Yesterday I made my annual trek to the mountains of Colorado to see the beautiful fall colors of the aspens.  In years past I have always ridden my mountain bike on the summit trails of Kenosha Pass, but this year Steve and I decided to take in the sights on foot, armed with two cameras and a monopod.  The weather was great at 10,000 feet with plenty of sun and 65 degrees.  The vistas and colors were as breathtaking as ever.  

During our hike, I was energized by the sun and the view and trotted up the trail at a slightly faster speed than Steve (never mind the fact that his backpack and camera were almost double the weight of mine).  I was in a particularly adventurous mood and found myself scampering up and down the mountain to the right and left of the trail wanting  to see as much as I could of the trees, sky and foliage.  During one such detour I headed down a slight incline and saw the most striking and beautiful tree.  It was calling my name, begging me to climb it.  At that point, the mature adult side of me said “No, you can’t do that-  it’s dangerous.  What if a limb breaks?  You could fall to your death!”.  The boring adult in me noted that since I was already at a great height on this 10,200 ft pass, why would I possibly need to go any higher?   At which point, the Project Manager in me considered the risks, benefits and time involved and reminded me that it had been 36 years since I’ve climbed a tree.   Luckily my Inner Monkey took over and led me quickly to the base of this fine timber specimen.  Oh what a treat I was in for!

With my lens cap securely in place and my camera swung around to my back, I jumped up to the first branch without much problem and then with a bit of slower and more thoughtful maneuvering,  I made my way to the prime location for optimal viewing and reflection.  I don’t know why it felt so good or caused such great inspiration for me to share this story with you but it did!  I had a sense of happiness, freedom and joy that I don’t often experience in my day to day job.   I followed my childlike desires and enjoyed every minute of it.

Me in tree.

So what is the point of my Tree Glee blog?

• Don’t be afraid to scamper off the set path – you may find other treasures you didn’t count on.
• Don’t limit how high you should go.  Greater views and experiences are just a few branches away.
• Listen to your Inner Monkey every once in a while- it can make for a great thrill and oftentimes, a fun story!