What are your summits to chase for 2020?
How are we going to go summit chasing in 2020? A couple of weeks ago I drove up to the summit of Pikes Peak. As a result, I had some time to think about the current situation and how I am reacting to it. Up there is always beautiful, on top of the clouds, standing high above the incessant activity below. With the craziness happening in the world then, and now, it is more important than ever that we take care of our mental health. For a lot of us that means getting outside. Hiking, biking, climbing, fishing, whatever it is that you want to do, right now we all need to do what it takes to keep us moving.
I hate the term “new normal.” It is, quite simply, a cop-out. Nothing is ever “normal.” In January of this year, I jumped into full time self-employment. That is a scary thing. It was not normal. Honestly, self-employment is just a step below insanity. Three months later I was forcibly shut down by my licensing agency and health department. Life is never normal. Life is a mountain we are all trying to climb but there is no summit. No one is ever done. They just stop climbing at some point.
One foot in front of the other.
So how do we get back to doing the things we love to do? Well, if you are a summit chaser, a hiker, or a biker looking for a trail to get out on, check out COTREX. It is a great resource for finding trails and checked to see if where you are trying to go is open right now. Likewise, make sure you take the essentials, respect other’s decisions about how they are dealing with the many crises we are experiencing, and leave no trace.
Get out there. Take a run, a walk, a bike ride. I enjoy simple bike rides around the neighborhood with my kids. Stay active.
Lastly, you may want to know what my next summit is. I'm learning to fly fixed wing aircraft. Next time I am above Colorado's clouds, my feet won't be touching the ground.
“I like the mountains because they make me feel small,’ Jeff says. ‘They help me sort out what’s important in life.”― Mark Obmascik
