Yes, we got married this weekend! The wedding was absolutely perfect and the weekend was better than I ever imagined. I’ll share a photo or two when we get them back from the photographer. Thanks for all of the well wishes!
This past weekend was full of wedded bliss. Along with the matrimony came dozens and dozens of memories, reaching as far back as my childhood. And while I looked through all of these memories, I came across a few photos from college from my first 14er: Mt. Elbert.
It was late 2001 and I was clearly in the peak of high fashion. To hike the highest mountain in the state of Colorado, I wore mid-calf brown hiking boots, black sweatpants from my collegiate dance team, a long sleeved cotton shirt, a blue hoody sweatshirt over top, and a silver beanie with a big star on the front. My daypack was a Jansport backpack that I used on campus at the University of Colorado-Boulder.
Pretty sweet, huh?
All Photos By Will Rochfort
But you know what? We made it to the top of Elbert and even enjoyed a snooze in the sunshine at 14,439 feet. I descended just fine too. Clearly, it didn’t matter if we had the most high-tech gear on the market. It was all about the hiking, all about the fun.
Back then, Elbert was a grand adventure. None of us had ever been to that high of altitude and we all doubted whether we would reach the summit. Our clothing was the last thing on our minds.
These days, a non-technical hike like Elbert is merely fun jaunt, something that I’d consider on a Saturday with no other plans. Truthfully, it’s just not enough adventure for the Heather of 33-years-old to consider a “big” day.
So what happened over the past fourteen years? Am I more awesome than I was at age 19? Doubtful. Am I stronger? Maybe, but I’m sure as heck a lot older so that’s debatable.
In reality, my capabilities have expanded as my experience has broadened. And while I appreciate my larger library of knowledge, I look back on my earlier adventure years with some wistful eyes. Once you experience Step A, it’s hard to not want to reach out for Steps B, C and D.
Should we ever want to retrace back to the beginning? Or should we just let history take its natural course?
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