A lot of times I find myself exploring the outdoors solo with small hikes, runs, exploration, etc. Last night, however, I attended an event at Wesselman Woods that was about experiencing the outdoors in a way I never really have, with people I didn’t know, with beer I had not tried.

Birds and Brews is a newer monthly event hosted by Wesselman Woods where a different “bird” or speaker covers a topic involving the outdoors and a local brewery provides a flight of beer for each attendee.

I found myself drinking down my whole flight of beer from Carson’s Brewery and discussing Leadville, Co, mountain biking, yoga and van life with several strangers that quickly became good acquaintances. We discussed the blind Screech Owl Ray-Ray that was perched upon a staff member’s hand and giggled at a curious Raccoon looking in at all the commotion inside from a window.

The speaker, however, was the main event and who I had gladly paid to hear discuss “Into Thin Air: The Highs and Lows of Climbing at 14,000 Feet”. A topic I was familiar with due to friends and a husband who have personal experiences. I, however, feel it’s always good to get another’s perspective and of course the stories will always be different.

Shane Thread, a local high school teacher discussed his passion for climbing and at times running, to various summits in Colorado nailing what is fondly called a “14er”.  A teacher part of the year and climber the other, Shane discussed living out of his car and traveling to mountains. He shared the statistics of the most dangerous mountains, peaks he has bagged and stressed the fine line between pushing for the summit and safety.

I couldn’t help but feel caught up in his talk (it wasn’t just the beer) and stayed to hear more as he continued to speak about experiencing the mountain before during and after summiting. There is more to climbing then just getting to the top. Even after the event was scheduled to be over, many stayed to hear more. Although I don’t think I have the interest or want to grasp for breath at the top of a summit 14,000 feet high or more, I fully enjoyed learning more about climbing and hearing Shane’s adventures in high altitude.

Moral Of The Story: It’s good to be around other people interested in adventuring in the outdoors and there is always room to learn from others (no matter how skilled you are in something). Even though the Internet gives us access to some amazing information, nothing will ever beat the camaraderie found in personal interactions.

(Flight O’Beer Provided By Carson’s Brewery)

Neato Stuffs:

Thirst: 2600 Miles to Home Review – Coming Soon! 

Cool Thingys That I Also Do:

My Book: Mini Misadventures

Etsy Store: TravelandTrail

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Quick Nature Fix: Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve