A Rush...In more then 1 way

Have you ever done something that you know you should not have and got a rush from it? If I was a betting man I would wager that you have....


One early winter day Frank the Tank, his buddy Dave from DC, and I decided to hike up to Devil's Playground. You probably are wondering where this trail got its name and so was I. Sometimes all you have to do is ask, which I did of a passerby on the trail. It just so happens it was named this because at the summit lightning hits a formation of rocks and supposedly looks like what you might imagine devil's playing would look like??? The image that came into my mind was not rocks and lightning but People in Las Vegas. Don't ask me where that came from, the mind is an interesting thing....and the force is powerful.

Anyway....Ask we approached the trailhead is was very cold (about 25 degrees) and snowing. As we got to the treeline the snow stopped and we continued with our witty banter and ascent. When storms hit up that high (about 12,000ft) you can see them coming. There was a storm brewing but in the far distance. We decided to keep going in spite of the fact that there was no visible trail and we were walking through deep snow. Long story short the wind picked up, the snow got deeper and we continued toward the playground. All of a sudden we began to hear the devils rumbling. We should have turned back, however the dark clouds and that side of the force blurred of rationality. We pushed forward, without any path in sight and finally made it to the playground.





There was a blanket of white covering the summit and it created a sense of peace until the roaring thunder reminded us that is you F with the bull you get the horns. So we decided to head down the mountain. Despite the sketchy conditions we made it to the trailhead and back to Frank's for a reflective conversation and beer.

Are you INCLINED to push yourself?

There is no disputing that the state of Colorado is a playground for outdoor enthusiasts. Active people here are constantly looking for a new challenge. A few weeks after arriving in the Springs I learned about a hiking trail called "The Incline". The Incline is a little more than 1 mile literally straight up. The trail is frequented by Olympic athletes in training (the Olympic training center is in the springs), tri-athletes, marathon runners and your everyday active person looking for a challenge and rush.
I had heard a lot of chatter about the incline and following one of my idols footsteps George I decided to be curious.


When I arrived at the trail head I was slightly alarmed at the sight of the challenged ahead of me. After the 1st 50 yards the trail goes straight up. While hiking up the incline it is extremely hard to catch your breath. The record for getting to the top is 18 minutes and a lot of people time themselves trying to better there time each attempt. All I wanted to do was make it to the top. There is even a Incline club that meets once a week all year long at 6:00am to hike the incline. You can clearly be addicted to more than just substances



Little by little I was making progress up the trail to the summit. The only three things that kept me going where the amazing views below me, my I think I can I think I can self talk, and the tunes I had blaring into my ears from my IPOD. I would literally have to pick a point about 20 feet ahead of me and once I got there I would take a break. Slowly but surely I made it to the top and the views were amazing! I had a great sense of accomplishment. When my body wanted to shut down my brain propelled me forward. As I relaxed and absorbed the beautiful scenery a thought popped into my head. I still have to hike down the trail....


I have since hiked the incline many times. Sometimes I go after work or on the weekends for a great workout and stress release. Other times I go with friends and we chat between gasps of air. For those of you inclined to push yourself this is a worthy endeavor.
This is only half way to the top!

A CO pastime: Hiking 14ers

Very soon after I moved to CO I heard about a lot of active peoples favorite pastime; Hiking 14ers.You are probably thinking what the hell is a 14er? It is a 14,000 mountain of which there are over 50 in the beautiful state of Colorado. Whenever I visited Colorado in the past I was drawn to the mountains.

To hike to the top of these massive formations seemed like a exciting hobby. The altitude in the mountains take some time to get adjusted to and I had been in CO Springs less than 4 months when I decided to hike Pikes Peak. Pikes Peak happens to be one of the hardest 14ers because of the elevation you start at. It took me around eight hours to hike the more than 12 miles to the summit. Sometimes in my life (ok most of the time) I don't take into account the details of a situation, rather I just dive in. So a long story short hiking Pikes Peak was one of the most challenging things I have done in my life. I barely made it and don't remember the last two miles because I was delirious.

So when the time came for my second 14er I was prepared! Hydrated, acclimated to the elevation, well rested and pumped up. I went with Frank the Tank (my officemate) and three of his friends. We left around 4:30 cause the early bird gets the worm and bad weather can come in early afternoon. Climbing this 14er was amazing!


It was challenging but I was flabergasted by the beauty that surrounded us. I found myself in a zone where I had boundless energy and I was totally caught up in the moment. If you ever want to read a great book check out flow, which basically sums up my experience that day.






Since this experience I have climbed a few more 14ers and I am always game to go. So... if your interested in streching yourself mentally and physically and having what I explain as a spiritual experience holla at me!

New Years in the Dominican

New Years is my favorite holiday. I enjoy spending time reflecting on the past year (challenges, successes, place traveled, people I have met.....) and also looking into the future to forecast what I want to claim for myself. This year I decided to go somewhere tropical and the destination was the Dominican Republic. Some people say life is not about the destination rather the journey...Well the journey to Caberrte (a small beach village) was interesting...My pal Nate informed me I could save a few bucks by flying into Punta Cana and taking a five hour bus ride to Caberrete. He said it would be a great cultural experience to interact with the locals, brush up on my Spanish, and hang out with some small animals. This sounded intriguing so I decided that would be my move. Three days prior to leaving I became curious about this little village that Nate spoke so highly of. I perused some websites and one particular site discussed travel to the village. It stated travel on a bus is the preferred method of transportation for locals and it is very affordable. Roger that and THEN....It stated to get from Punta Cana to Caberrte takes from 8 hours (minimum) to 3 days (maximum)... For those of you that know me well, you are aware that details sometimes escape me. Had I not been curious about my destination I would have spent the majority of my vacation on a bus!

So I made other plans and was on my way....

After three flights and two cab rides I made it to the Puerto Plata airport (20 miles from Caberrete). My cab driver, who was studying to be a lawyer stopped at a market and got us each a Presidente (the national beer) I practiced my broken Spanish and he kindly accommodated offering up information about the countries history, culture and recent development. I was slightly alarmed by the roads, the landscape, shacks, and poverty surrounding me. I had to remind myself that this is still a third world country and leave my stereotypes in the cab when I left. To much time in the US can blur my vision...
Major Contrast
The outside of our villa


We finally arrived at the villa and I was pleased to end my travel and begin my vacation.

Caberrte is a famous destination for Kite Surfing. The wind along the coast is powerful. The days and nights were spent relaxing. We spent alot of time on the beach, conversing with the locals and made some interesting friends.








New Years was a blast literally! We and everyone else on the island got fireworks and set them off with reckless abandon. Tom actually got hit in the foot with one that left a nice sized imprint/burn and we almost hit a incident bystander with a rocket. There was a huge beach party with DJ's, bonfires, dancing, drinking, and of course fireworks.




The next day everyone was worn out from the celebration the previous evening. What better remedy than to go to Jose O'Shea's and watch the Redskins control there destiny for making the playoffs??? The Skins handled their business and we celebrated with Pina Naturales aka Pina Coladas in a Pineapple.










Nate had pineapple envy because his was much smaller than mine.








The next few days we spent catching rays on the beach, playing cards, discussing the meaning of life and plotting on how we could bankrupt the casino.






After six days of fun and sun it was time to head back to reality and approach 2006 energized, optimistic and hungry for more adventure and development.