You Can Take the Girl Out of the Mountains (But You Can’t Take the Mountains Out of the Girl)

Faith, Gratitude, Hope, Peace, Strength 1 Minute

When I stepped into the blue rubber raft from the safety of the river bank, I had only two things on my mind: Carpe Diem and survival.* I said a little prayer with faith and gratitude for peace and hope. Before the bus ride to our launching site, I had skimmed the release of liability and waiver of legal rights and acknowledged that whitewater rafting can be HAZARDOUS AND INVOLVES THE RISK OF PHYSICAL INJURY/DEATH. Then I signed on the line and proceeded to pick up my wetsuit, spray jacket, helmet, and life-preserver.

Colorado’s abundant snowfall last winter through May translates to deeper, faster water and what may have been the best white water rafting season in decades.

Shout out to my brother Scott and his beautiful, adventurous wife Gerri for having a 30th wedding anniversary and a reason to celebrate with friends and family, to Rapid Image Photography for the complimentary photos, and to Zach, Ivan, and Kerrie of Clear Creek Rafting Company for the safety debrief and an adrenaline-fueled float through the Rocky Mountains. No one fell off of the raft. No one died. And the river of life keeps flowing, sometimes with faster, deeper waters and cold splashes in the face, sometimes with the possibility of tipping, relying on your life vest, and swimming to safety.

When I stepped back into my ordinary life from the perfection of vacation, I had only two things on my mind: Carpe Diem and survival. I said a little prayer with faith and gratitude for peace and hope.*

Breckenridge, Colorado in July

Happy Independence Day to my American friends! And Happy 4th of July wherever you are!

*Inspired by S. E. Hinton’s The Outsiders, “When I stepped into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home.”

Published by Crystal Byers

When I was young, my dad would always say, "Crystal, you can choose your attitude." One day I chose to believe him.

Published

63 thoughts on “You Can Take the Girl Out of the Mountains (But You Can’t Take the Mountains Out of the Girl)”

  10. My husband tried to talk me into rafting, but there wasn’t time on this trip! Maybe next time we head west 😉 In the meantime, I’ll work on my post about our off-roading adventure near Moab.

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    1. So they grade the river difficulty from class I (easiest/safest) to class VI (most difficult/dangerous). We were on class III-IV, and it took some effort to stay on the raft, but there were other options. I highly recommend it!

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      1. You’re in Houston!! I spent many years there… for some reason your messages aren’t flagging, so again apologies for the late reply. Well, Denver has been hella hot recently too:)!

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    1. I went with my family when I was probably 8-years-old, and I couldn’t wait to do it again. There are smoother, less splashy rides. I highly recommend it!

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  21. Wow Crystal! I love your adventure! And courage, I should say! Your heart sure holds so much love and joy! Thanks for this awesome post! ❤️

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  23. What fun! I did that years ago in Pennsylvania (I think), but I fell out of the raft in the “double helix” part of the Rapids. It was as scary as it sounds but obviously I made it through. 😎 Looks like you had a great time.

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