge. I even found out Shiva Rea, my sister soulmate yoga idol is an ambassador for them. It's a match made in heaven.

wearing the vinyasa hoodie

The reason I was never chosen to be an ambassador for another company wasn't because I wasn't good enough like I always thought...it was because something out there better was waiting for me. Just as with anything in life, if an opportunity hasn't happened yet it's probably because another is in the cards for you.

I started leading yoga and hiking retreats because no one else was doing them and no one else ever asked me to lead a retreat with them before. Had I been asked before I may have never started Yogi Magee Expeditions and built the business I have today that only continues to grow. Yoga teachers in Denver are a dime a dozen and prAna wasn't looking for someone ordinary they were looking for someone like me who sought adventure and was combining passions in a way no one else was. All along I thought I had to be someone else to get where I wanted to be and all I really needed to be was myself.

featuring the misty top

Had I been a cheerleader maybe I never would have nurtured my love of writing and become a Journalism major. Maybe I wouldn't have this blog you're reading now or become a part of the Denver Metro Mom's Blog. I can say to everyone out there that has a dream or goal to keep pursuing what inspires you. Follow what you are good at and instead of wishing you would get asked to participate get off the sidelines of life and jump in the game. I promise those around you will take notice. If I had never had the dream to take people glamping then yoga and yurts wouldn't have happened and I wouldn't have met the amazing women that are in my life today. Don't wait for opportunities to come go out and make them for yourself.

"Accept everything about yourself - I mean everything. You are you and that is the beginning and the end - no apologies, no regrets." - Kissinger

keeping warm in my halle pants and diva jacket!

Adventures in snow shoe hiking with a toddler

When a friend asks you if you want to snow shoe hike on your day off you say yes....even if it means bringing your 2.5 year old with you. What else would you do? Stay at home? Run errands? All those things you can do any day of your life that don't matter or won't make memories?

So you suit up and go.

And perhaps you invite your nanny and her friend along with because the more the merrier....or the more to carry her....

You go despite the 30mph winds that are blowing and despite the fact 5 miles round trip in the snow is a lofty goal. Because maybe, just maybe, in the trees the wind will die down...

You remember what it feels like to be in the woods, alone, to play in the snow and to sweat and to work hard and be in pain in your shoulders and back from the weight of that which you carry...

Breaking trail, making new tracks through the snow. You walk with the others but you also walk alone. There's something about fighting and finding your way that not only strengthens but humbles a person. You question why you'd leave the comfort of your warm house for this just as much as you question why you don't do things like this more.

There's frozen lakes and three moose. There's silence and laughter. The snow swirls around and the wind dies and the sun starts to shine just as your daughter starts to get restless and have a meltdown.

And you don't make it to your destination....but you realize the journey was your destination.

Because the people you are with...they are just as content to turn around and head back as you are. And you realize at that moment you've chosen the right type of people to be on this adventure with....people that want to help you and check on you...inspire you and take care of you. You leave with such a feeling of happiness that you can't believe it's over. So what else to do...but plan it all over again...

I cannot promise you it will be easy, but I can promise it will be worth it

Because a child will never remember the best day of her life as watching television...and no one ever frames photos of their kids playing on the Ipad.

Why my husband doesn't support me

My husband said if I wrote a blog about him that he would read it. Well dear I hope you don't regret that statement for what I'm about to write. There are two main rules for writing- write what you know and tell the truth. What I'm about to tell you readers is both....

I have a husband who doesn't support me.

One of my dear friends, who shall remain nameless (but she reads my blog so you know who you are) has a husband who does the same. In fact, it's one of our favorite things to complain about our men when we are alone together. She's just scratching the surface on branding herself and her business. She has a weekly nutrition segment on television and her husband barely even watches them. When she posts articles to her facebook page or instagram her husband won't even "like" or "share" them. In fact, she says, mostly what he does have to offer is criticism based on what she says or does on tv and pictures that she posts.

As an entrepreneur myself I feel her pain. For the past three years I've been running my own business called Yogi Magee Expeditions. I offer adventure yoga retreats within a budget nearly everyone can afford. I started my own facebook page and instagram and that's how I market and sell out all of my retreats and fill my classes. From my business I have had opportunities to teach corporate yoga and bootcamp as well as barre and cycling at various studios all through town. I'm at the point where managers find me and ask me to teach for them rather than me begging to find jobs. I have to turn down offers to teach all the time because my schedule is just too full. I've been with my said friend above on morning news segments showing workout videos, I've had my classes videotaped and been interviewed for fitness websites and I too am just scratching the surface of my abilities. I market and sell my retreats entirely through social media and word of mouth is growing my business each day.

And I've done all of this without the help of my husband.

And I'm grateful.

You see, the strongest women in business....the most profitable CEO's have never had the help of a man. Just look at Martha Stewart, Oprah, and J.K. Rowling who herself had a failed marriage and abusive ex-husband. Not only are these women self-made but none of them even achieved success before 30 and Rowling was even a self-labeled failure. Closer to home, I am surrounded by amazing women who have all made it without the help of a man. My mentor and friend Dawnelle who owns QiFlow continues to redefine movement and run successful retreats, teacher trainings and her classes pack out. My hair dresser Candace is someone I watched go from renting a space in a small salon to opening her own studio called Foundations Hair Salon on Colfax. She now has her own employees and team of stylists and you can barely get an opening in with her these days. I recently met another beautiful soul named Tricia Olsen who founded a company called FitLo Denver which is a database of fitness teachers and studios that anyone living in Denver or visiting can go to and know they are going to get a butt kicking. Tricia left corporate job and struck out on her own to do something no one else is doing. Did I mention all of these women have a small child at home as well? I'm in awe watching these women grow their businesses and the passion and drive that motivates them even through the darkest times.

To say my husband Chad isn't my biggest fan would be a lie. He sacrifices a lot for me so that I can live my dream. After all someone has to take our daughter to school and watch her while I'm teaching whether that's all over town or in Belize. He works overtime so that I can fly part-time and teach more. He is on single dad duty while I travel to Telluride and Nicaragua to run my retreats. He even came to our yoga and yurts retreat this summer and cooked breakfast, lunch and dinner for 21 people just because I asked him too. My husband may not read everything I write, brag about me to his friends or market my retreats for me and that's OK. He forces me to work harder and hustle because of it. As he says, "anyone will kiss your ass, you have plenty of people to do that, few will tell you what you actually need to hear."

It's easy for my friend and I to think our husbands are assholes because they aren't kissing our asses on the daily. We think they should be flattered to call themselves our husbands and the truth is.....they won't outwardly. Yet that doesn't make us any less successful. We shine because of our own hard work and dedication not because of the amount of "likes" our photos get on facebook or instagram. The strongest women, the ones I admire, have many people to thank for their achievements and many who have helped them along the way.....but their self worth isn't tied to what any man (or woman for that matter) thinks for them or does for them.

I'm thankful for all my husband does so that I can shine. Someone once asked me what it was that I thought was the secret to my marriage. After thinking a hot minute I replied simply,

"He lets me be the star and never asks for anything in return."

That, my friends, is why I love my husband so much. Why I have him to thank and not thank for any bit of magic that has happened in my life these past 10 years. He doesn't stand by my side....

He lets me stand on his shoulders.

How I learned to love my demon baby

Over the past weekend I went to visit my sister in her new home in Alexandria, Virginia. I decided to take my 2.5 year old Charlotte because my husband couldn’t come on the trip and it would be easier to have her travel with me. While we do a lot of traveling as a family this was only my second time to fly solo with her and the first was when she was under a year old. Flying with a toddler has its own set of challenges but then add in flying stand-by, bringing a car seat and having to carry on all your bags because of said stand-by travel status…well you get the idea. Did I mention my child is also fondly referred to in my household as the exorcist baby?

Scared for me now?

You see, I don’t have an angel baby. My friends have angel babies. My friends have angel children who like to sit still and play nice and never cry. Me, I have a child who gets frustrated easily. One who screams bloody murder if she doesn’t want to do what I ask her to do and also…did I mention….gets herself so upset she throws up. Hence the exorcist part. Ever since she was a newborn she was a challenge. She liked to be held all the time, she liked to be held by ME all the time I should say, OH and she threw up. Constantly. When I traveled with her solo the first time luckily she was nursing and I could nurse her to sleep. She rode in a car seat and stroller that I could easily manipulate and gate check. She didn’t need to be constantly entertained and didn’t have a meltdown if the Ipad wouldn’t work. She could nap most anywhere making an all-day outing accessible and she could sleep in a pack n’play. Friends, if you are going to travel then do it while they are little and on your lap and still free….trust me.

Taking a child anywhere can be difficult. Taking a child to DC to stay at your sister’s house that isn’t exactly kid proof is a little trickier. My sister bought her a stroller for the trip when I arrived yet Charlotte had to be bribed to sit in it for longer stretches. Otherwise she wanted to walk…and not hold my hand of course through downtown traffic. Bribes had to be given in the form of dum dums and Masha and the Bear videos. I love whoever created Dum dum lollipops. Thank you for your service to me and my sanity. For how many restaurants she sat in and happy hours she sat through I must say Charlotte did amazing. Yet, being around my friend Lisa’s daughter just solidified that I did indeed have a difficult child. While her daughter was a year younger, she was far more content and less whiney than Charlotte although they were just as on the move as one another.

Which is all to say this is the trip that showed me how much I love my exorcist baby. I really do. I know it’s me judging from the outside, and I’m sure no one’s children are perfect always but I realized a few things. I will probably never have the child who will sit quietly while I drink coffee. I won’t have the daughter who wants to sit in a chair and color while I eat dinner. I will probably never know what it’s like to not have her freak out on an airplane or have her climb all over me at the worst times. Charlotte, I realized is a strong, independent little girl with a fierce love of me that extends to hand holding while we nap together and grabbing my face to kiss me repeatedly. Her actions over the trip taught me enormous patience. Her wanting to run through crowds and restaurants gave me an excuse to run and skip and kick through leaves as well. I realized the world is not about sitting still and being quiet always…it’s about wearing your feelings on the outside and sometimes letting them come out your eyeballs.

I loved watching Charlotte play with everyone from her aunt and uncle to their friends and my friends. I loved seeing her eat ice cream until she was covered in it and wearing the same skirt over and over because she liked the “stars.” I enjoyed walking past food trucks and buying her treats just because they delighted her eyes and changing her diaper at the Lincoln monument just because she wouldn’t walk a step further until I did. I once thought my parents embarrassed me when I was younger. Now I just see it’s karma for all the times we embarrassed them. Kids are loud, wild, carefree and hopelessly in search of fun and imagination and that’s the way we were meant to be.

So yes, I have a demon baby. Chad and I often joke about it, but friends its true. She’s not the perfect angel baby that sits and never acts up and it has nothing to do with my parenting and everything to do her being exactly as she is. Yes, there are time outs and structure but ultimately I let her be free to play and enjoy. Whenever I try to get her to conform to what I think is socially acceptable (i.e. adult behavior) it ends badly so I’m constantly trying to go with the flow.

And ultimately friends…you’ll never see these people who stare at you the wrong way again. So fuck them.

At the end of the trip as the bus driver in Denver was helping me get a sleeping charlotte off the bus the kissed her hand and patted me with it and told me, “I’m so proud of you.” There was this distinct look in her eye of a woman who had traveled alone with children before. It almost made me cry.

“I did an awesome thing for my daughter,” I thought. Taking her on a trip with just me like that.

It was worth every (sometimes painful) minute.

Don't let someone who has done nothing tell you how to do anything

I teach approximately 9 classes a week at 4 different studios not including an on an off corporate gig and teaching at prAna as an ambassador. I'm about to add 3 more classes to my schedule and did I mention I'm also a flight attendant and mom and run my own business? Needless to say I stay busy. I love teaching fitness and am constantly trying to think of ways to inspire my yoga, bootcamp, cycle and barre students. I'd like to think I'm a five star teacher....

At least I was.

I recently logged into my mind body online account at one of the locations I teach to find a student last week rated me as a one star teacher. Any location using MBO now has a feature that allows students to rate their teachers after class. It also has a spot where they can fill in any details about the class. At one studio I have comments like, "Natalie is the best" "Her classes rock" "Loved the 90s music" and some don't leave comments at all just 5 stars. When a student leaves a bad star review it drops your rating down. So now at this other studio instead of being a 5 like I am, I'm now at a 3. I did a little deductive reasoning and believe the student who left this review was one of my free week students. I remember him because after class I asked how it was and he said hard. He came into my cycle yoga sculpt class having never taken a yoga class or yoga sculpt and found the quick pace and terminology challenging. I encouraged him to come back and learn more.

Let me tell you something about teaching classes. I get to the studio at least 15-20 minutes before each session and stay 15-20 minutes after. I help students set up bikes, I wash and fold towels, I check people in and help them with their memberships. I set students up on bikes and preform adjustments during class. I remember people's names mostly and use them. I pay $1.99 per song on itunes and I make thoughtful playlists. I spend time choreographing my classes and making playlists. I sacrifice time away from my family to teach and I have spent over $2k on trainings and certifications. At most I make about $55 a class though if I'm there two hours that breaks down to about $25 an hour. I'm not doing this to get rich folks I'm doing this because I love what I do. I am rewarded by changing people's minds and bodies and inspiring them to live healthier lifestyles. I love my work and consider it an opportunity to give back to a community who has given so much to me. I have gotten to know many of my students on a deeper level of friendship and have connected others in the fitness world in ways I never thought possible. I pour my heart and soul into this.

It's not that I don't think there's a place for feedback. Please tell me if my music is too loud or you can't hear me or I didn't explain something well enough. I don't like non-constructive feedback. I can't help it if you don't like my music, my delivery, the way I talk or the fact you came in late and I didn't have time to set you up on your bike. I can't help if if the speakers act up, if your neighbor is annoying you or your bike was sticking. If you've never taken a cycle, yoga or barre class before of course your first one will be challenging and tough no matter who you take it from. I'm not for everyone and if you don't like me that's great because there's a million other teachers out there who might be better suited for you. I don't believe the old saying, "You have one chance to make a first impression" because I think students should give teachers multiple chances...

Maybe I just came in to teach tired, upset, sick or frazzled but I couldn't find a sub to cover for me so I'm having to suck it up and be there. Maybe YOU are having a bad day with your boss or spouse or child and you come in with a chip on your shoulder. We all have off days, teachers and students alike and it takes time to get to know someone else's style of teaching and class format. Give me six weeks before you give me a one star review.

I was talking to my mentor Dawnelle about reviews and feedback and as she says, "Unless you are doing what I'm doing and sitting where I sit, don't give me feedback." We agreed Yelp is pointless as it allows people to bring down small businesses with one individuals biased opinion. I of course, do not have Yelp but I did have a girl tell me this after I wouldn't give her her money back when she cancelled on my retreat and my policy says no refunds:

"I am shocked that you could even identify with a real yogi - I feel people who live and breathe yoga are people with empathy and understanding- you've shown none of those qualities. I won't recommend you to anyone ever again, and I have a feeling your retreats will continue to not fill up spaces with your business practices...."

I'd like to point out that my Nicaragua, Glamping and first Telluride retreat all sold out and that my Telluride retreat next year is almost sold out as well. This girl I'm sure would rate me less than one star and I know in my heart I'm not any of those things she said. I'm better than all of that.

So here's what I'm saying in all - I don't care about how you rate me and I don't care about your feedback. Seriously. Unless your name is Yogi Magee and you are running your own business, you teach 9 classes a week at four different studios and have a daughter and a husband and fly every night so you can teach during the day I seriously don't want to hear it. You aren't me so you aren't doing what I'm doing or try to go where I'm going. If it's something I can change - temperature in the room, noise level, the speed at which I talk or how loud I talk then tell me of course. If it's my personality, how I do business, how I structure my class or my retreats that someone doesn't like then move on and find someone who inspires you more.

Because I know I'm worth more than one star and I won't let that stop me....ever....

Never say never in mountaineering

“I’ll never do that.” – I should probably add this phrase into my vocabulary more when it comes to adventures because I find myself more and more doing what I never imagined myself doing. Five years ago when I was just getting into my journey hiking the 14ers of Colorado I wrote this blog and this about the mountains I feared. I wrote: 10 of the mountains are rated in the difficult category including Crestone, Longs, Kit Carson, El Diente, Maroon Peak, Snowmass Mtn., Mt. Eolus, Mt. Lindsey, Wilson Peak and Wetterhorn Peak. None of these really scare me except Maroon peak probably because in my mind there are 7 others to be much more terrified of, these include Mt. Wilson, Crestone Needle, Capitol Peak, Sunlight Peak, Little Bear Peak, Pyramid Peak and North Maroon Peak.

I also posted photos of Maroon Peak and underneath wrote, “not for me but they sure are beautiful to photograph.”

This past September my “never” turned into standing on the summit of Maroon Peak overlooking the valley below. In fact, looking back at my list of “maybe never’s” above, I’ve summited longs, kit carson, mt. lindsey, wetterhorn and pyramid. I think when I wrote that blog I had summited maybe 6 or 8 total 14ers and now I’m up to 42. With each summit, my confidence has grown and so has my knowledge. Nothing could have prepared me for these peaks except for time spent on the trail and while every peak is different, my courage has grown exponentially with each summit. In August, my little brother came out and along with three friends we climbed Castle and Conundrum in the elks. While not particularly hard mountains, there was plenty of snow to contend with coming down the saddle between the two and I cut my teeth, so to speak, on more glissading. Glissading can be done on rock but is traditionally done on snow and involves basically controlled sliding down the mountain on your boots or behind to expedite the process of coming down. While dangerous, if done right it can at times be safer than trying to walk on slippery wet snow. Wet pants however, are a small price to pay for getting down in half the time.

Maroon Peak, another elk range mountain, had been on my radar for quite some time and I decided to finish out the summer on its summit. In lieu of camping, Chad and I stayed at a hotel in Aspen Friday night that was close to the trailhead. The nice thing about the bells is the road is paved in and, given our 4:45am start time, we didn’t have to rely on the bus to shuttle us to the trailhead. We saw several other cars in the parking lot but it turned out to be all photographers gunning for a chance to shoot the bells at dawn. We were on our own then for the hike.

Let me be clear however, Maroon peak, and the bells in general, is more than just a hike but less than a climb. There’s no ropes involved because the rock is dangerously loose and rotten so finding a solid anchor would be next to impossible. They aren’t just walk up hikes though because after the hike up the ridge there is no defined trail. Even the trip report from 14ers.com suggests there are multiple ways to go to reach the summit so a knowledge of route finding is paramount to success. Just to reach the hard stuff you must subject yourself to what’s known as the “2800 feet of suck” which is a steep climb up the green ledges of the ridge of maroon peak. Chad fell at one point when we got off route and cut up his finger pretty bad in an effort to control his fall down a steep gulley.

2800 feet of punishment

Once up the ridge the real climbing begins. We had spotted a guy who was in front of us so we half followed him and half followed the trip report in combination with our own good judgement. My blog was partially right because 5 years ago there is no way I had acquired the skills needed to climb this mountain. While Pyramid is ranked a class harder than Maroon, I didn’t even think Pyramid was as tough based on the mileage (8 vs 13) and the relatively shorter approach. Everywhere you look, the ledges look the same and I would compare it to a labyrinth. Stop paying attention and you’ll cliff out and possible fall to your death. I don’t know if route finding is necessarily a skill you can teach but somehow I seem to have gotten the knack for looking at rocks and picking out lines. You have to be careful because there are some false cairns (piles of rock people make that are supposed to mark the way) that will lead you to nowhere. I can’t stress enough how much attention this mountain commands from the time you leave the trail behind Crater Lake until you arrive on the summit. Even at the top, I wasn’t sure I had arrived at the top yet because that mountain just would not quit.

still a ways to go

the chimney

steep, loose, rotten, confusing, it has it all

“Set a goal so big that you can’t achieve it until you become a person that can” – that’s the motto I’ve been living by after this adventure. Climbing this peak showed me that truly any summit is within my reach. In the past I doubted my abilities as a hiker and mountaineer because this is nothing like I’ve ever done before. You can’t take a training course in how to be a good hiker. You can’t go to a gym and learn how to read trip reports or follow cairns. There’s no guides along the route to tell you if you’re going the right way or not and even if you do have the luck to have someone ahead of you they might not know where they are going either. GPS, maps, trip reports, they can all give you clues but ultimately the summits don’t reveal themselves unless you have the courage and the power to get you to the top. Chad had a moment where he wanted to quit. I had a moment on the way down where we cliffed out and I thought truly we might be stuck indefinitely. What scares you in the mountains is totally different than what scares you on a day to day basis. You’re in pure survival mode and critical thinking is key. I’ve never had something give me such a rush before as climbing mountains.

the ledges

maroon lake- I wonder how many could see us on top?

chad looking like a mountain goat

had the summit to ourselves

The Maroon Bells are one of the most photographed spots in North America. People come from all over the world to take pictures of them. They are so famous in Colorado they are on the King Soopers loyalty card. As we came down the trail we drew stares and awe from those around us. Not only had we been hiking for 13-14 hours but we had helmets and hiking poles not tripods and strollers. People stopped us to chat and couldn’t believe we had been to the top. “It looks impossible,” they’d remark.

“That’s what I thought too” I replied.

with pyramid peak, last year's conquest in the background

beautiful hiking scenery we didn't get to see at 4am

I cannot wait to come back next year for North Maroon. While not an officially ranked 14er, it’s still one of the 58 and thus on my list. Now that I’m down to 16 and my list is getting smaller, the amount of hard ones I have left is greater. I know I won’t be able to hike with as many friends for the future because they don’t have the skill set I have. However, this journey isn’t really about anyone else it’s about me and my goal…and perhaps my husband helping me to finish as well.

conquered the left now have to come back for the right

After our hike we stayed in Glenwood Springs and ate at our favorite brewery and then soaked in the new Iron Mountain Hot Springs. Our legs were sore and tired and the heat was refreshing. It was such a trip to think those around us had no idea of the adventure we had been on the day before. They didn’t know we’d been to the edge and back and were thrilled just to have made it out in one piece.

That’s how mountaineering is though, you do it for the cause not for the applause. As one of my favorite quotes says, “Mountains are not stadiums where I satisfy my ambition to achieve, they are cathedrals where I practice my religion.”