Taking the Plunge: Al Young

Taking the Plunge*

*This is a first for Taking the Plunge. I met Al Young over tea recently and knew I wanted to learn more about her, but she was only staying around long enough for her bike to be tuned for her 3000 mile+ solo jaunt to Maine. So, I asked her long time friend to write the intro. Thanks, Elizabeth!

Al Young is a woman of incredible strength and courage who I feel privileged to call my friend. She is an excellent musician and singer, plus plays the trombone with style and flair. I’ll always remember seeing her on top of an upright piano playing the trombone in her derby hat in the musical, Cabaret.

Besides being a music teacher and gardener, she is an outdoor sports athlete – hiking, skiing, and bicycling. Admitting to having arthritis throughout her whole body, Al has had a total knee replacement, total shoulder replacement, foot surgery, carpal tunnel surgery, and while bicycling around the world in the year 2000, she broke her neck in France and missed three months of cycling, but kept up with the group and only missed six weeks of the trip.

She left her home in eastern Idaho on May 13, 2014 and bicycled here [more than 1200 miles] to see me and other friends in Oregon and Washington before she heads out on her own to Maine. She averages about 50 miles a day and is completely self-contained.

I’ve never known anyone so disciplined and efficient as Al. We’ve been friends for 25 years. -- Elizabeth Kelly

Al Young

My first life is as a musician. I taught junior high band and chorus for 15 years and retired. I then worked at a landscape nursery and became manager after several years and retired again after 15 years. I directed the Jackson Hole Chorale for 10 years and played trombone in the Jackson Hole Brass Quintet for ten years as well as sang in several different Sweet Adeline Quartets, the last one being ‘The Youngsters’ for 10 years. That was a pun as our accumulative years added up to 215 this past year. I also played in the JH Community Band which I directed for 1 year, played in the JH Jazz Band and directed the JH Symphony Orchestra for 2 years. I also directed the musical “Into the Woods” and my claim to fame is when I had a part in “Hair”.

My second life is gardening. I have always gardened starting when I took care of the family garden as a kid. I now have a 2500 square foot garden with an 8x12’ greenhouse and a 30x36’ hoophouse. My dream has always been to have a roadside stand but second best is a stand at the local Farmer’s Market, which I have done for several years. It is so satisfying to have repeat customers and especially those who say things like “you grew that here?” I started out by selling veggies out of the back end of my explorer. I’ve come a long ways. I’ve expanded for the purpose of having a side job after retirement that I enjoy that will bring in a little extra income. I also plan to do landscaping jobs on the side as time permits.

When I’m not playing music or gardening, I’m probably hiking, biking, backpacking or cooking for a dinner party. In 2000 and since, I rode the Odyssey Bike Trip Around the World. I rode across

America

with a friend, have done several state rides, and rode the Orient Express Bike Ride through eight countries. I climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro for my 60^th birthday and have hiked the Haute Route from Chamonix, France to Zermatt, Switzerland which I plan to do again next year with another friend. I started out on the Pacific Crest Trail, but had to abort after 28 days due to a knee injury the year before on the ski slope. (I sold the skis and gave up that activity.) I hope to hike more of the PCT in the future years.

Who are you? List 5 words that define you!

Ambitious – Organized – Self-sufficient – Driven - Adventurous

What have you done that you’re most proud of?

Rode my bike around the world with Odyssey.

If you could change one thing in your past, what would it be?

I’d never had gotten married.

On a personal/client level, what drives you crazy? What gives you joy?

Crazy – People who say “I can’t” or “I should do this or that.”

Joy – Being able to take care of myself.

Given no restrictions (i.e. money/physical capabilities) – what would you most like to do?

I have worked hard for everything I’ve been able to do or have acquired. I can’t even imagine having unlimited funds or an inexhaustible body to do more than I want to do. I’ve always lived within my means and will continue to do so.