After getting off Mount Massive, I drove north to Grand Lake where I will be camping at the Winding River Ranch for the Ellerbluth nuptials. I arrived early enough to shower and scrape most of the grime from my body, catch up with Elise, and present myself at a pre-wedding BBQ gathering in clean clothes.
Waking up Sunday morning, I realize that my whole week of climbing 14ers was all a warm up for the Ellerbluth wedding celebration. What a party! There was a lot of sweet dance moves, amazing food, a Colorado flag made up donuts, and great company to celebrate these two amazing people. Of course no one stole the scene quite like Becca and Evan. Established dancing prodigies, these two really strutted their stuff and were the classiest pair present.
I met Becca my first year in undergrad at Cornell College. We were group partners in Historical Geology. Oh yeah, did I mention Becca is a geologist? My undergrad would not have been as rich an experience without Becca’s lively presence. Obviously I wanted to be associated with such a cool person. But geology is only the tip of the iceberg. Becca is also one of the most creative and interesting people I know. She double-majored in Geology and Art. And it is clear that Becca’s talents came through in all the beautiful, creative, and fun decorations and food of this weekend. Evan also went to Cornell College, but I did not have the pleasure of meeting him until after we were all living in Colorado, post school. Evan is a professional philanthropist. For those who don’t understand what that means, he loves humanity. He is inherently generous with time, energy, and empathy for the sole purpose of bettering someone else’s well-being by getting to the root of quality of life. And if you have ever met this man, you know that he truly is the kindest and most engaging person you will ever meet. These two are a rare breed of amazing humans, and my faith in humanity is restored every time I am gifted with their presence. I could not be happier to celebrate their union. Congratulations Becca and Evan!
What a phenomenal way to end this trip to Colorado. If only all vacations were so filled with family, other loved ones, fun adventures, and celebrations!
Elizabeth Erickson 