Sherpa de’ la Faire sa Valise de’ Ride de’ Rockies

Last week while being a groupie and follower of Ride the Rockies in Southwest Colorado for my wife, we Us at the Mesa had an awesome experience for the second year in a row.

Do not get me wrong, I would have loved to be a rider in this incredible event but somebody has to watch my boy, and this was her time to shine so I graciously stepped aside. Besides, Mom just got a new high dollar carbon pieced Trek road bike to replace her mountain steed that carried her through Northwest Colorado last year.

Our Palace Being a individual rider Sherpa is pretty much a thankless job with long hours of hard work having to answer to at least two bosses if you pack the kids, or kid as I did, more on these tribulations in a bit. Sure she could have hired the Pro’s but this was one of those lifetime memory makers for my 5YO son, and who wants to live in the look-a-like inner tent city area day after day? Who is to say if you could find the right tent after an evening at the New Belgium beer garden anyway? This inner tent city dwelling area is quite the production consisting of a touring core of workers who hire local high school students to schlep the canvas and nylon dwellings from Our Tent City in Telluride the Ryder truck to the Football of Baseball field in the different towns, then back the next morning. Do not get me wrong, this is quite the service provided if you do not have either a) the equipment, or b) your local support traveling the tour routes during the ride. Touting the benefits of this Pro Sherpa service is beyond the scope of this Blog.

Arriving in Cortez Colorado and pitching camp was a joy after a short drive from Durango. After a few minutes of helping me unpack gear, my son made friends with 7YO Cody and his dad Trey, who were pitching their tents next to our spot near the sand of the long jump landing pit My family (strategic placement on my part because sand is a 5YO’s best play instigator). We were near the asphalt track for his bike riding (again a tactical move on my part); my 5YO has never, not taken a challenge of riding the track around twelve times. You would think that small legs pushing a bike 3 miles would make a guy tired but no, his new friendship was blossoming. I was learning Cody was something special, his politeness and helpfulness around camp were something your typical 7YO did not attain while Cody was living life with the passion a set of twins would have a hard time rivaling.

As Trey and I continued to compare the nearly identical hand we were dealt for the week, being Sherpa for our wives who were Riding the Rockies while trying to manage the ravenous zest for life a young boy has while camping for the first time and meeting new friends near his age. I learned from Trey that he and Becca brought Cody into their life 10 months ago through adoption, which earned much esteem from me as I have been recently looking into the adoption process for an older brother and/or sister to my son.

Trey was near my age, the first common bond we shared, and he was dealing with quite a few of the My wife in Fairplay Colorado challenges my life holds while dealing with the emotions brought on my long hours in the saddle while sleeping on the ground inches too close to the bus stop or now being downwind to the portable honey pots.

I learned this family was up from North Carolina so Becca, Cody’s mom could ride in her second Ride the Rockies, the second common bond we shared because last year Becca hired the Pro’s and wanted her new family to Sherpa her this year. As it turns out our families spent much of the week together and our wives did hook up on the ride and ride together some days.

As for those tribulations I mentioned earlier; having to answer unrelenting questions as to why I always manage to set the tent up just downwind from the honey pots, or why we cannot go swimming before the tent is pitched, the third common bond we shared. Or for all intents and reasoning, why can’t you Fighting off dragons is just in a days work predict what’s going to happen next are just a couple things we should get merits for, but things in life any dad is just assumed to know and deal with.

I will not go into journaling my daily exploits around camp except one thing, most days except the second to last in Buena Vista the one thing I looked forward to everyday after camp was set to my liking. 15 minutes for me, I would pull up a nice soft patch of grass and lay down in the unrelenting sun and tune out the world as the boys found baseballs or raced around the track, I would fold my arms behind my head and enter a zone I do not get to frequent all that often for 15 minutes. Once those 15 minutes was gone, I could deal with any wind change and honey pot placement the tour could throw at me, and if I did not get Cody and Dakota being one that 15 minutes you ask? I would have to go see Nurse Kelly Driver at the Medical RV near the ride tent and all would be better. Kelly and I go back, back, to the mid 90’s when we both worked at Keystone, her on Ski Patrol and me in Lift Maintenance.

Ride the Rockies is an event not many people get to do, but is something everybody should do, be it Sherpa or rider, it is an event not to be missed! When was the last time you had breakfast Burritos in Buena Vista, local micro brew in Gunnison, swimming at the rec center in Montrose or cold beer in Cortez after doing Mesa Verde that afternoon? Then there is Telluride, need I say more?

Mesa Verde

June 25, 2008 |

Comments

2 Comments so far

trysh, Crafting June 26, 2008 8:55 am
What a trip! Memory-maker is right! I think it is so neat that you’ve done this as a family - not the easiest way, but for sure the best one!
Big Bear Real Estate Agent, Real Estate June 28, 2008 9:26 am
Beautiful! I’m jealous.