The Commute

A Phelps Lake Morning

By HONEST LINES

July 9^th, 2010

Sometimes you just need a change of scenery. A different route to work, a bagel instead of an English muffin, inverting the colors on your iPhone. A neck-punch to the normal.

I was working every day from the home office. Not a bad set up, mind you—a simple desk, three large bookcases, a guitar on the wall, and an overstuffed leather recliner which made it very cozy—but my daily commute consisted of getting out of bed, putting on some pants (sometimes) and walking approximately eighteen steps to the office door, detouring as necessary to the kitchen or bathroom.

We were fortunate enough to be living at the time in a very scenic and rural part of western Wyoming. Just 45 minutes to the north was Jackson Hole, home to both the world's wealthiest and dirt-baggiest characters as well as some of my favorite mountains. There was plenty of exploring to be done in the hills behind our house, but sometimes—you just need a change of scenery.

3:00 AM

I woke to the alarm on my watch. My backpack was already prepared with laptop and cords and business needs for the day, so after putting in contacts and grabbing a yogurt, I kissed my sleeping wife gently and walked out into starry darkness.

4:00 AM

Coming over the rise outside of Jackson and into sight of the Tetons never fails to make me smile. I'd timed it just right to catch the morning sunlight on the eastern slopes of the range, and stopped only to snap a few frames before heading to that morning's destination: Phelps Lake. The lake was accessed via the new Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve Center, part of a parcel of land that had recently been given back to the park after a few generations in the hands of the famous family. Fences had been torn down, trails tidied, and a beautiful interpretive center—one of the most modern and elegant federally funded buildings you'll ever see—was built at the trailhead.

I was the only one there.

4:35 AM

The trail isn't long (about six miles) or steep (maybe a couple hundred feed of elevation change) but it's beautiful. Winding through aspen and pine, I moved quickly, still smiling as I thought of the cow moose I'd seen on the drive in.

7:00 AM

The feeling that comes from getting up early and doing "hard" things is tough to describe succinctly. It's a mixture of pride, a dash of holier-than-thou, even just general satisfaction—but it's not like a lap around Phelps is hard. But it does bring me no small amount of clarity via a lot of empty-mind time (invaluable) and consistently ends up being an extremely creative phase for me.

Plus I get to see moose.

8:45 AM

And when it's all over? The drive run, the swim, the sunrise, a Pearl Street bagel for Second Breakfast... time to get back to work. Beats fighting traffic.