{"id":939,"date":"2011-10-24T00:26:07","date_gmt":"2011-10-24T04:26:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.moore-images.com\/blog\/?p=939"},"modified":"2011-10-24T00:26:07","modified_gmt":"2011-10-24T04:26:07","slug":"my-mountaintop-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.moore-images.com\/blog\/2011\/10\/my-mountaintop-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"My Mountaintop Experience"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial was being dedicated the day I flew to Denver, Colorado.\u00a0 It was bittersweet for me to watch because it represented the second time his memorial was being dedicated and the second time I wouldn\u2019t be able to attend. \u00a0However, by the end of my trip, I could say like Dr. King, \u201cI\u2019ve been to the mountaintop!<\/a>\u201d\u00a0 I did \u201cdrive\u201d to get there; I didn\u2019t \u201chike\u201d it!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I initially visited Colorado in 1995 when I had an interview with Hewlett-Packard.\u00a0 I brought a small film camera with me.\u00a0 My trip sponsor and his wife drove me through some of the mountains.\u00a0 With my camera, I was disappointed in the images I took because nothing I did could capture the story of these amazing subjects.\u00a0 Now, 16 years later, some better equipment, and improved photographic skill, I returned seeking another opportunity to tell their story.\u00a0 As I drove to my hotel, I was in awe of the sky colors and the landscape.\u00a0 Being in such a high altitude, the air is much clearer and the mountains provide an incredible backdrop.\u00a0 I\u2019ve seen many beautiful images of the Colorado Mountains but there is no substitute for their immense beauty in person.<\/p>\n

\"Road<\/a><\/p>\n

I want to digress for a moment.\u00a0 I asked my fellow \u201cphotogs\u201d to critique my blog.\u00a0 One response I received was to omit references about God and stick to the subject of photography.\u00a0 I understood why this was said and I appreciated the input.\u00a0 I presume the person didn\u2019t want me to offend, irritate, annoy, etc., someone who doesn\u2019t share my belief.\u00a0 However, as I drove to my hotel, I was in awe of God\u2019s work.\u00a0 I was overcome with how miraculous it all looked.\u00a0 The sun painted the sky with beautiful pastel colors.\u00a0 I don\u2019t believe all this is merely the result of forces from earth\u2019s plates compressing the surface into an upward slope.\u00a0 I believe this is the result of God speaking it into existence.\u00a0 Now, back to my story.<\/p>\n

\"Sleeping<\/a><\/p>\n

Part of my pre-travel ritual is to research areas for good landscape photography. \u00a0This was an easy chore with Colorado Springs.\u00a0 The only problem was whether I would have enough time to enjoy them.\u00a0 After work on Monday, I visited the Garden of the gods<\/a>. I grabbed a map from the Visitor\u2019s Center, asked where were the best spots, and I was on my way.<\/p>\n

\"Sunlight<\/a><\/p>\n

As I drove around the garden, I pulled over several times at designated areas.\u00a0 Yet, some areas I had to walk to because the stop locations did not provide the best view.\u00a0 I had to be careful as I noticed a person with a camera in one hand and the steering wheel in the other.\u00a0 Considering that the roads were narrow and very hilly, she was an accident waiting to happen.<\/p>\n

\"Cathedral<\/a><\/p>\n

I ended my trip with a second trip around the park and a visit to one of the most famous formations in the park, Balanced Rock.\u00a0 There are several \u201cbalanced rocks<\/a>\u201d in parks throughout the world. \u00a0Another one is located at Arches National Park<\/a> in Utah.<\/p>\n

\"Balanced<\/a><\/p>\n

Babies are born with only two fears, falling and loud noises.\u00a0 Every other fear is learned.\u00a0 The latter no longer bother me but the former is still hanging around.\u00a0 I get nervous whenever I approach a balcony in a top-level hotel room.\u00a0 However, I continuously confront this fear by riding the tallest roller coasters or hiking along the side of a cliff<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Symmetry<\/a><\/p>\n

Pike\u2019s Peak<\/a> is the easternmost and one of the tallest mountains in Colorado.\u00a0 At 10 miles from Colorado Springs, it was a few minutes drive to the entrance.\u00a0 However, it took nearly two more hours to arrive at the top.<\/p>\n

\"Smoking<\/a><\/p>\n

Entering the park, the attendee told me to continue to breathe as I drove and to put my car in first gear when I came down as people sometimes melt their brakes by constantly riding them on the way down. \u00a0Initially, the ride was slow, steady and mostly uneventful.\u00a0 I took a few photos at the pull-over locations, however all that changed when I arrived at the first Visitor\u2019s Center. \u00a0The following image is from that location.<\/p>\n

\"Crystal<\/a><\/p>\n

The store manager told me about the mountain lions and bears in the mountain.\u00a0 He assured me the lions would be more scared of me than I would be of them.\u00a0 A couple who reached the top and were on their way down shared their experience with us.\u00a0 I nearly changed my mind when I was done talking to them.\u00a0 The man told me how the road changes and it no longer has trees on the side of the road.\u00a0 Instead, the road narrows to a single lane for traffic in both directions.\u00a0 The road has the cliff flush against it and the other side is a steep drop. \u00a0When I got into the car to continue my trip, I began to doubt whether I wanted to do this. \u00a0As I ascended, I refused to look to the side as it would\u2019ve made me nauseous.\u00a0 I focused on the double-yellow lines making certain I never got to far from them, especially when the cliff was on my right.\u00a0 The most harrowing part of the journey came when I drove on the outside lane with the cliff on my side and the road transitioned into a steep grade.\u00a0 Driving up the mountain, I could not see the road that much further ahead and I was at such an elevation that I no longer saw the horizon.\u00a0 I only saw the clouds in front of me and to the side of me (whenever I dared to look).\u00a0 I was at 13,000+ feet in the air.\u00a0 There were instances where I was driving through the clouds that made the trip even more nerve wrecking.\u00a0 I felt fear rising up as I wondered what the heck made me even decide to do this.\u00a0 There was absolutely no room to turn around.\u00a0 I had to proceed or else.\u00a0 Fortunately, I had my GPS programmed with the coordinates of the summit.\u00a0 Therefore, I knew how many miles I had remaining.<\/p>\n

\"Summit<\/a><\/p>\n

I arrived at the top and was overcome with a sincere appreciation for what I accomplished.\u00a0 After that, I opened the car door and was overcome with a great burst of cold air and wind.\u00a0 The temperature at the summit was below freezing and the wind was at least 30-40 MPH.\u00a0 The lack of oxygen made me light-headed and I walked slowly to avoid fainting.\u00a0 I grabbed some photos and had some taken of me as proof of my accomplishment. \u00a0Next, it was time to make my exit.<\/p>\n

\"Crystal<\/a><\/p>\n

It was much easier going down as I knew what to expect.\u00a0 I went back to the Visitor\u2019s Center and showed the manager my photo in front of the summit marker.\u00a0 He seemed more excited than I was.\u00a0 I continued my trip out the park buzzing about my latest accomplishment.<\/p>\n

\"Sunlight<\/a><\/p>\n

This trip reminded me of the hike I did with my sister in Italy.\u00a0 Whenever we face obstacles, there is always something we can reference from our past that we\u2019ve overcome as well.\u00a0 We must use those experiences to encourage and propel us to the next level.\u00a0 I don\u2019t plan on traveling any higher than this without the aid of an airplane.\u00a0 Yet, I know that whatever my next challenge is, I have multiple experiences to call upon to help me along the way.<\/p>\n

P.S. \u00a0My average speed was 10-15 MPH and it took me over an hour and a half. \u00a0The manager also told me they have annual races up the mountain. \u00a0They average speed is 75 MPH and the best time is under ten minutes!!! \u00a0I guess people at that speed don’t stop for photos.<\/p>\n

-Roger<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial was being dedicated the day I flew to Denver, Colorado.\u00a0 It was bittersweet for me to watch because it represented the second time his memorial was being dedicated and the second time I wouldn\u2019t be able to attend. \u00a0However, by the end of my trip, I could say like […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"categories":[3],"tags":[200,202,197,199,196,232,198,201,233],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t