The Spirit of Adventure

The desire to adventure, to see the world, to meet the people who reside on far away landscapes, is something that lives in all of us. It is an inherent, instinctual drive that pushes us out of our comfort zone; it is the force that carries us up mountains, the force that wakes you up for sunrises, and keeps you awake for distant sunsets. Adventure is in the face of every climber, of every hiker, or kayaker, or mountain biker. Regardless of the medium, the spirit of adventure lives in all of us, it is founded in a passion for exploration, of both the natural world, and of ourselves. This passion grows and evolves with every step, with every vertical inch up a canyon side, or every swift turn down a beautiful single track. With every one of these turns, or steps along a mountainside, we, as humans, grow, we learn what we are capable of, and we see first hand, just how far we can push.

The sun rising over Mount Oxford

Exploration cultivates boldness, a type of strength only earned by walking the thin line between fear and excitement. It is in these brief moments; when you are no longer in the doldrums of the ordinary, that time slows down, that you become aware of the air brushing against bare skin, that you can see the freedom written along a winding trail. These are the moments when passion is born and the desire for adventure becomes something more, it becomes a need only satisfied by time spent outdoors. Once you have felt the crisp mountain air fill your lungs and tasted the water of a high mountain stream, it is impossible to sit in an office without staring out to the distant peaks, yearning for the openness of a mountain range, or the infiniteness of a trail.

A sea of mountains, view from atop Mount Oxford

Fortunately, you don’t have to go far from home to adventure. Adventure does not always take place in a far away land and you don’t have to climb 5.12 or hike 8000 meter peaks to feel the bliss of a new journey. But, you do have to go. You do have to get up and head into the Front Range, you do have to strap a helmet on, or tie into a figure eight, or take the first step of many on a hike through the trees. So, get up, and go. Go hug a tree, or climb a rock, or sit and watch the sunrise from 14,000 feet. Once you do, the spirit of adventure with cling to you in an ever-present embrace, it may leave you with a few more bruises, a few more scrapes and cuts, but these are merely reminders of the places you’ve explored, and the bliss you have felt.