Dr. Whiteside then ushers in a whole new feel of Colorado sports, and that is the gambling and recreational ways of participating in activities during the 1800s. Mining towns were known for their mundane appearances and monotonous tendencies. Day in and day out, men headed to the mine shafts in the mountainous terrain in hopes of striking it rich. The games that were created out of sheer boredom during this lifestyle remind me so much of my childhood in small-town, U.SA. Their pastime activities were a large reflection on the downright depressive tones that unfortunately define this epoch at times. When push comes to shove, the most commonplace of items can (and did) become toys! Miners participated in unique competitions such as rock drilling and fire cart racing. Skiing, one of Colorado’s most famous pastimes, has it’s roots dug deep in early Colorado mining towns. The winter months in the mountains brought along severe weather and heavy snowfall. When doctors, midwives, and other town necessities needed to reach patients, skiing was their most common mode of transportation. The newly found activity quickly morphed into weekly competitions, and soon the Colorado Rockies were…
I felt the stock of my bow while I was sitting in the blind. Frost had already began to form where I rubbed it off seconds ago. I looked through the small window at the everlasting snow. “Wait, was that a deer moving along those trees?” I asked myself. It looked more like a kangaroo making its way through the snow. I could barely stand up in the cold. I pulled back, ready to take the shot.…
On top of my clothes, I pot on my winter gear and get ice fishing things.…
This spring I spent two-weeks in New York visiting my daughter and her family. I spend a lot of time in the city, and I love it, not only because my daughter has chosen to create and raise a family in Brooklyn, but also because of its walkability. I’m not much of a shopper, but I do like to watch other shoppers, particularly those who dress as if they’d like to be watched.…
Trepidation filled my head. Despite the negative 10 degree weather, sweat pooled in my gloves and rolled down my face. Thoughts raced through my mind; a wrong execution could mean death. 11 years of ski lessons had cultivated to this one moment. My life was on the line, yet a wave of excitement shook me. I took a look down at the jump that had come to dominate Joe’s backyard, replacing his childhood swing set. The jump was sizable, but not gargantuan. From previous hits I noticed its “poppy” lip - skier talk for a jump that sends you up rather than out - which is ideal for the trick I was about to attempt: a backflip.…
Camping and being in the outdoors has been a significant part of my life for the last eight years. As a child, I never enjoyed it much. Three years ago, my family along with four other families decided to take a trip to Glacier National Park. The sky-piercing mountains and the beautiful lakes urged me to explore the outdoors more. From hiking through the mountainous trails to driving up the mountains through the Going-to-the-Sun road, I finally began to realize the relief and soothing sense that nature had to offer. Despite the love I finally found in the outdoors, I was never the dedicated and…
I love to run. And I hope you will like it as much as me. Because you can stay fit and have fun. You can even race your friends. And this story is about why I like to run and how it can help you and me to stay fit.And you can even run to get away from things you don't think is safe or if a person chasing you.…
I've never been an "outdoors" experience kind of person. Maybe, it's because I'm very sedentary and prefer to stay inside to read and enjoy tranquility. I avoid all types of chaos and crowded places. Nevertheless, my visit to the Camuy River Cave Park (back in 2004) was refreshing and enriching in knowledge, historically, scientifically and spiritually. That experience brought the best out of me, as a human being and a nature lover, by giving the chance of experiencing a whole new level of peace and tranquility.…
I’ve always wanted to be good at something. Writing isn’t one of them. Hiking however, let’s say I’m confident that I hover somewhere above the line of Intermediate. Good enough to survive high elevation glacier treks and overnighters at least. As a hobby or extracurricular activity, it’s probably my biggest passion. So much that I found that writing of them is like having the opportunity to do each one over again. Once upon a time I set forth a book project, a story telling, you might say, of all my treks including the ascent of five mountains. However, I lacked the confidence of presenting a way to share my stories of me being the key subject. Eventually the project lost steam and fell to the wayside. Even so, I enjoyed reliving each one while writing of them, and, I continued to set goals and hike. Putting myself out there in high open meadows or deep forest of the Cascades has given me a fresh perspective of my everyday world. Forget about football, baseball or sports in general. Forget about housework, yard work or for that matter work itself. Actually, my accommodating career generously facilitated this hobby that at times takes ample time and expense. Therefore, we can’t forget about work. Nonetheless, the introduction to hiking has gotten me off the couch and into the…
There are some spots that are hard to skate and I couldn't really skate well and no matter how hard I try I can't land it. There's some stuff I can do and I practice all the time to make sure I can get better I may not be the best, but I try my hardest on skating.Occasionally it's difficult to ride or it's not working out on what you want, but friends help me to do new tricks and that's why on hard spots I try my hardest even if I get a scrape or even a bruise may even have a broken bone but there's always going to be something hard to do but doesn't mean it's impossible the day could be hot or cold making it difficult to skate in but there's always a different spot.…
Skiing was not my forte or my favorite activity to do. My emotions were enraged at the way I tumbled down the slope. My body ached by falling and tumbling through the freezing cold snow and ice. Home sounded so marvelous right now, anywhere but here, my confidence had hit rock bottom. My face red and frozen from sobbing. I concluded that there was some other way down, nevertheless there wasn’t.…
I was six years old when my father strapped me into my first pair of skis, “Skiing is way more fun than snowboarding. Snowboarding isn’t even a real sport,” he jokingly told me while putting on his own skis. Little did my father know I would later become a snowboarder at the age of twelve, following the example of my mother and two brothers. During my junior year at age sixteen, I joined the brand new snowboarding club at Blackfoot High School. Although the club only functioned for a year, I realized that small, northern towns like Blackfoot Idaho were full of winter sport fanatics. This thought brought a question to my mind; are there schools in the U.S. that have snowboarding as an actual high school sport? After more research on the subject, I found that only a few private boarding schools around the country offer snowboarding as an actual school sport. Public high schools usually include sports that require physical exertion, competition and a way to generate revenue like football, basketball, soccer, baseball, volleyball and much more, so I asked myself; why not snowboarding?…
As the snow fell the cold grew. I felt my toes stiffen. As I looked at the snow fall on the warm white house I saw my sister sitting inside drinking hot chocolate. As I watched her take sip after sip I could tell my insides were getting warm as if I was drinking it with her. I continued to shovel although I was froze; the only thing that kept me somewhat warm was the idea of me drinking hot chocolate when I went inside. As I shoveled the heavy cold, wet snow as it fell harder and harder. I felt as there was no point in shoveling if it was going to snow for another hour or two.…
I discovered the nordic walking three months ago. It is very similar to walking, but with walking sticks. I like it a lot too and it is a very complete sport. I try to practice it once a week.…
Over the past three years I have been slowly trying to work my way into the Nations Best Ski Patrol group (awarded best Patrol in the Nation in the past four years). Due to my age it has taken me longer to become a patroller than need be. Now that I am of age I am cruising through mentoring and training and will finish ahead of the normal schedule. Since El Niño has been forecasted to be so much aggressive than most years, I will participate in several extra Avalanche courses, which is as well a requirement for a Senior Patroller, or a more advanced patroller. Since I am so intrigued by the whole idea of being a patroller I had taken the first aid, or what we call outdoor emergency care portion two years in advanced. Not knowing that it expired…