Une Envie de Sel

On the road out of Golden on a sunny Sunday morning, heading upward!

 When I lived in the mountains, we used to use the term "weekend warriors" in a derogatory sense - we who skied or hiked or snowshoed or snowboarded every day of the week as a point of pride. That was our lifestyle choice, and we looked down our noses at those who took outdoor sport as a vacation passtime. 

But now that I live on the Front Range, I have come to realize that "weekend warriors" are no joke here in Colorado. These guys and girls aren't messing around. This road gains altitude but fast.

(And trust me, I'm eating humble pie. Now that my career and my child have taken center stage in my life, I have precious little time for outdoor activities myself. So yeah, I get it.)

 But oh, it does feel good to get out, with the fresh wind at your back and all that gorgeous space before your eyes.

 A small herd charging up the hillside as we started our hike.

 Let me tell you that at this altitude (even if you've lived here all your life) it is not easy to carry a four-year-old (even a skinny one) on your shoulders up a 90-degree hillside.

 And the dogs weren't helping.

 I mean...come on! It was so beautiful up there.

 Lichen on the rocks.

 Q was drawing maps for me as we went. She is quite the mapmaker. In fact, there might be a career for her in charting. She often knows where we are even when I get lost. It's kind of impressive.

 Q took this shot (with the heavy Nikon!) If you look closely you can see the snowy mountains in the distance.

 Busily map-making.

 That's downtown Denver directly behind her head

 What cracks me up about this photo is our mirror-image pigeon-toed walk. So funny. This child who is in no way related to me by blood has exactly the same oddball stride as I do. We both wear down the outsides of our sneaker soles at precisely the same rate. What are the odds?

 Early autumn vista on the Front Range. Sunshine in the foreground, snow in the distance. I love it.

This is the life.