High Alpine Play
For those of you who swoon a bit over epic pictures of rad adventures, Chelsea Factor is going to be someone you want to know. I had the good fortunate to meet Chelsea for a few brief minutes in Miami after a bike ride and she immediately struck me as someone I’d love to spend time with. The people who introduced her to me used some pretty awesome words describing Chelsea’s athletic endeavors and I immediately became a fan. Fast forward a few months later and Chelsea actually transplanted herself from Miami to Denver… and she seamlessly made the transition from beachfront miles to mountainous escapades. Due to the pandemic, I haven’t been able to connect with Chelsea in person but following her rad adventures via Instagram always provides me with a dose of adrenaline and a boost to my heart about how awesome our world is to play in. If you need a dose of play inspiration yourself, look no further than Chelsea...and be prepared to want to step outside immediately to go find some high alpine play!
Here’s more with Chelsea:
Describe a little about yourself:
I am a Florida native, relocated to Denver to escape big city life and be closer to the mountains. I am an endurance junkie who traded two wheels for trail shoes.
What do you do for play?
Trail running is my recess of choice. Any distance, any terrain!
How does play motivate you in your life?
Lately it seems like life motivates me to play, especially over the last year with the pandemic. Add up pandemic-stress with normal daily life-stress, and I absolutely need to get out the door or I would go crazy!
How do you benefit from it?
I need time outside in the trails for my mental health, then everything else in life falls into place. Escaping to the trails is such a great way to disconnect and reset my mindset, even if just for an hour.
When you think of your ideal day spent playing, what is it?
My ideal day is spent on high alpine trails in the summer way above the tree line, linking together seldom traveled trails to make an epic route. All I need to have a perfect day is: an equally adventurous friend, a pack filled with snacks, a water filter, and zero cell service.
Our motto is Pursue a Life of Play. In your own words, what does this mean to you? How do you live it?
Im living it! I left Miami with the purpose of pursuing play. Leaving the comfort of home was not easy, but I have no regrets. Colorado is the greatest playground imaginable!
Chelsea on a rad, epic High Alpine trail.
