October 14, 2017
Adventure is Everywhere
It's been the usual chaotic swirl of expedition preparation and dad life for the past two days. Surprisingly, our small adventure across Colorado has more unknowns, for me, than a South Pole expedition. After five separate expeditions to Antarctica over the years, there is little that remains unknown.
Biking, hiking and pack rafting over 600 miles across the entire state of Colorado, however, has a lot of uncertainty and I am struggling to reign in all the variables before we depart tomorrow afternoon for a vintage hotel in Wray Colorado, a mere 10 miles from the Nebraska border. I know exactly the amount of food required for a day on the Antarctic plateau, but I'm not exactly sure how our caloric intake will vary from biking to hiking to paddling.
Still, this is exactly why I like this type of adventure. Our somewhat arbitrary parameters of route, travel style, and more have created more questions than answers for our team. This allows us to have a fun and interesting challenge while soaking in the amazing-ness of Colorado along the way.
Luckily, Kelley from Kokopelli Packraft is stopping by tomorrow morning to give an orientation on our Nirvana's. Our final leg will be a float down the Colorado River from Silt Colorado to the Utah border. Back in the day, I guided whitewater canoe trips so I know the last 30 miles decently enough. Prior to that, we will parallel I-70 and even paddle through Grand Junction. Having the founder of Kokopelli 'on call' will be a huge benefit of course.
In between putting kids to bed, I managed a conference call with Ben Duke and Rebecca Boozan, my team mates for the #ColoradATHON. While food and clothing are mostly packed, the 'to do' list is still substantial.
Mostly through Rebecca's efforts we have already bitten off a huge chunk of our Big City Mountaineers $10,000 fundraising goal. You can donate here: https://www.classy.org/campaign/coloradathon/c148619
We have a special 'thank you' T-shirt designed by Colorado artist Katherine Homes who volunteered her time because she, 'believes that everyone should have the opportunity to connect with nature.'
We will also be tracking our route through my Garmin inReach and you can follow our progress here: http://www.ericlarsenexplore.com/expedition/maps/current
Image: Katie's 'Adventure is Everywhere' T-shirt design
Biking, hiking and pack rafting over 600 miles across the entire state of Colorado, however, has a lot of uncertainty and I am struggling to reign in all the variables before we depart tomorrow afternoon for a vintage hotel in Wray Colorado, a mere 10 miles from the Nebraska border. I know exactly the amount of food required for a day on the Antarctic plateau, but I'm not exactly sure how our caloric intake will vary from biking to hiking to paddling.
Still, this is exactly why I like this type of adventure. Our somewhat arbitrary parameters of route, travel style, and more have created more questions than answers for our team. This allows us to have a fun and interesting challenge while soaking in the amazing-ness of Colorado along the way.
Luckily, Kelley from Kokopelli Packraft is stopping by tomorrow morning to give an orientation on our Nirvana's. Our final leg will be a float down the Colorado River from Silt Colorado to the Utah border. Back in the day, I guided whitewater canoe trips so I know the last 30 miles decently enough. Prior to that, we will parallel I-70 and even paddle through Grand Junction. Having the founder of Kokopelli 'on call' will be a huge benefit of course.
In between putting kids to bed, I managed a conference call with Ben Duke and Rebecca Boozan, my team mates for the #ColoradATHON. While food and clothing are mostly packed, the 'to do' list is still substantial.
Mostly through Rebecca's efforts we have already bitten off a huge chunk of our Big City Mountaineers $10,000 fundraising goal. You can donate here: https://www.classy.org/campaign/coloradathon/c148619
We have a special 'thank you' T-shirt designed by Colorado artist Katherine Homes who volunteered her time because she, 'believes that everyone should have the opportunity to connect with nature.'
We will also be tracking our route through my Garmin inReach and you can follow our progress here: http://www.ericlarsenexplore.com/expedition/maps/current
Image: Katie's 'Adventure is Everywhere' T-shirt design