"Fast Times at Marshall High'

The madness has begun: 36 weeks of trying to get 190 crazy, hormonal 16 year olds to care about the world on all 7 continents from 8000 BC to the present day. Crazy huh?!

Well, I went 5 class periods today with zero glitches or any activity/comment to make me think this would be a problem. By 3:00, I was feeling pretty good about this year. And then, 8th period happened. Somehow, someway... a boy decided to completely de- pants another boy right as class started... in front of everyone. The class was a wash the rest of the day. :(

I mean, these kids are AP. Come on?! I think this, as a logical, sane adult; however, these students are neither sane nor logical. I ask him why and he says "Because," as if that answers everything. Fair enough. Sent one outside, kept the other and ripped them both a new one.

I'm telling yah; you ever get bored at your job, come spend a day with myself or any other teacher. We will make your job look like cake. ;)

Defying Gravity

"You don't have to be a fantastic hero to do certain things- to compete. You can be just an ordinary chap, sufficiently motivated to reach challenging goals." 

-Sir Edmund Hillary-

After a stressful night of getting lost and wandering around in the dark, Dylan and I awoke (in the right location praise Jesus!) to the majesty and grandeur of the many mountains in the San Juan Forest, near the quiet little town of Ouray, Colorado. Despite the unpleasant night, our spirits were greatly lifted as the summer sun came up over the mountains, slowly illuminating God's creation. In the stillness of the mountain morning, absolutely nothing was wrong in the world; life was as it should be.

We started walking around 6:15 am; we had a very long ways to go to even reach the trailhead to the mountain. Please understand, this mountain (Mt. Sneffels) was NOT our original mountain. We had to improvise the night before when the road we were going to take was blocked. Our Ford Escape is a great car, but not meant for jeep roads and extreme bumps, so we had to park very far away and walk a good 2 miles longer than necessary to reach the start of the actual mountain trail.

The scenery was well worth the extra walking though!! Plus, we met many other people moving towards Mt. Sneffels along the way, reassuring Dylan and I the mountain was up ahead, even though we could not see it. The perspective my readers/viewers receive on this blog is from me, not Dylan. I tell you this now, because I am positive Dylan felt very differently about the mountain once we were on it than I did. Any mention of crying, freaking out etc. is TOTALLY from me, not Dylan. He was a champ the whole time!! At this point on the trip though, I was feeling great. All my gear was in top shape; my body was in top shape and the altitude had not begun to bother me. Dylan and I were very much smiling, laughing, making jokes etc. during this portion of our journey. 

Here is where my life began to get a little tricky. We veered off the main trail, which in Dylan's defense, was very easy to do because trails literally went in every direction on the ground at this point. I was annoyed at this outcropping of rocks we ended up having to traverse over. Dylan is telling me to get used to the rocks, and of course like a good wife, I'm thinking he is making a bigger deal than normal to get me all revved up. HAHAHAHA! Joke was TOTALLY on me. The extreme challenge was just beginning....

"No one climbs mountains for scientific reasons... You really just climb for the hell of it." 

-Sir Edmund Hillary-

Spoke too soon!!! Our first coolier of rock. I am intimidated by this point and starting to question whether or not I actually want to do this. But, there are all of these other people going up with us, so I get it together and we start up. The way up was full of SCREE; this awful, loose pebbly, sandy stuff with absolutely NO traction. Dylan and I realized halfway up we were on the wrong side of this first pass and had a whale of a time trying to right our position. I slid a good ways down this thing when the rocks my feet were planted on gave out. I screamed big time and would have gone all the way down had Dylan not caught me from the side. Full blown panic moment ensued here. This was the first of my breakdowns. It scared me yes, but the worst part was realizing how far down I had slid. The climb is painfully slow. You crawl over these rocks, using your hands, knees and feet. It takes time too, because you have to be looking for the biggest rocks to place your weight on, knowing the small ones will probably not hold you. I lost considerable ground in my fall and was incredibly bummed about it. But, I continued to climb. 

Over an hour later, we reach flat ground. I am starting to feel wiped emotionally at this point and am hoping that the top is not too far ahead. Dylan is such a great husband. He is doing nothing but encouraging me, reminding me of how far we have come etc. He does not give himself enough credit for all of this but there is NO WAY ON GOD'S GREEN EARTH I would have made it up that thing without him. I needed every bit of love and strength he could give me along the way. 

We rest here for a moment and then I turn my head to the left and a huge sinking, way beyond intimidation feeling kicks in as I view the second rock coolier/pass we still have to climb. This will take another 2 hours for me to do. My mental state is not great at this point. The pitch and angle of my body to climb constantly with a pack is beginning to take a toll as well. I just kept telling myself that the tippy top I could barely make out was it. We would be at the summit and I could relax. So with Dylan's help, we pushed on through. 

"...I could look down (13,000) ft between my legs and I have never felt more insecure."

-Sir Edmund Hillary-

We reach the top- and we are STILL not at the summit. And I begin to cry. My emotions and hormones are starting to get out of control. I'm also upset because there are lots of people around us at this point, and I can't seem to stop crying. Dylan sticks it out with me, and we eventually make to do the last 500 ft or so to the top. But first, you must get through The Notch. 

You cannot tell from the picture, but on either side of The Notch is a straight drop all the way down. There is no cushion or fall spot- just all the way down. And I lose it... again. There are zero hand holds, places to put your feet, no nooks or crannies to pull yourself through. You just take a big hop and grab on the other side of the rock and pray you pull your body through. This is my take on it anyways. Dylan swore there were actual climbing handholds etc. but I am not a climber... for a reason. That stuff scares the you-know-what out of me, so I don't do it. And now, I have too. I am crying big time, terrified out of my mind at this move I have to make. I start to tell Dylan I will wait for him down here when this angel of a man from Arkansas leans down and says he will pull me through. He looks like he knows what he is doing so we say yes. Dylan pushes from behind, the man grabs both my arms and they push/pull me through. It was traumatic. 500 more ft to go and bless both Dylan and Arkansas guys' hearts. They both stayed with me the whole way. I needed Dylan more than anything, but I tell ya what: knowing Arkansas man was in front of me, guiding me up was necessary as well. 

." 

We make it to the top. I am crying, Dylan is crying ( I think he was just relieved that I was up there. No more whining and moaning and groaning from me) and our Arkansas guy is still hovering near by. Once I calm down and look around, I realize why people do this. 

"Reaching the summit of a mountain gives great satisfaction." 

-Sir Edmund Hillary-

The views are beyond breathtaking and the pictures do not do them justice. You can see...everywhere. Mountains in Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. Telluride ski routes were in the background. My view and perspective on the world will never be the same after that moment. 

We stayed at the top for a good 20 minutes, enjoying the view and giving me time to calm down. You must watch out for afternoon thunderstorms on the mountains though, so we headed out shortly before 1. After this trip, I hate that saying "What goes up must come down." Lame. Everything I had climbed up, I had to climb down. 

This we did considerably faster than going up. We knew the best routes on each rock pass to take, and I was much more confident in myself. I had survived... I had beaten that damn mountain. I wanted down now to let everyone know I had bested that thing. We arrived back at the car around 2:30, more emotionally exhausted than anything. The hike was no more strenuous than a day at Lost Maples for Dylan and I. Neither of us had any problems with the altitude or breathing. We ate enough and stayed hydrated too. Our bodies were fine a few hours later. My emotional state; however, was out of control. I did not know whether to be happy/excited or just sit down and cry because of how hard those last 6 hours had been. I did neither. I listened to Dylan chat excitedly about the mountain experience while I took in the views. The valley we were in reminded me so much of Lauterbrunen, Switzerland, where we had hiked the Alps last summer to see the Eiger and Jungfrau. (Just needed snow on the tops of the mountains) I took comfort in that image and the sound of Dylan's calm, strong voice. 

After having been back at my house for over a week, I can honestly say I want to do another one.We are planning on going back to this same area of Ouray next summer to do another mountain or two. I want to see that view from as many different places as possible. God has granted us with able bodies and eyes to see; I want to see the world the way He sees it, even for a fraction of a moment. I know what I have to do mentally now. I know there are other people out there to help you. Very important, I know Dylan will never leave me nor let me quit. I told him to go on at least 3 times, and each time, he just sat down on the ground beside me until I could get back up again. He believes in me too much and that makes all the difference in the world. Thank you Dylan, husband of mine, for guiding me through this experience. It was worth every tear!! 

The "Green Tables" of Mesa Verde

Home of the Ancient Pueblo people from 600-1300 CE. The park was discovered in the late 1800s and preserved nationally by Pres. T. Roosevelt in 1906, covering 81.4 square miles worth of land in Southwest Colorado. There are 2 main sites to the park: Chapin Mesa or Wetherill Mesa. Chapin is the larger of the two and is closer, while Wetherill requires a tram to take you from site to site. Both parks cannot be done in the same day, so we opted to do the bigger park.

30 miles west of Durango, CO, lie the sandstone plateaus of Mesa Verde National Park. Tucked away in the alcoves under the green plateaus are the Cliff Dwelling homes of the ancient Pueblo people of the Southwest, hidden to the world because of their location until the late 1800s. Dylan and I spent a full day climbing up and down the plateaus (8000 ft. elevation) in order to reach the various dwellings available for guided and self-guided tours. The Pueblo people first lived on top of the mesas, moving into the cliff dwellings only in the 1200s. They were subsistence farmers with a diet based on corn, turkey, squash and beans. The women were famous for their basket weaving, which has been found as far south as Mexico and west as California. The Pueblos kept no written records and left quite rapidly in the early 1300s, most likely due to a 23 year drought the area encountered.

Our first tour: Balcony House, the most "dangerous" of the dwellings because of its' steep entry way and tunnel exit.

600 ft. above the canyon floor, view from the Soda Canyon Trail across the canyon gulf

 32 ft. high ladder entrance way

 The average Pueblo man was around 5'5" or 5'6" with the women averaging around 4'11" or 5'. Dylan and I would have made GREAT Pueblo people!!! :)

Towards the end of their days, the evidence shows the Pueblo became increasingly more protective of their homes, hence the small tunnel used as only means of exit.

Next stop was the most famous of all the dwellings: Cliff Palace, discovered in 1888. It is the largest of all the dwellings with over 150 rooms and 23 kivas, set among 3 layers of rock.

100 ft. below the Mesa top

The large holes in the ground are called KIVAS. They were used as multi-purpose rooms, mostly for religious ceremonies (Kachina Worship); however, some evidence suggests the Pueblos slept and ate in these rooms as well during the colder months. 5-6 families would share one Kiva. Hole in the floor is for a fire pit with the stone block in front of the pit to circulate cool air from outside. Generally, the Kiva would be covered with a wooden and stone roof but due to weather and people, those were the first to be destroyed.

Next stop: Spruce Tree House

This dwelling contains 114 rooms and is the best preserved site in the whole park. Park people recovered a Kiva, allowing visitors to climb down a ladder and get a feel for the "true" atmosphere of a Kiva back in the 1200s.

The temperature was quite cool inside the Kiva and without a fire or natural light from the roof hole, would have been pitch black. Not gonna lie, it was a little too small for me to think about sleeping with 10-12 other people who had not bathed recently. I would have built my own Kiva, hehe! 

Next stop: lunch and a cool-off session inside the Chapin Mesa Museum

 700 year old corn!!! 

Chapin Mesa Top Loop Trail takes you in a 5 mile circle, showcasing sites found on top of the Chapin Mesa while offering great views of cliff dwellings. We drove this one, getting out at each stop to explore and take pictures. 

Tower House

Oak Tree House

Ended the day getting all kinds of free stuff from the park service because I just "happened" to mention to the Ranger I was plying with questions that I was a high school history teacher; I "so wished" my students could come to see this. Mwahah! Amazing what you can get when you use the word "teacher." 

"Take it easy" Durango, Colorado

So I walked Dylan a good 5 miles or more in the hills of Santa Fe the first day of our trip, so we decided to take an easy day in our next destination, Durango, Colorado.

Now in San Anton, 5 miles would be chump change for both of us but never getting below 8000 ft changes things. Neither of us had any altitude sickness, but you feel it nonetheless: tightening in your chest, taking a breath in the middle of your sentences, chugging water etc. Both Dylan and I averaged 5-6 bottles of water per day on our trip!!

 Spent the morning exploring the historic train station of Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad built in 1882 and the Downtown district with all of their cute shops, boutiques and Western hotels. Ate lunch while walking along the Animas River Trail through town.

We spent the afternoon exploring Ft. Lewis College, finding all the local hang out spots and even taking a nap in the quad under the pine trees- felt like locals! :)

The views from the college were spectacular!! All that was missing was snow on the tops of the mountains. :)

Dinner at the local Carver Brewery was dang good, mostly because of the Raspberry Wheat ale. I am not a big beer drinker, but man! That stuff was super delish! Even brought some home with us to savor.. :)

Enchantment in Santa Fe Part 2

Across from the oldest house in USA was the oldest functioning mission/church in the USA: Mission San Miguel. Like all of the buildings in Santa Fe, it was also made out of adobe with a wooden roof. (St. Francis of Assisi had burned too many times from Native American raids so there were only 3 of the original wooden beams left.)

A large, cast-iron bell welcomes you into the entry way. The bell weighs 800 pounds and was cast in Spain. The actual date is up for debate and I could not find one one guidebook or person to agree on date so we will just say 1300s. Legend says if you ring the bell, you will return to Santa Fe. Dylan really wanted to come back!! :)

Toured the State Capital building next. I have a thing for needing to see the Capital building for each state we visit. Another adobe building with a gorgeous interior made of Travertine marble all the way from Italy..No dome on this one either. I am very proud of New Mexico for blending the Native American culture with their American/Spanish one. All 3 influences can be seen in the design of the place, how they run their government system and the state symbol. The American eagle, the Mexican eagle with the snake in his mouth and the Zia Pueblo lines, symbolizing 4 winds, 4 seasons, 4 stages of life and 4 main times of day.

The skylight is done in Salmon and Sky Blue colors to represent the Earth and Sky for the native Pueblo people.

Dylan is such a GUY sometimes.... 

Spent the rest of the day wandering among the many, many art galleries of Santa Fe. Much of the art is very modern or just plain strange! However, we happened upon some pretty incredible pieces....

"Heaven bound"

I thought these were the neatest looking things and wanted one for my deck BUT the smallest one cost 3 grand. Yup, that did NOT happen; stuck with the chilies instead. :)

 I got all excited about this one too but had another let down. This was 4 grand or more....

 This one well, it's priceless. :)

Most amazing art we saw was done by using bronze and chemicals. NO PAINT!! This artist heated these natural chemicals and dyes from the earth until they were in liquid form and then poured them into the grooves of this bronze background. He used instruments to shape the liquid within the grooves and these are the result...

Again, we had to come away empty handed.... 

Rounded out the day with a stroll in the El Zaguan Gardens, shenanigans in the market place and shops of La Fonda and of course a visit to the REI store. Ate dinner at Tomasita's, a local favorite full of nothing but dishes with green chili. Dylan loves them. I tried, again, to eat them and just can't. Something about the taste just bothers me.