Let’s Go High! Part 1: So Many Stars

I co-led a very loose, mostly American Indian-based Leadership weekend at High Camp Hut (formerly Spruce Lodge) outside of Telluride last weekend.

I want to talk about two aspects of the experience; they’re intertwined, so they’re not mutually exclusive. Part One will focus on the place and the space. Part Two on the learning.

Spruce Lodge and Sheep Mountain
outside Telluride, CO

Hanging out at High Camp Hut was a very cool experience, especially at night. The Milky Way wasn’t just visible, it was a river, made even more defined by the New Moon. And, it was way cooler at night—literally. Even though it was early October, it was still well below freezing at night.

You hike in about 2.5 miles, with a backpack full of hats and vests, lamb and eggs (yep, we brought eggs!). The ‘hut’ is really more like a lodge, made of giant logs with thick plank floors. There’s a propane-fired stove and refrigerator, solar-powered lighting but no electrical outlets. No matter. My co-leader and good friend Doug was able to patch together batteries and wire to power an iPod player.

And the Hut has a sauna. A sauna! A bad-ass, wood-fired sauna with benches, towels and the ability to get to 130 degrees before you knew it.

Something happens to you, individually, and as a group when you’re in the mountains. The closest I can get to it is that it’s like some sort of organic cleansing. It’s not just that your perspective changes at 11,000 feet. Everything does. The air is clearer. You feel lighter (except for your breathing and the occasional…constipation). Clearer. More human. And everything, whether it’s a glass of wine or a banana, tastes way better. Music sounds better. You know that’s true when even Barry Manilow gets sung (banana microphones) and danced to.

There’s also something about the shared high altitude experience that makes everyone want to pitch in. Dinners magically appeared. Wood was stacked, fires were lit and stoked and dishes were washed. All without so much as a word of planning.

My experience is that High Camp Hut is a perfect place to take a group of people. A company looking to get more clear on purpose and values or come up with new products or services (which is what Be does). An organization, doesn’t matter if it’s corporate or non-profit, that wants to create positive, exciting experiences, for its employees and its customers (Be does that, too). A group that wants to become closer, see each other at a deeper level or address a tough issue or question (yep, we can help you there, too). If you have some decisions to make…if you’re wanting to take a deeper look at yourself…if you want to see more stars than you can imagine, and feel part of it all, get up in the mountains.

Check back in next week for Let's Go High!  Part 2:  You’re a Star.