Words for a feeling that cannot be conjured up at will. This is what happens when I eye Mount Sopris — 12,965 feet of perfection, in my opinion.
It is my birthday today (May 6), and as I reflect on growing older, I also find myself considering the many changes that are happening quickly in the valley. Driving along Highway 82 yesterday from Glenwood to Carbondale, it was Sopris that called me home. She doesn’t change.
Well, yes, she is amazing at flaunting her style — those visual, earthy layers and colors, and the changing sky. Even the mysterious days where she wraps herself in some form of moisture and it seems as if she isn’t there. But she is always there, dominating the skyline, reminding us of the beauty we embrace as residents of this magical place.
And it is changing.
There is now traffic in Glenwood almost continually throughout the day. Housing options for the workforce are limited — even more so if you have a pet.
Residents are frustrated with the influx of people, but don’t these same people deserve to experience what we know? We should be open to these changes and be grateful for the fact that the people that choose to try and make a life here have to work hard. They have to be motivated to maintain a certain lifestyle.
This can make for an awesome community. Sopris reminds us that we should recapture our foundation and our history in this time of transition. We should work together to find solutions to keep our valley real. Take a moment and look at her today, really look at her.
Mount Sopris may change her “wardrobe” depending on the season, but her soul remains the same. Let us wear this change and move forward in her spirit — to always be magnificent and true to our core.
“Adopt the pace of Nature: her secret is patience.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
Tracey Yajko
Glenwood Springs
