Adventures!
Rain, Rain Come Out and Play! »
Posted on October 30, 2011June in Denver is known for beautiful sunny mornings followed by late afternoon thunderstorms. When Alex was younger, we would go out on the sidewalk and float down a variety of sticks and plastic boats toward the canal by our house. He would run along with excitement and splash along as the rain came down.
As a teenager with a truck, a whole new idea came to his mind as I was filming one of the biggest storms I’ve seen in 25 years of living here. As you’ll see on the clip, a very impromptu adventure came to life as the rain came down. I now see a boat in our future!
Machine Guns! »
Posted on September 20, 2011Alex and I have had a tradition of going to the range on Father’s Day. We start by shooting trap with our shotguns and then head over to the rifle/pistol range where we try out a different rental gun. Over the years, we’ve shot numerous handguns, rifles and an M-16. All were great fun.
This year, we were treated to a whole new experience as Larry, from the Family Shooting Center at Cherry Creek State Park, had four machine guns set up on a special range. Needless to say, we were pretty pumped up with excitement and anticipation. As you’ll see on the video, the experience lived up to our expectations. Larry was great with explaining how to operate them as well as gave us the history on each weapon. While not inexpensive, the $75 gave us a taste of what it’s like to fire one. Pure power!
Our Youngest Adventure Son! »
Posted on September 15, 2011Adventure Dad Summer Contest:
It’s Never Too Early to Hit the Trails and Explore Europe!
As a professional mountain biker and adventure racer, I look forward to the days when I can spend time engaging in serious athletic activities with my son, Wyatt. I realized this summer, however, that it’s never too early to begin the adventure!
Wyatt, who was born January 2nd of this year, Amy, and I had an incredible summer together. We spent three weeks in Europe, and Wyatt served on the support crew for a nine hour mountain bike race in France and an eleven hour mountain bike race in Austria. While I raced, Wyatt and Amy drove from point to point to hand me water bottles and food. He’s a real trooper, and seeing him along the way definitely gave me an extra boost! Here, Wyatt grabs a crucial mid-race snack at one of the mountain biking events:
Wyatt has stamps from five countries (Germany, France, Italy, Austria, and Switzerland) in his passport, and it was a joy to be able to share our love of traveling with him. He also has two “grandmothers” in France and one in Italy, who have all sung him songs, played games with him, and provided some extra love along the way.
When we returned home, Wyatt attended his first Leadville 100 event, once again as a member of the support crew while I rode in the race. I began crewing at the Leadville 100 run when my dad raced it for the first time when I was six, and we have been treating these races a family get-togethers since then. This was our first three-generation Leadville event, and I hope it is the first of many!
Wyatt, Grandpa, and Dad hung out after the Leadville 100 MTB race. Wyatt was still fresh, but dad was a bit dusty!
The following snapshots describe the summer highlights of my summer with Wyatt.
- Day one of our European adventure, walking around Frankfurt: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2FxIghuKHg
- Attending two stages, the infamous l’Alpe d’Huez and the Time Trial, of Le Tour de France with Wyatt was absolutely amazing. Most people wait a lifetime and never get to meet El Diablo (you know, the famous Devil guy who’s always on TV), and Wyatt got to shake his hand before he even knew what he was doing. Here, we cheer for Colorado rider Tom Danielson, who finished 9th at the Tour: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTmjflWtJaQ
- Watching the top pro road bikers in the world tackle the same roads Wyatt (in his trailer) and I ride for training was pretty neat. Here we are at the USA Pro Cycling Challenge on Lookout Mountain:
- While Wyatt and Amy followed along online, I competed in a four day adventure race in Wulong, China. My teammates and I ran, biked, climbed, canyoneered, rafted, carried fruit, and trudged through mud in an incredible area. Here’s a video I took of the Opening Ceremony that I look forward to sharing with Wyatt when he’s older: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MaWXe8NrzI
- Wyatt got his first podium appearance at the Teva Mountain Games:
Wyatt and I look forward to a lifetime of adventurous memories together. He’s definitely got the spirit, the attitude, and the flexibility, and I think we’re in for some good times!
Thanks for reading,
Travis and Wyatt Macy
A Son’s First Attempt »
Posted on July 29, 2011Several weeks ago, Alex and I climbed Mt. Shavano in south central Colorado. Over 14,229 feet, the trail gains 4,600 feet in 4 miles. It’s pretty much up for a very long time. As I lagged behind Alex and Utah, I met a father and son from Kansas who were resting on the trail at 13,000 feet. I complimented the boy as he was younger than most kids you’ll ever meet on a 14’er. I was even more astonished when I heard he was from the flatlands of Kansas. While they had decided to call it quits for the day, it was great seeing a father process the decision with his son. The two of them just sitting together on a rock, enjoying the view and each other.
Last summer some friends and I decided to head west to Colorado and climb a 14er together—Mt. Elbert. We had such a good time that we decided to try it again this summer. My son Bryson, all of 8 years old, boldly decided to join us. So on July 14-16, 2011, we drove west from Wichita to Salida, and ascended Mt. Shavano. Setting up a base camp at 9,800 feet of Friday, we awoke at 3am to begin our climb. While most of the group made the peak, and some went on to tag Tabegauche Peak, Bryson and Dad took a much slower ascent, but got to stop and chat with Craig before we petered out at 13,000 feet at the angel of Shavano.
While we didn’t get Bryson to the peak on his first effort, we had a great time, and made our way back to the trailhead in time to enjoy a rib eye steak in Salida. Next summer we will certainly try again, and a gift card to REI would sure help fund the trip!
Monte & Bryson Evans
Wichita, KS
A Family Rafting Adventure! »
Posted on July 23, 2011Our family recently got together for our semi-annual reunion and to celebrate our mom’s 85th b-day. While we go to different locations around the country (since we are spread out from the south to the west coast), this year’s trip took us to Crested Butte, Colorado. One of the highlights of the trip was rafting down the Taylor River. The large snowfall this year made for a huge run off in the rivers so we were treated to a spectacular Class III adventure. While Grandma wanted to join us, she decided not to when the guide told her there would be a good chance of falling in and if that wasn’t enough the water temperature (around 36 degrees) would probably cause a heart attack. She decided to back out at that point followed us down the river in a car. It was a good call in retrospect. As you’ll see in the video, one of the rafts got hung up on a rock and later flipped three of our family members into the water. Make sure to check out the last minute or two of the clip where both my brother and I decided to try “bull riding” on the front of the raft. What a laugh!
A Fly Fishing Adventure! »
Posted on June 18, 2011While my father liked the idea of fly fishing, he never really had the patience or fine motor skills to become a proficient fly fisherman. Subsequently, I learned mostly on my own. Though I’m decent at it, I’ve never known the techniques or secrets to becoming a great fly fisherman, let alone, know how to teach them to my son.
That all changed this past fall when we hired a guide, Steve Brown, for the first time. While not inexpensive, it was well worth the money and taught both of us some lessons which we have continued to apply. In addition, the excitement of seeing my son catch the Colorado trifecta (Rainbow, Cut Throat and Brooke), as well as, share in the fun of male jocularity with Steve and his many great stories of life and fishing was a great bonding experience for us.
We hope you enjoy this clip of fishing off Lizard Head Pass just outside of Telluride, Colorado. We never did catch a Brown trout but caught a whole lot of fun and excitement. As for Steve, guess who got him into the love of fly fishing? His dad of course!
Volunteer Adentures »
Posted on May 24, 2011One of the advantages of my career choice is being able to watch various trends rise and fall with each generation. Over the past 15 years, I’ve loved observing an increase in social action among high school and college students. In addition to the Green movement, many high schools are requiring community service as part of their students’ commitment to National Honor Society.
Recently, I had the privilege of joining Alex and three of his friends from the National Honor Society for a day of seed planting and raking in a burn area outside of Boulder, CO. Along with a whole lot of fun and laughter, we all walked away with sore muscles and a profound appreciation for the power of fire. The scale of devastation was only matched by the stories of loss from the homeowners we met. For the four young men, it’s a memory that will last a long time and one that will guide their outdoor choices (this fire was started by man) and desire to help those who have suffered loss.
Doing volunteer work with your kids no matter what age is one of the greatest adventures you can have and one that will pay off for years to come. You are experiencing great times together and planting values that will grow for generations. On this trip, we got to meet Senator Mark Udall of Colorado. He spoke with the boys about America’s history of volunteerism and how charitable action is the backbone of our Country. Enjoy the film, get involved and have a whole lot of fun!
A Snow Shelter Adventure »
Posted on May 22, 2011For years, Alex and I have watched a variety of survival shows demonstrating how to make and sleep under your own shelter. This winter, we decided to try it out for ourselves and see if we could get a warm and comfy night’s sleep like the men in the shows.
We tried out a couple of different styles, of which mine, got the most laughs. Fortunately, we had a test of snow late in the afternoon that demonstrated how inadequate my shelter was for snow protection. We both took extra time to bulk them up knowing that 4 – 6 inches was predicted for the night.
Even with the extra cover, it’s amazing how snow can trickle down. Most importantly, you don’t dare touch the roof above your head and stimulate a cascade of snow down upon you. Even with tight quarters, we both had a good night’s sleep and a whole lot of laughs. Watching Alex encased in his sleeping bag, sliding out of his hut when trying to change some clothes is a great memory, as is, our dog Utah laying down in his shelter as if she was the happiest dog on the planet.
Spring Hut Adventures »
Posted on May 17, 2011When I first took Alex to the Grass Creek hut, in the Colorado State Forest, he was just 16 months old. He looked pretty snug in his car seat that fit perfectly into our backcountry sled.
This past spring, we had a chance to go back to that same hut and remember many of the adventures we’ve had over the years. From his first snowshoeing, to starting fires, to chopping wood, our memories are chronicled in my journal, as well as, in the notebooks at the hut that are kept for visitors to write and draw. At 17, he’s now doing the muscle work and embracing the adventure as a young man.
This year’s hut trip served as a base for our second adventure of the weekend, which was to sleep out in our own shelters. Snowshoeing helped us navigate the spring snow where one missed step could send you down 3 – 4 feet. The simple solution to spring conditions is to figure out where other travelers have gone before you and then follow their footsteps. You can also go early in the morning after thenighttime temperatures have frozen the snow’s surface. While we love the warmth and sun of spring, it can make for difficult snow travel.
We hope you enjoy,
Alex and Craig (AKA: Mack and Bob)
A Winter 14’er »
Posted on April 4, 2011Last month, Alex and his friend took us on a family adventure to practice winter 14ing. While Colorado’s 14,000 foot peaks are hard enough to climb in the winter, they become even more challenging when they are snow packed. As you’ll see on the video, this day’s climb was made even more challenging by the wind!
While snowshoeing the two miles to the base of the final ascent was a fairly standard activity for us, the climb up packed snow and ice was a completely different experience and required some on the mountain lessons with the new equipment we were using. Having done it before, Alex taught the rest of us how to put on and climb with crampons (a basic set of razor sharp claws which strap onto your boots) and how to handle the ice ax for going up and for glissading down. He also carried a couple of emergency harnesses, rope and some specialty tools for stabilizing holds in the snow.
While the techniques are fairly straightforward, the on the mountain gearing up in the wind and the actual implementation the techniques was a bit challenging. You wouldn’t believe how easy it is to poke a hole in your bibs with the crampon claws! It was also a challenge to get use to the angle of the mountain and the pull of gravity on your body when standing up as demonstrated by the short length of the video, a near backwards head over heal filming incident was the end of my recording for the day! I also managed to blow out a crampon and decided to take shelter under a rock as I recorded the others heading on.
To be honest, the constant wind and the unknown of coming down, were a bit too much for this adventuredad. It was with great pride however, that I watched my son, his friend and my wife tackle the steepest slope. Glissading down, it turns out, was a lot of fun and much easier than I thought. It’s amazing what a little force and a six inch pick can do for you in snow. As spring has begun, I’ll be looking forward to trying again next year!