Range Over.
Day three of the Surprise Anniversary Weekend Getaway: the travel day and a sad farewell to the Collegiates of the Rocky Mountains.
This morning, after still having full bellies from our steaks last night, we readied for the hike of the day. I pulled my dusty Keens on as Hank whipped these puppies out.
Yep, we found them in CB. The weird shoes. Hank’s going to have ninja feet in no time flat from wrapping his piggies in these dawgs.
And our mission this morning? Finding the exact spot on Mt. Crested Butte where Hank asked me to marry him. It was under a lift, about a mile up from the base, so up we went.
Hank wanted to race. I would have told him, “No way,” but I was trying to catch my breath and put my heart back in my chest. Those stinkin’ weird shoes give him super powers.
But after about 30 minutes, we made it up there, and this was our view.
And this was the spot. The spot. The spot plus the moment that changed our lives forever. For good. For GOOD.
And notice how I’m sweating and Hank isn’t. Very different from that day 12 years and five months ago, when Hank was sweating on a snowy day with a snowboard strapped to his feet, holding out a perfect engagement ring to a non-sweating me with a snowboard strapped to my feet, shaking.
It all comes around.
Since we took the straight-up-the-mountain route to get here, we decided to meander down on the mountain bike trail. First, across a wooden bridge with an already scarred edge from someone bailing off,
And then through some more loveliness: an aspen stand.
And when we got to some water cutting through, Hank talked me through how to take this picture,
Which thrilled me to no end! I danced down the trail for quite a while after.
Yet sadly, the trail came to an end and it was time to go.
On our way down from the resort, we saw this. What a fantastic way to spend your day.
And a little further still, we saw this fierceness. We HAD to get this in here for Holden, who is very much into slaying dragons.
On the way home, we took the Leadville route, stopping here for a quick lunch and some Wi-Fi time.
But realizing that we couldn’t spend another minute longer than necessary, we threw our gear and computers and camera into the car to race home as fast as we could to the boys.
And we’re home. Exhausted in a wonderful way. Rejuvenated in the best possible way. And ready. Ready for the bueno life.
Happy Anniversary, Hank. I love you so. You did good, babe.
Hank
thank you sweetheart – i had a wonderful weekend with you. let’s go find that spot again in 2022. Holy shit that sounds like a long time from now – looking forward to spending it all with you.
mary
i hope you remember my wheelchair and can get the chair lift working by then. or you could just get me some of those weird shoes.