Category Archives: Colorado

Book Review, Colorado, Exercise, Fort Collins, Psychology, Religion, Science, Skiing, Sociology, Trail Running

MUSINGS FOR SUNDAY 10TH, FEBRUARY 2019

February 10, 2019 teleskees Leave a comment

“When complexity makes knowledge difficult to attain, we are organisms that substitutes knowledge with beliefs.”

“The uneven rate of change between biology and complexity causes a gap to occur.”

“We become susceptible to manipulation and ideology and follow false prophets.”

“Public policy becomes shaped by irrational beliefs, rather than knowledge of fact.”

Rebecca Costa

This picture was taken on Monday 28th of January 2019, the open space in question is between Fort Collins and Loveland. It is called Coyote Ridge Open Space. A very nice trail with few visitors for a Monday. On the weekend it can get pretty busy due to the fact that it is a connector trail for longer distances. The afternoon in question was beautiful with temps right at 30 degrees and a slight breeze.

Well it has been another two weeks and I am going to say here that life is pretty good at the moment. Got some skiing in and that is a very good thing. I think it had been over a month since I last went. Not sure what that was about but it happens. The trail running the last couple of weeks has been fantastic here in Fort Collins. It has been cold but not like Midwest Cold. Wow! We have not seen temperatures like that in a very long time. There is some thought that this is related to Global Warming. I know that it does not seem that way but when you start looking at the science, some of the dots start to connect. I guess in the end, time will tell as the research continues. One of the things to remember is that weather and climate are two different things even though they are related.

Another picture from Monday the 28th of January 2019. The sun was out and just starting to set. It was in full force on this rock ridge. It really brought out the colors in the rock. Totally different from the picture above. Same area but a different open space called Rim Rock Ridge. Both are right next to each other.

I am reading a new book that is called the Watchman’s Rattle by Rebecca Costa. I became interested in her when I watched a TED talk by her. It has to do with Societal Collapse. It actually came out in 2012 and I believe that this is her first book. A more recent book by Rebecca is called On the Verge. I did not get this one because it is not on Audio book and I am way behind on regular reading. But I plan to in the future. In her first book, she comes up with some interesting ideas about what happens to a society when technology out paces the ability of the residents to keep up. I think the book is much more relevant now than it was back in 2012. In particular this last election with the Evangelical Christians, Flat Earthers, Anti-Vaccination people, Anti – global Warming individuals, the lets “Bring dirty coal” back people, and the list could go on and on. She makes the case that as complexity makes knowledge more difficult to attain, or as my wife likes to say “Overwhelming”, we as humans start to substitute knowledge with beliefs. And she makes the argument that this is what has happened to ancient societies that collapsed like the Mayans, the Romans, etc…

**This book can be found on Amazon:** https://www.amazon.com/Watchmans-Rattle-Radical-Theory-Collapse/dp/1593156863/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?crid=VMGYGGUY98ZQ&keywords=watchmans+rattle&qid=1549827324&s=gateway&sprefix=watchmans+r%2Caps%2C180&sr=8-1-fkmrnull

Costa is a Sociology-biologist. She based a lot of her research on Dr. Richard Dawkins 1976 book “The Selfish Gene.” In her book she uses the term Super-memes which are any widely accepted information, thoughts, feelings or behaviors. And she feels that they have the capacity to compete with each other just like genes do in Darwin’s theory of natural selection. Another words they compete in a sense to become accepted in our minds and our society whether they are true or not. There is an actually study of memes, called Memetics. Check it out on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memetics

I had no idea. Costa calls them “super-memes” when they get to a point that they block us from the very solutions we seek to all the complexity we see in the world. Another name that she uses for this blocking is “Gridlock.” It occurs or you can know that it is occurring when there is opposition across the board to any meaningful solution to a major problem. Thinking about this, the first thing that comes to my mind is “Gun Control.” It is a complex issue and you see a lot of “irrational opposition” to any attempt at fixing the system. It is as if people are more comfortable rejecting remedies rather than advocating solutions.

This picture was taken on Thursday, January 31st. I just loved the shape of this huge cottonwood tree. The weather was warm enough for me to ride my bike on Thursday, above 50 degrees for me. This picture was take on the Boyd Lake Trail.

Another example of this blocking, I think, is in Health Care. Again, before the attempted and partial repeal of what has become known as “Obama Care,” I heard from individuals on both sides of the fence. Some that hated it, because their premiums went up and others that loved it because they could now actually get insurance on their preexisting conditions. But with the current congress and president, it has become gridlocked. It will be interesting to see after the next elections if anything is concretely done or just a kind of band-aid fix. Again nothing really going anywhere. One size that fits some but not others, back to a mish-mash of plans that really don’t address the issues or cover people adequately.

This picture was taken on Thursday, February 7th. It was at the Loveland Ski Area which sits right at the Eisenhower Tunnel off of Interstate 70. It was a beautiful, sunny day. Much warmer (25 degrees) than when I left Fort Collins (12 degrees) that morning. There was a little bit of wind but that did not really show up in force until later in the afternoon. Most of the terrain for the ski area sits at around 11,000 feet.

I could go on about her book but I think I will leave it for now. I do recommend it. Remember it was written in 2012 and some predictions in the book she got right and a few she got wrong; somethings did get fixed and some are still broken. I think if I had read the book back in 2012, I would not have appreciated it as much as I do now. Interesting to say the least.

On a similar note, I had a interesting, short FB exchange with a family relative on whether something she was posting on FB was true or not. When another friend of hers called her out on it and showed her where a fact checking service said it was false. She went off about how the “fact checking service” was wrong. And that the “fact checking service” was infiltrated by “liberals” and that was why she could not trust them. I was kind of dumbfounded for a moment. This is an educated woman that used to teach school to kids. I could see it…., if it had come from one of my uneducated or partially educated “hillbilly like” relatives. But no this was from an educated one. Oh well what can you say to that… Obviously I won’t be spending the holidays with her…. Lololololol.

This picture was taken taken Wednesday 30th, January 2019. It was at the trail head to Reservoir Ridge Natural Area in Fort Collins. I had just finished a trail run and the sunset was just stunning to say the least. This is my favorite picture of the last two weeks.

Before I finish here, I would like to pass on a quote by the author Neil Gaiman. I came across it several years ago and I wrote it down just because it seemed a little strange to me at the time. This was a few years before the 2016 election. I did not really understand it then, but I think I do now. So it is important to share it with you, especially if you decide to read Costa’s book or you are like me trying to make sense of the “craziness” that has griped our country.

“Things need not have happened to be true. Tales and adventures are shadow truths that will endure when mere facts are dust and ashes and forgotten.” Neil Gaiman

Well that its for this couple of weeks. Take care, be safe out there fellow trail runners. Always be looking for that “Special Cat.”

Adios amigos!!

Colorado, Exercise, Exercise, Fort Collins, Sociology, Trail Running

MUSINGS FOR SUNDAY 27TH, JANUARY 2019

January 27, 2019 teleskees 2 Comments

“Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don’t need to escape from.” – Seth Godin

This picture was taken Thursday, January 17th. Not a lot of snow this year. This is a great trail run / road called Tower Road in Horsetooth Mountain Park. If you start at the bottom it gains about 1700 feet in just over three miles. So it is a good cardiovascular workout.

Life is good and I really cannot complain too much at the moment. Damn I turned 57 this January and I have to ask myself where did the time go?? I mean were did it go?? LOL! It seems just like yesterday when I was turning 25 and moving to Colorado.

This picture was taken Friday, January 18th, it is in an area called Prospect Ponds. They are old gravel quarry sites. After the quarry is closed, the states requires you to only fill in part of the open pit mine, but the rest can be filled with water to create wildlife habitat. There are a lot of these types of ponds in the open spaces around Fort Collins. The Poudre River and the bike trail is just on the other side of the picture. The photograph was taken looking west.

I ended up here in – a – round about way. Even before I got out of High School I was pushed and I mean that quite literally, pushed into applying and going to nursing school. At the time I really had no idea what I wanted to do. But my dear mother, felt that the best way to get me out of the house (this is what I have come to believe) was not to give me an option to procrastinate. Oh no – no lollygagging for you young man. Get your nose to the grindstone. And I have to give her a little leeway on this because High School academically was a complete waste of time for me. And I am not sure if that was the High School at the time or just where I was socially and emotionally. When I got to college, I took to it like a fish takes to water. And I did extremely well in College and Nursing School. But of course when you are pushed into something, I have found you come to tolerate it, but you don’t really find a passion for it. And that was my case from day one. As soon as I finished nursing school, I started working on a 2nd degree in Wildlife Biology. Which led me to thinking about a masters in Forestry. Which eventually led me to Fort Collins and Colorado State University.

This picture was taken Saturday, January 19th, this is a shot of the Poudre river looking South East. During spring run off the river would be full from bank to bank and flowing fast. This might look like a lot of water but in reality, at this time of year, the river is barely flowing.

Funny thing, once I got to Colorado and really had access to the outdoors and open spaces around Fort Collins. School did not have quite the same importance as it did before. Plus it did not help that the wife wanted kids and anytime you add that time commitment in, well school really does drop to the back burner. The nursing job paid the bills and it allowed me to have what is called perpetual “Peter Pan Syndrome.” I highly recommend it. I think that J.M. Barrie might have been on to something.

This picture was taken Sunday, January 20th. A very beautiful, but cool, afternoon in Fort Collins. This pond I believe was an old irrigation pond, but is now part of Pine Ridge open space. The small lake or pond is know as Dixon Reservoir. Horsetooth Lake sits on the other side of the ridge on the right.

Now, 31 years later and still living in Colorado and Fort Collins. I find that I enjoy the outdoors even more. I still work at the day job to pay the bills but only about 2 days per week or less. The rest of the work week, I am writing, drawing, painting, occasional sculpture, reading, exercising, and doing a little meditation. And Life is pretty good. But if I had to do it all over again with what I know now? I would change one thing. I would have practiced becoming a writer from day one. The only job that all you need is a word processor and an internet connection. How cool is that. Oh well, I get to write now and I try to practice each and everyday to get better.

This picture was taken on Friday, January 25th. In this photograph I am looking east, the lake is Horsetooth Reservoir, and you can just make out the North end of Fort Collins. Here I am trail running at Horsetooth Mountain Park.

One thing I have learned over the years but did not realize it until much more recently is the quote by Seth Godin. And I will repeat it here: “Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don’t need to escape from.” And that is so true. Now don’t get me wrong, there is nothing mistaken with traveling to see new places, people and things. Exploration of our wonderful world is a fantastic thing to do. But heading towards the “beach” or the “bar,” each year or weekend so that you can “escape” from work and your usual life….. Never seemed quite right to me in hindsight. Always thought I was a little weird when friends told me about their beach or bar adventures of drinking and partying, it never seemed appealing. About a year ago, I came across Seth’s quote and it just clicked. It was a true A’Ha moment. Sometimes it is hard to put into words what you are feeling or thinking, but then someone comes along and does it for you. And it just clicks into place.

This picture was also taken Friday, January 25th, and what a difference a week can make. The first picture in the blog post was in the same area and no snow. A week later the road was snow packed all the way to the top. It got me to thinking that if we got a really good snow in Fort Collins this road would be a great skimo work out. You could skin all the way to the top and the road is wide enough to ski it all the way back down. That would be pretty cool.

Well I think this is going to be about it for me. I hope you have had a great January. I know that I did, even turning 57. My wife tells me to just be happy with making it that far! LOL!

Maybe I will see you out there on the trails or the ski slope. Take care my friends. Adios!!

Colorado, Environment, Exercise, Fort Collins, Science

MUSINGS FOR SUNDAY, JANUARY 13th, 2019

January 13, 2019 teleskees Leave a comment

“Only when the last tree has died and the last river been poisoned and the last fish been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.” Cree Indian Proverb

“Earth provides enough to satisy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed.” Mahatma Gandi

“It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save the environment.” Ansel Adams

Well it has been a great last two to three weeks here for me on the Front Range. Just got to love Colorado. I don’t do a lot of skiing over the Holidays and the first week or two of January. For me the crowd size is just a little too large. But living here in Fort Collins you usually get some sunny days and while it can be cold, it is not so cold usually, that you can’t get out.

Bald Eagle in an area that I frequently run or walk. This area is home to many, many hawks and owls. This is the first year I have actually seen a Bald Eagle in this open space. The next day there were two, so maybe they will become a nesting pair and will frequent the area for many more seasons!? This photo was take December 29th, 2019.

I started the first Blog Post of the year on an environmental note. One of my degrees from College is in Environmental Science and Wildlife Biology. One of the comments I have heard over the years when I tell people this, “Oh your an environmentalist.” I have always found this statement interesting. The idea that because I have a degree in said field makes me an environmentalist and you not? When I have questioned people about this they seem a little supprised until I explain further. The truth of the matter we are all environmentalist. We breath the same air, we all drink the same water, eat the same food so to speak. We all currently live on planet earth. And because of this we are all environmentalist. We all have a vested interest in what happens on earth and to future generations.

Beautiful sunset in Fort Collins are common. Lots of color. I don’t think the photograph does it justice. On the surface this seems like a good thing but not always so. Some of the color is due to smog and particulate matter in the atmosphere. So while you might get this incredible sunset it is a sign of problem that the Front Range has been dealing with for over 50 years. It has gotten to the point that I check air quality everyday before doing an outdoor activity. And it is year round. Most of the pollution problems we have in Colorado are due to oil and gas extraction and vechicle polution. Metro Denver was ranked 8th in the nation for worst air quality and Fort Collins was ranked in at 10th. This was by the American Lung Association in 2016. This photo was take December 30th, 2018.

My personnel opinion is that we all have to take a vested interests in the environment. Even if you are working two jobs, trying to feed the kids, pay the rent, etc… There is always something you can do, even on a small scale, something as simple as not using that plastic straw, recycling as much as you can whenever possible, paying attention to how you use water, using your own cloth bags at the grocery store, turning off lights when not in use (one that I am terrible at), decreasing the number of trips that you drive, etc… And a really big one and some would say, easy – How You Vote. We are lucky here in Fort Collins with the mail in ballots, extremely convenient.

I used to hate riding my bike in the wind but I have come to love it. As long as it is not too windy. The wind helps to circulate the atmosphere here on the Front Range, which translates into much cleaner air to breath. This picture show a good example. The day before, that “blue sky” you see was not so blue, there was a yellow haze to it. On the day that I took the picture, there was a light breeze pushing the smog out. The picture was taken Thursday, January 3rd.

Of course the big oil and gas people will spend millions of dollars to spread misleading information about how dangerous oil and gas emissions actually are. And of course they talk about the loss of jobs if more environmental rules are put into place. The reality is that most of the oil and gas job are temporary in the area that they are being done. Once the drilling has been done, the lines caped, the pipes laid, the tanks installed, etc… you either move to the next energy boom or you find a different job. So I have to ask myself, at what cost do we expose thousands of individuals to cancer causing chemicals for a temporary job? Not to mention that this does not help stop the warming of the climate and all the associated problems this will bring. Its hard when change comes. None of us really like change, but it comes anyways. At some point, there will be no oil and gas jobs? Then what? When you have drilled the earth dry, then what? When some smart individual or team of individuals invents a better alternative that is more environmental friendly and the demand of fossil fuel drops? Then what? Because it will happen, just like it did to the horse and buggy people, telephone operators, gas station attendants, mall operators, big box stores, etc…. Technology marches forward. Science marches forward. So why destroy the environment, expose people to known carcinogens, for really what amounts to short term profits at best?

This picture was taken from Horsetooth Mountain Park on a windy day. If it had been the day before, the view would not have been as clear as it was this day. This was the first true trail run for me this new year. Here in Fort Collins we are lucky to have two great trail running areas behind Fort Collins, Lory State Park and Horsetooth Mountain Park. Between the two parks, which butt up to each other, you can easily get in a 10 to 20 mile run or mountain bike ride if you wish. This picture was taken Monday January **7th.**

Another area of the environment that I would like to touch on is about what we eat, especially in first world countries. This really does touch on the environment and the health of the individual. It has been known for a while now that a diet high in animal protein and processed foods can lead to a higher incidence of cancer and heart disease in the general population. There are multi books out there written by MD’s and food researchers that talk about this very thing. But there is also a link to the environment with cows. They require a lot of resources compared to other forms of meat production. Some estimates put this at 10 times the number that other sources of protein require, such as chickens and pigs. So there are good health reasons not to eat as much beef and animal protein in general and a great environmental reason not to eat as much beef. I call my self the 95% vegan, I still like a really good Cheese Berger every once in a while. For me that might mean once per month as opposed to several times per week. I still like a nice piece of Salmon every once in a great while and a little ice cream/yogurt every now and then. The rest of my diet is all plant based. No processed food as much as possible. There are some researchers that believe if we could get America’s population to switch to a healthier way of eating that in a 10 to 20 year span we would eliminate most of our health care cost, not to mention what this might mean for the environment.

**Another beautiful Colorado Sunset in Fort Collins. I was looking across one of the ponds off the Poudre Bike trail. Still frozen. This picture was taken on Tuesday, January 8th.**

I think that it is probably time to get off of my environmental soap box. I hope that it has given you some food for thought. I believe the only way to fix the current issues and head future ones off before they become a problem is for each of us to do our parts. Stay informed. Learn about the current scientific thinking on the issues from reliable sources. Not Fox News or the church. In the next elections don’t be swayed by big oil and gas or whatever “industry” trying to decrease its environmental regulations. Vote. If I had a dime, as the old saying goes, for every time I have heard the saying: “If you don’t have your health, you have nothing.” So true. Remember genetics loads the gun and only you or the environment can pull the trigger…..

Beautiful bike ride on a warmer January afternoon in Fort Collins. The temp was about 50 degrees at this point in the ride. The picture was take at the northern end of the Poudre River Trail. I have always loved the bridge work over the river in this section. I think that it has a very sculptural feel to it. The picture was taken Thursday, January 10th.

Well, that is about it for me with this post. May you have a happy and healthier 2019. Hope to see you out there on the trails or ski slopes. Take care my friends!! Adios!!

Colorado, Exercise, Fort Collins, Religion

MUSINGS FOR SUNDAY 30TH, DECEMBER 2018

December 30, 2018 teleskees Leave a comment

Well I hope that everyone had a Happy Holiday!! Or a Merry X-mass!! Or in the original, a Happy Saturnalia!! How every you want to say it or celebrate it, I hope it was a good one!!

THE snow has been great. Wow, let me just say it again. This has been a great ski season so far. I am at 14 for the number of snow days now. And it continues to be good. I haven’t been out skiing this much… well, I guess since my kids were younger and they were in ski and snowboard programs. I am truly hoping that the snow continues in the mountains. Funny, I say mountains because here on the Front Range of Colorado we are still in what is considered a drought. Where I live in Fort Collins, we only average about 15 inches of moisture per year and as of this date we are still about 6 inches behind, a little more than 1/3 of our total moisture. Crazy. But and there is always a but, as an old farmer told me once, “Most things out here are irrigated, so as long as it snows in the mountains, we should be good.” And so that is what I am hoping!!

**Cathy Fromme Prairie Trail in Fort Collins, Monday, December 17**^th, temperature was close to 60 degrees!

Riverbend Ponds in Fort Collins, December 29^th, 2018

**Riverbend Ponds in Fort Collins, December 29^th, 2018 – Wow!! You never know what you might see!!**

Trying to get in a little bit of last-minute walking, biking and running for 2018. Again, that is what is pretty cool about Fort Collins and the Front Range of Colorado is that you can ski in the mountains and then you can come down and do some fair-weather activities too. It can still be cold but no ice or snow on the ground and as long as the sun is on you… not too bad.

???????????WHAT WILL RELIGION DO???????????

“You don’t need religion to have morals. If you can’t determine right from wrong, then you lack empathy, not religion.” Anonymous
“This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples, no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple. The philosophy is kindness.” – Dali Lama
“If your religion requires you to hate or hurt someone. You need a new type of religion.” – Unknown
“Religion was invented when the first con man met the first fool.” – Mark Twain
“When you call yourself an Indian or a Muslim or a Christian or a European, or anything else, you are being violent. Do you see why it is violent? Because you are separating yourself from the rest of mankind. When you separate yourself by belief, by nationality, by tradition, it breeds violence. So, a man who is seeking to understand violence does not belong to any country, to any religion, to any political party or partial system; he is concerned with the total understand of mankind.” J. Krishnamurti
“We shouldn’t even need the word “atheism”. If people didn’t invent ridiculous imaginary gods. Rational people wouldn’t have to deny them.” – Ricky Gervais
“Your ignorance of scientific knowledge is not evidence that god exists.” – Unknown

The last couple of weeks I have been doing a little bit of contemplating of how religion will change over the next 10 to 20 years. And change it must. As we continue down the path of better understanding of the laws of nature and our place in the universe, religion will have mounting pressure to adapt. Or maybe I should say that those who use religion as power, a way to exert control on the masses, will have to adapt. New discovers are being made every day in science, in all fields of science, around the world. If you want to see how fast things are coming out, check out the website called:
https://phys.org/ Most the articles are a synopsis of the topic, usually one or two pages long, and have a link to the original article at the bottom. On each article heading at the bottom there is a clock showing how long ago the article came out. If you follow the web page for a week or two, it become readily apparent that things are moving along at a good clip. Ray Kurzweil the American inventor, author and futurist talks about the “Coming Singularity. Where things change so fast that it seems like magic so to speak. One day something is not possible then tomorrow it is. The web site covers all aspect of science. From hard Astrophysics to Biology and Medicine.

Not really sure how religion will eventual deal with it all? Take the example of exoplanet discovery. When the first discoveries were made over 20 years ago, the science and scientist involved did not get much attention other than a little ridicule from their peers. Now the number of exoplanet discoveries are staggering. There are over 3000 known exoplanets as of June of 2018?! Just think of that for a moment.

And then realize that we are only looking at a very, very small fraction of the known universe. I read somewhere that it was like “Looking at a glass of seawater sitting beside the ocean.” We are not even scratching the surface yet and there are already 1000s of discovered exoplanets. Unreal. We are not the center of the Universe. How does religion cope with that? And what happens when life is inevitable discovered on one of these exoplanets or moons of exoplanets? How does that fit into any “Earth Religion”? Maybe it will be time to write a new “divinely inspired” section to the Bible, to the Koran, to the Buddhist text, etc.…. to help explain exoplanets!! Do a quick web search and you will find that the “exoplanet discoveries” have already been analyzed by “creationist” and they have come to some interesting rationalizations. My favorite is when they twist words from the bible to mean whatever they want or need for explanation. I think that they are going to have to do better than this! We are but a small speck in our galaxy. What hubris to think that our planet is the only planet with life.

Genetics and Synthetic Biology is another huge game change in my opinion. Recent advances in this field have given us the ability to change the human genome forever. We now have the capability to manipulate genes at the sperm and egg level without “controlled” breeding. The potential, good or bad for Eugenics is a real possibility. To create plants, animals and humans that have never been seen before on planet earth. What if you designed telomers that never shortened? Lifespans could become a moot point. Live as long as you want, no need for the Buddhist idea of rebirth, or Christian and Muslim heaven, or hell. How would religion cope with that?? There have already been advances with Synthetic Biology that are just mind blowing when you think about the potential possibilities. DNA is made up of four building blocks, Adenine, Thymine, Cytosine and Guanine – all life, as we know it, is made up this way. But now researchers have living microbes that have 6 building blocks. A totally, never before seen organism on this earth, semi-synthetic and most important making proteins…. Check out this clip on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-H1tUMRJoeo

The implications of rapid advances in genetics and how it will affect synthetic biology are incalculable, for a better understanding check out this Wiki page on Synthetic Biology: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthetic_biology Or do what I did and re-watch the short TED talk on YouTube that I posted above and then try to imagine all the possibilities!!

AI is another one that gives me pause when it come to religious thinking. While we have not created a “sentient” AI yet (that I know of), I believe that the day will come when we do. This will be another game changer. I think that just creating very, very smart Algorithms or what I would call “Super Smart Calculators”, will get us closer, but not “sentient”, the true break through could be some kind of semi-synthetic modified organism or animal or human mated to hardware… Wow the ethics involved in that?! Crazy?!

When I think about some of the advances in the above topics, it is not too hard to imagine these scenarios or something similar happening. How does religion handle that? How much twisting of the “holy word” will that take to explain the above advances in science? If we colonize Mars or the Moon, do we take the same old religions and their associated dogmas with us?! Do we want to create the same old hatreds, bigotries, intolerance’s, prejudices, racism’s that exist on earth today because of religion? Do we recreate them on Mars or the Moon? And if we don’t, what do we replace it with?

I think there is a solution. All religions, MINUS THE GODS, have some great pieces of psychology and sociology incorporated into them. These thoughts and writings have been refined over time to help explain and guide human nature and morality. They are as true today in some cases as they were 10 thousand years ago. Why not create a true Universal Moral Code that incorporates the best from all religions. But no belief in any “magical beings.” Something similar to what Dr. Kent Keith came up with in 2003 when he was writing about morality and ethics.

The advantages to be able to do this would be immeasurable to the human race. Can you imagine, if we gave up the belief in the supernatural (i.e. Gods) and moved to some kind of “Universal Moral Code.” No more wars, death and destruction based on religion or the excuse of religion. Something that could be applied to all aspects of life, that we all agree upon, that treated ever one equally and fairly. That could be applied to a person and a business. That could curb the excesses and greed of capitalism and Corporations. That did not see Science as the enemy? Isn’t it about time the human race left the trappings of the belief in a Godhead and moved into a modern age of enlightenment? This could be the first step…. The question becomes will we do it willingly or will it be forced upon us by continuing advances in science??

Search for Enlightenment by Simon Gudgeon.

That is about it for me on this blog post. Hope I have given you dear reader something to think about. Damn, where did the time go!? It’s almost a new year. What will 2019 bring? Oh well I guess we will have to wait and see. There is an old saying that “Reality is stranger than Fiction” and I truly believe that to be true. I do not think that 2019 will be any different. So, take care my friends. Set those New Year’s resolutions and get healthier!! I will see you next year!!

**X-mass Dinner with some of the family 2018**

Book Review, Colorado, Exercise, Politics, Skiing

MUSINGS FOR WEDNESDAY 14TH, NOVEMBER 2018

November 14, 2018 teleskees Leave a comment

“You can choose courage or you can choose comfort, but you cannot have both.” – Brene Brown

“Don’t try to win over the haters. You’re not a jackass whisper.” – Brene Brown

Life is good and I cannot complain too much. Wow what a start to ski season!! Some of the best early snow conditions for the Central and Northern Mountains of Colorado. I have already been up 5 times this year. A few times to Loveland and a few times to A-basin. Very nice indeed. Now, only if the conditions can continue. That is a big if and it remains to be seen how much moisture will fall in the next 60 days or so. But for now, I am going to enjoy what is there and not worry too much about the future.

LOVELAND SKI AREA LOOKING WEST ON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON NOVEMBER 7^TH, 2018

FROM THE LAKE DILLON BIKE TRAIL LOOKING WEST ON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON NOVEMBER 7^TH, 2018

A-BASIN SKI AREA THURSDAY 8^TH, NOVEMBER 2018

I spend a lot of my ski time in Summit County. This is a great place in Colorado. I like to think of it as an outdoor mecca but with all the conveniences of a modern city. The major towns which are all somewhat close together are Dillon, Silverthorne, Frisco and Breckenridge. The county is home to 4 major downhill ski resorts, Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, Keystone and A-Basin, not to mention a few cross-country areas. Add in a little backcountry access and you truly have an outdoor playground. If you like the outdoors it is a fun place to be anytime of the year.

Finished up another book this past week called “Democracy in Chains: The deep History of the Radical Right’s Stealth Plan for America” by Nancy MacLean. I found it an interesting book. The book is about James McGill Buchanan, Charles Koch and the Libertarian Right. Buchanan was a Nobel Prize Winner in economics. He won the prize for what is known today as “Public Choice Theory” – the ideas on how people make or don’t make decisions in the political realm. MacLean’s book does not really go into this too much. She was more concerned with the idea that Buchanan saw a conflict between economic freedom and political liberty. She paints a picture of Buchanan being secretly racist and wanting to suppressing economic freedoms and democracy for the poor to benefit the rich. Charles Koch, a billionaire – 8^th richest person in the world as of June 2018, comes into the picture when he discovers Buchanan’s work. Koch is painted in the book as what I would call an advocate of the “Super Libertarian Right.” The old story that less government, less corporate welfare, less government spending on social programs, health care, etc.… is the best way to improve things (but mainly for the rich). MacLean feels that Koch saw his ideas overlapping with Buchanan’s work quite a bit and because of that, Koch and the “Libertarian Right” have been able to push their ideas forward in government based on that work. As an example, she points out: recently passed laws designed to cause problems with unions, the increase in privatization of schools (school vouchers), the defunding of universal health care, and threatening social security to just name a few.

The part of the book for me that I found most worrisome and disturbing is that the wealthy “Libertarian Right” does not seem to care who gets hurt in the process. Can’t get health care for your Cancer, well too bad, better luck in the next life, need an education, well if you can’t pay for it then you don’t get it (even at the grade school level). All this does not benefit the majority of people in the country. Just the wealthy. I have a few friends that persistently believe in the erroneous “Deep State” conspiracy theory ideas. What they really need to do is read this book by MacLean. Here is a true conspiracy that will only benefit the rich and not the majority of people in the country. You can find the book on Amazon at:https://www.amazon.com/Democracy-Chains-History-Radical-Stealth/dp/B072J2MTWT/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1542005455&sr=8-1&keywords=democracy+in+chains . I got the book as an Audio Book but I think it might have been better to do the kindle edition or paperback so that you can go back and easily reread sections.

Did my first Rando race of the season yesterday (Tuesday), at A-basin. It is part of a five-part series called Rise and Shine. It is an uphill challenge. Yes, you ski uphill with skins and take them off at the top and race down. Then repeat. This race was timed for an hour to see how many runs you could get in. I improved some and was able to get in 3. Last year I was only able to do about 2 in that first hour. A chilly start for this race – the temperature in the parking lot when I arrived was 4 degrees F. But lucky in that there was no wind.

WARM UP BEFORE THE RACE.

A CHILLY START THIS AM – 4 DEGREES F IN THE PARKING LOT!!

At the basin it is a very low key event and really you are mainly racing against yourself. Especially at my age. I think that it went pretty well. I am happy that I am just able to do it at my young age of 56.

Well I am thinking that is probably about all for me this week. I hope every one has a great rest of the week and weekend. Take care and hope to see you out on the trails or the ski slope!!

Book Review, Colorado, Psychology, Religion, Sociology

MUSINGS FOR MONDAY 29TH, OCTOBER 2018

October 29, 2018 teleskees Leave a comment

“You must do the things you think you cannot do.” Eleanor Roosevelt

“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, “I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that come along.”” Eleanor Roosevelt

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” Eleanor Roosevelt

Fort Collins Sunsets – great afternoon and evening running this week!!

Well it is the end of and the beginning of another week. This blog post was a little late in getting out due to working at the day job over the weekend AND studying for a class required by said day job. I pull 12 hour shifts and it does not leave much time to do anything else. Especially if you want to ensure you get an adequate amount of sleep. It just amazes me how often I would short myself on sleep and then wonder why I got sick. And why I thought this was a normal occurrence?! I have become one of those anal people that track everything, including sleep. Seven to eight hours is now the norm. And guess what? I do not get sick as often as I have in the past. A definite decrease in the number of colds and viral illnesses, etc.… I also attribute this to eating a much healthier diet than I did in the past too. But that is a topic for another Blog post.

A great book out there on this subject. And one, I would say needs to be put in that “read a second time category” is called “Why We Sleep” by Matthew Walker, PhD.

You can find this book at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Sleep-Unlocking-Dreams/dp/1501144324/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1539802696&sr=8-3&keywords=why+we+sleep&dpID=51dUdCh2ZdL&preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch

One of the things the author goes over is sleep and how it is affected by alcohol. It really changed my perspective on having a drink, be it beer or wine, with dinner. I have stopped doing this except for every once in a great, great while. (like once per month) Also, he talks about how our memory is affected by the lack of REM sleep due to alcohol intake. I call this a “hard truth” because if you are like me you grew up with alcohol being a part of family traditions so to speak and it is hard to get away from. After reading the book, I think of all the nights of burning the candle at both ends, drinking, staying up late, etc.… and how in reality this was a total waste of time. I truly believe that it prematurely aged me physically. Unfortunately, there is nothing I can do about changing the past but to go forward with better lifestyle habits.

And for shift workers that do night shifts. In my opinion they do not get paid enough. Truly, for all the individuals that work nights, I would go as far as to say you need to get paid time and half. Great book. Well worth the read or two.

Another book that I think is a good read is called the “The Book of Joy” by Douglas Carlton Abrams, the Dalai Lama, and Desmond Tutu. It is basically an interview and discourse between two “Spiritual masters” that have very different back grounds but do share the one common element of having faced and survived significant adversity in their lives. The Dalai Lama’s persecution by the Chinese and Desmond Tutu’s struggle with the South African Government and Apartheid.

One of the reasons I believe the book is interesting is that they both come from two different religious backgrounds. One is Buddhist and one is Christian. When asked questions, their answers are not that far apart from each other. Obliviously there are some major “religious dogma” differences but philosophically they are very close in the advice they give. The other part of this book that I found inspiring was how they came to grips with the adversity and still found joy and what appears to be lasting happiness. I listened to the book as an audio book while running but it might be better to purchase it as regular print so that you can go back and reread a section or two.

You can find the book at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Book-Joy-Lasting-Happiness-Changing/dp/0399185046/ref=sr_1_1/135-8262170-6644902?ie=UTF8&qid=1540750504&sr=8-1&keywords=dalai+lama+joy+book

Almost done with the current drawing. Getting closer… Lol.

Winter is coming and the squirrels are scarfing food where ever they can find it. Lol

Well that is about it for me. Hope you get a change to read the above two books. They are defiantly worth the effort. Have a great week and may life be good for you. See you out there on the trails!!

Art, Book Review, Colorado, Meditations, Psychology, Truth and Perception

MUSINGS FOR MONDAY 8TH, OCTOBER 2018

October 8, 2018 teleskees Leave a comment

“Buddhism does not advocate faith in the sense of believing something because it is written in a book, attributed to a prophet, or taught to you by some authority figure. The meaning of faith here is closer to confidence. It is knowing that something is true because you have seen it work, because you have observed that very thing within yourself. In the same way, morality is not a ritualistic obedience to a code of behavior imposed by an external authority. It is rather a healthy habit pattern that you have consciously and voluntarily chosen to impose upon yourself because you recognize its superiority to your present behavior.”

– Mindfulness in Plain English, by Bhante Gunaratana

FALL 2018 – LEAVES ARE CHANGING IN FORT COLLINS!!

Well it has been a good week. Again, I really cannot complain. Life is good. It is not perfect, but what is? Everything is changing and nothing is static for long. Change is the only constant.

LAST CORD OF A 4 CORD TOTAL!!

I have continued this week to put up firewood for the winter. Four cords total. Good to get it done early and to be ready when the snow and cold temperatures come.

JULY 26^TH

AUGUST 13^TH

SEPTEMBER 3^RD

OCTOBER 5^TH

Finished the deck above the garage, but still working on the structure above the garage deck. This has taken me some time. As you can see by the dates and the above photos. But when it is done I think it will be worth the effort. I will show some photos when it is finally finished. Trying to get it done before Thanksgiving. Lol.

I have started to reread a book this year called: MINDFULNESS in PLAIN ENGLISH, by Bhante Gunaratana. This will be the fourth time I have read it. It is an excellent book on Meditation and Mindfulness. This is one of those books that rereading it at least once a year is something you want to make a habit of. It is that good. Truly if you want to be able to enjoy life more, no matter what your circumstances are or what is going on in the world, this could be the single most important book you could read this year. The book is a very readable down to earth look at what meditation is and is not. A nuts and bolts book that “Westerners” can understand.

The book itself is about 196 pages not counting the Index. Every time I have read this book I come across something new or more likely, “understand” better what the author is talking about. I am not a religious or spiritual person. In fact, I am an Atheist. And that is what drew me to Buddhism. I know that might sound funny to some but I see Buddhism as a form of philosophy that has been tried and tested over millennia with no “Divine Authority Needed.” The purpose of meditation is personal transformation. The person that goes into “meditation” so to speak is not the same person that comes out. You can use these same techniques in meditation no matter what religion you are. Or you don’t even have to have a religion like me. It will work for anyone if they give it thoughtful consideration. Just to be clear I am talking about vipassana meditation.

From the book: “In vipassana meditation we cultivate this special way of seeing life. We train ourselves to see reality exactly as it is, and we call this special mode of perception mindfulness. This process of mindfulness is really quite different from what we usually do. We usually do not look into what is actually there in front of us. We see life through a screen of thoughts and concepts, and we mistake those mental objects for reality. We get so caught up in this endless thought-stream that reality flows by unnoticed. We spend our time engrossed in activity, caught up in eternal pursuit of pleasure and gratification and eternal flight from pain and unpleasantness. We spend all of our energies trying to make ourselves feel better, trying to bury our fears, endlessly seeking security. Meanwhile, the world of real experience flows by untouched and untasted. In vipassana meditation we train ourselves to ignore the constant impulses to be more comfortable, and we dive into reality instead. The irony of it is that real peace comes only when you stop chasing it.”

I think of the above as “turning in” to what is happening around you. Not to try and run from unpleasant situations or thoughts but turning in towards them. This is not a doctrine you need to drill into yourself, but an observable reality that with practice you can see for yourself. The idea is to make the “mindfulness” so common place that you do it without really thinking about it, no matter the situation. This part of mindfulness that has taken me a long time to master and I am still working on it. The idea of: “Don’t confuse Training Conditions with Real World Situations/Actions.” When the proverbial “Shit hits the fan” conditions occur in my life – I still fall back into old habit patterns and forget all about mindfulness practice.

From the Book: “One of the most difficult things to learn is that mindfulness is not dependent on any emotional or mental state. We have certain images of meditation. Meditation is something done in quiet caves by tranquil people who move slowly. Those are training conditions. They are set up to foster concentration and to learn the skill of mindfulness. Once you have learned that skill, however, you can dispense with the training restrictions, and you should. You don’t need to move at a snail’s pace to be mindful. You don’t even need to be calm. You can be mindful while solving problems in intensive calculus. You can be mindful in the middle of a football scrimmage. You can even be mindful in the midst of a raging fury. Mental and physical activities are no bar to mindfulness. If you find your mind extremely active, then simply observe the nature and degree of that activity. It is just a part of the passing show within.”

You can download the book as PDF off the web. Yes, it is free. (my first time to read it) I found that it was so good, I went ahead and bought a copy from Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-Plain-English-Revised-Expanded/dp/0861713214/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_0/145-7252461-2444901?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=68396RBSG0293KGXVV6C

Well that is about it for me this week. But one last thing. The most recent heart picture is coming along. Slowly but surely.

SEPTEMBER 20^TH

OCTOBER 5^TH

Take care my friends and I hope see you out there on the trails!!

Colorado, Exercise, Meditations, Psychology, Thankfulness, Truth and Perception

MUSINGS FOR SUNDAY 30TH, SEPTEMBER 2018

September 30, 2018 teleskees Leave a comment

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did. So, throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

“Each moment in time we have it all, even when we think we don’t.” – Melody Beattie

Well it has been a good week. Getting back into running a little bit this week and still doing some bike riding. The weather has been beautiful. We do need rain but at the same time and I have to say it again, the weather has just been fantastic for getting out doors. Truly beautiful. Warm afternoons, with cool mornings. The sunsets have been stunning the past two weeks. And I really cannot complain. All the pictures below were taken in Fort Collins in the late afternoon/ early evening Monday though Thursday. I am fortunate to live where I do.

Lake Sherwood in Fort Collins looking West on Monday evening.

Spring Creek Trail in Fort Collins looking West on Tuesday evening.

Powerline Trail in Fort Collins looking South on Wednesday evening.

Poudre River Trail in Fort Collins looking West on Thursday evening.

It is that time of year again and I am starting the process of putting up firewood. Had two cords of pallet wood delivered this week. I have to say this stuff burns great. The trick to making it a lot less of a hassle to stack is to build your wood racks so that you don’t have to stack it. You can just throw the various pieces in the rack not caring how they land. Took me a few years to figure this out. Lol. This process makes it a lot easier to put it up.

Well on a different note, even though I have everything that I need and really want, there are days that I wake up thinking that I need something more, something different, something new, more money, a different car, a different bike, different running shoes, more this, more that, more, more and more. If you let it, the “More Virus” as I call it, will continue without end. A vicious cycle. Always promising happiness, but never delivering. Never delivering a lasting happiness anyways. This was one of those weeks were I was infected so to speak. First it was thinking that I needed new running shoes, then it was a different bike, next the “monkey mind” wandered on to a different RV (yes, I own an RV), and of course with all these new things, the next logical step was I needed more money, so then you need to work more, etc.… And I won’t bore you with the rest, needless to say this cycle went around and around in my mind for most of the week until about midway through I started to look at the above pictures. As I said before, I collected these over the last week during a run or bike ride and realized that the “More Virus” could jeopardize future moments like this. And that is all it took to comprehend, I was really, really happy this week. It was a very good week and nothing in the “material world” could have added to it. And that inoculated me from the “More Virus” for the week. For next week…Lol….

Well that is about it for me. Have a great week and I hope to see you out there on the trails!! Adios amigos!!

Art, Colorado, Exercise, Meditations, Psychology, Run Rabbit Run

MUSINGS FOR SUNDAY 23RD, SEPTEMBER 2018

September 23, 2018 teleskees Leave a comment

Plunge Your Whole Life into What You Are Doing

“Just as when you sit in meditation you just sit, when you sleep, be aware of the totality of your whole being going to sleep. When walking, you just walk. When you eat, you are right there just eating. Plunge your whole life into what you are doing at that very moment and live that way. So, we train ourselves to engage our whole being in what we are doing. Whether sitting or eating, you are not engaged in discursive, wandering, or deluded thoughts. All of you…environment, body, and mind…is right there. Whatever you do, whatever the task at hand, your whole life is there at that moment.

Some people may interpret plunging your whole being into the practice or into the task at hand as a very tense approach. This is incorrect. By putting your whole being into what you are doing, you are also being relieved from doing anything else at that moment. Therefore, when you are doing that one thing, that is all you have to care about, and you can do it in a very relaxed manner and attitude. In this light, you will better understand the meaning of engaging your whole being in the present task. This is a relaxed and reposed attitude to practice.”

Excerpted from: “The Method of No-Method: The Chan Practice of Silent Illumination, by Chan Master Sheng Yen

Happy Autumnal Equinox!! First day of fall?! Wow where did the time go?? Well….. it has been a good week. Still recovering from the attempt at the 100 miles with the Run Rabbit Run. It has been nice to just do some easy bicycling each day this past week. The temps are getting cooler in the mornings and you can tell that fall is in the air. Even with the unseasonably hot weather. The air conditioner is not running constantly, trees on the front range are starting to change leaf color, etc.… I am wondering what this winter will bring? Will it be non-existent so to speak with less snow and more rain? Or will it be like the winters of the past? I guess only time will tell.

Looking West towards the Foothills – Spring Creek Trail.

Prairie Dog (Colorado State Rodent) on Spring Creek Trail.

The bike riding in the afternoons has been fantastic. I am very fortunate to live in a city that continues to expand its trail system. If you really wanted to help your citizens with health care, then get them outside and walking, running, biking, skating, etc.… Whatever it might be. The trick is that you need easy and I mean easy access. We are all creatures of habit and we need that easy access to help with the “willpower requirement” of just getting out. We could prevent a lot of our health care cost just with preventive strategies like exercise. It is an old idea but still just as valid since time immortal.

I have been working on another “anatomical heart” picture. They do take time. I figure in this one I already have about 5 to 6 hours of drawing in place. And I am only about a 4^th of the way done. This is a smaller one at 7 inches by 10 inches. I will show more of it as the weeks go by. I usually get an hour or two drawing each day. This will be the fourth one I have done of the hearts.

I love the above quote from the book “The Method of No-Method: The Chan Practice of Silent Illumination.” Some days I am much better with this practice than others. Modern media and advertising does not help. Always wanting you to want more. Distracting you from what you are doing. I have found that doing meditation each day helps with this. Focusing me on what I am doing so that I can just be in the moment. Not letting my mind pull me in a thousand different ways. Just taking a deep breath and bringing myself back into the moment.

Monkey Mind – all the things I have to do – over and over and over and – I need this, I need that, I cannot live without this, etc.…

Realizing that it is OK, the “monkey mind” is going to wander… The trick is to realize that you will have to pull it back into alignment… a lot. Over and over until it become second nature. If you are like me, our minds really have the tendency to wonder and this is without the help of modern media. I wonder what it would have been like to live 150 years ago? Before radio, before TV, before cell phones, before the internet. Would it be a good idea to once a year go on a “modern media hiatus”, even if it was only for a week. I think that it would be even hard to do for a day? Or you could spend a significant sum on a Zen retreat where all form of electronic communication is forbidden? I have not tried either yet but maybe that is the next step? Well just some thoughts running around in my “Monkey Brain.”

The reposed and relaxed goal to shoot for. If Home can do it so can you!! Lol

Well on the above note, I am thinking that will be all for me this week. Hope to see you out there on the trails!! Adios amigos!!

Colorado, Exercise, Psychology, Run Rabbit Run, Trail Running

MUSINGS FOR SUNDAY 16th, SEPTEMBER 2018

September 17, 2018 teleskees Leave a comment

“Run for 20 minutes and will feel better, run another 20 and you might tire, add on 3 hours and you’ll hurt, but keep going and you’ll see and smell and hear and taste the world with vividness that will make your former life pale.” Scott Jurek

“It hurst up to a point and then it doesn’t get any worse.” Ann Trason

Life is good and I cannot complain too much at the moment!! Ed B.

Really love that quote. It is my own, but I am not partial. Just that, it is my reality. As I have gotten older everyday that I wake up and become mindful of taking a breath…well that is a good day.

Looking West towards Cameron Pass

I have been in Steamboat Springs since Tuesday Night. Nice place to just hang out. The drive from Fort Collins to Steamboat was beautiful. The Aspens are in their “changing color” mode and the views were a little extra special around Cameron Pass. Really hard to do it justice with the pictures.

Steamboat itself is an interesting place. After multi visits here over the years, you start to appreciate the “mountain towns” that were actually a thriving community before they became ski area destinations. There is a little more of a solid feel to them than just a tourist trap so to speak. It has the feel of a much bigger town in some respects but still, I think, maintains the small town atmosphere. By 8pm at night, most shops have closed up, except the bars. Which can be an inconvenience or depending on how you see it, refreshing. Even in summer it is a bustling place. Just the amount of traffic on highway 40 (Main Street in town) can be daunghting.

From the base of the ski area

From mid way up Mount Werner

Main Street in Steamboat looking East

Yampa River in Steamboat looking West

Well the Run Rabbit Run 100 went pretty well. We had great weather. A little hot at times, but clear skis for the start of the race. Not like last year with the smoke from surrounding wildfires. The Silver Creek fire did flare up again but luckily the winds were in the right direction to keep the smoke south of Steamboat this year for the 100 mile race.

Looking South from I-40/Hwy 14

From the bike trail in Steamboat

This year, the race for me ended at the 50 mile mark. I timed out. But even with this, it was a great race. This is only the second attempt for me of 100 miles. I timed out 2 years ago at the Leadville 100, again at the 50 mile mark. I learned a lot this weekend. Simple things like running through the woods in the night, staying warm after running 35 miles, what you can eat and not eat, and the proper utilization of drop bags. All of these things sound simple enough but when you are in the thick of things they can all add up to mean the difference from a “death march” type race, to one that is a lot more enjoyable. I have to say I felt pretty good after running the 50 miles. Sure I was sore but I did not feel like I needed the ER. Lol

Before picture!

After 50 miles and 18 hours of running!

I have now done the 50 mile distance 6 times in the last 5 years. 4 times for an actual race finish and twice while attempting 100s. I guess the 100 mile will have to wait another year. My wife Janet is always good to remind me that 50 miles is nothing to put down. As she has reminded me more than once. 50 miles is still 50 miles.

Looking down from Fish Creek Falls Trail during the run

Long Lake, second aid station on the run

This race is consider a “hard” 100 miler and I do believe that it lived up to its reputation. The added Fish Creek Falls Trail section was beautiful, especially the downhill section until the relization hits you that you have to turn around at the bottom and run/walk back up, add in alot of heat for the day and well… you get the picture. I believe I consumed about 10 liters of water for the day. During the night when the temps dropped into the 40s, the aid stations at Summit Lake and Billy’s Rabbit Hole were outstanding. Well organized and very helpful with a palpable energy from the volunteers. I can tell you they truly made a difference in my race. The “potato soup” at both stations was fantastic. All and all the race was what I expected it to be. A class act when you consider that it is all volunteers that are making this happen. I hope to be back next year.

Before I go I would like to give a big thank you to the Race Committee, and all the volunteers. Without you this type of event would not be possible. THANK YOU!!

And a reminder that without the support of the sponsors this event would not be possible. Thank you to: Altra, Honey Stinger, Black Diamond, IceSpike, Smartwool, Wyndham Vacation Rentals, Tailwind, Ultimate Direction.

Well that is about it for me this week. Hope to see you out there on the trails!! Adios amigos!!

Struggling Protoplasm