The Valley of Extremes

I've become a little bit of a Blue Dot Stalker these past two weeks, watching the Tour Divide participants snake their way across the country, through the snows of Montana and Wyoming, through Idaho and finally into Colorado.  As I type, they are approaching Salida and will be headed over Marshall Pass into Gunnison County this afternoon.  Two of the top three guys make Gunnison County their home, Jefe in Gunnison and Ethan in Crested Butte.  This begs the question, how does the Valley produce athletes who seem to excel at races that mere mortals think are absolutely INSANE?

Is there something in the water?  Is there something in the air?  Is there something in the lack of air?  Is it something about the Valley itself that draws a certain type of person?

Why would mountain bikers flock to an area where some trails open up for 3 weeks a year and 'summer' seems to be three months long and the running joke is that we hope that summer comes on a weekend this year.  I think that it's because when it's good here, it's really good.  Extremely good.

The same can be said for the skiing.  Some years are mediocre snow years.  Some worse than that.  But, when it's good, like it was this year, it's good.  Extremely good.

And the thing is, people around here realize that when things are good, it's time to get after it and when things are sub-good, it's time to hunker down and tough it out.  When trails are in, there's no reason to go for a four hour ride when you have time for an eight hour one and when it's -40 F in the winter, no amount of complaining is going to make it get warmer.

Maybe it's that combination that breeds the Jefes and Ethans of this world.  Just the right combination of 'Go get it while it's hot' and mental fortitude to deal with weather and life conditions that send many scurrying for warmer climate.