CLOUDS HAD GATHERED ALL AROUND MY HEAD
It seemed like a good day to hike. Oh yea, sure I know that I think most days are good to hike, but this day I was chomping at the bits to climb a peak. The day before we had backpacked into South Colony Lakes area with the plan of hiking two 14ers, Humboldt Peak and Crestone Peak, in the next few days.
So before we did the 14ers, we figured we would do a “tune-up” on a smaller peak, Broken Hand Peak, which stands at 13,573 feet. It seems like a good way of getting ready for the 14ers especially since our group was made up of a few people who had not done any real mountain hiking before.
Ascending up the peak that Tuesday morning was like most climbs, it went up, it caused legs muscles to be used, and there was less air the higher you got. We made good time going up and reached the top around ten o’clock. So far, so good, but as we got to the top things started to change. In came the clouds and the fog, and the next thing we know the clouds were so thick that we could not see more than a few feet from where we were standing.
This created a few problems for us finding the trail and getting off the mountain not to mention making everything wet and slippery. So basically to make a long story short, we could not find the trail, the weather turned cold and wet and nasty, some of the people in the hike began to have some health problems, and others were having trouble staying mentally sharp.
After about eight or nine hours of trying to see the way down, we found a possible way off (not the safest route, but one that got us down none the less). After a descending a snow shoot, we were down by the lakes again and close to camp. We hiked back to camp, put on dry clothes, ate some warm food, and got some sleep. The weather stay bad the rest of the week, so we mostly sat around the camp waiting for a nice day while staring at the mountains around us. We did not get a nice weather break till we backpacked out of the area on Friday.
I often think of this day when we sing “August 30th” at church, which was written by a man who almost died in an auto accident. In my mind, I change the name of the song to July 29th, and think about the clouds around our head and the chance to live again.
On that hike, I learned a lot about myself that day. I learned many things that day including that I can stay claim in pressure and that I have a peace in life even near death. Funny as it sounds, I would not trade that day for anything because it taught me too many things about myself, living, and hiking.
Happy July 29th to those of us on the hike.
Thank you for the chance to live again
I will run always for you
Clouds had gathered all around my head
But these hands they lifted me
And I’ll tell of this love that saved me
Thank you for the chance to live again
I will run always for you
Walking closer you are all I have in this world only you
And I’ll tell of this love that saved me
And I’ll wait for this light to break
I’ll come to you, yes I’ll run to you
And I’ll wait for this light to break
I’ll run to you, yes I’ll come to you
I’ll be one with you
August 30th by Delirious?
Written by Martin Smith/Stuart Garrard ©1997 Curious? Music UK
LikeI LOVE A RAINY NIGHT
Quick softball updates.
Last week we played against our sister team, again. We still could not beat them. This time the game was not a high powered offensive game like when we played them before. This game we lost 12-9. We could not get the timely hits we needed to get the runs we needed.
Then tonight, in the pouring rain, we played and we won 14-2. The game was really never in any doubt. It was just fun to play in the rain and mud, because we all became little boys again playing in the water because we loved it.
That is the softball updates for those who need to know.
Monkey Meditations
- Among the 13 percent Americans who call themselves agnostics or atheists, some 20 percent pray daily.
- My first question, to whom are they praying?
- My second question, why do they pray if they don’t believe?
- Are they lacking faith in what they believe or are they gaining a different faith?
- Will the streak end? No, not the rockies winning road series streak, which is at one as I write this. I mean the five consecutive 100 plus temperature and record setting heat days.
- Some records should not be be broken.
- Sure it is a dry heat, but so is an oven.
- Apparently, 1/3 of Medical Studies are wrong.
- My first thought, getting 67% right is a D, and that is not a grade I like my doctors to have.
- My second thought, which studies are wrong and how can we tell?
- Please let one of the studies that was wrong be that eating lots of ice cream is not good for you.
- How bad is the NL West. According to Baseball Tonight using Elias Sports Bureau as its source, if the season started June 21st, the rockies would be in first place in the division.
- If you are in the mood for an inspirational story, especially one about a father, read this one.
- Wisdom gained from a bumper stickers: “Taxation WITH representation isn’t so hot, either! “
- Need a reason to be a part of a 4H club, read this thought from Jay Leno’s Headlines.
I’D CLIMB THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN
If you are not sure you can make it up a Colorado mountain, I recommend this “heart-warming” story.
Into Thick Air – Mt. Sunflower
It lifts my spirits when I am down.
DID YOU FEEL THE MOUNTAINS TREMBLE?
This marks the tenth summer of hiking fourteeners in the state of Colorado for me. The first hike of 2005 was Mt. Princeton. Two friends, Ethan and James, were my hiking buddies for the trip. I had not hiked with with before, but I know they hike a lot and are in much better shape than me.
We left Friday night, July 15th, with the plan of camping near the trail-head of Mt. Princeton. We stopped and had dinner in Buena Vista. After dinner we headed to the trail-head. When we got there it was dark, raining and there was a great lighting show. Well, great to see, but not that great to be so close to. After driving up the four wheel drive road in the dark, we finally found a spot to park and sleep. However, there was no room for our tent, so the three of us sleep in my vehicle. Oh, I also found that dinner did not set well with me and I throw up a few times.
After a not so nice night of little sleep, we got moving a little later than we hoped, but it was a beautiful day for hiking. I was still not feeling great, however; I decided to hike a bit and see if I could made it to the top. So around a late 7:00 AM we went up the trail.
Before long we reached about 11,800 feet and tree-line. From there the trail has a junction where we made a turn onto another part of the trail and we followed that trail up to the top of the mountain. Not long after the turn we could see the peak, which on a lot of 14ers is not true. Sometimes you can not see the peak till you pretty close to it. At this point, through I was moving really slow, I decided that sick or not I could reach the top of the peak.
The trail soon turn from dirt to all rocks and boulders for the last few miles of the hike. The climb upward was slow and steady for the most part. Once we got to the ridge the hike is pretty much a normal accent to the top. You are tired, out of breath, wondering why you do this to your body, climbing a steep part, but knowing you are going to make to the top in a bit.
Getting to the top was a great feeling and reminded me why I do this to my body. The weather was very nice at the top. It was warm and sunny with one cloud. Ethan and James got the top much quicker than I did and were enjoying the awesome views that you only can get on the top of these majestic peaks. We stayed up there about a fourty-five minutes or so before we began the descent down.
Going down is always the hardest part for me. The body is sore and tired, and my feet and knees take a beating going down the steep slopes. Being a fat, out-of-shape, slow-moving, pop-sucking, softball playing marshmallow that I have become over the last few years, made this hike harder. My legs felt like jello and my body and mind were very tired. Being so beat, I did slip and fall a few times on the rocks. When I fall and slip, it makes me feel even more tired. Then the cloud that we saw at the top, grow pretty big and darker. It started to cause lighting and thunder and little sprinkles of rain.
However, when I hike I sing a lot to myself, pray, and spent time in mediation about people, events, and things that I have learned. This always helps me focus, stay clam, and be mentally sharp as possible so that I do not become distracted by how tired my body is. If I did not do that, the slipping and falling and possible weather troubles would really bug me.
Well, thank God it did not rain very hard and we continued our downward journey down without getting soaked. Soon it was warm again and we were back to the dirt trail instead of the boulders (which my feet were happy to not be on rocks anymore). Soon we reach the vehicle and headed home after another successful 14ers climb. It was number 28 of 54 Colorado fourteeners for me.
Through, I was pretty sore on Saturday night and tired, on Sunday I my legs felt pretty good. Only my neck was sore from the hike, but it has been sore for awhile (I am getting work done on it that helps, maybe more on that in another entry). Mostly, I was still tired from not sleeping that well. The hike showed me in a real way that I need to get back in to good shape so I can enjoy the hikes a lot more. I need to be consistent going to the gym.
As a blog reader, there are a sneak preview of the pictures of the hike. You can click here to see them. Regular visitors of the personal website who do not read the blog will have to wait to know about the photos. Just a way of saying thank you for reading this story.
I look up to the mountains; does my strength come from mountains? No, my strength comes from GOD, who made heaven, and earth, and mountains. Psalms 121:1-2 (The Message)
GIVE ME GAS IN MY CAR, KEEP ME TRUCKING
Do you ever get curious about something and just have to find informations about something. Well, I did and so I some research on the web for information. I wanted to know is what are other countries, especially Europe and China paying for a gallon of gas in American Dollars.
Well, I still have not found what China is paying, so you if you, please let me know, but I found other countries. A lot of Europe is paying almost 3x was the U.S. buyer has to pay. Ouch. Most countries that produce their own oil or do not use that much are not paying that high of a price from what I can tell.
The following data is from March 2005:
| Nation | City | Price in USD Regular/Gallon |
| Netherlands | Amsterdam | $6.48 |
| Norway | Oslo | $6.27 |
| Italy | Milan | $5.96 |
| Denmark | Copenhagen | $5.93 |
| Belgium | Brussels | $5.91 |
| Sweden | Stockholm | $5.80 |
| United Kingdom | London | $5.79 |
| Germany | Frankfurt | $5.57 |
| France | Paris | $5.54 |
| Portugal | Lisbon | $5.35 |
| Hungary | Budapest | $4.94 |
| Croatia | Zagreb | $4.81 |
| Ireland | Dublin | $4.78 |
| Switzerland | Geneva | $4.74 |
| Spain | Madrid | $4.55 |
| Japan | Tokyo | $4.24 |
| Czech Republic | Prague | $4.19 |
| Romania | Bucharest | $4.09 |
| Estonia | Tallinn | $3.62 |
| Bulgaria | Sofia | $3.52 |
| Brazil | Brasilia | $3.12 |
| Cuba | Havana | $3.03 |
| Taiwan | Taipei | $2.84 |
| Lebanon | Beirut | $2.63 |
| South Africa | Johannesburg | $2.62 |
| Nicaragua | Managua | $2.61 |
| Panama | Panama City | $2.19 |
| Russia | Moscow | $2.10 |
| Puerto Rico | San Juan | $1.74 |
| Saudi Arabia | Riyadh | $0.91 |
| Kuwait | Kuwait City | $0.78 |
| Egypt | Cairo | $0.65 |
| Nigeria | Lagos | $0.38 |
| Venezuela | Caracas | $0.12 |
Source: air-inc.com and cnn.com
THOUGH THE QUESTIONS STILL FOG UP MY MIND
It amazes me how many on-line surveys there are on the web. Some of them I find to be fun or thought provoking. I have taken the time to do two on-line test in the past few weeks and I thought I would share what I have learned about myself from them.
What’s your theological worldview?
My results are as follows:
Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan – 68%
Fundamentalist – 64%
Charismatic/Pentecostal – 61%
Emergent/Postmodern – 54%
Reformed Evangelical – 32%
Neo orthodox – 25%
Modern Liberal – 18%
Classical Liberal -14%
Roman Catholic – 14%
Ok, I admit I am surprised how low my Emergent/Postmodern percentage is. I figured that before I took the quiz, it would be #2 on the scale behind the Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan model. The Fundamentalist results disappoints me but it figures, doesn’t it? Can you be fundamental in your belief, but not in your approach? I think so, but the influence of my high school which is very fundamental is still in me and I figured it would be high, but not that high. Still I am not sure how accurate the quiz is, but it is very interesting to take.
Calculate Your Life Expectancy
Frankly, I find it funny that a little on-line survey could give accurate results on your approximate life expectancy, but hey it was fun to take. It informed me that my calculated health span is 84.9 years. I guess someday, we will find out if it was right or not. I was just glad to see it say that I was going to make it past today.
YOU ASKED
I wrote in a previous post that the main title of every blog entry (except for the First Entry and any Monkey Meditations) are from a song. Someone ask me to list what everyone song was and who the artist was who inspired me to use it as a blog entry. I thought of making it a trivia kind of question, but I then I figured I would just list them.
- THOUGH THE QUESTIONS STILL FOG UP MY MIND – “I Still Believe” – Jeremy Camp
- FEELS LIKES IT’S TIME, TO DREAM AGAIN – “Rain Down” – Delirious
- DADDY KNOWS HE’S WAITING SO HE HURRIES ON HIS WAY – “Heroes” – Paul Overstreet
- THE TIME HAS COME – “The Time Has Come” – Martina McBride
- GONNA TAKE THAT MOUNTAIN – “I’m Gonna Take That Mountain” – Reba Mcentire
- IF IT RUNS LIKE A DEER MAN HER EYES LIGHT UP – “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy” – Kenny Chesney
- GOD MADE CONVERTIBLES – “God Made Convertibles” – Whiteheart
- DELIVER ME FROM ALL THE MADNESS – “Deliver Me” – David Crowder
- IN REALITY THAT COMES FROM ABOVE – “Reality” – Newsboys
- MUSIC TO SOOTHE YOUR SOUL – “Beautiful” – Audio Adrenaline
- PUT ME IN COACH- “Center Field” – John Fogerty
- MY HOPE IS IN YOU – “My Hope Is In You” – Third Day
- IT’S AIN’T THE YEARS, IT’S THE MILES – “It Ain’t The Years, It’s The Miles” – Chris Ledoux
- ALL THE WORDS – “All The Words” – Kutless
- ADDING TO THE NOISE – “Adding To The Noise” – Switchfoot
- CAPTAIN CRUNCH IS WAVING FAREWELL – “Breakfast” – Newsboys
SOFTBALL UPDATE
Oh, another double header. I must admit, I am very tired this time from this double header. It felt like a long night of softball.
The first game we won 8-1. Great defense, and so-so hitting. I was 2-4 but should have been 0-4. My worst night ever as a softball player, I think. I was way ahead on every pitch. I had no patience with my bat and normally I do. On my last at bat in this game, I hit a ball foul and hurt my side. So that did not make the night any shorter.
Our second game was against our sister team. It was 11-0 them after the first inning. So I was guessing we might get a big time beating. However, then we scored 9 runs and they got 5 more in the 2nd. So it 16-9 after two innings, 16-11 after three innings, and 18-11 after four innings. Then the last inning came.
We scored 15 runs and had a 26-18 lead going in the bottom of the last inning. However, they scored enough and won 27-26. Our defense was shaky as we were tired. I missed catching the third out by about 2 centimeters on a driving try (hurting my side more), but I could not get it. Then the next guy hit it to the CF fence and that won the game. I did miss read a ball earlier in the game that cost us a couple runs. So my defense did not have a good night, maybe that is why I feel it was a bad night. I was 3-5 in the 2nd game with a triple and 2 RBI and 2 runs. Should have been 5-5 with more RBIs to help the team.
We play them again next week.
FEELS LIKES IT’S TIME, TO DREAM AGAIN
There been things to write about since the last blog entry, but I have not been in the mood to write. That is the great thing about having my own blog, no deadline or pressure to write anything super deep. It is when I want and what I want.
However, I just have not felt inspired to write anything. The creative juices have not been flowing. I know someone of you are thinking that as a code monkey (computer programmer) you can’t be creative. I am sure it is illegal in some states for code monkey’s to be creative, but sometimes I am can be. Right now is not one of them, so I have nothing else to write, but when did that ever stop me.
NON-GREEN
My wife and the kids have gone back east to see her family. So I am making do with them gone. The hardest part for me is keeping alive her flowers and plants. Every year when she has to go somewhere, I have to duty of keeping the green things alive, and for whatever reason one or more of them do not make it. This year, I am hoping all of them make it, but this year some bugs are eating the flowers. I been spraying them with anti-bug spray, but I fear I am losing this battle. So it looks like another time of trying to explain to my wife, why you can’t leave a man with the thumb of death for plants in charge of keeping flowers alive.
SOFTBALL UPDATE
Since I last wrote an update, we had another game rained out (that is the 5th game postponed this season). Then we had a double header last game day, in which we lost both games, 11-10, and 16-13. It was tough to lose both games.
MORE SAD rockies THOUGHTS
This one from a friend as we were talking about catching a game. “It’s not every day that you get to see a minor league team for a major league price!”
BLOGGING
Just wanted to to say my friend, that I been talking to about starting her own blog and you know who you, I really do hope you start your own blog. I think it would be great.
