Alas, Mt. Sherman conquered me this time around! My 74-year old legs got me quite away into the climb (13,510 feet) but, unlike last year, I couldn’t overcome the last mile or so of steep, rugged ascent. Thus, the series of 14er climbs that began on my 65th birthday may well have ended. True, that’s no small accomplishment but the primary challenge now, whether I end up closing the chapter at 7 successful summits or not, is to find new inspiration and resolve to stay in as “fighting trim” as possible.
However, notwithstanding my submission to the heights of Mt. Sherman this time, our Colorado experience produced many extraordinary blessings and I am very grateful to God for each one of them.
Stimulating conversations with Ron and Linda Scheffler and with Matt, Luke, and Ryan... God’s deliverance when an engine alert light on our rented Jeep Grand Cherokee providentially “went away”... Staying at a secluded, spacious, and beautiful house in Dillon for a very reasonable price... Meals out at the Mave in Fort Morgan, the Driftwood in Ogallala, and such traditional mountain town haunts as the Haywood Cafe in Keystone and the Empire Grill in Breckenridge... A lovely hike from Frisco to Rainbow Lake... Coffee and conversations and prayers throughout our stay...And a daring, 90-minute mountain drive through the dark from our house to the Sherman trailhead.
More than that? Yep! There were the grand panoramic views, the smell of the pines, the quaking aspens, the gurgling streams, the high altitude breezes, the refreshing mountain rains, the grey fox we spotted on the sidewalk of Breckenridge in the predawn hours, the gelato and London fogs alongside the Blue River in Breckenridge, the tour of the historic buildings in Frisco, and the engaging talks on the way back to Omaha about theology, music, race, books, and our personal quests for spiritual wholeness.
And let me mention one more time, the conquest of Mt. Sherman by Luke and Matt and Ryan! It was, for so many reasons, a terrific trip. Thank you, Lord.
