After nearly six years as a corporate lawyer in Dallas, I was ready to take a step back, recharge, and reflect. So I quit my job and headed for the mountains.
I left Dallas on June 5 and headed straight for Lake City,
Colorado, a sleepy old mining town in the San Juan Mountains with an average
high temperature in June of 74 degrees.
The 830-mile drive to Lake City usually takes you through a line of summer
storms, and this year was no different—except I drove through some snow in New
Mexico.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjurhowUHrpvFD_UwwYHMGIZYFCGj59a-9R_cnalPXVGF6n6LW6bFNCMhAbRXUY-A_4CFeyu1juHLJf1aBZbYiqV8yXmzOij1LY4LCtdeC1mMdGQt1rMRE5Or_j04zw0Zw1rLcLrLATXznq/s320/IMG_1280.JPG) |
Snow in New Mexico on June 5? |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9y-jybW0y_igDvEdi3np-QSqVNcjGS-zm13MWBd5N7G7SrcUSFp9SbE_wL7lF3ANSwUq1U5SQ_M3ICHIdd9jltpnLDvHv3lvRytGDIj46pHailzq_0D5497LArb0jNxc1rFghMfg_jp9L/s320/IMG_1296.JPG) |
It cleared up by the time I got to Colorado. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE3nOXpdKlwTwNvuEP5ZKiVNzlnm_CXbYD90hvqErBM95zBwLy3ljC1AA4aJGQc3LFt3y4BP8GA2IW4aPhaTb2Fk_Tx4cuvDr90i5UwECoiy9JHOznBmNs2oLxZenAqcPzKmMAiAcFhsVa/s320/IMG_1332.JPG) |
The sun had just set when I reached the summit of Slumgullion Pass to drop into Lake City. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpBiF8qaUTiJLirX165LZDsDnHadNwHfCQX3A6lN0Rp00hJRiP10vSMQl33EDU38xECNKf5eXPOzeblmHF6FKTIkP3iMxTGlnSfDojw7PetzO3C1Lc14UOYQ8jWUgTxZ0tnygliTcwRYTC/s320/IMG_1333.JPG) |
It might not look like much from this distance, but the large mountain in the middle is Uncompahgre, and the tallest notch to its left is Wetterhorn--both are over 14,000 feet high.
|
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxmQ6xceZifKBLv3nODrnZLU0gsPkfna_LwTBDtg_i5klMeyfodXE49jr2lOV-e_9BImFBsto0he2jwRrb7iGogHVGC1KdEc60kDKv9h5UkPxqFbI67xBxrdkjVu4cbAenlM20oly9XkJC/s200/Drive+In.jpg) |
My roommate made these t-shirts commemorating my escape. I can only assume you've already seen them around Dallas and have been trying in vain to order them through Nieman Marcus. |