speleological adventures

spe·lunk·er
Pronunciation: spi-'le[ng]-k&r, 'spE-"
Function: noun
Etymology: Latin spelunca cave, from Greek spElynx; akin to Greek spElaion cave
: one who makes a hobby of exploring and studying caves

so i had some time off and a couple friends have been wanting to go to a nearby cave to explore. i had known of this cave and briefly explored 1 year previous when in the area for a Forest Service week long training. title of the training was primitive bridge building. this time around we were there to camp and explore the cave to its fullest extent, and that we did to OUR fullest extent (some rooms in the cave were extremely hard to get to). after a bit of research via the .com world, a map and complete description of the cave was obtained. Map &Info. after a mesmerizing fire, s'mores, and the chilly night of curling into our sleeping bags mother nature broke our slumber with a beautiful day and brisk winds. camp was cleaned up and a quick 5 minute drive to the fulford cave trail. .75 mi. hike and one arrives at the main enterance seen here...

a culvert that climbs downward into a mountain, some people may shy away from such things, but not myself, Molly, and Jeff. headed down into the world of darkness and roughly 40º; first order of business >> turn off all lights for 5 minutes allowing eyes to adjust. it begins, the self guided tour through fulford cave: flowing water, stalagmites, stalactites, large cave rooms, other interesting formations, and tough maneuvers. through our approximate 4.5 hour adventure of anti-sunlight the 3 of us quickly found out how much we appreciated our helmets. numerous times did i have helmet to rock contact. clothes and exposed skin quickly became covered with the finest mud i have ever played in. all in all a great, safe trip with much exploration.



ps. we had easy cheese and ritz. when was the last time you had easy cheese? long time... huh? exactly why we decided to purchase it. tasted wonderfully and provided for an entertaining lunch as we took part in a decorating contest.

goodbyes

the bad and the good...

garth & I; hanging lake; canyon we hiked

one of my best friends left the aspen summer seasonal lifestyle in mid september. his name, Garth Dickerman. Garth, myself an Erica Lindgren (his wonderful gf) became close through work, leisure activities, and off-time adventures. both, garth and erica, from the east coast returned to the homestead at the end of this exciting summer. Garth and I went on a well known and popular hike around the Glenwood Springs, Colorado area -> Hanging Lake. starting with a magnificent ~10 mi.bike ride, we made it to the TH (trailhead), following the raging Colorado River and I-70 the entire time. after stashing the bikes a quick, steep hike bagan. 1.2 miles while climbing 1,020 ft through a steep canyon lead us to our destination. great people, great friends.
you will be missed Dickerman & Lindgren.

seasons change ->

as my current job comes to a close i am often reminded by numerous other factors that my job is not the only thing about to change...

. perfect weather, warm during the day and cool in the evening
. 'green to gold,' the aspens are changing colors to the vibrant gold
. snow!
. much less forest visitors in the backcountry
. close friends whom i have lived with the entire summer departing
. offseason vacations (which i have come to realize as a ski town thing)
. the town relaxes, perhaps to gear up for the long snowy winter ahead
. did i mention SNOW!

ever since i have left the world of higher education i have spent my time/life in the mountains of the roaring fork valley. initially moved out here to work as a ranger during the summer months. hiking in the backcountry, camping, and educating forest visitors on proper Wilderness ethics is what brought me to the land of beauty. did i mention i get paid to do it as well. unfortunately, or fortunately, this career path is only a seasonal position (may-september). thus i have to find another career option for the remaining months of the year, bellman sounds good. this upcoming winter will be my second year as a bellman for the Sky Hotel. not exactly down my intended career path, yet allows me to thoroughly enjoy the winters full of snowboarding and save mucho dinero. the great part about this whole seasonal life situation i am currently in is that i get to take time off between jobs, as much as i want. with that said here are a few pictures of recent events.

my office

finally saw a porcupine

reflection on a beaver pond seen during work

self portrait while hiking the four pass loop (working of course)

new.. ish

after thinking about how much i use this information highway -the www. world- i put 2 and 2 together and with much debate decided to invest some time into this site for ya'll. i read about many of my friends this way and thought it may be a means for my family and friends to experience/kinda know whats going on in my head. hope you enjoy