When I was a kid, one of my mom’s favorite lines was "go outside and play." I spent a lot of time outside. As an adult, I spent a lot of time in front of the computer, in conference rooms, in airplanes, and in hotels. But, I still try to go outside and play – a lot. Colorado is an outstanding place to practice playing, especially on the weekends in the mountains.
On Saturday, I climbed my third 14er – Quandary Peak. My guide was my long time friend and first business partner Dave Jilk who has climbed a large number of 14ers.
We had an absolutely perfect day for a climb. When we left my house in Keystone at 6am, it was 33 degrees. The average temperature was in the mid-40s, but the sky was completely clear and there was very little wind. From the top of Quandary, Dave named off 24 other 14ers.
It was a steep climb – 3000+ vertical feet over 3.5 miles. Even though we started early, about 15 or so people beat us to the top. As we headed down, we saw over 200 people heading up! It was like looking down on an endless stream of ants marching up a hill.
I know you worked hard today. Now, go outside and play.