Written by: Lydia Huelskamp
As cheesy as it may sound today’s ride felt like going home.
Four summers ago I finished my first year of college at Biola University in California, packed up my things, and headed east to the mountains. Little did I know that three of my summers would be spent in those mountains and soon they would be a home for me. Even littler did I know that one day I would be leading a bike trip through those same mountains.
To say I’ve been excited for this ride is an understatement. I’ve been longing to see the peaks of Mount Princeton, Mount Shavano, and Mount Tabeguache (mountains I once had the opportunity to climb to the top of) rising above the clouds. I’ve been looking forward to hearing the familiar sound of the mountain river rushing through the town. And mostly I’ve been pumped to show my FCBA family a little slice of my Colorado life J
To get to Salida was no easy task (I mean we are in Colorado), but we all took a deep breath, took a few looks around at the beautiful scenery, and began to climb. It’s on days like today that you remember what is so special about FCBA. There is no judgment on how fast you climb. There is no whining or complaining (for the most part J). There is only encouragement and celebration. We made it to the top of our second mountain pass in three days. That’s something to be proud of. No matter how challenging it gets I don’t think you can ever get tired of the beautiful views or the wonderful people that accompany you.
John Muir once said, “The mountains are calling and I must go.” Four summers ago the mountains started calling me and they’ve never stopped. Today the mountains called FCBA and we answered the best way we knew how. To some of us these mountains are home, for others they’re an obstacle along the journey, but for all it’s a mountain and we got over it!
Welcome to Salida.
