Intermission | 60 at 60

Intermission | 60 at 60

July 2020 marked my 60th year on this amazing planet we all call home. What a journey it has been. But I’m not here to talk about everything in my life, rather I’d like to share with you the three big goals I set for myself during my 60th year.

Each goal would have some sort of a sixty element to it; days, miles, nights, etc.

The first goal was to do a minimum 60 mile trek through one of this countries most amazing wilderness locations. The Wind River Range in Wyoming was that place. To make things even better our youngest daughter asked if she could come along. To be perfectly honest here I was a bit worried wondering how she would hold her own. After all she’d never done a multi-day-night-week(s) trip into the backcountry before and most of this trip would be well above 10k ft above sea level. Sea level was where she was coming from. But then I remembered all those young men and young women trips she’d go on and how each time they went on some kind of hiking expedition she would be leading the pack, by ‘pack’ I mean to say ‘everyone’. There is something you should know about Keelee, she’s a character, funny as all get up and a truly kind person anyone would enjoy being around…most of the time. ;-) To get a little flavor here’s a snippet from the trip…you know she’s gonna kill me for this!

Perhaps it should be made clear that I don’t have any sort of deal going with Toilet Paper products, save the obvious, nor with REI or their hiking sticks.

The trip was far better than either of us could have hoped for. We trekked well over 60+ miles during a two week back country trip that took us into the Titcomb Lakes and Titcomb Basin, over the pass and around the backside eventually returning to Island Lake.

Interested in knowing what one of my images looks like when I forget to accidentally bring the camera along during one of our many day hikes? Here ya go…

Yes that is the tripod without a camera. Can you imagine how great this might look in B&W? That was the plan, until I emptied out my pack to find it missing just one thing…the camera. Oh well, guess I’ll just have to go back another time.

We had endless adventures and a chance to create memories neither of us will forget. Here are just a few of the images from that trip…

There was one moment that ought to be shared here before moving onto the second goal. On one of our last nights after returning to Island Lake we hiked up on top of a knoll to watch the sunset. Afternoon clouds had come into the basin and as we hadn’t had too many evenings like it, the camera got hauled up there as well.

It started off sort of just OK, but as the sun went down further and further the scene before us just simply transcended into something beyond words really. I recall asking Keelee over and over ‘Do you see that!’ because it was just that incredible. Here’s what we saw…

click the image to read the story.

The second goal was to spend at least 60 days camping in the back country underneath the stars. I took trips to Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Colorado and Utah. Truly amazing were the sights I was able to witness and experience. There was weather of all sorts including rain, wind, snow, and many natural hot springs along the way too. Perhaps the most odd hot springs experience was when I was hiking in Idaho, way back in the back if you know what I’m saying, and came across this…

This may not have been the prettiest hot springs I’ve ever seen, but after a week backcountry and not so much as a sponge bath it was a welcome sight. Yes it was slimy. Yuck. But oh so fulfilling.

Yellowstone is always a favorite…but then so are many other places too.

There are a slew of new images that I am still trying to work on from the places visited. There was just one major thing that got in the way.

The third goal was to get 60 days on the slopes skiing during this winter season. Those of you who know me well know for a fact how much I love to ski. I’ve been at it since I was five years old, taught a total of 12 years under the Professional Ski Instructors Association (PSIA) at seven different resorts. Not only do I love the sport, I love sharing it with others as well. And while I don’t have any awesome shots from this season to share I do have this one, which came dang close to keeping me from meeting this 3rd goal…

This is me being life flighted, on a Jet, to the nearest hospital…apparently I’m having a heart attack and time is of the essence.

I thought that if I did all the right things I could avoid it. Let’s face it, hiking and camping during the summer and skiing during the winter, where my personal motto is “The Mountains Are My Gym”, with the added benefits of not smoking, no drinking, eating pretty good, admittedly the Mountain Man vocabulary unavoidably comes out from time to time, surely I could avoid the horror plagued by everyone in my family. My father, mother, sister, brother, grand mother, grand father all have had issues at one point or another in their lives. Genetics can sometimes stink! Though if there’s a bright side to all of this it might be that I’m the last one in the family to have these issues. Now we’re preaching it to our children, the genetics of it all, who may or may not be listening.

As mentioned I love to ski! So I feel as though it’s fitting this all happened on the slopes skiing the POW on January 28th 2021. If you haven’t guessed it already…I had a heart attack. Luckily I was with my ski buddy who has a degree in sports medicine and spotted all the signs and was quick to act. When they say ‘Life Flight’ (45 minutes before you’re ’done’) they’re not messing around. The long and short of it is this…land at the airport, flashing lights in an ambulance, wheeled directly into the Cath Lab, one stent, three days in the Cath Ward and then finally home for R&R.

Honestly it’s was a HUGE inconvenience as the fluffy stuff was dropping in buckets.

The hardest part of it was the Meds. The feeling of being weak isn’t something I’m used to and the recovery timeline seemed terrible to say the least. One thing you learn quickly, if a day/week is ‘quick’, is how many people come out of the woodwork and support you, like you’d have never guessed could. Those are the blessings you don’t see coming and I am and will always be grateful to everyone from my ski buddy, to the nurses, doctors (highly skilled), pilots, medics, ski patrol, EMT’s, paramedics, my special loving and caring wife and so many dear friends.

There are times in life where your blessings just slap you in the face. This was one of those times which I hope never happens again.

About a week and a half after the big ‘event’, the doctor said, when jokingly asked about getting back out on the slopes…”Yes, I think you should be back out on the slopes. We don’t want you just lying around.” LeeAnna about threw a chair at him. Of course that was just what I wanted to hear.

On Saturday April 3rd 2021 I met that 60th day goal. I had done it! Oh what a feeling. For anyone who skis much knows just how tough it is to get sixty days on slope during a single season is. So Preach It!

The really awesome part is that my thighs look better today than they ever have. ;-)

I’m back in the saddle now so be on the look out for those new images mentioned earlier, headed your way soon.

Now I just need to come up with a set of 61 at 61 goals. You know skiing 61 days at 61 years old will be one of those goals. Wish me luck!