Cole’s First Big Climb: Mt Antero, Colorado

So when I was going through backpacking pictures from Ben’s trip to Colorado, I realized that I have all these pictures of Cole’s trip in 2006.  Since that pre-dates this blog, I decided to go ahead and post them this week.  That way one day when my kids are looking for pictures of themselves, they will be able to find all of their backpacking trips.  I may not be able to bring the same fairness to the baby book situation, but at least these milestone trips will be recorded.

Cole was 9 when he rolled out in vans with this group of seniors.  I might have been a little preoccupied with a new baby, so I was more than happy to send my big, brave nine year old off to the mountains with Taido.

Really many things about that summer are kind of a blur.  But looking at these pictures reminds me that God provided abundantly for us the year Simon was born.  Each of our bigger kids received all kinds of extra love and attention from people in our family and community.  Not a day went by without someone calling and picking up at least one of them to share in someone’s fun.

The other thing that is crazy about looking at these pictures is how much life this group of folks has lived in the almost five years since they went on this journey together.

They started their time in Colorado with a trip to the Sand Dunes, a favorite stop.

Everyone loves to play in the sand!

They all climbed to the highest point of the dunes.

Here are my three guys on top.

Oh, did you not recognize Taido?  That’s because he let some high school guys shave his head at youth group one night in June.

I can’t even remember why.

Once they reached the top of the sand dunes,

they all took off running, jumping and boarding down.

So great.

After a day at the Dunes,

the group headed to the base of the collegiate peaks, preparing for the ascent of Mt Antero.

This picture really dates this trip, because it was taken before we threw all these foam pads away and replaced them with thermarests!

Huge improvement!

This trek to Mt Antero was my first fourteener as well.  I climbed in when I was fifteen.  And I’ve climbed it several more times since then, so all of these images are fond, familiar spots to me.

This part of the world is just take-your-breathe-away beautiful.

On the day of the peak climb, once you get above tree line, you have to hike forever on a jeep trail full of switchbacks.  I have been down this trail in a truck before and I can safely say that I will always prefer to walk than ride this particular road.

At the top of the switchbacks, the trail turns in to a ridge.  While not unsafe, parts of it are a little scary.  I remember climbing a lot of it on all fours.

This sweet couple left their 8 month old baby to climb with these students they had faithfully mentored.  Now, just five years later they are looking at possibly being the parents of six children by the end of 2011.

I wonder if from this view of the top of the world, they could have imagined all that God would do in and through them in the next several years.

This group still holds all kinds of potential.

I hope that each person in this picture can look back at this time in Colorado as a place they ascended a mountain, knew God’s power and presence and carried it home with them in their hearts.

I know that God is with each one of them still.  Writing their stories.