Spring in the rockies

are, our mountains can also be a very dangerous place if you aren’t prepared and aware of how to be safe. e weather can change drastically in minutes, rocks and trails can be a little unstable, there’s some wildlife up there that can actually eat you and slipping o one of the cli s while taking a sel e can result in an unintentional 1,000 foot freefall.

at’s why it’s kind of important that you take a little time to get acquainted with how to do things right. Trust me, every year there are loads of rescues up there for very experienced people and even more for folks who thought they’d “just give it a try” while being clueless. How clueless? Well, there was actually one guy who decided that it would be a good idea to try hang gliding o the top of Lookout Mountain, but he’d never done any hang gliding before, taken any lessons or had any kind of instruction. Just put the thing together, strapped himself in and… Geronimo! Yeah, that didn’t end well, as you might imagine.

It’s always a good idea to learn the basics, no matter what activity you’re attempting and even something as benign looking as going for a hike in the mountains can get a little trickier than you might anticipate. e CMC is the Rocky Mountain community for mountain activity education, adventure, and conservation. ey exist to bring people together and share their love of the outdoors and community. From the uninitiated to the expert, there is a place for everyone. Founded in 1912, the CMC has built a legacy of responsible outdoor leadership and ethics, paired with a healthy spirit of adventure. ey o er a peer-topeer, skill-progression approach to share knowledge to help advance your abilities and build con dence. With numerous activities scheduled almost daily, you are sure to nd something you’d like to join in on.

So, where do you go as an adult to learn about this stu ? A great place to start is on the corner of 10th Street and Washington Avenue right here in Golden. at’s where the American Mountaineering Center sits and it houses one of the biggest outdoor adventure organizations in the world, the Colorado Mountain Club.

If this sounds like something you would be interested in, just head over to www.cmc.org and take a look. ere are a couple of introductory events coming up right here in Golden if you’d like a chance to check it out in person. One is a hike this Saturday, April 15 on the Apex Trail at 7:45 a.m. and they have an Introduction to Hiking Safety seminar at the club on Tuesday, April 18 at 6:30 p.m.. You can sign up for these and nd more information about mountain activities than you ever dreamed existed on that website. e Colorado Mountain Club is a great place to go, whether you are new to all of this or have ambitions to climb high altitude mountains in the Himalayas, there’s something for everyone and I highly recommend it. And it’s not just hiking and climbing. e club has everything from kayaking to mountain biking too.

OK, they do draw the line at documenting Bigfoot encounters, but there’s bunch of YouTube channels for that.

John Akal is a well-known jazz artist/drummer and leader of the 20-piece Ultraphonic Jazz Orchestra. He also is president of John Akal Imaging, professional commercial photography and multimedia production. He can be reached at jaimaging@aol.com.