sometimes…

you forget that the world is so much bigger than the tiny space in which you occupy. sometimes it takes a tragic event to remind you to squeeze your loved ones a little tighter and to look out beyond your immediate life stresses to the things in life that are so much bigger.

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heavy hearts.

Keystone and the surrounding community lost a warrior today.

As was so aptly noted in a message of remembrance,

“Luke was always approachable and was always there to lend an ear and of course some advice. Luke’s presence was always positive, and he epitomized the true meaning of teamwork and “One Keystone”.

Thoughts and prayers to everyone that was touched by Luke’s spirit and magnetism; especially his wife and son.

 

be mine?

Hi. My name is Paige and I’m picky.

Not so much in terms of food, when it comes to food I will eat just about anything; but when it comes to the people that I spend my time with, I can be a hard sell–especially when it comes to my love life.

 

Too clingy? Give me some space.

Not clingy enough? Me! Me! Pick me!

Cocky? Eh, not impressed.

Doesn’t like to enjoy the great outdoors? No way Jose!

 

Since emerging as a single lady a few years back, I’ve come to realize how important, not to mention how fulfilling it is to live life without abandon. Plainly said, I love to travel, I crave the fulfillment of my curiosity, I live to love, and I love to live.

 

Anyway, fast forward to Spring 2013 when my world was flipped upside down by a dreamy mountain man, who has affectionately come to be known as Mr. A.

 

Mr. A and I bonded over Smokehouse Burgers at the Arapahoe Cafe on April 28, and we’ve spent nearly everyday together since that fateful April night. About three weeks after our first date, a group of us roadtripped out to Moab for a few days of fun in the sun. We spent an epic four days hiking, camping, running, biking, and swimming. On our last night under the stars, Mr. A and I drove up Hurrah Pass to watch the sunset. He laid a blanket out over the red rocks and as we sat back to soak in the oranges and pinks washing over the rough hewn rock, I knew I was a goner. He had me at Hurrah.

 

I sometimes wonder why the two of us work so well together. Chemistry? Right time, right place? He’s a hottie who can cook?

 

Who knows, but what I do know is that Andrew doesn’t hold me back from exploring my curiosities; rather he entertains them by opening my eyes to adventures beyond my wildest imaginations. He has made it easy for me to understand myself alone, and has challenged me to understand myself with another person. I didn’t just find a boyfriend, I acquired a partner in crime.

 

Besides, look at that grin. How could anyone resist those dimples?

 

the art of walking in the snow.

Today we wandered. Just the girls, and Rome. We wandered for hours, trudging through feet of heavy snow; snow that has been falling from lumbering, gray clouds for the last four days. Today though, the sun peeked through the lessening clouds and graced us with its bright, yellow smile. We had to squint, for the sun glittered brightly off the snow and we’d grown accustomed to the bleak light of February clouds and overcast skies. 

There wasn’t much to be said, yet every once in a while one of us would comment on the beauty of the white nestled against the brown/black boughs of the Aspens and Firs that litter the woods.

You see, Snow makes itself right at home in the branches and crevices of these stately trees. Snow seeps into the needles and disrupts the patterns on the bark, claiming both as its own.

Snow is curious. 

Yes, Snow can be a little invasive, presumptuous, heck perhaps even a little meddlesome. But with all its pushiness, Snow brings a sense of magic into one’s life. It pulls the light from the sky and creates a world of its own, extending an invitation to those dreamy enough to enter. It has the power to silence your universe; offering you a moment of seclusion and separation from the chaos of the world you know.

my monday > your monday.

Come to think of it, if you were stuck in last night’s mass exodus from Eagle or Summit Counties, my Sunday was probably better than your Sunday too.

official.

I’m not yet a “local”, but I’m officially a resident!

defining summit county.

The mountains are chock full of colloquialisms that often draw blank looks from those unfamiliar with “high-country culture“. That said, my brothers Erik and Tommy, my main man, Andrew and I collaborated on a handy encyclopedia of terms that are thrown around in daily conversation. The below list should give you a leg up when it comes to communication during your visit to the mountains. Enjoy!

• Back-country booter (băk-kŭn′trē-bo̅o̅t): a handmade jump that is found outside of ski area boundaries
• Bomb (bŏm): straightlining down a slope
• Booter (bo̅o̅t-er): a jump
• Dude (dyo̅o̅d): a male or female partner in crime, oftentimes a fellow shredder or skier.
• Dump (dŭmp): steady snowfall that often enlists the excitement for potential blizzard conditions, therefore the slight potential for “pow pow”
• Epic (ĕp′ĭk): another level of cool
  
• Face-shots (fās-shŏt): the act in which a skier or rider carves into a powder stash and kicks up a spray that douses their face with snow
• Gaper (găp-er): a tourist who gapes, in jaw-dropped amazement at the scenery
• Huck (hŭk): to launch oneself off a cliff or jump without regard to one’s physical well-being. See “send it”
• Jib (jĭb): usually small hits in the trees that have been made out of fallen logs
• Nuke (nyo̅o̅k): a blizzard that produces blinding white-out conditions and enlists the random “whoop!” from across the hill. Definite “pow pow” is in the forecast
• Puke (pyo̅o̅k): a snow squall that produces heavy snowfall with big flakes, often foreshadowing “pow pow”  and the appearance of “powder hounds” and “weekend warriors”
• Powder hound (pou′dər hound): those in search of the perfect powder stash
• Pow pow (paʊ): fresh powder, also known as freshies
• Point it (point-it): when a skier or rider makes the smallest number of turns going down a steep run so as to gain as much speed as possible
• Rip (rĭp): ski/ride like a boss
• Safety meeting (sāf′tē-mē′tĭng): “pre-game”, often includes a joint and/or spirits of the organizers choice
• Scorpion (skôr′pē-ən): the act of face-planting while riding a snowboard
• Send it (sĕnd ĭt): to launch oneself off a cliff or jump without regard to one’s physical well-being. See “huck”
• Shred (shrĕd): to ski or ride in an enviable way
• Sick (sĭk): see epic
• Stash (stăsh): powder (as in snow) that is hidden from general knowledge
• Steezy (stē′zē): snowboard trickery that encapsulates “style” and “ease”
• Suitcased (so̅o̅t′kās′): When a skier/rider lands a booter so hard that their body bends at the waist so far that their face hits their knees
• Texas tuck (tĕk′səs-tŭk): when skiers position themselves in a full racing tuck position unnecessarily, typically seen on a blue or green run
• Texas turn (tĕk′səs-tûrn): When a skier who is their carrying skies on their shoulder, turns around quickly with no regard for those who might be hit by aforementioned skis
• Throw a gainer (thrō-ā-gā′nər): a back flip off a jump, cliff, rock, crest, etc.
• Tight (tīt): excellent, cool, awesome
• Tomahawk (tŏm′ə-hôk′): digging the nose of a snowboard or skis deep into the snow, causing the rider to flip head-over-heels down the hill
• Waisteez (wāst-ē′zē): waist-deep snow
• Weekend Warrior (wēk′ĕnd′ wôr′ē-ər): Denver-ites that come up for a weekend shred sesh; often the cause of long travel times on I70 westbound on Friday evening and I70 eastbound on Sunday afternoons
• Whoop! (wo̅o̅p): the call of elation made by skiers and riders as they shred freshly fallen snow.
• Yard sale (yärd-sāl): double ejection from a skier