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Published: September 19th 2010
The peak
This is the top of several peaks we climbed to reach "Little Boy's Castle"Days 9 to 12 of my journey
My first night in Denver was spent at an an apartment/condo that Tate shared with his friend Chris. Despite the complete mess the place was kept in (especially the disaster in the kitchen) Tate and particularly Chris had a great sense of humor about it. Expecting to get a steak dinner somewhere in Denver that night, budget constraints forced us all to throw something together. We created what Chris coined "hamburger disaster" which basically was a creative way to get lots of protein (with loads of hamburger meat, chilies and onions). It was surprisingly good all things considered. Chris and I had bought Tate a "Snickers"ice cream cake for his birthday the following day which me topped with a charming or maybe pathetic singing candle. It was not a perfect birthday or a perfect night but it was full of character and good humor. (I hope Tate saw the charming side to it)
The following day Tate and I drove up to his father's place which is somewhat isolated in the mountains several hours from Glenwood Springs. I was fortunate enough to get there for a family reunion at Tate's dad,
Beautiful view
Gorgeous from up there isn't it? Is it worth the grueling hike for you? I thought so. grandmother and aunt's were all there in his dad's creative cabin hideaway in the mountains. We all got along quite well and were sharing hugs and smiles by the time I departed two days later. I wish I had taken some photos but everyone got along so well I didn't even think of it. (Tate's dad cooked some amazing dinners such as fish tacos with red snapper he brought up from Belize made with fresh peach salsa and mangoes).
The best part of the trip was the hike up a several ridges above Tate's home (he grew up in this mountain abode) where we climbed to what he calls,"Little Boy's Castle." The "Castle" is a small but prominent rock formation at the top of several steep ridges and was one of many stories Tate and his brother developed growing up there.
As I watched Tate stride up the ridge, I thought it would be easy. I couldn't have been more wrong as his effortless grace became my single-minded and clumsy drive just to move forward. Outside of short breathers, all I could think of was to move forward and the scratches all over my legs are a testament
to my brute desires. Tate, of course, had not a scratch.
After reaching the ridge in about two hours we loped around in a u-shape going through the pines, aspens and rocks to eventually climb down. Tate was hoping to find some elk but the best we could do were a couple grouse and many tracks. It was a long, long journey and I was wiped. But we topped off the end of the hike with a swim in the reservoir at the bottom of these mountains. The water is super cold but a pleasant shock for those into testing the body's limits. As Tate says about the lake water this time of year, "The best part is getting out." However, it is quite a rush and I swam there all three days I stayed.
My last day was very quiet as we all hung out at the house before Tate drove me over to the Greyhound stop (A Philip's 66 Gas Station) on the outskirts of Glenwood Springs. Another dramatic Greyound adventure was soon to follow.
My departure was just as well because Tate is headed to west to see his mother soon before doing a
The pecuniary reward
You can eat only when you reach the summit :P documentary in Thailand next month on Muay Thai boxing. Coincidentally, it will be done mostly in Chiang Mai at the same time I will be there. So we might be able to do some work together or at least hang out. This is Tate's first move into film so he is quite excited as well as nervous about being able to impress his new crew and project financiers. As on the mountain, he is an inspiration when it comes to adventurous travel. He has been all over the globe in some frightening places while writing about fighting and travel. There are few people who I respect more. (After meeting him in Bangkok when he first started, I am so excited to see his growing success. With a promise of nothing a few years ago, things have changed for the better now.)
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