Mountains beyond Mountains

I'm in Arizona now... the air is thick and dry, and the sun has been baking the last few times I've gone out for a jog.  The mood is relaxed as I catch up on blogs and matters in Zambia. Liz is busy getting ready for a big move, and Keisha is in Kitwe with Stan, working hard and making an incredible difference as life's daily challenges (mountains) present themselves.

The week prior to this was very special for me.  I spent it in Colorado, one of Keisha's, Liz's, and my favorite places to be. And hopefully I will have the chance to bring Stan here someday...


I met Seamus back in October.  I had posted my motorcycle online to sell it off (something I never thought I would be do, but to support the Walk of Lions).  Seamus is an avid rider, and understands that the kind of bike I had is special, and opens doors to exploration beyond what is typically possible.  He and I chatted, and I told him about Stan... about Zambia... about my decision to race for them.  And it didn't take much talking to this man to see that he himself has a heart to connect people and see their dreams come true.  So I gave him the bike... and he built me a website.  And to my surprise and honor, he invited me to his small, private wedding in Colorado... last weekend.

Seamus doesn't stop. He has been helping people achieve incredible things for a long time.  He has a gift of seeing inside you and knowing what you need to succeed.  And he isn't afraid to ride a horse through a blizzard.  I was unfortunately unable to join Seamus for his southwest bike ride from Cali to Breckenridge, so I flew into Denver and met him for his and his wife Lisa's special day.

This is the smallest wedding I have been to, and I had the pleasure of meeting the most intimate family and friends surrounding this man's life.  His two best men, Brian and Doyle, incredible musicians from the Nashville circuit, brought onto me some incredible light and perspectives on life.

The outdoor ceremony was beautiful and flowed gently and lovingly.  The setting was perfect and the small audience glowed almost as much as the bride and groom.  I smiled as I looked up, internalizing this solemn welcome back to a place I love so much.

Thus, I came into last week refreshed for the mountains that are yet to come. After a leisurely day walking around in downtown Breck, I wished Seamus a safe motorcycle journey back to California and drove south to the Springs.

And here again in Colorado, I experienced my second great honor on this trip... commissioning my little brother into the Air Force.

My brothers are the most amazing men I know.  Darren was in the top 1 percent of his graduating class in Colorado.  He was hand-picked to work on critical NASA research to design the vehicles which will be taking astronauts back into space.  He's heading to Texas to continue his studies in this field, after which he will go to military pilot training and (without a doubt from me) have a chance to become an astronaut himself.  Dave is two years out of college, where he was the number one graduate in his major.  He just got back from Austria (where he weight trained with Arnold Schwarzenegger's old comrades), and he's going to study at Notre Dame to expand the field of Systematic Theology, working among the great thinkers and philosophers of our generation.  I have lots of heroes and mentors in my life, but these two are the biggest rocks in my Zen garden.

As for the guy on the right, there is work to be done.  I've had some of the most incredible opportunities on this planet, and I owe so much to those who have believed in me and opened those doors.  But I guess I'll always feel that my place is to influence others and give THEM what they need to aspire and succeed.  I've never been great at anything... but I'm foolish enough to start walking in any direction I am drawn to, and I will always find a way to see folks through their dreams.

Colorado... mountains, crisp air, and heights.  The last leg of my trip involved taking Darren on a walk to the top of Pike's Peak

This way...

When Liz, Keisha, Seamus, Darren, and I used to be skydivers (what a coincidence), we'd just say "more altitude please" on the way up to the jump... but on the mountain, you earn it... two hours into the hike Darren and I quickly made it halfway through our 14-mile journey, which put us at Barr Camp.  "Halfway" is a deceptive statement... the ranger at Barr told us the way ahead was just not a great idea this time of year



What ensued through the second half was 7 hours of losing the trail, navigating various levels of snow pack, frozen layers, and hidden rocks as we slogged, snow-shoed, and post-holed our way up the only visible portion of the mountain face. It took us two hours to reach timber line, which presented us with a gaping view of the awesome remaining five hours, subtly masked by thinning air and hard sun.

Four hours

Three hours

Two hours

Taking one last look at the valley before doffing the gloves to climb the famous 16 Golden Stairs for one more hour to the top

There is a road that lets tourists drive straight to the top of the mountain, where they can enjoy an observation deck, restaurant, and souvenir store.  We loved the look on people's faces as we threw our arms over the last lip and presented our sun-baked, oxygen-deprived, lethargic torsos to the top of the world.

This is the way all great journeys should end... on top of your personal mountain.  I have three weeks to go to get ready for the longest walk in my life... literally.  Figuratively, the walk is going to be longer still.  Africa is a beast of a place, and nurturing seeds is always a challenge.  Things don't always go the way you planned, and you must adjust your gait to tread the miles as the direction you must follow becomes apparent.  But faith and love go a long way, and as long as we remember the people we are walking for, the mountains become something you can climb one step at a time.