The Life of a Mountain Man continued [Buena Vista, CO]

It's been quite the adventure thus far being out here in the beautiful mountains of Colorado.  This past week I finished up my 2 weeks of training for the summer as a guide staff.  I am now Wilderness First Aid certified, CPR certified, a general understand of rocky mountain climates, and a general understanding of rocking climbing and repelling systems and knots.  I have enjoyed learning the practicalness of all the different life skills I am gaining.  Spending more and more time in the mountains and getting the experience to go with the training has started giving me a confidence in my ability to survive in the backcountry.

Half of being a successful guide and backpacker is simply knowing how to prepare for any conditions you may encounter.  Making sure that you have done all that you can on the front end to be prepared for the worst.  Everything from food and water, to having plenty of layers and shells.  There has been some days we've been on the trail and it's 65 and sunny, and that night it drops down to 30 degrees and a blizzard!  Just this past week we were spending a day out on the cliff face climbing and repelling, the morning was sunny and a good temperature, by about 12:30pm a snow storm had moved in and we were scrambling to get off the rock!  Visibility was probably about 25 feet, and wind gusts were attempting to blow us off the mountain at 20 to 30 mph!  Luckily I went with my gut that morning and packed an extra fleece and my wind shell, my hands took the brunt of the weather as we scrambled to get all of our gear packed up.

 It's been alot of fun learning how to cook different meals when backpacking.  So far I've learned how to make mac and cheese, chicken alfredo, and beef and potato pie from scratch using ingredients that are easy to pack and not spoil.  Also making rice krispy treats on the trail has become a good treat for around the campfire on chilly nights =)

This next week I'll be hiking another fourteener with my first group of ROTC cadets.  I'm really excited to speak truth and identity into the lives of men and women that are hungry for the Lord.  The Lord is so kind in the way that He continues to lead my heart and show me the value of my time here.  I'm so in love with this man Jesus, may He have all of my affections.

The Life of a Mountain man [Buena Vista, CO]

I've now been in Colorado a little over a week and a half, my time here so far has been so busy that I haven't had much time to spend alone with my good friend Jesus, let alone stay caught up with all my 'people' that I love so much.  Life is definitely a whirlwind at the moment.  Busy going from one training session to the next.  It's been quite alot of fun to be getting all of this training, I've been absorbing quite a bit of new information over the past week.

We've spend the most amount of time on learning all the different rock climbing and repelling systems.  Getting all the knots down, all the protocols for climbing and being anchored in to something, how to tie students in, how to rescue a student in case they get stuck.  Attention to detail I'm learning is one of the most important things as a instructor and guide.  The safety and lives of students depend on making sure that everything is 100% correct 100% of the time.

Mike Displaying proper technique for clipping into your harness.

This is my face(s) for getting ready to go out and spend a day on the rocks.

Though people may not be able to perceive this, I do miss my family quite a lot, that has been probably one of the hardest parts so far about being out here in this wilderness paradise.  NO FAMILY!  My desktop background is currently as follows.

Though this time away from family and familiar environments is hard, I feel like this summer is the training grounds which is moving me from boyhood to manhood.  I feel a maturing taking place in my heart as I continue to plow ground.  There is a reality of now plowing ground for myself as Isaac Mark Smith.  I am laying the foundations in these years that the rest of my life will be built upon.  What are going to be the founding principles of my life, my household.  No one can make these decisions for me, as well no one else can walk these values out for me.  I get to dream with the Lord and press into however much of Him that my flesh can take.  Narrow is the gate, difficult is the way, and few are those who find it.  How far will He let me go, how abandoned will He let me be.  I want to be dependent on the words of one man alone.  Truly His opinion is the only one that matters.

Until I get wireless internet again...I remain...

Mountain man.