Welcome to the Motel Colorado

[DArcyS]

I suppose some folks might need a diversion at work after a three-day weekend, so here we go.

This all began innocently enough. Like many peakbaggers, I've modified my vehicle so that I can sleep at trailheads. And then it happened - my mind made the connection between the Eagles' song Hotel California and my vehicle as a Motel Colorado. A car is mobile, I sleep in my car, sure, Motel Colorado.

It started with a simple seed, "Welcome to the Motel Colorado, Not much room in the Motel Colorado, Any time of year, you can't find it here."

Perhaps I should've let it go at that, but I became intrigued and driven by the relationship of the Eagles' song to mountaineering. One interpretation of the Hotel California involves insanity (do an Internet search), and mountaineering, when you drill to the core of the matter, involves insanity. People risk their lives to reach a point on Earth, a result that is only self-serving and has no practical significance. People risk their lives for something that is truly meaningless. Is that not crazy?

Here's a link to an Eagles' live performance of Hotel California for context:



A couple notes on what follows. I'm no musician, so maybe much of this would fall flat when performed. Some verses are moved to flow with a climbing trip. As for the reference to bike racing, my primary recreational activity switched from peakbagging to bike racing years ago, and hiking does little to improve how fast I can ride a bike. (Although I did well at the Mt. Blue Sky and Pikes Peak races this year after I thought a backpacking trip would hurt my results.) Perhaps something would make more sense for others, feel free to modify anything you desire. (I'm just hoping not to hear from Don Henley's attorneys, see https://www.billboard.com/business/lega ... 235720951/. Although parody is protected under the First Amendment, so I'm safe from copyright issues.) Finally--and I'll save you the internet search here--Ourea are the mountain gods of Greek mythology.

So, spit on the parts worthy of derision, enjoy what happens to work.

On a rough mountain road
Society out of my hair
Fresh scent of pine
Rising up through the air

Up ahead in the distance
I saw the alluring goal
Drowning in my obsession
I had to climb that peak

As it stood on the horizon
I heard the siren's call
And I was thinking to myself
This could be Heaven
But it's usually Hell

My enthusiasm long ago gone
Summit fever corroding my mind
With my judgment growing dim
I had to camp for the night

As I pulled of the road
There were voices in my head
I thought I heard them say

"Welcome to the Motel Colorado."
Such a homely place, not a homey place

Not much room in the Motel Colorado
Any time of year
You can't find it here

All of this is definitely twisted
It's no Mercedes Benz
And nobody's ever around
To call friend

So I called up the Captain, "Please bring me my beer."
But there's no cell service
Anywhere near here

Hardly living it up at the Motel Colorado
No real surprise
Never need an alibi

How I dance up the mountain
Sweet summit air
Some climb to remember
Another climb I'll forget

Stars as the ceiling,
Dreaming of my knees on ice,
And other things, pleasantly nice

Still I hear the voices from far away
"You should be racing your bike."
"This will never pay."

I'm a prisoner here of my own device
With my master checklist, and ready to feast
I stab it with my steely ice axe
Never to kill the peakbagging beast

Last thing I remember
Was obsessing for one more
But there's no trail back
To my sanity of before

"Relax," said Ourea
"You are programmed to achieve."
"You can check out any time you like."
"But you can never leave."

[greenonion]

You have no idea how this resonates for me. Especially the insanity part this year.

Excellent work on this - bravo!

[two lunches]

what a wonderful contribution to the forum thank you!!!

[crestone14ers]

Very well done, D’Arcy.

[rmcpherson]

This is one of the better parodies of that song I've seen. Well done!

[daway8]

Excellent!!!

[Vadim34]

Good stuff! Now we need someone to sing it!

[SkaredShtles]

[cedica]

I always thought that Hotel California is about addiction, so it is a good metaphor for this peakbagging pastime, in my opinion. The reason I always hated the song is because it sounds like it was written from the perspective of lofty people, celebrities, or as contemporary culture warriors would probably say "liberal elites". Later I've heard David Olney's Deeper Well and it immediately spoke to me in relatable terms. Emmylou Harris further solidified her version by adding some unambiguous lyric like "Nipple to the bottle to the gun to the cell" and "Addiction stayed on tight like a glove", so it became a classic.

I'm guessing that some people will object to using the word "addiction" and probably would prefer something like "calling" or "mission", but the connotations don't have to be all bad. It is somewhat similar to trying to score 18th hole in Tin Cup, honestly.

The same is true for cycling, since OP already mentioned it. Today I watched Wout van Aert losing the battle against rock wall, and then having no choice but to surrender the war too. Two wars actually, both likely already won, but he is not the person that would simply sit and wait for hostilities to end. But I bet he will recover faster than it takes me to get over a cold or flu, and immediately try to get into a fight somewhere. Yes, "addiction" fits like a glove.

[Wentzl]

gotta simply say, brilliant

[greenonion]

I always thought that Hotel California is about addiction, so it is a good metaphor for this peakbagging pastime, in my opinion. The reason I always hated the song is because it sounds like it was written from the perspective of lofty people, celebrities, or as contemporary culture warriors would probably say "liberal elites". Later I've heard David Olney's Deeper Well and it immediately spoke to me in relatable terms. Emmylou Harris further solidified her version by adding some unambiguous lyric like "Nipple to the bottle to the gun to the cell" and "Addiction stayed on tight like a glove", so it became a classic.

I'm guessing that some people will object to using the word "addiction" and probably would prefer something like "calling" or "mission", but the connotations don't have to be all bad. It is somewhat similar to trying to score 18th hole in Tin Cup, honestly.

The same is true for cycling, since OP already mentioned it. Today I watched Wout van Aert losing the battle against rock wall, and then having no choice but to surrender the war too. Two wars actually, both likely already won, but he is not the person that would simply sit and wait for hostilities to end. But I bet he will recover faster than it takes me to get over a cold or flu, and immediately try to get into a fight somewhere. Yes, "addiction" fits like a glove.

Yes brilliant

Thank you for your perspectives here, cedica. Truly appreciated and always interesting, surely funny at times too

[DArcyS]

Glad folks liked it, thank you.

It's been four months since my posting, time flies. Since then, I made a trip out to Las Vegas to see the Eagles in concert at the Sphere.

On my FB page, I've posted a video clip of the Hotel California being performed. It's the first song the Eagles perform as they take the stage, and people are just blown away by it all.

An interesting perspective is that of Vince Gill, and I can't say that I disagree with him.

https://www.whiskeyriff.com/2024/10/25/ ... las-vegas/

In my FB post, I suggest that the nosebleed seats are the best seats because it allows you to see everything around you. Sure, you can barely make out the band, but as Vince says, you really aren't watching them anyways.

Here's a link to my FB post:

https://www.facebook.com/darcy.straub.37

If you want to see more, the experience is worth the trip.