Consuming is not the route.

Maybe it's Christmas, maybe it's the fact that I have the wife every man dreams of. "Babe, if you want it, get it!" is something I do hear when perusing backcountry.com's Dynafit selection or wandering around Outpost Sunsport trying to find a reason I need a new jacket. Or she just gets whatever it is for me as a love gift. Skis, road bike, Smith helmet, hoodies, pants, GoPro to mention a few.

So with that said, I've got everything I need to be satisfied for a long time! I've got the tools, if you will, to seek the authenticity found outdoors. But last night I found myself "needing" so many items on Backcountry.com. Garmin Forerunner heart rate monitor plus altimeter, awesome for training and tracking altitude gain (are you kidding me, I've only been to the mountains a handful of times this season) but this is something I need?! A lighter ski setup from my first post (that's ridiculous I haven't even put many miles on my setup right now). New goggles, base layers, there's a great sale on snowboard boots, I might try snowboarding someday...right?

The danger for me is feeling like I'm part of something just because I have the gear to do it, whether it be rock climbing gear, ski stuff, dirt bike or mountain and road bikes, by having these things around me I feel like I'm a part of these sports. I feel like a climber, skier, and a rider... Add to the mix an endless amount of youtube, vimeo and dvd consumption and in my mind I'm a pro! The other problem is my best friends have moved away, specifically Andrew, and he was the one to not only push me and plan awesome trips, but he also taught me everything

So here's the point. In 2012 I'm challenging myself to start "needing" the adventure all these things provide in place of the next product that is going to refresh my faux connection to the adventure itself. No more buying, only planning, doing and living. I even have my own professional photographer so there's really no excuses!

Merry Christmas and an adventurous New Year...

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal." Matthew 6:19-20

True gratification...that's the good stuff.

Photo by Brianne Janae Photography

Tension and anticipation, trailhead emotions that float around as the silent race to be the first ready to start skinning begins. It's the first day of my favorite season. Ski season. One more butterfly in my stomach and I might just fly over the two mile skin track right to the top of our mountain-top destination. Snow is plowed up on the side of the road crunching beneath our skis like nature's bowl of white frosted flakes. Within minutes the softer sounds of unpacked powder in the trees takes the place of cars and excited voices back at the trailhead. By city standards we're silently gliding through the woods, picturing ourselves as a model of swiftness and efficiency. By wildlife standards we're bulldozers plowing up their white winter carpet with the grace of something akin to Niagara Falls. 

It's a funny feeling being away from it all…one would presume a lot of thinking and/or pondering would happen in the silence of the winter woods but in fact it's quite the opposite. Your mind begins to match the blank white color of the ground that tends to be in style this time of year. Soon something starts to fill that space in your mind, something you can't recognize in the busyness of everyday life. It's joy, freedom, authenticity…

It's out here we relearn what these things mean, at the same time realizing how unfree our 40 hr. work week is. Ever seen a stop light at the intersection of two trails on your commute to happiness? I shudder to think.

Contrary to what the media has you believing, true gratification isn't of the instant variety. Although adjectives like quick, fast and easy precede just about everything these days leading people to believe that if something isn't one or all of these it's just not worth it. 

Photo by Brianne Janae Photography

True gratification is preceded by words like time, work, dedication and sacrifice. Not quite as attractive but it's the nature of these words that makes the attached activity so much more fulfilling in the end, embedding it's pain into the recesses of your memory for those times when you think you can't. Accomplishment isn't a verb associated with sitting on the couch watching tv, "Dude, I watched 7 hours of tv yesterday, a new PR!"), no. Accomplishment is associated with being completely shelled and still skinning up for one last lap, one more pitch, finishing in the top 10 when your goal was top 15 because you pushed harder that race...losing a leg and completely destroying your body in a climbing accident only to come back years later to set records on a big wall you might have heard of, Yosemite's El Capitan. 

Photo by Brianne Janae Photography

It's this accomplishment and authenticity that has you planning your next adventure only a couple hours after all you wanted  was to be back at the trailhead with a beer and large amounts of chocolate in hand. You realize it on the way home, whether through the perma-grin on your windburned face, the stories of stoke, the fatigued muscles...true gratification just sunk in and there's just no way you can ever go back to that instant crap again. Even if it does come in strawberry cream flavor. 

You're not cheating anyone but yourself.
Words that ring loudly, clearly and true
Amidst suffering drops of sweat.
You wanted this, nobody's pushing you.
You'll have to do that yourself.
Sure it's type 3 "fun". Like taxes.
We need roads right?
Fitness is our road to authenticity in the forgotten real world. 
Seeking Authenticity in our tech era has become secondary.
To faster internet.
More blogs, statuses and #cleverlittlethings.
Looking at photos of the same pros
Viral videos, youtube and Vimeo.
Outside? Why?
We can enjoy outside from the couch right?
No.
I haven't been enjoying it lately.
Like a novelty or fad
the faux pleasure appears and disappears quickly.
Sticky fun, pleasure that stays with you for years.
Type 1: bouldering, resort skiing, fun in the moment
Type 2: everyone's first marathon (the fun hits you a week after the finish line)
Type 3: This sucks, I hate my life why'd I sign up? (then you register for next year)
I couldn't tell you much about:
the tv show I watched last night
or the blog post I thought was cool
or the magazine I read five times
or the 600 tweets seen everyday
I could tell you in great detail about:
Riding every inch of the 100 mile White Rim trail
leading my first sport climb
the best powder days with good friends
sending a 5.10 for the first time
every mountain bike race I've entered
each unique skin track through beautiful white mountains
Every authentic adventure becomes a part of me and who I am.
Therein lies the importance of Seeking Authenticity.

Training workout

I figured it out...being a rather frugal person (my setup in the post below was a gift from my wonderful wife) the thought of paying $40 for a workout dvd (Spinervals, etc.) was preposterous. Especially since I've always just been able to use Andrew's for free.

Quick fix: Ski movies + cell phone timer set to 30 min countdown for intervals.

Warmup - 5 min.
Interval 1: a little pyramid:
1 min. Big ring x 16
45 sec. Big ring x 14
30 sec. Big ring x 12
45 sec. Big ring x 14
1 min. Big ring x 16
~2 min. rest~
Interval 2: 6 min.
30 seconds on Big ring x 12
30 seconds off
~2 min. rest~
Interval 3: 6 min.
1 min. on Big ring x 13/14
1 min. off

5 min. cooldown

Follow up by crunches, curls and squat thrusters with 25lbs. A good day! Ready to start some two-a-day stuff! 54 days to Teva games! Yikes.

Fill yourself with wonder every day.

“Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize?  So run to win!… So I run with purpose in every step.  I am not just shadowboxing.”  1 Corinthians 9:24, 26

The beginning of the beginning...

The Art of Flight by Brain Farm Cinema (Curt Morgan) has a quote from Travis Rice that has not stopped echoing in my head since the Denver premier. "It's not enough to experience the world through endless second hand information, If you want authenticity you have to initiate it."

First reaction - Sure, you were born in Jackson, with the mountains surrounding you. Even the "down days" in your filming career are spent doing what people dream of! Guns, fire, snowmobiles and beer. Really, does it get much better than that? Plus I've got to hold down a desk chair 40+ hours a week, don't have a "crew" and my best friends have all went separate ways. The most recent (and huge motivator) to work at Keystone.

Second reaction sans stupid excuses - Alright. Let's do this. I want to Seek Authenticity.

So here's the plan:
Tour 3 new areas of Cameron Pass
Tour 3 new areas of RMNP
Ski 30+ days (ugh, I hate I-25)
Finish my 5D short film
Ski something that scares the crap outta me

Feb 11, 2012 Teva Mountain Games SkiMo race
Rec category: 3,000 ft. of vertical: Eagles Nest/Mid-Vail/Golden Peak
Goal: Finish top 15

April 20, 2012 Marmot Grind at A Basin
Race category: Vertical is approximately 4,500 ft
Goal: Finish under 3 hours

My setup is heavy metal: heavy but so fun. 23 lbs!
2010 Atomic Bentchetler's (9 lbs, 4520 g)
Marker Barons (5.6 lbs)
Dalbello Virus FT boots(8.3 lbs)

My ideal setup if I got into racing: About 11 lbs...wow.

Dynafit TLT Vertical ST Alpine Touring Binding (400 g)
Dynafit Mustagh ATA Superlight Ski (5 lb 14.4 oz, (2670g)
Dynafit Titan TF-X Ski Boot (4lb 6oz (2000g)

Time to whoop my butt into shape comin' a yyaaaayyyy haaahhh!

“The Lord says, ‘I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.  I will advise you and watch over you’.” Psalm 32:8