DriClime® Pants
While record heat and drought char much of the west, there are, thank God, high mountain valleys where on some mornings the first rays of dawn still catch the glint of a fine and delicate layer of frost. My summer employee housing happens to be in just such a valley, tucked into the northern end of Grand Teton National Park, and looking out on a million, no make that billion, dollar view.
It’s a cozy cabin, so small that one step out of bed takes me to my closet, two take me to my office, and three take me to my kitchen. Hence the morning routine: slip into the DriClime® side-zip pants, turn on the computer to check the weather, put the espresso maker on the old gas stove. It’s a simple, meaningful ritual.
The DriClime® pants are windproof and lined with inimitably soft DriClime® fabric. I wore them to the top of Shishapangma beneath my lightweight down pants, creating a seamless clothing system that took me from base camp to the summit without ever having to strip a layer in order to add one. Here they’re simply an ultra comfortable pant for cold morning walks, runs or bicyle rides. Or for hanging out over morning coffee. My computer contains my life: paper files are not conducive to the peripatetic life I lead. My espresso pot? Well, suffice it to say, it’ll go with me to my grave.
By the time I’ve flipped through the satellite loop and scanned the New York Times on-line, the espresso burbles into the pot, filling the cabin with its rich aroma. Cup in hand, I step onto the porch. Often I don’t bother with shoes or socks, letting the coffee and the soft pants spread warmth down to my toes. Then I sit for half a cup or so, in silence, watching morning alpine-glow ease it’s way down Teewinot while elk graze peacefully a hundred feet away.
A peaceful dawn, a small lap-top, an espresso pot, and DriClime® Pants: a lot to be thankful for. More than one might think. Trust me.