What a perfect way to start summer...with your oldest and dearest friends! And the best part is, the boys planned all of this all on their own. All I had to do was provide the food, bed, and car. Sweet deal!
These boys have been friends since elementary school. Gavin and Pranav met in 5th grade and Bennett and Vik met in 2nd grade. They've stayed close even after we moved to two different states and they each went off to different colleges. Every time they meet up, they pick up right where they left off.
Pranav started his visit with Gavin in North Dakota and then they flew to Colorado to spend the rest of the week adventuring around here. Vik flew straight into Colorado and hit the ground running.
It looks easy until you try it.
They played at least 10 games of Marvel Villainous. And chess.
They climbed Horsetooth Mountain together. Speaking of mountains, Gavin and Pranav had their hearts set on climbing a 14er this time. They read up on it and tried to prepare the best they could. They even set off at 3:30 in the morning in order to drive the 2.5 hours it takes to get there so they can start early in the morning as is advised. However, the first mountain they tried to get to, Mt. Bierstadt, was closed. The road up there was blocked due to snow. So they googled the next closest 14er and drove to it. Gavin said the road was so bad they had to park 2 miles down the mountain because it was solid ice on the road up to the parking area. He said it got half way up and had to drive in reverse back down again. In the dark. At 5:30 in the morning. They got there the same time as a couple other people. He said they all hiked together and got about a 1/3 of the way up before they were forced to quit. Why were they forced to quit, you ask? Because the wind was about to blow them off the mountain and they were hiking in thigh-deep snow. Gavin's glasses were ripped right off his face and whipped down the mountain. Nature can be brutal.
Of course there was LOTS of spikeball!
As well as bouldering. There were many things I didn't get photos of such as our dinners and sitting around talking. Gavin and Pranav riding the pump track. All the games of raquetball they played. The many ice cream runs we made because...summer. The multiple trips to the store they took for me to replenish the vasts amounts of food necessary to feed 4 active young adult men.
It's such a joy to watch these beautiful friendships grow and deepen over the years. They each value what the other values. Many interests they share, many they don't but they make a point to show interest in what each other likes. That right there is the definition of friendship!
