Do Her Eyes Smile?

A little over three years ago I wrote a post about my wife titled, “Does Her Voice Smile?” It was based on her love for hiking and for the group of ladies she has hiked with for the past 20+ years. I made the point that every time she comes home from a day with her friends I can tell because her voice smiles. Over the past couple of days I came to realize that she smiles in other ways.

The photo above is of the “Crystal Mill” which is located on a road that can be hiked or driven in a capable four wheel drive vehicle. The road starts just outside the town of Marble, Colorado and runs through the hamlet of Crystal, Colorado before beginning the climb to perilous Schofield Pass which ends in Crested Butte. The “Mill” is the second most photographed spot in the state of Colorado. It isn’t actually a mill but was constructed in the late 1800s and used a horizontal water wheel propelled by the flow of The Crystal River to turn a device that pumped clean air through pipes running to the mines close to the area, allowing the miners to breathe fresh air. It was later converted into a compressor which delivered compressed air to drive pneumatic tools used in the mines. We have been to the mill multiple times and never tire of the surrounding beauty. It really is not easy to describe and I highly recommend you set aside a day to enjoy the adventure.

We recently made another trip into the mill and even though we own a very capable jeep we chose to use Crystal Mill Jeep Tours to take us. The company is owned by the Smith family and we have come to know Sam who runs it. She is full of life and is a big part of the experience. It is not that the road is extremely difficult to drive, we just prefer to be able to enjoy the scenery rather than concentrating on navigating over the rocks and alongside the steep drop-offs. Sam employs great drivers and guides so why not take advantage of what they have to offer.

On this particular trip we were accompanied by another couple who are close friends and had never been into the mill so we also wanted to make sure they got the history lesson that goes along with the guided tour. Our driver, Colton, is a young guy from Texas who has been in Colorado for only a few years but has embraced the outdoor lifestyle in a big way. In addition to driving jeeps, and hauling tourists around the mountains, he is a backcountry snowboarder, first responder mountain rescuer, knows everyone in that part of Gunnsion County and is generally just a good dude. I knew I liked the guy when he stopped at one point to take a photo and exclaimed, “look at what God did here. He gave us this incredible place to enjoy.” He went on to say, “how can anyone look at this and deny there is a creator?” Really perceptive, really refreshing.

As we got closer to the mill the weather started to change and rain started to fall. Normally I would expect Terrie to express a little displeasure but not today. She was in her element. She put on another layer of clothes and kept smiling as we proceeded up the road. Each of us was mesmerized by the beauty of the changing aspens, the gentle sound of the Crystal River as it flowed alongside the trail, the surprise of occasional water falls cascading down the mountainside fed by unseen mountain springs and the majesty of the surrounding 13 and 14 thousand foot peaks. Colton kept us informed about past avalanches and rock slides that annually change the hillsides and even the road. He was skilled to point out late season wild flowers and tell how the people who were indigenous to the area used various plants for food and medicine. I could tell how passionate he is about the area by how often he would pause to take a photo – he told me he now has over 21,000 of them. The entire experience has a spiritual quality about it. You can feel the amazing artistry of God in this place. As Colton said, it is undeniable.

The entire trip is about 3 hours from start to finish and includes a very short stop in Crystal (elevation 8950′). The village used to have a “general store” but it was closed a couple of years ago because the county decided the building didn’t meet code. I’m not sure what difference that makes in a town of 16 but it is now closed and has a sign in the window with a QR code in case you want to shop on line! The gentleman who owns the entire place, including the mill, lives in Crystal year around. I’m not sure how he does that but after several decades I am sure he knows what he is going to face with each change of season. After the short stop in Crystal we returned to the mill where Colton gave us the history and we had a chance to take some photographs. The last time we visited the mill the owner allowed professional photographers to scale the hillside going down to the river to take pictures of the mill from below. He had several attendants monitoring who was allowed to go down to the river and collect the $20.00 fee he charged them. As those things go, people started figuring out ways to get around the attendants and get across the river to the mill building and of course there was vandalism and damage done to the property. The story goes that one imbecile even tied a rope to the mill shaft, connected it to his jeep and tried to tear the shaft away from the building. So as usual a few ruined it for everyone else and they have completely shut down any access to the area below and surrounding the mill. You can still take photographs from a couple good vantage points adjacent to the road.

The ride back to Marble is as stunning as the ride up to the mill. Sure, it’s the exact same road but traveling in the reverse direction the sites are new and different. It was almost as if in the short time since we had passed through the first time, more Aspen trees had begun their annual transition to gold and more of the brush along the road had changed to red. The light rain that had fallen intensified the colors of the brush and the contrasting green of the spruce trees. Because it was a Monday there were very few vehicles making the drive which added to the tranquility and beauty of our surroundings. The light wind blowing through the trees sounded like the whispers of angels and caused you to dismiss the sound of the jeep tires crunching over the dirt and gravel on the road. All too soon we were back at Beaver Lake and the town of Marble.

After thanking Colton for the wonderful three hour journey we headed for Slow Groove Barbecue, a must stop when you are in Marble. For a Monday the place was packed. It is amazing to me that this restaurant exists in a town of around 130 full time residents and it is not like Marble is located on a major highway. Marble is a destination, not somewhere you randomly drive through. And yet, here is this fantastic barbecue restaurant serving savory beef brisket, chicken, ribs, pulled pork, mac and cheese and all the other goodies you would expect at a good “cue” place.

We enjoyed a filling lunch comprised of beef brisket, baked beans, and creamy mac and cheese, accompanied by Slow Groove’s sweet and spicy sauces. Each of us descended into a meat coma brought on by not wanting to waste a single bite of the tender and flavorful beef.

After lunch we drove our guests to the marble quarry viewing area. The quarry is still active and despite the many years of cutting huge blocks of the white stone out of the hillside, we were told there is enough Marble left in the vein to last 1,000 years. We took time to read some of the history of the quarry written on signs posted around the area of the quarry office parking lot. In the lot were trailers, some holding Marble blocks weighing up to 60,000 pounds. They were staged, ready to be transported to their next destination.

It was getting late in the afternoon and we had a couple hour drive to get back to our accommodations for the evening. We made a short stop at the Redstone Inn, an iconic Colorado hotel, complete with a castle and its own little town. Then it was back on the road. The contrast of the busy, noisy, interstate highway and the quiet beauty of Crystal was a shock to our systems. Each of us spent time, in our own way, reflecting on the experience of the day. We all know we should slow down and enjoy the amazing artistry of God more. Of course, easier said than done.

For me, this was a day to share Terrie’s love for the mountains and for adventure. I could tell she was in her element and even though she had been to the mill several times, this trip was just as special and invigorating as the previous ones. When we got home that evening it was evident her entire countenance had changed. Now, keep in mind Terrie rarely shows extreme emotion in her facial expressions. Her smile is beautiful and is a reflection of her loving and gracious heart. But this night was somehow different. There is a saying, “the eyes are a window to the soul. Terrie’s eyes were smiling. The delights of the day were reflected in the expression of her eyes and there was no doubt about the joy I saw in her. And yes, her voice smiled too.

Men, this is what we should always choose for our spouses. To do something that will show them we do choose them every day. We choose them to help guide our own journey. We choose them because God had chosen them for us long before we were born. We choose them because being together with them fills our hearts and calms our spirit. We choose them over everything else in our lives except God. And because we choose them in so many ways we should also choose to do whatever we can to insure their eyes smile.