Once upon a spring on Colorado’s Front Range, it was warm and sunny, then snowy and cold, then warm and sunny again. And while it was warm and sunny, the climbing bug bit me. Hard. So I put on my T-shirt and shorts, packed a bag, and went climbing in Boulder Canyon for the first time. I had heard plenty about the historically rich climbing area west of The People’s Republic, and I must say it lived up to its reputation: fast, easy access; quality rock; a lifetime of short-but-sweet trad and sport routes alike; and big time weekend crowds.

On Friday my friend Adam and I climbed on the Happy Hour Wall. We warmed up on a couple 5.7s on the climber’s left side of the wall: Are We Not Men and Are We Not Robots. Both were exceptional for their grade, and featured an exposed, juggy mini-roof to pull over. Gear was thin but possible on top, but would feel pretty darn run out for a beginning leader. A fall on the roof would be bad news as your last pro is at our feet above a low angle [Read More]]]>

Adam, grinning up Grins, 5.8, on the Happy Hour Crag.

Once upon a spring on Colorado’s Front Range, it was warm and sunny, then snowy and cold, then warm and sunny again. And while it was warm and sunny, the climbing bug bit me. Hard. So I put on my T-shirt and shorts, packed a bag, and went climbing in Boulder Canyon for the first time. I had heard plenty about the historically rich climbing area west of The People’s Republic, and I must say it lived up to its reputation: fast, easy access; quality rock; a lifetime of short-but-sweet trad and sport routes alike; and big time weekend crowds.

On Friday my friend Adam and I climbed on the Happy Hour Wall. We warmed up on a couple 5.7s on the climber’s left side of the wall: Are We Not Men and Are We Not Robots. Both were exceptional for their grade, and featured an exposed, juggy mini-roof to pull over. Gear was thin but possible on top, but would feel pretty darn run out for a beginning leader. A fall on the roof would be bad news as your last pro is at our feet above a low angle slab. Then we moved right and Adam put up Twofers, a deceivingly easy 5.8 with a surprise jug as you pull around a slightly larger, but more protected roof. We finished the day with Nightcap, an awesome 5.9 with a dihedral finger-crack crux.

Ronnie, clipping the bolts on her first trad lead. Yahoo! Her life will never be the same, I'm sure.

The next day, Saturday, Ronnie joined Adam and I and led her first trad route, Ho Hum on The Boulderado Wall. The day’s crux turned out to be crossing the busy road from the parking pull out to the crag, which the guidebook says has a 1-5 minute approach, and involves a death-sprint across the busiest climbing access road in America. We figured the biggest risk was probably getting hit by a car and flying into the creek below, so we roped up and simul-climbed across the asphalt, ready to team arrest on gravel at a moment’s notice. JK, LOL, LMNOP. Jam It is another great climb, although the sweet, steep hand crack section is but a tease, being only 7 feet long and all. I thought Idle Hands, 5.6, was perhaps the nicest climb on the wall. It’s a thinly protected face climb that’s steep for its grade, and requires some precision nut craft (and don’t forget the C3s!). I also got a chance to rappel the kinks out of my new 8mm half rope tag line (for long rappels, but relatively obsolete in Boulder Canyon).

We cruised down canyon to The Bihedral crag for the afternoon. Arriving at this climbing area felt kind of like transforming into a bowling pin on tournament night. So many people were on the deck above the lower tier that we put on helmets to scramble up. Every single route with bolts on it was occupied and then some, so we stuck to plugging cams and jamming cracks. We found the only open space available on the far climber’s left side, and climbed Tool King, 5.8, and Fly In Ointment, 5.10, before flailing on top-rope on Edge of Reality, 5.12 R. My lead up Fly In Ointment went a lot like a Chris Sharma movie: scream and dangle! Scream and dangle! Scream and dangle! Chat with my belayer, scream and not dangle!

I recommend Boulder Canyon for anyone, especially on a weekday, and especially for beginning trad climbers looking for quality moderate and easy routes with solid rock and protection opportunities.

Happy spring, happy climbing season! A la muerte!

This fall I gave an all-women’s backpacking workshop at a small liberal college outside of Asheville.  Several of the flyers promoting the event were graffitied before my arrival with indelicate comments suggesting the sexist nature of an all women’s event.  Thankfully, the workshop went off without riot, I loved my time spent with the young women on campus, and I collected the profanely decorated posters as souvenirs.

I have always believed that all women’s backpacking outings and workshops are often beneficial in a way that coed gatherings are not.  The fact is that women’s time in the woods is often very different than that of men.  Women have to deal with the fact that we are outnumbered by men in the outdoors, which comes with specific social challenges.  We also have different body shapes, separate gear needs, and we have gender specific issues that men frankly don’t empathize with, let alone want to talk about in co-ed clinics.

Triple Falls

This past weekend I led an all-women’s day-hike at Dupont State Forest.  Together, a small group of girls spent four hours skidding over snow and ice, spending time at the base of four breathtaking waterfalls, and eating lunch while [Read More]]]>

All Women's Hike

This fall I gave an all-women’s backpacking workshop at a small liberal college outside of Asheville.  Several of the flyers promoting the event were graffitied before my arrival with indelicate comments suggesting the sexist nature of an all women’s event.  Thankfully, the workshop went off without riot, I loved my time spent with the young women on campus, and I collected the profanely decorated posters as souvenirs.

I have always believed that all women’s backpacking outings and workshops are often beneficial in a way that coed gatherings are not.  The fact is that women’s time in the woods is often very different than that of men.  Women have to deal with the fact that we are outnumbered by men in the outdoors, which comes with specific social challenges.  We also have different body shapes, separate gear needs, and we have gender specific issues that men frankly don’t empathize with, let alone want to talk about in co-ed clinics.

Triple Falls

This past weekend I led an all-women’s day-hike at Dupont State Forest.  Together, a small group of girls spent four hours skidding over snow and ice, spending time at the base of four breathtaking waterfalls, and eating lunch while overlooking a frozen lake.  It was on that hike that I was reminded why, above our physiological similarities, it is important for women to spend time together in the woods.

Walking is rarely a competition or a chore for a group of women.  On the whole, women are more willing than men to hold hands with each other down icy slopes, and laugh at themselves when they end up sliding on their bottoms downhill.  On all-women hikes there are usually more potty breaks and they last longer as we have to take our packs off and then stand guard in the trail to protect our friends. With girls, there is a greater likelihood that dark chocolate will be consumed as a snack… or a main course.  And most notably, with a group of females, there is bound to be a good deal of conversation dedicated to the topic of men.

But boys (if you made it this far), I don’t want you to feel bad or stereotyped, because I don’t see you as macho, insensitive beasts blazing down the trail.

I know a lot of men who are lovers of nature, stewards of the trail and TERRIFIC hiking partners.  It’s just that it’s different with all women, and our time together is good for everyone, because often amid all that girl talk you guys end up looking pretty good!  And next time we head into the woods, there’s a good chance we’ll ask you to go with us ; )

My husband and I do not belong to a gym.  I think gyms are great, but as principle, we try to exercise outdoors as much as possible and save all our extra pennies for hiking excursions, thus gyms currently do not make the cut.

Most of the year, I am fine not belonging to a health club, but during the cold months of winter there are days when I am simply too much of a ninny to exercise outdoors.  For example this past week was the coldest week in Asheville since 1970, every time I ventured outside I came back indoors without sensation in my fingers, toes, or nose.  For eight straight days we had negative wind chills and during that time I only once braved the cold for a 9-mile run, all the other days I exercised in our home gym.  Now some people really do have a home gym, but we just have a carpet.  That said, I have enjoyed some of my best workouts on that carpet.

So for those of you who are unable or unwilling to venture outside in the cold, dark, winter months, here are some of my favorite indoor exercises.

The Mat

1.  The [Read More]]]>

Girlie Push-ups

My husband and I do not belong to a gym.  I think gyms are great, but as principle, we try to exercise outdoors as much as possible and save all our extra pennies for hiking excursions, thus gyms currently do not make the cut.

Most of the year, I am fine not belonging to a health club, but during the cold months of winter there are days when I am simply too much of a ninny to exercise outdoors.  For example this past week was the coldest week in Asheville since 1970, every time I ventured outside I came back indoors without sensation in my fingers, toes, or nose.  For eight straight days we had negative wind chills and during that time I only once braved the cold for a 9-mile run, all the other days I exercised in our home gym.  Now some people really do have a home gym, but we just have a carpet.  That said, I have enjoyed some of my best workouts on that carpet.

So for those of you who are unable or unwilling to venture outside in the cold, dark, winter months, here are some of my favorite indoor exercises.

The Mat

1.  The Mat – A lot of people have an official yoga mat.  I have a foam sleeping pad that works great for stretching, sit-ups, and push-ups.  I usually start on the mat with a serious of stretches and then go into leg-lifts, followed by holding my body in a V-formation without using my hands – you will feel this in your stomach, trust me!   Next I will do several sets of push-ups, usually the girl style because boy push-ups aggravate my back, and I finish with several rounds and variations of stomach crunches.

Exercise Ball

2.  The Ball – I love those big blow-up exercise balls.  I have seen them at Wal-mart and Target for around $10-$12 and besides the excercise benefits they also make a great spare chair when company comes over.  I will use my ball on the mat by holding it between my ankles and lifting it up in the air, or putting my feet on top and lifting but gluteus maximus off the floor.  When not on the mat, I will sit on top of the ball and then carefully lift my feet off the floor to try to balance.  This is a fun exercise and great for developing both your balance and your core muscles.  Often my husband and I will turn it into a game to see who can balance the longest.

The Bike Trainer

3.  The Bike Trainer – I am not good on a bike, I wish that I was and I have tried to be in the past, but trust me… I am not a cyclist.  Suffice it to say, that I am much better at sports where my feet touch the ground and have an average speed of less than 8 miles per hour.  Typically the only workout that our road bike gets is taking my husband to and from work, but I will admit that when it is below freezing outside, it is nice to set the bike up on a stationary trainer and spin for an hour.  It not only negates my fear of speed, but it allows me to watch Sportscenter as well.

Stair - Stepper

4.  The Chair or Couch – When I am training for the Appalachian Trail this is one of my favorite ways to get in shape.   I will find a sturdy chair or couch in our house and then with my backpack weighted and strapped to my back I will step on and off that chair for up to an hour.  I usually start by facing the chair doing 5 mins of right leg step-ups, followed by 5 mins of left leg step-ups.  After that I will turn 90 degrees and practice side step-ups on both legs as well.  It is amazing how much better I am on those long climbs when I have been doing this consistently at home.

Okay, with a little core work, some time spinning on the trainer and a good dose of steps, you can get a great workout in your living room that will set you up well when the time comes to don the boots or trail runners once again. I hope this helps some of you endure the winter blast and get ready for your upcoming spring adventures.  This week in Asheville the highs are returning to the mid-40s so I am looking forward to getting back out to the trails soon because, let’s face it, the trails will always be my favorite gym.

*Be sure to click of the hyper-links to get detailed instructions and information for exercises to do at home.

I thought about goals such as meditating more, trying to make the house more eco-friendly, being a better friend and family member, but those still need to take some more shape up in my head before they make it to paper.  So, in the end, the goals I wrote down all revolved around hiking.  Several of my hiking goals have been up in my head for quite a while, but there is something about writing it down and posting it where I can see it that encourages me and holds me accountable at the same time.  And putting it on my blog?  Well, that’s like double the accountability and it gives me something to [Read More]]]> I usually don’t set new goals for the New Year.  Don’t get me wrong, I am all about goals but usually I set them throughout the year instead of when I am drinking champagne with friends.  This year, however, my husband was sicker than I had ever seen him and the wind chill outside was below 10F, so we did not celebrate New Year’s Eve, we did not even go out on New Year’s Eve.  Instead, I stayed at home and wrote down my goals for 2010.

I thought about goals such as meditating more, trying to make the house more eco-friendly, being a better friend and family member, but those still need to take some more shape up in my head before they make it to paper.  So, in the end, the goals I wrote down all revolved around hiking.  Several of my hiking goals have been up in my head for quite a while, but there is something about writing it down and posting it where I can see it that encourages me and holds me accountable at the same time.  And putting it on my blog?  Well, that’s like double the accountability and it gives me something to write about when it is too cold to go outside and play.

So in order, here they are…

March: The Foothills Trail, SC (76 miles). The Bartram Trail, NC (100 miles).

April: The Benton MacKaye Trail, GA/TN/NC (273 miles).

May: The Grand Enchantment Trail, AZ/NM (730 miles).

June & July: The Pembrokeshire Coast Path, Great Britain (186 miles).  The Haute Route, Switzerland (115 miles).  GR 20, Corsica (115 miles).

August: The Allegheny Trail, VA/WV (330 miles).

Sept: The Pinhoti Trail, AL (240 miles).

Now some of you might be thinking, “Wow, that’s a lot of miles, so how are you going to spend time with your husband and work amid all those trails?”  Well, the plan is to set a women’s supported or unsupported record on each one of those trails, that will get me back to my hubby faster and since my work consists of writing and speaking about outdoor experiences it kinda ties in.  Clever, eh?

The truth is I LOVE the trails and I want to be out there, plus I think I can do some pretty amazing things as far as records are concerned. Not to say that fast is better than slow, because it’s not, but it is pretty fun in it’s own right.  Plus, God-willing, I eventually want babies and it is hard to hike fast and light with babies on the hip or back, so if I want to do these trails, which I do… I really, really do, now seems like the logical time.

So even though I stayed at home on New Year’s Eve, and even though I went to bed at 10:30, I woke up on New Year’s morning more excited about the upcoming year than ever before!

I LOVE Thanksgiving.  It is one of my favorite holidays.  Oddly enough, I don’t like Christmas, but I am sure we will deal with that issue in another few weeks.  But, Thanksgiving… ahh, yes, how could you not like a day dedicated to food family, food, and football?

The problem is, every year when Thanksgiving comes around I get stressed out.  This year the holiday was celebrated at my house and that didn’t help.  I spent all Wednesday cleaning and running errands to make sure we had all the essentials.  I went to bed late and then by Thursday mid-morning, I had my two parents, my two brothers, their wives and an added dog or two roaming our small house.

Turkey Trot Trail

Luckily, right before everyone arrived, my husband and I stole away to a nearby trail for a quick 5-mile, two-person, Turkey Trot.

Thanksgiving morning, all across the country, Turkey Trots encourage people to get out and start the day with a run or walk.  Or if you’d rather, you can start your morning by performing the original Turkey Trot, a popular dance in the 1920’s.

I think Turkey Trots should be required on Thanksgiving, not because it balances out an [Read More]]]>

Our Thanksgiving Table

I LOVE Thanksgiving.  It is one of my favorite holidays.  Oddly enough, I don’t like Christmas, but I am sure we will deal with that issue in another few weeks.  But, Thanksgiving… ahh, yes, how could you not like a day dedicated to food family, food, and football?

The problem is, every year when Thanksgiving comes around I get stressed out.  This year the holiday was celebrated at my house and that didn’t help.  I spent all Wednesday cleaning and running errands to make sure we had all the essentials.  I went to bed late and then by Thursday mid-morning, I had my two parents, my two brothers, their wives and an added dog or two roaming our small house.

Turkey Trot Trail

Luckily, right before everyone arrived, my husband and I stole away to a nearby trail for a quick 5-mile, two-person, Turkey Trot.

Thanksgiving morning, all across the country, Turkey Trots encourage people to get out and start the day with a run or walk.  Or if you’d rather, you can start your morning by performing the original Turkey Trot, a popular dance in the 1920’s.

I think Turkey Trots should be required on Thanksgiving, not because it balances out an extra helping of turkey or a large piece of pie, but because it gives you time to reflect on what you are really thankful for in your life.  Thanksgiving can be stressful.  I will be the first one to admit that I was NOT appreciative of my family when everyone was crowded in the kitchen giving orders on how their side dish should be warmed and presented.  And I was NOT thankful, after dinner, when I was the only one in the kitchen cleaning all the plates.  In the minutes not spent in the kitchen preparing food and putting it up, the air was filled with too much noise and activity to pause and reflect on how blessed I truly am or recognize how amazing my family is.  But on the trail that morning, it felt easy.

My Sweet Husband

Running on the trail that morning and watching the sun come up, I thought about how thankful I was to live in such a beautiful area, how rare it was to be able to access multiple trails so close to my house.  I smiled knowing that I was married to my best friend and that we both love spending time together in the wilderness, at home, or wherever else our paths may lead.

I gave thanks that my family was healthy, that we all had a shelter over our heads and food to eat.  And I was grateful to be an American, our country has made some huge mistakes, but still we strive for freedom, equal opportunity, and the best long-distance trails in the world!

In the woods it was easy to reflect on how full my life is and how many wonderful people and places are part of my story.  It allowed me to celebrate the meaning of Thanksgiving and not just the traditions.  Now as I look ahead to Christmas, I think I might need to schedule an ultra-marathon to really appreciate the reason for the upcoming season.

Call me Betty Crocker

Dad Carving the Turkey

There she is...

I wasn’t necessarily a prime candidate for climbing Kilimanjaro.  I had never been mountaineering, I didn’t like being cold, and I was poor.  But two very important family factors made it possible for me to go to Africa.  First of all my cousin Wende married someone famous, at least I think he is famous.  He is a mountain climber and photographer and an overall phenomenal person.  His name is Jake Norton and he and my wonderful cousin live in Colorado (that is a state shout-out for all you local mountain shoppers).  Jake has been up on Everest a couple times and he was even part of the expedition that found Mallory’s body.

So yes, Jake was 50% of the equation.  I tried to make a mental note not to go mountaineering when I saw several of his groomsman missing digits [Read More]]]> Okay, if you’ve been following my blog then we need to back up before the PCT.  Consider this a flashback amid the other flashbacks.  While I was on the Appalachian Trail in 2005 I realized how important family was.  And in the January 2006 I had the opportunity to spend some quality time with family – on Mount Kilimanjaro.

There she is...

I wasn’t necessarily a prime candidate for climbing Kilimanjaro.  I had never been mountaineering, I didn’t like being cold, and I was poor.  But two very important family factors made it possible for me to go to Africa.  First of all my cousin Wende married someone famous, at least I think he is famous.  He is a mountain climber and photographer and an overall phenomenal person.  His name is Jake Norton and he and my wonderful cousin live in Colorado (that is a state shout-out for all you local mountain shoppers).  Jake has been up on Everest a couple times and he was even part of the expedition that found Mallory’s body.

So yes, Jake was 50% of the equation.  I tried to make a mental note not to go mountaineering when I saw several of his groomsman missing digits due to frostbite, but the image faded, because when Jake and Wende signed-up to co-guide a trip up Kilimanjaro, I wanted in.

The problem was funding.  Getting to Africa, let alone the roof, cost way more than I had in my checking account.  But, I did have a special savings account.  Special because it had been created with funds that my grandma gave me when she passed away.  Since I had not earned the money, I wasn’t as attached to it as I should have been, like my older brothers and cousins who used the money for down payments or surviving Grad School.

Rationalizing that my grandmother loved to travel and longed for her grandkids to be together, I decided there is nothing else she would rather look down upon than me standing on top of Kilimanjaro with Wende and Jake.

I feel like a Dr Seuss Character

After a long flight to Tanzania, I was excited and a little nervous to meet up with Wende, Jake, and the 13 other members of our group.  Most of our group was older, in their late fifties or early sixties.  Everyone was extremely kind and excited to climb the mountain.

We spent one night together in a nearby town and then traveled to Kilimanjaro.  When we arrived at Machame Gate to start the climb, we found ourselves surrounded by a crowd of Tanzanian men.  I soon learned that the men swarming the scene were porters trying to get a job.  Every tourist going up the mountain was required to have at least three porters to help carry their gear and food.  Our group of 15 had 52 African porters including our Tanzanian lead guide, assistant guide, cook and assistant cook.

We started the climb at 6,000 ft and even though I didn’t feel the elevation the first day, Jake kept making us take breaks every 45 minutes to “catch our breath” and eat a snack.  By day two all those frequent stops came in handy. At around 9,000 feet I noticed the air starting to thin and I began to use the “rest step” that Jake taught us.

The “rest step” made walking rhythmic and taught us to breathe with every step.  I thought I would handle the altitude pretty well, but I was surprised by the dull headaches and shortness of breath that stayed with me for the rest of the climb. Even though we were only hiking 7-10 miles a day, I was exhausted every evening. I loved reaching camp in the afternoon, bundling up, and then going to our meal tent for popcorn and tea, which was followed with a delicious dinner.  All the food tasted so good that I gained weight going up the mountain!

On the moon?

As our elevation increased, the vegetation and landscape drastically changed.  At first it looked like we were hiking through a rain forest and Jake let us stop to swing on some really long and sturdy vines. But by day three, the mountain opened up into rocky slopes dotted with vegetation that looked like it had come from a Dr Seuss book.  On the fifth day, the day before we summited, the landscape looked lunar and there wasn’t any green to be found.

I didn’t get much sleep the night before our summit: I was short of breath, nervous, and we had to wake up at midnight to start our summit bid.  When my alarm went off, we started our trek under the watch of a brilliant sky.  The stars were brighter and more numerous than I had ever before seen.  Back on earth, the temperature was wickedly cold and the blustery wind chilled my core through 7 layers of clothing.  Our group stopped every few minutes to catch our breath and there were a few times where I didn’t think I could keep going – if I wanted to keep breathing.  But when the sun finally rose, we were there, we were at the top of the mountain, I could see glaciers and the summit sign was nearby.  It was like I had awoken from a dream into a magical realm of snow, rock, and smiles.  I completed a woozy walk over to the sign and took multiple pictures with our group and then with my cousins.

We did it!/I look like a Marshmallow!

Afterwards, I hiked back down the 19,331 foot mountain ahead of the group – I was eager to find some air and warmer temps!  Yet, as I descended the scree slopes, I started to think of all the memories and images I had collected over the past few days.  I had seen things that I didn’t know existed and I had done something that I didn’t know that I could do.

I was a different person coming down Kilimanjaro than I had been hiking up it and I would never once regret spending my inheritance on a mountain.