There are few places I love more than mountain towns in the summer. They’re so quiet and peaceful; I often think if there is a heaven, it’s possibly located somewhere in the Grand Tetons or the Wasatch Valley. This summer, I’ve had the opportunity to spend time in three of my favorite winter spots—Mammoth, Jackson Hole and Aspen—under the cover of warm sunshine and surrounded by lush greenery.

My Jackson Hole weekend was a second reporting trip for my story on big-mountain snowboarder Jeremy Jones. I spent two days watching video shot during his two years of filming for Deeper, as well viewing a rough-cut of the film, at the Teton Gravity Research HQ at the base of the mountain. I left inspired, ready to write and sad to leave such a beautiful town. Fortunately, I got one good morning run in before I left.

THE VIEW ON MY MORNING RUN. PRETTY ...

This past weekend, I flew to Aspen for the first-annual Yoga Rocks the Mountains retreat at the Viceroy Snowmass, where I stayed for the weekend. (Man, there is just so much right with that sentence.) Because I plan to make this retreat an annual event on my personal calendar, I will now use this blog to convince you all why you must join me next year! Consider it an experiment in writing reviews.

First of all, the Viceroy is stunning. Built only three years ago, it anchors the base of Snowmass Village, which has undergone an incredible, and incredibly fast, renovation. The Viceroy is the calling card of the new village and is at once a monstrous mountain lodge, all wood panels and antler chandeliers, and a luxurious, indulgent sanctuary. Friday night, I met friends at Eight K, the hotel restaurant, for dinner. (Eight K signifies 8,000 feet, the altitude the hotel resides at.) Everything was memorable (I had the sea bass and a Moscow Mule cocktail) and the dessert, more than anything, lived up to the hype. The goat cheese cheesecake with blueberry fritters was unlike anything I’ve tasted. And the strawberry rhubarb pie with homemade ginger ice cream was less unique, but equally wonderful. I’m still talking about it, aren’t I?

Saturday and Sunday was the yoga retreat, and I went yoga crazy. I took three classes on Saturday, beginning with a relaxing Vinyasa flow. In the early afternoon, I experienced Yoga For Cyclists with Aspen instructor Aaron King, who owns King Yoga and recently spent three weeks working with Lance Armstrong. Loved that class. I ended the day with Yoga For Foodies, which was taught by my friend David Romanelli, an author and yogi who owns several studios in Arizona. He also runs a series of retreats around the country blending yoga, wine and chocolate. (I’ve been to his Napa retreat, which was fantastic fun.) Yes, I agree. He’s a genius. Nothing gets you through an hour and a half of yoga better than knowing there is food and wine waiting for you on the other side. I really wanted to take the Yoga For Runners class, but my bum hamstring just wouldn’t allow me a fourth class, so I opted to ice and sit by the pool for an hour instead.

Sunday, I took two classes: an outside class with Peter Avolio in the morning and an indoor class with his wife, Lisa, in the afternoon. The couple owns two studios in Seattle, called SHAKTI, and if I am ever in town, I will certainly look them up. I loved Lisa’s class. She has her own take on the Vinyasa style, blending multi-directional movement (there is no front of the room) and short, movement-infused holds. She also loves arm balances, hand stands and advanced leg balances, and so do I. It was a perfect fit.

Not as perfect as the Viceroy spa, though. I’d like to think I’ve been to enough spas to comment expertly on what makes one great. In my opinion, it’s a blend of atmosphere, staff, amenities, extra touches and quality of service. This spa gets an A+ in every category. I’ve had a lot of massages in my life, but the hot stone massage from Roxy was perhaps the best massage I’ve ever had. No kidding. Deep-tissue massages are my style, but I usually spend the hour gritting my teeth and trying not to cry, knowing it’s good for me. Relaxing messages are nice, but the effect lasts only as long as the massage. Somehow, this was a super-deep massage that was also intensely relaxing. I will dream about it for weeks.

To counteract the effects of the altitude, I also had an oxygen facial, which was wonderful. Elizabeth, the esthetician, taught me a lot about my skin and how to care for it now that I spend a considerable amount of time at altitude and, more importantly, “I’m not 16 anymore.” Afterward, I had a glass of complimentary Sauvignon Blanc, a cup of fruit-infused water, some dried fruit and nearly fell asleep in the Relaxation Room.

The next morning, I took Aaron’s class again, and then went on a hike up the Difficult Trail with my friends Tricia and Joanna, who live in Aspen. Then we drove to the Punch Bowl and jumped off a 35-foot cliff into the coldest water that has ever touched my body. It took my breath away, it was so cold. But, like most things in life, the jump was so worth it.

JOANNA AND ME, PRE-JUMP ...

This was one heck of a busy week. For starters, it was ESPYs week, which meant parties every night, tons of athletes, sports folks and co-workers in town from around the country, and little time for resting or sleeping between events. (Or actually getting any work done.) The show Wednesday night was my favorite yet. Seth Meyers put last year's host, Samuel L. "I freeze when the teleprompter fritzes" Jackson to shame. And I loved that ESPN allowed Meyers and the show writers to have fun at the network's expense, mocking The Decision throughout the night.

My favorite Tiger joke of the opening monologue: "Everyone, give it up for Tiger Woods! If you haven't already." LeBron took a lot of heat (and was booed every time his image was showed on the big screen during nominations), and the Steve Carrell-Paul Rudd skit mocking The Decision was great. I also loved the extra-long hold on Reggie Bush's face after this opening joke: "Welcome to the ESPYs, where celebrity meets sports. Sort of like a Kardashian's bedroom."

After the show, the after parties at Club Nokia and the Congo Room were a lot of fun, as were the after-after party and the after-after- ... Let's just say it was a fun, memorable night and I'm already looking forward to next year.

But it's Tuesday that put my usually other-worldly energy level to the test. I woke up at 5 a.m. to get ready and drive to Anaheim to report a print and video story for ESPNW and RISE Girls. Shortly before 8, I arrived at the Gatorade Performance Lab, where I met beach volleyball icon Kerri Walsh and a team of scientists. Walsh was in Anaheim to undergo a series of tests to determine her fitness level and how she most efficiently burns energy. Walsh is only eight weeks out from giving birth to her second son, Sundance, and already has a body any woman would envy. She's in fantastic shape and is already working out six days a week with her focus on winning a third gold in London. And besides being an impressive athlete, she is just the sweetest, nicest, most humble person and it was a lot of fun to spend the morning with her.

I MEAN, IT'S LIKE WE WERE SEPARATED AT BIRTH ...

Oh, and did I forget to mention that, just for fun (and video), I was in Anaheim to take the tests right alongside her?

Fortunately, the tests weren't all that difficult, physically. What they were was tough to do on camera. Talk about checking your ego at the door. "First, let's measure your height," Melissa the scientist said. Okay, that's not so bad. "Now, let's weigh you." Ugh! "Now, strip down to your sports bra and workout pants and sit in the Bod Pod (below), where we will measure your body composition to determine your body fat percentage." Double Ugh! Maybe the camera guy left the lens on. Fingers crossed.

CAN YOU BELIEVE DWIGHT HOWARD (AND HIS SHOULDERS) FIT IN THIS THING?

Next, Kerri and I were strapped into headgear and a plastic tube was placed in our mouths to collect the air we exhaled. Clips were placed on our noses to force us to breathe out of our mouths while we exercised, which took some getting used to. I was taught to breathe in and out of my nose, so that was a tough habit to break on the spot. The tube made it difficult to swallow, so my throat was very dry. "Here's a towel to catch your spit," Melissa said. You're going to drool a lot." Awesome.

HEY CAMERA GUYS, I THINK IT'S TIME FOR OUR CLOSEUPS!

Kerri and I spent a half hour on the bike, working from a difficulty level of 2 up to 8. The test showed that after only five minutes, and at a moderate exertion level, we were already burning carbohydrates and not fat. Meaning we needed to be ingesting carbs in order to fuel our workout, not just drinking water. Pretty cool, eye-opening stuff. We also took a post-workout cognitive test and were weighed again to see if we'd lost weight during the workout (the goal is to weigh the same). You can read more about the testing in the back-to-school issue of RISE Girls (I know you all subscribe!) and check out a video of our morning on the ESPNW website when it launches this fall.

After the tests, I drove back to Santa Monica, quickly changed and headed back to Anaheim (seriously) with my editor Sue for the MLB all-star game. Highlight: Seeing Hank Aaron walking through security. The game was pretty cool, too.

THE NL ENDED A 17-YEAR DROUGHT. WHO SAYS IT NEVER RAINS IN CALIFORNIA?

The game ended around 9:30 and after a lot of walking, waiting in traffic and driving, we arrived back in Los Angeles for our pre-ESPYs shindig at Boulevard 3 in Hollywood around midnight. Clearly I was wearing my rally cap. The location was great and the party was fun. I saw a lot of folks I don't get to see too often, chatted with Saints coach Sean Payton and his wife Beth for a while (love them!) and somehow managed to stay awake until the party ended at 3. I arrived home shortly before 4 and was asleep 23 hours after waking up that morning. All-in-all, not a bad day. And, I would learn the next day, good prep for ESPYs night.

STACEY, SUE AND ME ... FINALLY HEADING HOME.

This weekend, besides celebrating the 4th of July in Vegas with two of my favorite people--Jenni and Lindsay--I saw my first UFC heavyweight fight at the MGM Grand. Like many folks, I've been fascinated by the makeover Dana White gave to this sport. Somehow, a brutal fighting league has become family entertainment. He turned a violent, unorganized sport with few to no rules into the high-brow hybrid sport of Mixed Martial Arts. And he did it by selling characters, story lines and drama. UFC hearkens back to the WWF days of Big John Studd, The Killer Bees and Hulk Hogan. Except this is very, very real. Which makes the fighting tougher (for me) to watch. And made me more than apprehensive about attending the fight. I've been to smaller MMA fights, which rarely last more than a three-minute round-and-a-half, and I am a huge boxing fan. But I was still wary of watching UFC brutality for three five-minute rounds.

That said, seeing the event firsthand, I understood what all the fuss is about. The events are entertaining as hell. They're loud, colorful, fun and full of personality. I'm still not sure I liked seeing so many kids in the audience, and I had a hard time watching guys take bare-fisted punches to the head, knowing what the impact of those blows was doing to their gray matter. But if you accept that these are grown men who have taken responsibility for the repercussions of their sport, then there's a whole lot of upside to the ugly. And a wealth of stories to tell.

(Stay tuned for Lindsay's story on Brock Lesnar, who made a comeback Saturday night and won the heavyweight belt.)

CLOSE ENOUGH FOR A GREAT VIEW OF THE ACTION; FAR ENOUGH AWAY TO AVOID THE BLOOD-SPLATTER ...

The new issue of the magazine is out, with my story on How Soccer Explains the Sports World. Check it out here. The video highlighting the six photo shoots is lots of fun, too.

Last week, I flew to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to begin reporting for a story on Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram. The piece will be part of our College Football Preview issue, out in mid-August, and it will be a good one. I spent time with Ingram on campus and got to witness, first-hand, the incredible golf game he left behind to play high school football. We hit the university driving range and I watched him blast a borrowed driver 330-plus off the tees ... in flip flops. It was a quick, but interesting window into the life of a guy fans don't know much about, aside from his stats and his dad. Hopefully this story will change that. And I hate to break it to you, Florida fans: He made it tough not to leave Tuscaloosa a Mark Ingram fan. Great guy with a great attitude and unwavering will to be the best at everything he does. Bama's going to have one tough offense to stop this season.

INGRAM, ABOUT TO CRUSH ONE OFF THE TEE ...

On Sunday, Lindsay and I sat fieldside (Thanks, Linz and Ben!) for game three in the Yankees three-game return to Dodger Stadium. Our seats were so close to the field--and the Yankees dugout--we were practically in the game. And what a game it was. Down by four in the 8th, the Yanks came back to tie it up and win by two in the 10th. I've definitely been spoiled by great games lately.

THE VIEW FROM OUR SEATS. WE WERE PRACTICALLY IN THE GAME ...

LINDSAY, RICH THE USHER AND ME ...

Now, I lock myself in my apartment for the week and write.

Any way you say it, I'm excited. I mean, come on ... who isn't? If you love sports, and if you love drama, and if you love a great story--or even one of the three--then you love the World Cup. Today was Day 2 of the 2010 World Cup and I wanted nothing more than to be posted up in front of a television, American brew in hand, watching the USA take on England. Instead, I was standing in the rain on the corner of Augusta and Elston in Chicago, watching a BMX Dirt contest--and watching the game on my iPhone.

THE RED BULL STOMPING GROUNDS CONTEST ...

The contest was a lot of fun and part of my reporting for a feature on BMXer Anthony Napolitan. You may remember him as the guy who landed the first double front flip on the mega ramp at the X Games last year. And if you don't remember him, well, that's even more reason to read my story. And the soccer game, well, a 1-1 tie is something the U.S. team should be damn proud of--especially for holding an all-star England squad to one goal--and something that will surely keep the English players awake tonight.

I am, of course, rooting for Team USA. But watching the team is even cooler because the coach, Bob Bradley, is the brother of one of my friends and colleagues, ESPN The Mag senior writer Jeff Bradley. Bob's son, and Jeff's nephew, Michael Bradley, is a member of the team. I know how excited I was when the Little League team I coached won the 1998 Gainesville City Championship. I can not imagine what it is like to watch your brother coach Team USA to a tie against England. Jeff said he cried like a baby during the National Anthem. I think I'd be crying like a baby just taking the shuttle to the stadium.

Even though I don't cover soccer, I have been getting in the soccer mindset in a variety of ways this month. A couple weeks ago, I spent 10 days in NYC and bookended the trip with soccer outings. First, a group of my ESPN The Mag colleagues and I went to a Red Bulls game at their new stadium in New Jersey. Very cool, and a fun way to spend a Saturday evening. It was well worth the 3,000-mile commute.

THE GANG, AT THE GAME ...

WHO SAYS YOU CAN'T FALL IN LOVE AT A SOCCER GAME? NOT ME!

The following Saturday, I played in the 2010 AdiCup tournament at Pier 42 in NYC with my friend Michelle and her squad from Paper magazine. I was an honorary Paper Shredder, and I must say, we were way better than we thought we would be. The only team that beat us won the whole championship. And man, they were scary good.

WE MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN THE TOUGHEST -- BUT WE DEFINITELY HAD THE CUTEST UNIFORMS ...

I am also working on a story for our next issue that we are affectionately calling (for the moment, anyway) "How Soccer Explains the Sports World." We borrowed that title from the book, "How Soccer Explains the World." I found big-name athletes in six major sports who grew up playing soccer and who feel soccer shaped their skills in the game they currently play. Before flying to Chicago Thursday night for this BMX contest, I spent two days in Kona, Hawaii, with one of those athletes for a photo shoot and interview. Man, I hate it when an athlete requests that I come to where he is vacationing for a photo shoot and interview. Such a jerk you are, Steve Nash!

STEVE NASH ON THE THROW-IN TO HIS KONA CRUSH TEAMMATES ...

ME, IN THE TRENCHES ...

ANY KID WHO CAME DOWN THE SWIRLY SLIDE AT THIS PLAYGROUND GOT QUITE A SURPRISE ...

[PHOTO CREDIT/LENSMANSHIP: STACEY PRESSMAN]

This past weekend (see previous post), I spent a lot of time talking to Jeremy Jones and Ralph Backstrom about why they do what they do. About fear and death and pushing limits and moving on after losing someone close to you to the mountains - the very place they turn for comfort and solace. Death happens much too often in the big-mountain world and Jones has dealt with it a lot in the past year. "I could use a lot less reality," he told me.

Ralph, who is 27 and rides for Jeremy's snowboard company, as well as The North Face, is from a family of well-respected pros. His older sister Ingrid is one of the best, if not the best, big-mountain skier in the world. His older brother Arne, the middle sibling, is a big-mountain skier, as well. Ralph talked a lot about Arne and a big-mountain filming trip Arne was on in Peru this week. He was a bit jealous of Arne's adventure and clearly thought the world of him.

Arne died in a fall on that trip today. He was 29.

I can't stop thinking about how fun, funny, life-loving, lovable and limit-pushing Ralph is ... and how this will change him. My wish is that it, if it does, is only for the better.

"Every life comes with a story ... and possibly a great adventure." - Kobi Yamada, greeting card philosopher

When I created this site a few years ago, I did it for two reasons: to promote my first book, which was coming out at the time, and so I would have a place to write about my reporting adventures. Anyone who knows me knows I can't go to the mailbox without also going on an adventure. They also know the only thing I love more than a good adventure is telling stories about a good adventure.

Still, when I saw the final design for the homepage, I cringed. In the upper left-hand corner, below my name, were the words, "journalist, author, adventurer." Adventurer?! I didn't say adventurer! That wasn't in my design notes. I am no adventurer. Jon Krakauer is an adventurer. Bear Grylls is an adventurer. I don't climb mountains. I don't brave the conditions. I don't own an ice axe or crampons. Sure, I love a good adventure. But the drive-a-bobsled, ride-in-a-stunt-plane, hang-with-Australian-surf-gang-members, snowboard-with-Olympians, feed-baby-cheetahs, wakeboard-at-Gitmo, hunt-down-tickets-to-Super-Bowl-XL kind of adventure. I've never been on a real adventure, the kind they write about in National Geographic or Outside magazine. I am not adventurer. I am a fraud.

Until now. This past weekend, I earned that third qualifier. That 10-letter word no longer feels like a four-letter one. Because, over Memorial Day weekend, I went on a real adventure. As part of my reporting for a story on big-mountain snowboarding icon Jeremy Jones, I spent three days hiking, camping, climbing and split-boarding in the High Sierras. It was the most exhausting, exhilarating, intense, amazing adventure I've had the privilege of taking part in, and three days later, I'm still trying to process it all.

I wrote about my adventure for ESPN.com, and you can read that story here. My ESPN The Mag story on Jones will be out in the fall, so stay tuned. It's going to be a good one!

A few photos from my adventure:

TENT CITY, OUR HOME FOR THE WEEKEND ...

MY FEET, ATTACHED TO THE REST OF ME, TAKING A MID-MOUNTAIN BREAK ...

THE INCREDIBLE HULK, OUR DAY-ONE DESTINATION ...

JONES, AFTER TAKING HIS FINAL RUN OF THE SEASON ...

RALPH BACKSTROM, ME AND JEREMY HIKING OUT SUNDAY AFTERNOON. WHAT A WEEKEND! ...

I CAN'T BELIEVE WE ARE LEAVING THAT BEHIND. I WANT TO GO BACK! AFTER TAKING A VERY LONG NAP ...