Another Big Wedding Blog

I didn’t think I would have the time or energy to write about the wedding in Colorado today but I forgot that today is also the day that I go back to drinking caffe after a week of acqua sporca or “dirty water”. So…
After going to Winnipeg for work I flew down to Denver on Thursday morning to go to Kristen and Brian’s wedding. They were going boating on Thursday afternoon as a way to relax before the storm of wedding festivities (the wedding was on a Friday afternoon). I showed up at the marina for Lake Dillon straight from the airport hoping they hadn’t left yet, if that were gone then I would go and check in at the hotel in Keystone. With my luck they were still loading up the pontoon boats so I joined in. I was a little light headed from the altitude but a few beers should fix that, right? I was surprised to find out that Niels had bought a condo in Breckenridge and he had been spending the last few years fixing it up. After the boating he and I decided that there was enough time that we could do some mountain biking before he had to be at the rehearsal dinner so we took off to his place. I was amazed when I saw his place. I knew he did renovations for work in Indianapolis so I should have known the place in Colorado would be cool. I called and cancelled my hotel as he had room and I wanted to stay at where I was. All we had to do to get to the trail was carry the bikes the across a little babbling brook in his back yard and then start pumping hard up a gravel road. He assured me the down hill part was right around the corner, several times. The photo below is the view before we started down the trail.Then it happened, we turned off the gravel road into the aspens and pines for a ride I won’t soon forget. I was on Niels’ bike and he was on his wife’s. I realized how sad my own “mountain” bike is. My bike couldn’t handle this trail at all. Only on a bike with real suspension could I stay on this path as I hurled down the mountain at ridiculous speeds. There is something about that adrenalin rush of being almost out of control. Trees flying by as you try to find the smoothest path on a trail that’s only a foot wide! I relived it over and over as I began to feel my hands again while I was relaxing on the front porch after the ride. Also after the ride I took in as much water as my body would allow because I was still trying to battle the effects of being at a little of over 9,000 ft. Then I had to get ready as quickly as possible because it seems there was room for me at the rehearsal dinner. Niels went over first because he was in the wedding then I drove Jen (Niels’ wife) and Cole (Nicole in case your wondering, Niels’ sister) over. We had a wonderfully long dinner at a restaurant called Samplings in Keystone. I was sitting next to Kristen’s parents, which was a treat as I’ve met them before but on this occasion there was so much more to talk about.
That’s right I was in town all of 12 hours and I had gone boating, mountain biking, and to the rehearsal dinner. Then on Friday, the day of the wedding, again Niels had to be there early so Jen, Cole, and I went on a big hike. Hell yeah. I’m in Colorado and I made the most of it. The hike was very picturesque so here are few. The only problem was that we had to rush back down the mountain to make it to the wedding.
The wedding itself was perfect. The weather was sunny and cool (there was snow and hail up there the night before!) so the ceremony was on the porch of the Timber Ridge Lodge, which is 11,444 ft above sea level and then the reception was inside.

Outside

Inside


After the wedding the reception started early because the lodge closes at 11:00 PM. I actually liked this because I had to be at the Denver airport at 6:15 AM the next morning so staying out until 1 or 2 AM would make the next day in airplanes tougher than normal. Also an early night was ok because I wasn’t able to dance for very long at the high altitude. I think I was finally getting adjusted to the thin air right about the time I was leaving! I REALLY enjoyed the 2 days I was out there. I got to do everything, boating, hiking, biking, eating, and dancing. I have to thank Niels, Jen, and Cole as hanging out with them the whole time was a blast. Of course I have to thank Kristen and Brian for inviting me too. Congratulations to Kristen and Brian!
Once again a photo of me this time at the Fountain of Chocolate....