One more Colorado post before we move on to the Coolest Road Trip and visit four towns over the next two weeks. There's a lot to look forward to, but I'm still having a great time reflecting on my rock climbing experience. The more I learn about the sport, the more amazed I become.

Coors Brewery tempted by pumping the smell of hops into the air on my final day in Colorado - walking through the town of Golden we could clearly smell it - but the drinks would come later. Before my last day of rookie climbing, I headed over to the American Mountaineering Museum for a glimpse at what rock climbing looks like at the most elite level.

And I'll tell you: It looks pretty outrageous.

Every time I'm at a museum a part of me feels like I'm doing myself a disservice by cooping myself up inside - it's a little bit of the restlessness in me - yet without fail I always end up learning something new, a process that reminds me to set aside some time to be inspired by what others have done before me. Not guided, manipulated, or awed into feelings of inferiority, only encouraged to encounter the situations myself.

Another admission: Colorado has cut me down to size. I thought I was in shape, then got kicked around climbing to the top of a 14,000ft mountain. I was comfortable on a bike until I dodged drunks in the Circle of Death. And before I learned about the portaledge, I considered myself adventurous and fearless.

The portaledge is a device/tent that climbers use to sleep during multiday climbs. While lots of people are concerned about their kids rolling out of a bunk bed, advanced climbers are sleeping suspended in the air - sometimes thousands of feet above the ground.

Here are a few photos courtesy of LIFamilies.com. The first one is obviously a joke, but the others are pretty impressive. I have nowhere near the skill and experience this sort of feat takes, but it certainly brings a smile to my face to know that humans can find a way to accommodate almost any situation, no matter how much logic tells us it's not feasible.

I'm currently writing the story for the Small Newspaper Group about my rock climbing tripwith the Colorado Mountain School in Boulder - so I'll save most of my commentary until I see what's what - but I did want to share some photos.

I must say, looking through these it really hit me - the beauty of Boulder, the grandeur of the entire experience. It's one thing to climb in a gym or in some unknown mountain range, it's another to tackle the entrance to the Rockies. Boulder is considered one of the top places in the world to climb, and I can certainly see why - the arena is what will ensure I never forget the trek.

Hopefully, these photos give you an idea of what I'm babbling about. 

Repelling in Eldorado Canyon

 

Climbing in Eldorado Canyon.

 

Climbing in Eldorado Canyon.

 

Climbing in Eldorado Canyon.

 

Climbing in Eldorado Canyon.

 

My guide near the top of the Flatirons.

 

 

Resting near the top of the Flatirons.

 

Rocky Mountains

Eldorado Canyon.

This past weekend, as part of my rock climbing story for the Small Newspaper Group, I had the opportunity to stay in a cabin at Chautauqua Park, located in the town of Boulder, Colorado (30-40 mins northwest of Denver).

The park is easily recognizable due to its iconic rockface known as the Flatirons. I climbed the first flatiron, the one all the way to the right, on Saturday with the Colorado Mountain School (story to be published in July):

Over the weekend I tackled a few of the hikes, and I must say that I found the park rather amazing. The Royal Arch Trail is challenging, especially given the unforgiving altitude, but the reward is more than worth it once you reach the unmistakable structure (see photo of the arch below). The views from the mountainside are simply stunning, and the aura is enriched after you understand the backstory, that people have been coming to this same place for over a hundred years in an attempt to clear their minds and exercise their bodies.

Quick history: The park grounds were opened in 1898 as part of the Chautauqua Movement, which started in the latter half of the 19th century as a way to unite and educate people across the United States. What began as a summer camp for Sunday school teachers developed and broadened to include general adult education, including public affairs, current events, and liberal arts as well as other moral and civil issues. This was before the invention of television and radio, helping to provide the middle and working class with "a college outlook." It grew to be quite popular: In 1915, about 12,000 communities hosted a chautauqua.

While the Great Depression pretty much put the brakes on the movement soon after, Chautauqua Park in Boulder is one of the few to remain intact and it is the only chautauqua that is open year-round and provides free access to its grounds. The park still hosts films and forums, but the real treat is the incredible landscape. Residents of both Boulder and Denver flock to the park daily - this is no tourist trap.

Visitors to the Denver area who seek a true outdoor experience should look into the cabins available for rent - they are located at the foot of the Rockies and along the main road that feeds the hiking trails of Chautauqua Park. I'd recommend renting a car so you can take advantage of the entire region: Boulder Canyon, Eldorado Canyon, and the mountain towns of Breckenridge and Frisco are all great day trip options for hiking, biking, and climbing (and of course skiing/snowboarding in the winter).

Here are a few photos of the park - climbing photos to come:

After spending the weekend near Breckenridge and the last few days in Denver (stories to come), I will move over to Boulder tomorrow and check into a cabin at Chautauqua Park.

I begin rock climbing lessons on Friday with the Colorado Mountain School - Eldorado Canyon on Friday, the Flatirons on Saturday - and the experience will be the focus of my story for the Small Newspaper Group in July.

Eldorado Canyon is supposed to be one of the most beautiful parks in the area (according to my local friends), and the flatirons are a symbol of Boulder.

I'll have to save most of my rock climbing thoughts for the feature, but I will talk about it generally and post as many photos as I can of Chautauqua, Eldorado, and Boulder. Right now I'm working on the story of hiking my first fourteener, and tonight I will check out Denver Cruisers, a biking bar crawl to which I am supposed to wear my pajamas.

It's not often you get to return to a place so promptly, but as luck has it the schedule calls for another trip out west to the Mile High City. I will fly out on Friday and spend a few days in Denver before moving over to Boulder later next week.

Last time, I stayed in one of the more interesting rooms in recent memory at a bed and breakfast, hiked the infamous Red Rocks concert venue, and found a pleasant speakeasy to cap off the trip with some cocktails. The outdoors will be the focus this time around, specifically an introduction to rock climbing. I'll cover the trip on the blog, but I'll also be writing a newspaper feature about my climbing experience.

The feature will be routed to five Midwest daily newspapers (all part of Small Newspaper Group) for a combined print circulation of 149,604: The Daily Journal, Kankakee, IL, Moline Dispatch, Moline, IL, Rock Island Argus, Rock Island, IL, Post-Bulletin, Rochester, MN, Ottawa Times, Ottawa, IL.

This will be my first travel piece for a newspaper, and the first time I've freelanced for one since I stepped back from news coverage a little over a year ago.

I'll be staying and climbing near Chautauqua Park. Here's a photo I took on a hike when I made a day trip from Denver back in early April: