How the Christmas spirit gets me
Plus, recommendations of Colorado experiences to give yourself in the coming year
I’ve created a pile of wrapped gifts for my kids and husband to put under our Christmas tree, a tree laden with ornaments collected over the years. Stepping back and objectively considering the privilege of gifts and a decorated tree in a home in the mountains, I feel a clash of emotions, from guilt to gratitude to joy.
The guilt comes from knowing how painful the holidays are for many who are struggling, whether it’s those in Kentucky who lost a home, or those sick and isolated due to covid, or those who more acutely feel the absence of loved ones. A family I care about lost their youngest daughter, age 13, to suicide six days before Christmas three years ago, and I think of them on that anniversary and ache for their grief.
That darkness of tragedy, and worry about the future, make me more fiercely celebrate the winter solstice, the gift of snow on our arid land, and the Advent themes of hope, love, joy and peace. I see the Christmas spirit expressed through compassion, generosity and togetherness. It’s hard not to be more cognizant of how precious health, home and relationships are.
The trappings of the holiday can be viewed as a waste of time and resources, and yet, I go through the seasonal rituals of decorating and gift-giving because this annual tradition brings me joy.
Gifts I’ve received that stick in memory all have to do with experiences, like the time my husband gave me a certificate for a trip he planned to an ultra I wanted to run. The gift was his enthusiasm in accompanying and crewing for me.
Or the time my daughter gave me an eyeshadow palette with a card that read, “This comes with one makeup lesson.” I hardly ever wear eyeshadow, but I treasured the half-hour when she dabbed and blended color on my lids, patiently sharing her talents and youthful beauty.
I have a thick cardigan sweater that my son gave me last year, which I snuggle in not just because I like the fabric, but because he proudly bought it at the store where he works, with his employee discount, and this piece of clothing makes me think of him and reassures me that he is working hard while away at college.
As for the tree—which is artificial, since we decided we don’t want to cut down and dispose of a live tree each year—I generally disdain artifice and knickknacks. So why do I love this fake tree and the dozens of ornaments hanging on it?
Every ornament is either a gift given to me (many handmade from an extended family member), or one I bought over the years, starting in 1996. That year, Morgan and I road-tripped and ran around New England, and I bought a Vermont maple leaf ornament as a token of that journey. In the 25 years since, I’ve collected ornaments that represent every special trip, including a moose from Alaska, a Santa with a lei from Kauai, and a globe from a year-long nomadic journey around the world.
Years ago, I began giving an ornament to Morgan and my kids to open on Christmas Eve, and each ornament is either related to some aspect of their personality, or to a family adventure. We now have a collection of tiny skateboards and snowboards, a miniature camera and suitcase, a canvas tent, horses and cupcakes, and photo ornaments of all our animals past and present. The tree thus stands as a memorial and celebration of experiences and phases of our lives.
At year’s end, I also give myself license to buy myself a gift—a splurge—for the new year. This year’s gift to myself is a pair of $180 Hoka “super shoes,” the funny-looking Carbon X2 road-running shoes that supposedly will help me run faster. I have regular Hoka road and trail shoes, so I don’t really need these, but I want to try them for my upcoming road marathon and see if they in fact make a difference.
Shoes aside, the best gifts tend to be experiential rather than materialistic, unless there’s symbolic meaning or a practical purpose embodied by the object.
So that you may splurge on yourself and/or your loved ones in the new year, I created a list of places and experiences here in Colorado that I recommend. This totally subjective, somewhat random list is not budget-oriented; in fact, many items come with a very high price tag. But if you can afford it, I think it’s worth it for special occasions, to be balanced out by frugality in everyday life.
West End long weekend: Take three or four days to explore the high-desert landscape of the west ends of San Miguel and Montrose counties along the scenic bypass of Highway 141, near the Utah border. First, spend a night or two at the Burning Man-inspired Camp V in Naturita; then, a night at Gateway Canyons spa and resort. Both places have miles of trails to run or bike. For more on the region, see the West End Trails Alliance or an article I wrote for Telluride Magazine.
Boulder retreat: We started visiting Boulder when my son began going to the university there, and instead of staying in one of the Marriotts or Hiltons in town, I prefer to stay in the historic Chautauqua cabins right next to the Flatirons. These quaint cabins, each with a full kitchen, are part of a National Historic Landmark, and the doors open to trails looping around the Flatirons. The lodge also has a lovely general store and restaurant.
Buena Vista boutique hotel: Morgan and I spent a long weekend in Buena Vista in advance of me running the High Lonesome 100, to explore some trails in the Collegiate Peaks. We spent two nights at the special Surf Hotel right on the banks of the Arkansas River and relished the clean, simple design of the rooms and the veranda with rocking chairs overlooking the river. I hope to stay there again sometime.
Telluride sleigh or wagon ride with dinner: A mile down the road from our house, our neighbors own six or seven beautiful draft horses and run a gourmet dinner business from a canvas tent overlooking a spectacular mesa and Wilson Peak. Telluride Sleighs & Wagons does wagon rides to the dinner spot in summertime, sleigh rides in winter. I have not yet experienced their dinner service, because of the price tag, but the chef and the owners are great people and I have heard only good things about it, so I imagine it’s an unforgettable special treat.
San Juan Mountain running: If you want to run around the San Juan Mountains with an experienced guide, I recommend the August 22 - 28 trip by legendary ultrarunner Anna Frost (see article) and her husband Ron “Braz” Braselton through their trail-running/travel adventure outfit, trailrunadventures.com. The retreat also is put on by Jared Vilhauer, who is a mountain guide and race director of the Telluride Mountain. Included in this trip is entry into the August 27 Telluride Mountain Run, one of my favorite races in this region.
Mountainfilm: I am not a fan of the summer festivals that crowd Telluride, except for Mountainfilm, the documentary film fest oriented towards the outdoors and social justice that takes place Memorial Weekend, May 26 – 30. I highly recommend getting a ticket and spending the weekend here to watch films (or buy their online pass; many films are available to watch from home).
Zapata Ranch: This vast historic working ranch, now managed in partnership with The Nature Conservancy, is in south-central Colorado near the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Sangre de Cristo Mountains. From March through October, it offers numerous events and workshops from photography and writing to riding and ranching. Guests stay in a 19th-century lodge and eat farm-to-table meals prepared on site. I have not stayed there yet, but will in September, to take part in a weeklong intermediate horsemanship clinic. Based on reviews and photos, I cannot wait to visit and explore this part of the state.
Beer + hiking throughout the state: Need ideas on where to hike and to enjoy craft brew? My friend Yitka Winn wrote a great guidebook in 2019 called “Beer Hiking Colorado: The Most Refreshing Way to Discover Colorful Colorado.” It’s an inspiring book. Cheers!
What would you splurge on and give yourself in the new year? Feel free to comment below.
Thank you for reading my weekly posts, and best wishes to you for the new year.
The Zapata Ranch sounds wonderful. My wife loves horses and I like to write. In December 2012 we lived in Colorado Springs and took a trip to the Grand Canyon. No, it's not in Colorado but we specifically went to ride the mules down to Phantom Ranch where we spent the night and then rode back out the next day. I highly recommend that trip. Another one was a weekend at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park with a trip to Rocky Mountain National Park.