Fragabond

The past couple of weeks have closed out our national park tour spectacularly. Not only is Christmas music playing in every little shop I walk in, but we have had the opportunity to visit three different parks within a short two-week span.

First, we spent a few weekdays in Joshua Tree, during one of which we weathered a desert windstorm, complete with stinging sand and some minor property damage to the Airbnb. Not too big a feat for these Florida kids though – we remember the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons… (Speaking of hurricanes, shout out and thanks to my OGs, who buttoned up our house for hurricane Nicole that same week. Life is better with a team, and I am so grateful (and homesick) for mine ☺︎).

Anyways, Joshua Tree is named after these curious and warped desert plants that grow all over the place. Apparently early Mormon settlers thought they resembled Joshua pointing their people to the promised land when they first arrived in the area. A real insult to Joshua if you ask me.

We hiked a little in Joshua Tree National Park, but we mostly enjoyed driving around and admiring the unique scenery (while constantly applying lip balm). The real climactic hike came when we made it to Arizona the following weekend. We stayed in Flagstaff, which is a super fun town, and our Airbnb had a pool table so we got to practice our shark skills for a week…but what can I say? The Grand Canyon. We woke up the first Saturday at an ungodly hour, drove 90 minutes out to the park, took a shuttle to the trailhead, and still managed to start in the dark. It snowed lightly until the sun rose, only about 15 minutes from our start, mercifully. We hiked all the way down to the Colorado River and all the way back up, 20 miles total, AND there were mules. Maybe everyone knows this, but it turns out pack mules are the only way to transport goods into Phantom Ranch, the tiny camp settlement at the bottom of the canyon, and we were passed by a parade of them on our way down the trail. Yes, 10 mules tied up in single-file are faster than two Fragas. Judge not.

I was a big fan of Phantom Ranch. Maybe it is a remnant from growing up around the cellophane delights of Disney World, but the ability to rest at mile 8, buy a vacuum-packed t-shirt, and sip on a hot coffee for a moment in the wilderness was just marvelous. By the time we finished our treats and started the hike back up another wall of the canyon, we felt refreshed. And (apologies for self-congratulating here) we crushed the hike up the canyon. We ultimately climbed over 5,000 feet and, despite our Phantom Ranch pitstop, we finished the whole 20 miles in well under 8 hours. A beer (sold right there in Grand Canyon Village, of course) never tasted so good.

The rest of the week we revisited our Grand Canyon photos repeatedly, and we took a couple day trips to Sedona, the Wupatki National Monument, and the Painted Desert. Arizona has so much to offer, really.

The last national park of the trip was a little spontaneous. This past weekend we packed up in Flagstaff and really started to put some miles between us and the west coast. Along the way we stumbled upon the Petrified Forest National Park, which was super cool. The desert landscape used to be a rainforest, and the sandy ground is covered in the petrified remains of giant trees.

We spent half a day exploring the park before turning back to the road. Only a few more miles and a few days in the old Tallahassee stomping ground left before we trade in the hiking boots for flipflops again. Go Noles, Baby!

-Katie

It is officially Thanksgiving (read: Christmas) season. Yes, I am one of those. I write today happily from a Starbucks outside of Los Angeles – not where I expected to be this morning, but nonetheless delighted by a peppermint mocha and the sound of Bing Crosby dimmed only slightly by the hiss of an espresso machine. You can judge me, but you would be wrong ☺︎

Today, I bring you a download of the last two weeks of Fragabond adventure. A little tapped-out on wine tastings (it is possible, believe it or not), our last weekend “in Napa” we actually spent in Yosemite. We drove the 3 hours from Napa to Yosemite on a Friday night after work and enjoyed two days of National Park hiking again – it felt like the health scales were rebalancing. That Saturday, we hiked a tough one: 16 miles, 4,500 feet of elevation gain, panorama views of waterfalls, Half Dome, and the whole Yosemite Valley. We actually set out for an out-and-back of ~9 miles, but some folks along the way convinced us the panorama loop was worth the extra miles. They were not wrong!

On Sunday our legs were pretty shot from the unexpectedly long trek the day before, so we settled for a drive through the park and a very short hike to the base of El Capitan to watch the fearless climbers who scale the massive rock face. The Lyles gave us the tip to snag a pair of binoculars, and that was an A-plus get. These people are insane! They camp for DAYS on the face of this rock trying to reach the top. Seems terrifying, but we enjoyed spying on them from the ground.

Then, back to Napa to pack up and prepare for the next leg of the journey. We have been sort of puddle-jumping the last 6 days…

• 2 nights in Half Moon Bay – not much in the way of highlights here except for a good Himalayan restaurant – never passing one of those up again after our experience in Golden, CO, and this one didn’t disappoint either.
• 2 nights in Monterey – AMAZING! We hiked in Big Sur on Saturday, and on Sunday morning we laughed at the DOZENS of harbor seals in the Monterey Bay – such odd and goofy creatures!

• Yesterday we drove slowly down the beautiful Pacific Coast, stopping many times along the way for some seriously insane vistas, until we arrived in Santa Barbara hungry. Tacos, some wine (ok, we aren’t completely tapped out), a good night’s sleep, a seaside morning run, and a peppermint mocha…ahhh…☺︎

After Zack gets some new hardware from the LA Blue Origin office (tech issues: the culprit of today’s detour), we will be headed out to Joshua Tree for a few days, officially turning our headlights back east. Christmas in Jupiter is calling!

-Katie

For the whole month of October, Zack and I have been traipsing around Napa vineyards and listening to wine connoisseurs describe the infinite nuances of winemaking: about how carefully and precisely each winemaker takes his craft, about how the climate subtleties in Napa Valley are so particular that a vineyard planted in one area is better suited to grow a certain grape variety than one planted a mere acre away, about how pickers jump to work in the middle of the night and around the clock when conditions are suddenly perfect for harvest, and a hundred other details I struggle to retain.

I can’t help but think of Jesus’ analogy in John 15, and it has been special to be staying in a place where we are surrounded every day by the very instrument Christ uses to analogize his life-giving friendship to us.

So, I have been trying to reflect on what it means to abide in the vine, on why we, as branches, require pruning, and on how carefully and precisely we are being crafted by the Gardener into the likeness of Christ.

As Zack and I are turning the corner towards the last month of our trip, I keep grasping for what I am supposed to be learning during this time. It sounds crazy to put on paper, but I thought the lessons would be obvious. I thought that by making the choice to go on this crazy adventure, God would hand me some incredible revelation or unexpected challenge. I feel so far in my life that the biggest lessons came through challenges: times of hard work, times of hardship, or times of self-sacrifice. And while I am intensely grateful (bordering on shamefully grateful) for this travel opportunity, it has, frankly, been really easy. It is marvelous and fun, but honestly, most of the time it also feels frivolous and self-indulgent.

I think I miss feeling like I am earning something, doing something, helping something. So, maybe there in-lies a lesson? Maybe I need to remember that I am a branch, and as Tim Keller puts it, “does the branch get the life of the vine because it is fruitful? No, the branch is fruitful because it gets the life [of the vine].” I don’t want to sound ungrateful for this trip, nor do I think it is (or should be) a permanent way of life for us, but maybe taking a season away to wrestle with the demon of my productive value is part of the gift of this trip.

Zack commented in his August post, A Case of the Sneffels, that he is “grateful to a God who hides beauty in places that are hard to reach.” I love that line, and while Napa is a different animal than the wilderness of the mountains, here we have uncovered His signature in the vineyards and in, even better, the faces of some truly beloved visitors…

-Katie

Overdue for an update again! After the GOAT trip to Glacier (pun intended), we have been all over the map. First stop was in Spokane, WA, where I learned it is pronounced “SPO-CAN.” Does everyone know that? Spokane was just intended as an overnight pitstop on the way to Eugene, OR, but since we spent so much time in the sticks of Montana, we splurged for a night in a Marriott autograph collection hotel: The Davenport. It was amazing – a beautifully ornate old hotel with lots of history, and Spokane was unexpectedly and delightfully charming. We enjoyed some delicious food and 24 hours of hotel luxury, and we even stuck around for the workday on Monday because the hotel was so nice. Not a bad office for a day, huh?

We spent the following week in Eugene, OR, home of the University of Oregon, and confirmed we really enjoy staying in college towns! There is always good food (high priority) and a multitude of comfortable places to study/work. Also, there are usually late-night donut shops ☺︎ We mostly just worked in coffee shops and ate in Eugene, but I think the highlight was the afternoon we drove to the coast, officially taking these Florida kids “from sea to shining sea.”

We ate fish at a restaurant beside the water and smelled salty air. Made me miss home.

Last stop before settling down for a while was through California’s Northern Redwood State Forest. The trees were magnificent, and it was so nice to get in a long-ish hike amidst all the driving we were doing…and after all the Eugene food…

Have I mentioned we like food? Well, all the driving was ultimately to make our way to Napa, CA, our current location. We have been here since Oct 1, and of course, it has been incredible. After being on the move every week or so for 2 months, it is nice to be in one place for a while. Not to mention the food and wine or the fact that we have had some much needed and soul-filling visitors here in Napa. More on that ASAP ♥︎

-Katie

Zack here. In case you ever find yourself wanting to take a trip like this, I offer this post as advice in the peculiar art of road-tripping, sans-camper. This year we have stayed in 10 Airbnbs with varying success. If you live under a rock and don’t know about Airbnb, it’s basically a way to travel anywhere in the world, stay in a local place, and simultaneously undermine the local housing market.

I have found that the key to enjoying an Airbnb stay is to make sure the place isn’t TOO local or personal. Good hosts tend to know that the stereotypes of a given area is consistent with what most guests want to experience…the good stereotypes, that is…in Montana, buffalo and elk heads, in Colorado, I could use some mining references and wood paneling, North Carolina, rustic woodsy images (but please hold the kitschy bears). It’s also usually nice to add a touch of “modern:” sharp lines, wrought iron, floating shelves, y’know – stuff that looks nice. 

What I do not want, nor can I fathom who might want this, is some bulbous 1980’s hellscape planted in the middle of rural Montana. I have never slept with my .45 so close to me. I don’t know if it was the colors, the overwhelming scent of mylar and plastic or just the ominous undercurrent of dread about who had been doing what there before we arrived, but it was truly the worst Airbnb (or place, period) I have ever had to stay. Take me back to the campsite!

So, what did I learn? Batting 100% is hard. Better to put some margins in the budget if you fare to travel this way (it might still be cheaper than getting that RV?). Here a just a few photos of the nightmare fuel from our last stay:

Trust me, they don’t do it justice. Katie says I’m being dramatic, and maybe that’s true, but regardless, the deep disdain I held for that place did help to propel our adventure to new and adventurous heights!

After staying in Livingston, Montana for 4 (excruciating) days out of the originally-planned 14, we called an audible and decided to head up to Glacier National Park in northern Montana. Because of its location, Glacier is not as busy as other national parks. Located roughly 5 hours north of Bozeman, it is smack dab in the middle of nowhere, right on the border of Canada, and in a place we deemed unlikely to have the opportunity to return again, given its locale. It’s famous for its wildlife and sweeping scenes of vast ancient glaciers.  

So, after canceling the remainder of our stay in Livingston, buying a box of .45 FMJ rounds (apparently hollow-points just piss off the grizzles), and a fresh can of bear spray, we loaded up the adventure-mobile and pushed north. Montana is beautiful and rugged country, though as a Floridian tourist, I hate to imagine a winter there. It snows in September, and as one of least populated states by area, its vastness is excessively difficult to capture in photograph. 

Upon arrival in Kalispell (outside Glacier), we stayed in a farmhouse apartment replete with horses, chickens and cows outside (pure bliss, compared to the Livingston hellhole). Glacier has a few hikes that are renowned for their beauty. We took one of those Saturday morning. It was a 2.5 hour drive from where we were staying to the trail head (did I say it was remote?), but after waking up at 4am and getting out early to make the best of the day, the trail delivered.

The highlight of the trail came when we turned a corner roughly 4 miles up. We were greeted by these two smiling white faces. Mountain goats, less than 10 yards from us! 

On top of that, I also got to swim in the glacial lake, AND we saw some wild Grizzly bears at exactly the right distance (no spray or bullets necessary)!

We have spent the last two months driving along and exploring the backbone of America (I think we crossed the continental divide ~7 times). This land has delivered us dinosaur tracks, gold studded rock, jagged peaks, yawning geysers, ancient fossils, glacial lakes, and breath-taking waterfalls. America is big. Really big. Its beauty is hard to express in pictures, and it demands reflection – reflection that I suppose will happen not just now, but in the future as these memories marinate and grow. For now, I am content just to take it in with the person I love most!

– Zack

We stayed in Idaho last week ☺︎ Victor, ID is only ~40 minutes from Jackson, WY, and the drive between meanders over a beautiful mountain pass. I think perhaps the mountain pass closes in the winter, making Jackson less accessible that time of the year, but last week Victor was ideal. It was not crowded or expensive, and our Airbnb was SUPER updated (if I lived anywhere but South Florida, you better believe I would be installing heated bathroom tile floors after staying there…). We had plenty of room to work/study, we hiked nearby trails during the workweek, and overall very much enjoyed our time in potato land.

I won’t delay longer – the absolute highlight of this post is the hike we did on Saturday. The 19-mile Paintbrush Canyon loop in Grand Teton National Park is the most beautiful trail I have ever been on. We started at 7am, and it ultimately took us 9.5 hours to complete the hike – it was tiring, but so much fun. We saw a weasel, some elk, deer, and a whole bunch of adorable squeaky deer mice. We fortunately avoided any bears and, unfortunately, any Moose. Next time, Bullwinkle. I wish these photos did the views justice:

Also, here is a (completely unedited) video compilation that Zack captured of the experience. It is slightly embarrassing but too good not to share: Paintbrush Canyon Video Link

That night, we sat on the couch, ate barbecue, and watched UF almost lose to USF, which means it was almost the perfect end to the day. But we will take it.

We quickly packed up the car on Sunday morning and made the most of the drive to Livingston, MT (our current location) by taking a route through Yellowstone National Park. We stopped frequently along the way, including at the impressive Old Faithful geyser. We accidentally timed it perfectly and got to watch it erupt. We also saw a Bison from ~10 yards away – he was just casually grazing around the massive tourist area.

Now we are in Livingston, MT. Our Airbnb is…interesting…. but it is outside of Bozeman, a nice college town, and we have been working/studying from Bozeman coffee shops and the public library. The library is modern, equipped with reservable study rooms and a coffee corner, is busy and well-lit. Honestly, it is encouraging to see the public library system thriving!

Unfortunately, the North entrance to Yellowstone is the main reason to stay in Livingston, and we originally planned for 2 whole weeks here. The entrance is still closed to automobile traffic due to the massive flooding this summer. We are going to try and ride bikes down to Mammoth Springs this week, which is inside the Park and hopefully accessible, but stay tuned – we are about to call a little bit of an audible…

-Katie

I have been resisting a LOTR-themed title for 8 weeks now, and it is finally time. Appropriately time, since the new Amazon series began this month (I like it, ok? It is stunning, and it is a riff on my favorite story ever, so I refuse to be a harsh critic. $1B well spent…probably). Also, we spent the week following my Jupiter interlude in Golden, CO ☺︎

Zack picked me up at the Denver airport and immediately informed me that he bought a giant two-person inner-tube because “the thing” to do in Golden (only ~20 minutes from Denver) was apparently to tube down the river that runs through the town. Honestly, I am still surprised that this was the hook, but after the first 30-minute river-ride, I also wonder if Zack has ever before exhibited such pure happiness? I have no pictures.

The absolute highlight of the time in Golden was the Brandi Carlile concert we attended at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. We ate sandwiches in the car trunk in the parking lot, and the performance and venue were pretty much indescribable. It rained, but I think it made the experience even more tangible.

Otherwise, we took it easy. Golden is quaint and very walkable. I had schoolwork to catch up on, and Zack was busier with work than normal, so almost every day we walked down the hill from our Airbnb to the same coffeeshop and put our heads down for a few hours. We tubed in the afternoons and ate some amazing food. Since the time was short, we saved a little $ on a studio Airbnb without a full kitchen, Zack stowed the spatula, and we ate out. The MOST notable meal was at this insane Nepalese restaurant, owned and operated by members of an actual Himalayan Sherpa tribe. It was delicious, inspiring, and over-indulgent…

We visited Denver a couple times (also in search of food), and we were not disappointed. I was glad we stayed this particular week in beautiful, charming Golden though. The pace was perfect.

We left before the crack of dawn last Monday and finished the workday in Jackson Hole, WY. We are moving around a tad faster these days, and I am now writing from Livingston, MT. I promise to catch Fragabond up to the present in the next days, but for now, suffice it to say that I think our time in the Tetons last week was my favorite so far…

-Katie

It has taken much longer than I would like to get another Fragabond post up, and I sincerely apologize to all five of you ☺︎ The main culprits for this delay were 1) a deeply refreshing and full 4-day solo-trip HOME to meet and cuddle the newest members of our “framily,” and 2) schoolwork requiring more time than I expected….in part because I completely ignored it during said trip and have been playing catch up…

The trip was life-giving. I was honestly not expecting much – I was feeling comfortable in Ouray, enjoying the time away, and after a painful travel experience involving a redirected flight, a missed connection, and a $300 hotel bill in Dallas, I was seriously questioning whether it was worth it. Well, it was. In 4 short days I got to:

• Watch my mom teach a class and manage the new coffee shop she and her business students opened at TKA. The coffee is GOOD, and my mother is uniquely gifted – her students speak and interact with her in such a special way. She is patient and they respect her, and they are also so comfortable with her. They obviously feel safe and happy and loved and challenged. She is Mrs. Spell and Momma, and she is remarkable.
• Have an extended dinner-turned-coffee with my incredible in-laws who listen to me talk about myself too much and have the wisest advice on everything. We ate saltwater fish and it was lovely and refreshing.

• HOLD BABIES. Multiple, and for as long as I could. I have never been very enthusiastic about either children or pets, and I still feel strongly anti-pet…but these beautiful new people that are made of the folks I love the most in the world are different. I see them and I love them, and I can’t imagine who they will be in 5 years, or 25. I marvel at the fact that there is a God that does know and that he gave them to my people, so in a way, they are mine too. Welcome to the circus, babes ♥︎

• Meet the TA for one of my MBA courses, who happens to live in Gardens! We ate lunch at Lynora’s, and it was nice to put a face to an online MBA experience. P.S. – have you had the Insalata Rustica at Lynora’s? Add chicken. Wow, so good.
• Visit the new Salty Donut location in downtown WPB with my (big) little brother, Ethan. The verdict from us both: Jupiter Donuts is better value, better vibes. Will argue with anyone.
• Enjoy a lovely ladies’ night out with my sweet friends Liz and Kim. It was an honor to share in Kim’s first mom’s night out. Cheers, my friend – you are doing so awesome.
• Squeeze 2 Fittown workouts in, obviously.
• Watch college football opening weekend with Ethan and Grandad and Momma. Alabama won by 55…zzzzzzz….Go Noles.

There was even more, but those are the highlights. It was amazing, and I am now officially homesick after the reminder of what home holds. It was hard to leave again, but while I was away, Zack was driving himself (and all of our crap) to Golden, CO. The Fragabond adventure continues! I know this time is special and that we will always remember the adventure, but I was also reminded last week that my heart belongs to my people, not the wilderness.

-Katie

We are over a month into our trip, and something special has swept me away. I certainly expected to see beautiful scenery, to feel the satisfaction of breathless hikes, to enjoy slow days full of reading, to try some new things. But, the one thing that has taken me by surprise is the friendships we found here in Ouray. I knew we would meet lots of different folks along the way, but this is far beyond what I imagined.

We have always been blessed by community, and I really do marvel at that. I think some people go through life rather alone, and as a person with an introverted streak, I totally get that. Heck, there have been times when I have been jealous of that! But we have never really been lonely, and I don’t think it is because of any particular life-strategy we employed. I think it is a blessing and a provision that is personal, and I don’t fully understand its purposes yet. God has injected people into our life over and over. It is one of His greatest gifts and lessons for me, and I am still a student trying to understand.

It started with accidentally booking an Airbnb with the nicest host on the planet. Lori and Bill own 2 rental units above the Ouray Mountain Sports shop on Main Street (they used to own and operate the shop too, but recently sold it and retired). Months ago, when we were still in Florida, planning and prepping for this adventure, Zack messaged Lori to ask if there were any Crossfit-like gyms in town. We are officially Fittown addicts I guess… Google turned up none so it was unlikely, but worth the ask. Turns out, Lori goes to a small gym in an old silver mining warehouse, and she gave us the contact information for the coach.

Tammy is the hard-core, silver-haired, Louisiana-tough coach that owns the gym. And when I say silver hair, you should know she is also a hair stylist, so it’s not some drab pigment-less sign of age. It is super cool and shiny, with undertones of lavender and a dark charcoal lowlight. Anyways, it turns out she is not only tough as nails, but also deeply kind. We have been welcomed as if we weren’t even temporary, been invited to more than one dinner out, introduced to other long-time friends of Tammy and Lori. Tammy is also constantly making fun of Zack’s mobility (or lack thereof) in the gym…his love language, I think? He feels right at home.

Now, we see Lori and Tammy multiple times throughout the week, which is familiar and nice. When we told Lori we were going to attempt Sneffels, she insisted that we needed gloves, which it turns out we definitely did. She went home that night to retrieve some and left them on our front doorstep.

Dan goes to the gym too. He is the pastor at the Ouray Baptist church. He is kind and goofy and unshaken by the multiple F-bombs flying around in the gym every day. We keep meaning to go to a service, but haven’t yet. Once because of camping….just saying…

There are other sweet folks at the gym too – Cathy, Karen, Carly, Stormy. Community. I need some photos with all these people! Stay tuned, but in the meantime, Tammy captured some proof that we are not completely slacking:

Last weekend was the local Half Marathon – “Mount Sneffels Marathon.” Don’t be fooled by the name. It is mostly downhill and runs from Ouray to Ridgeway. The sinister Mount Sneffels can be seen from a comfortable distance on the route, but that is, fortunately, the only role it plays. I found out about the race because Tammy’s friends, Andrew and Molly, were coming into town. Andrew is running a 100-mile ultramarathon next year (insane!), and he was participating in the Half as a training run. We met at the gym, of course. I signed up for the race, of course.

Saturday, Andrew and I both ran and finished. He, much faster than I. Zack, Molly, Tammy, and Lori were all at the finish line. Lori was organizing the event, so she was busy operating the t-shirt and refreshment table. No good pictures of the group, so this feels a little self-congratulatory, but Zack insisted…

That night, we went to dinner with Tammy, Andrew, and Molly. I talked to Andrew about race nutrition (something that is proving SO HARD for me to figure out on long distances that require constant fuel), we ate delicious tacos, we chatted about how Andrew and Molly met, how they became friends with Tammy, how Ouray has changed over the years, and a dozen other things. The next day, I ditched the gym, but Zack brought back a huge box of gels and race nutrition products for me to try. I think Andrew gave me everything he had on him – it was so generous and selfless and I am just SO grateful to have met them.

Also, if you feel compelled, he is raising money for mental health awareness as a part of his Ultra: http://www.runsignup.com/gillis

In other news, Mo and Blake took off in their camper last week, but it was fun to have them in Ouray for a while. Zack gave you the rundown of our Sneffels adventure, and I think he summed it up perfectly – it was difficult but magnificent. The 4 of us also took a workday-evening drive out to Clear Lake (something we couldn’t have done if it weren’t for the Lyle 4runner taking on some seriously rocky terrain). Zack and Blake obviously jumped in the freezing lake. It’s a thing, if you haven’t noticed from the photos to date.

Back at our Airbnb that night we kicked off our shoes and Zack made dinner. Then we laughed at the habits of 4 Floridians in the mountains…

We are still hiking and drinking beers for another week here in Ouray. Then on to the next chapter of this adventure and, if history is any tell, to new and important friendships.

-Katie

Camping has a sort of sacramental place in the Fraga family. Sacramental like we are protestants, only believe in two, and camping isn’t one of them. Growing up, my father once quipped that – “The Pilgrims camped so I don’t have to.” Katie agrees with this sentiment wholeheartedly and has only, on one occasion, allowed me to drag her into the woods for a night. Let’s not discuss how I blew that opportunity by camping in Tate’s Hell (Apalachicola National Forest). The name does not belie the experience.

Amongst our dearest friends however, camping blood and skill run deep. Deep enough that we were lucky to be loaned a tent and a few sleeping pads for our Western walkabout (Thanks Alex and Kim!). Well, we made use of them this weekend. We received an invitation to an overnight backpacking escapade, which included an early morning wakeup to “hike” a mountain. I was, naturally, very excited, and Katie, after bartering for some extra time in Napa, reluctantly agreed to join.   

Mount Sneffels has an innocent sounding name, like maybe a dragon with a cold lives there. But don’t let the name deceive you – it is one of Colorado’s 14ers. That means it’s over two miles above sea level, its peak reaching far past the tree line. The rocky sides slope aggressively down to lush green fields and crystal blue alpine lakes, but it sits on a ridge of sharply defined peaks that reach menacingly toward the sky. 

Mount Sneffels – Photo Cred: Mo Lyle

This peak was our ultimate target, but we first hiked up about 4 miles, gaining roughly 2,500 feet in elevation, loaded down with only the camping essentials (Jack Daniels weighs less than beer). Our camping guides for the trip, Blake and Mo, brought along the actual camping essentials like stoves, competency and homemade chili (thanks, guys!). We set up a base camp at the stunning lower Blue Lakes (and, yes, slept in tents). 

Given Colorado’s rainy August afternoon weather, we decided to get out early the next morning and hike to the peak starting at 4am. After setting up camp, we had heard some horror stories from other campers of people being caught in afternoon storms on Sneffels. This early start would also put us up on the ridge right as the sun broke on the horizon. So, after approximately 4 hours of restless sleep on the ground, we departed as planned. Weighed down with a few handfuls of pistachios, 2 protein bars, headlamps, hydro packs, and Floridan lungs, we headed for the precipice.

Hiking at 4am with a headlamp is like a bad dream. You remember some images, but mostly it’s just sweaty and dark. As dawn grew closer and we kept climbing, the alpine lakes and luscious meadows turned into scraggly weeds and scree rock. We hiked up 2.5 miles gaining another 2,500 feet, putting us right at 12,900. 

We reached the crest just as the sun was peeking and were gifted with some of the most outrageous and beautiful scenery I have ever witnessed. America is filled with wild and distant places. We were not alone, but it certainly felt like we stumbled on some wondrous place where Amazon Prime doesn’t exist and mountains go on for miles. Some place they imagined when they said “Sea to Shining Sea.” Or perhaps one of those mountainsides where Jesus fled the crowds to pray. 

Blue Lakes Pass – Photo Cred: Blake Lyle

With lungs burning and legs aching, we looked up at the precipice, our final target, and decided to push on. As we gained elevation, our hiking soon turned into rock climbing. It was hard and fairly scary. Did I mention we are from Florida? So after pushing our way up to 13,700 feet, we decided it was best if we turned around and left the serious climbing to the natives. 

Nevertheless, we were witness to a spectacle of unimpeachable grandeur. We were uncomfortable, but that discomfort led to a place of appreciation and humility. Perhaps not everyone needs to sleep on the ground to appreciate the bed in their home, but for me it’s helpful. I am full of gratitude this August evening, grateful to have the ridiculous opportunity to take this trip, grateful for a hot shower, grateful for good friends, and grateful to God who has hidden beauty in places that are hard to reach.

-Zack