The winds today are gusting to 30 mph and Nicolai and I watched in amusement as the huge tent we were sitting next to was lifted off its stakes and propelled down a side street with great speed.

Alex Honnold is like no other athlete I have ever met. He does not know fear. This 23-year old free solo climber (no ropes or special gear) is featured in the film Alone on the Wall in which he climbs Yosemite’s Half Dome. I was terrified just watching the film and cannot comprehend the focus and drive necessary to accomplish such a feat.

 

 

With no speaking responsibilities today we elect to take in a little photography and make the short drive to the end of the box canyon in which Telluride is situated. Here we are treated to a view of Bridal Veil Falls which are full with spring runoff on this warm and sunny day. This two pronged waterfall is the tallest free standing in Colorado at 365 feet and is capped with a power generating station which produces 25% of Telluride’s electricity. The marmots here are abundant and show little respect for the law.

Hot chocolate and a freshly baked chocolate croissant, comparable to what he remembers from France, has Nicolai very happy with our choice of restaurant, The Butcher and the Baker. He is less pleased by the delay to his food enjoyment imposed by the taking of this photo.

On the way to breakfast, Nicolai cannot resist an opportunity for a little rock climbing.

Our hotel is located in Mountain Village, a 15-minute gondola ride from downtown Telluride at an elevation of nearly 10,000 ft. Today we have no speaking engagements and we start the morning enjoying the spectacular views from our balcony.

After an enthusiastic response to the film, Nico and I take the stage for a ten-minute Q&A session with the audience. Nicolai seemed very comfortable and did a great job responding to questions. He became a little tongue-tied, however, when he was asked by the mother of two teenage girls, seated beside her, if he was currently dating anyone.

By show time the intimate theater is packed to its 200 person capacity. Nico and I join the audience for what will be our first viewing of the film on a big screen.

During the interview a queue starts to form behind us at the Sheridan Opera House where Nico’s Challenge will screen for one of two showings.

As guests of the festival we have four assignments to complete. The first is an interview with Outside Television during which we respond to questions about the film, our climb, and future plans. The crew included two cameramen, a sound engineer, a producer, the interviewer (pictured here) and several assistants.

Nicolai and I have been invited to attend the Mountainfilm Festival where the short film documenting our climb of Mount Kilimanjaro will be screened. Nico’s Challenge, masterfully edited by local producer, Steve Audette, was one of ten documentaries selected from a field of 600 entrants. Even before picking up our credentials, which gave us Carte Blanche access to the entire festival, Nicolai is stopped several times on the street by local students and Mountainfilm volunteers who recognized him from an advanced showing of the film at the high school earlier in the day. I felt like I was traveling with a rock star.

Nicolai and I flew to Montrose, Colorado this morning where we rented a car and made the 90 minute drive to Telluride enjoying spectacular views of the San Miguel Mountains along the way.

It was very sweet watching Maya and Nicolai play Frisbee in the back yard this evening. Neither could be bothered to stop for dinner and Jeanine and I just sat back and enjoyed the sibling harmony. Maya started out wearing a blue skirt over her leggings but that was soon shed to increase running speed. Her catching skills are quite good and Nico was very patient as her throwing accuracy continues to improve. No posts until next Tuesday when Nico and I return from the Mountainfilm Festival in Telluride. Meanwhile, Jeanine and Maya head to Ferry Beach, Maine for the weekend, leaving Kyle in Concord to make money with his new landscaping business.

Each morning I review my meeting schedule at work and choose the most casual/comfortable clothes that are consistent with appropriate business attire for that day. Yesterday, I hosted a meeting with the Chairman and CEO of Texas Instruments (30 billion dollar market cap) so I dressed up. Today I had no external meetings so I dressed down (polo shirt, cargo pants, hiking boots). A few minutes before lunch I got an e-mail from my boss asking me to make a 15 minute presentation to the iRobot Board of Directors at 3PM. Needless to say it was a busy afternoon which included a return home to snarf down lunch, change clothes and give myself a haircut followed by an intense workout with PowerPoint which I finished at 2:59PM. I entered the Board Room, pictured above, minus the 20 person distinguished audience, tried to appear calm and did 30 minutes off the cuff. Going forward, I plan to leave a full change of formal clothes at work for just such occasions.