Week 32: Crested Butte

One of the goals I've been most looking forward to on my list of 60 until 60 has been number 2:

Hike in beautiful spots Including Crested Butte during wildflower season

I first experienced the Crested Butte wildflower mecca in 2011 and thought it must be one of the most beautiful places on earth. 

As I've learned from my experiments in happiness, experiencing beautiful things such as this awe-inspiring scene fills my heart with joy... but even better is experiencing this beauty with someone else.

I feel so lucky that Michael, one of my best friends and frequent Anonymous Blog Commenter, not only owns a condo in the coveted Crested Butte, but has hosted my visit both last summer and this last weekend and been my tour guide through this wildflower haven.  

What worked well

The Hikes and Flowers

OMG! THESE FLOWERS!! Even though I took a bazillion pictures, it's impossible to capture how truly exquisite these natural bouquets really are. Michael referred to it as a "cornucopia" of wildflowers and I thought cornucopia was a perfect word! Such abundance!

Neither words nor pictures can capture the feelings of wonderment from being in the midst of such a scene.  Michael and I hiked on both Saturday (Brush Creek Trail) and Sunday (Baxter Gulch) and they were "Goldilocks" perfect (another of Michael's word choices)..  Not too long, not too short, not too cold, not too hot, everything was just right!

Crested Butte Art Show

Not only were the wildflowers out in all their glory, but the Crested Butte Art Festival was also in full swing and we checked it out both days after our hikes. We found a crepe food truck, Be Crepeful, which was so yummy that we ate there both Saturday and Sunday!

There were all kinds of unique works of art - jewelry, paintings, photographs, ceramics, glass art, kaleidoscopes, scarves.. Michael and I both were high bidders in at the silent auction that wrapped up the festival. He won a gorgeous water color and I won a glass art picture of the changing colors of the aspens.

I loved the quaint town and the pretty painted houses. There was even a Purple Mountain Bed & Breakfast Inn with brightly colored bicycles for guests. But, I, of course, was enamored with the Flamingo-Themed bicycle that I saw parked at the Art Festival.  Another fun event was the rubber ducky race sponsored by the Rotary Club. Michael and I participated, but alas, our ducks didn't win. I, at least, watched the race to root on my little ducky, even though it was raining, but Michael choose to stay dry under a canopy (wimp!)

Michael's Hosting

Michael's hosting skills are indisputably unparalleled! He did everything from researching which hikes would show the wildflowers at their best to waking up at 4:30am to get me to the Gunnison bus station on Monday morning.  He had scattered fun little surprises around his house... a little stuffed flamingo that welcomed me on the bedpost, little books about friendship and happiness, a Spanish birthday card, and a flamingo-laden pillow and fruity margaritas that relaxed me as I gazed out at the breathtaking mountain scene on his patio.

But that's not all. Every minute was full of hospitality. From the Goldilocks perfectly heated hot-tub, to all the conversations (and Michael's patience at my 'Agile coaching') , to the Seinfeld sharing, to the special sweet corn and spiced chicken he prepared for us.

As I said at the beginning of this post, taking a hike in such a gorgeous setting was the goal, but having Michael as my host is what made this weekend priceless.

What could have been better

Michael knows I usually have both a "What worked well" and "What could have been better" section in my blog posts and he was curious what I'd put in the "What could have better" section.

I'm learning that my "What could have been better" sections are getting smaller and smaller because they can often be reframed into something that worked well.  For example, I could say, it could have been better if it hadn't been raining on Sunday afternoon, but instead I think how awesome it was that it was sunny for our hikes. The rainy afternoon was a nice cool-down and I didn't mind it at all! (And provided opportunity for me to call Michael a 'wimp' for not watching the duck race!)

I think my only disappointment was that my back was bothering me both afternoons, and I know I get irritable and moody when I get those back aches. But, like the rain, I feel so lucky that I didn't get them until after we hiked, and with all the pampering of hot-tubbing (and, oh yes, the bubblebaths!) and margaritas, I soon was back in my 'happy place' (as it says on my new flamingo pillow)!

The weekend and this goal was definitely one of the highlights of my 60-week birthday party and I'm so grateful to my hospitable host and friend for all he did to make it special.