Walk Off a Cliff with Mom for Mother’s Day

“I can’t do it.” My mom and I were standing at the top of Sleeping Indian- a giant rock formation in the middle of Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She was already suited up, harness secured, hard hat tightly strapped on her head. I had just repelled the sheer red rock face. It was her turn. She wasn’t feeling it. Maybe it was the gigantic gulp that I took as I stepped backward off the cliff and the slight fear in my eyes as I dropped out of her sight beginning my repel… Whatever it was, she was clearly spooked.

“Mom, you can do this. It’s just that first step that’s scary. It’s not physically hard. The hardest part is getting out of your head.” She stared at me. Zero expression on her face.
“Ok…” she said, “I’ll try. But if I get scared, I’m not going over the edge.”

That was enough of an opening for the guys at Front Range Climbing Company to make her feel safe and secure enough to put her life in their hands. “You’re strapped in, you have control of your speed. If you get scared and let go, we’ve got you,” Brian, the president of the company, was going down with her. He had his hand on her lower back and was teetering securely on the edge. She looked up at me and I could see a glimmer of confidence. She took another step backward.

“You know where you are, right?” Brian asked her. “Yes.” She responded. “Do you want to continue?” Brian asked. “Yes” my mom responded going from horizontal to vertical in her next step. Two steps later and her mouth began to show signs of loosening. A few more, and she was actually smiling. We went down two more times each- at the same time. Now THAT is a mother/daughter bonding experience!

Brunch, tea, spa treatments, even a sunset dinner… I’ve done them all in celebration of my mom on Mother’s Day. This year I wanted to do something a little different, shake it up a bit, and try something that she will actually remember. And that’s why I chose our weekend away to Manitou Springs. Manitou Springs is situated at the base of Pike’s Peak where, sitting at 14,115 feet high overlooking Manitou Springs and the town’s backyard- the Garden of the Gods, Katherine Lee Bates wrote the lyrics to the song “America the Beautiful.” It's no wonder. Yes, it's THAT beautiful.

In its heyday (in the late 1800s- early 1900s), The Springs was a destination for people looking to be “cured” by the natural mineral springs that bubbled up throughout the town. Visitors, including Theodore Roosevelt, Charles Dickens Jr, Clark Gable, and Thomas Edison stayed at the Cliff House (which is why there are “celebrity suites” now named after them). My mom and I stayed in the Clark Gable Suite, complete with a huge soaking tub, steam shower, towel warming rack, and- my favorite- a Toto toilet with heated seats. Heaven. After our repelling thrill, we devoured seriously some of the most delicious healthy, organic, low fat foods, perfect for refueling from Naturally’s Market & Café (to be completely honest, we ate lunch there two days in a row- that good). Then we headed out on a “Spring About”- a tasting tour of the springs.

When looking at the mineral content of each of the nine springs, it’s easy to see why many of them were sought as medicaments, including Iron Springs Geyser- which is high in iron and used to treat anemia and weakness, Shoshone with a high manganese (think milk of magnesia… gentle laxative) and lithium (a natural mood lifter) content, Twin Spring- rich with magnesium which has been shown to help treat migraines and asthma, and Wheeler- rich with copper (known for its anti-aging properties). An eco-minded town, locals are often seen surrounding the springs with multiple reusable bottles filling up for the week with their favorite waters. For an extra treat, Ute Chief Spring, known for its natural sweetness, is a favorite for making lemonade! My mom and I made our lemonade from Shoshone- Lithium Lemonade… what could be better?!

Not sure if she was still high from our repelling or the water, but my mom told me that that was the best mother’s day yet. For me, I loved the eco adventure- sure, but more than that, I loved seeing how proud my mom was of herself. She conquered a physical feat that she didn’t know she had in her. But I knew she did. After all, in her heydays, I hear she was a bit of a wild one.