Mileage

I have been joking with friends that this year will be a good running year!  Last year was awesome, many 5k's and a relay marathon!  I just want to get back to my roots....running and soloing....and I hope to find the time to do so!  

First Flatiron

In Costa Rica I ran most every morning for 20-40 minutes, mainly to balance the rum intake.  I did do some hill work-outs or sprints on the beach.  I also was doing a couple of hours of yoga, surfing, and biking around the quaint town of Nosara.  

Sprint's include a 100m at max speed with 100m jogging recovery x 8.  Depending on how frisky I fell, I repeat two or three times.  I am usually at the track or some dirt trail while I am on the road.  What inspired the track work-outs....?
"How can you expect to run fast if you never run fast?"  Kevin Soviak (friend and Estes Park Track Coach)

At the Yoga Teacher Training in Baja, I alternated between bouldering on the beach with running at our lunch break.  Again mixing 45 minute runs with quicker tempo runs at about 20-25 minutes.  

During the last week of training, we had a little siesta from our 'usual' routine.  Saturday was an "off"

day, intended for a Vision Quest--or personal discovery time.  The intention was to find a quite mind, meditate, and be with yourself.  Rather than choosing to find "privacy" on the beach or the nearby mountain with 26 other yoga teachers-in-training who would also be doing the same activity--- Annie and I decided we would wake up with the sun and run to the nearest town, Todos Santos.  
We thought Todos Santos was about 10 miles away.  Turns out that was the town of El Pescadero, Todos Santos was actually another 8.2 miles further north.  
Our anticipation was about 4 hours of running time--2 out, 2 back.  Upon reaching Pescadero we had a brief conversation of continuing or turning around.  If we were to really continue to Todos Santos, we would surely hitchhike back--as we needed to be back to our Yoga home by 2pm.  

Run/solo day--Blitzen Ridge, RMNP

We ran on, what turned out to be roughly 27km, arriving in Todos Santos about 2 and half hours after our start.  Here we hydrated, wandered about town a little, and then stuck out our thumbs for a ride back!  Wonderful to discover I could still run a fair distance "off the couch."  

Since, being home in Estes Park, I have gone on one 14 miler, and a couple 6-10 mile runs.  Usually alternating between running and swimming 3-4 times a week.

This last week the first flatiron in Boulder was in great condition.  I had an afternoon free, so I did a couple of laps.  I walked/jogged the trail up in 15 minutes (lazy in the mud, next time run the whole time up.)  I soloed the first lap in 22 minutes.  The trail down was still somewhat of an ice luge, so the decent took a little bit of time.  Overall, I did 2 laps in ~ and hour and a half.  Not bad, I hope to work the time down but a car-to-car time is tough as I usually like to do more than just one lap on the first.   

See you out on the muddy trails!

Paradox Sports

Twenty-three and a half hours!  I think that is when all three of us finally stood atop El Capitan.  It was October 3rd, 2012, another bluebird California fall day preceding a warm star filled evening.  The last time I had climbed The Nose it was June 9, 2012...Jes and I climbed our fastest NIAD time.  This, ironically, was my slowest NIAD time, barely squeaking it under a day!

In June, Jes Meiris and I were climbing for speed.  This Octobers adventure was a fundraiser for Paradox Sports-- based out of Boulder, Colorado.  Paradox strives to create a world where "people of all backgrounds and abilities can pursue a life of excellence through human-powered outdoor sports, regardless of physical disability.  Timmy O'Neill (Paradox Sports Founder),  Mikey Ray (a new climber, but accomplished athlete), and myself.  The three of us climbed, jugged, and laughed our way up The Nose --Timmy even took a business call around Pitch 22-- to raise money for this fantastic non-profit.

This time lapse video was taken by Tim McCanus in the Meadow.  Our headlamps climb through the rising full moon off Dolt Tower thru El Cap Tower, and end doing the King Swing.

Lotus Flower Tower

Running to catch up with Craig, near Watson Lake, YUK.  

"Watson Lake! We will meet you somewhere near Watson Lake.  There is only one road right?"  I inquired with Craig over the phone.  This would be our last communication before whisking him off his bike in the middle of Northern Canada.  From there we were to catch a Beaver plane to Glacier Lake and the Cirque of the Unclimbables.  

The plan hatched a few winters ago.   I was offered a guiding gig in the Phoenix area, and took it.

My parents had moved to Phoenix sometime near the end of my undergraduate education at the University of Minnesota, so I had grown to enjoy Arizona.  My parents live in East Mesa, 5 miles from the Superstition Mountain Wilderness area, nice access to climbing and trail running.

Packing at the grocery in Watson Lake

Winters in Arizona are amazing...back to the story.

I posted on Facebook of my desire to rent a room in Phoenix for the winter, living with the parents was not an option.  Love you mom and dad.   :)

Sure enough, my friend Craig and his lovely wife Rae responded.  I didn't know Craig super well, we climbed together a few times winters ago.  We met via MountainProject.com, as I was looking for partners.  Since, we stayed loosely in touch.

Rae and Craig

Upon moving to their home in early December of 2010, Rae mentioned that Craig was not actually home.  Fortuneatly, they both had taken an "early, early, really early retirement."  Rae decided to pursue her Ph.D and Craig played outside!

Craig, though, had been scheming a bike trip from Florida to Alaska and hoped to round up some peeps to climb the Lotus Flower Tower along the way.  Along the way!!!!
Therefore, Craig was in Seattle doing some contract work with his former employer Intel to help fund the adventure.
(Craig has done many bike tours throughout the U.S and is an amazing all around athlete, ex-gymnast etc.)

Rae passed all this information on during our first delicious dinner.

Wes enjoying the hot springs

"Well, has he found anyone to go up there with him?" I asked.
"Not yet," she responded with a smile and a twinkle in her eye.

Two weeks later....just in time for the Holiday party they were hosting, Craig arrived home.  I hadn't seen him in almost 3 years.  He exploded with open arms, a fantastic humor, and even haggled his new roommate to participate in a pull-up contest.

By March, Craig had decisively gotten the ball rolling.  He contacted Warren of Kluane Airways, had made our deposit...we were headed to the Cirque of the Unclimbables!!

End of April 2011, I departed for summer in my beloved Estes Park and Craig departed for Florida to begin his bike ride.

Sometime near the end of May, Craig made it to Colorado.  We did a slide show to promote his cross-country bike adventure and our Canadian one to come.  We also climbed a little...sadly too early for the Diamond.
I also joined Craig for a little bit of the bike on 287, finishing just north of Larimer, Wyoming.

Glacier Lake

July 14, 2011.  Driving through Northern Canada and tracking Craig..... trying to think like a guy who had been biking for months.

We stopped to soak at the Liard River Hot Springs, hoping to run into Craig.  We were a half day drive from Watson Lake...turns out we were just hours behind him from the hot springs.  We ran into him later that day, Craig was stopped at a little cafe eating a second breakfast...I spotted his bike along side the road.  We lightened his load as he continued the ride to Watson Lake.  From there we purchased food, loaded our packs, and headed all together down 300k of dirt road to Finlayson Lake.

One trip, shit ton of gear.

A 20 minute flight landed us to Warren's place, Inconnu Lodge.  The following day a gorgeous 45 minute flight took us to Glacier Lake, passing by the Vampire Spires.  We landed and promptly began the 6 mile trudge up to Fairy Meadows, home of the Lotus Flower Tower!


We climbed, we laughed, we bouldered, we sport climbed new and old routes (some put up by a Korean team), and played may games of Trivial Pursuit.  After 3 weeks, 16 days of them rainy....we hiked out on the most bluebird day of them all.

Giovanni bouldering around camp.  

The Penguin.  Fabulous and picturesque!

Head wall, heading up!

Headwall!  Heading down!

View down the headwall to bivy site, Korean team taking over!

Camp

We returned to Watson Lake.  Craig hopped back on his back and continued to Alaska, Denali was his final destination.  I returned to Colorado the slow way, climbing Liberty Bell and others along the way home.  My lovely friend Giovanni returned to Colombia!  What a great trip with wonderful people!

Thanks Craig for dreaming big!

The Posse!!!  (aka the Estonians) Quinn, Wes, Giovanni, and Craig

The day we hiked out!  Beautiful!

Return of the scheduled chaos

Splitter hand crack---for 15 feet only!

Man.  I wrote a little diddy on the plane ride home and somehow managed to delete it.  Ops.

I will update quick.....
I have been back to Colorado for 120 hours
Of those hours I have
Worked 53
Slept 37
Run 3
Swam 1
Climbed 5
Yoga 4
That leaves 17 hours of unaccounted for time.  WTF I have been doing with myself??????

My home for 18 days

Grounded

One month off and I come back to a ton of work.  Two restaurants, guiding trips for Kent Mountain Adventure Center, finding time to volunteer for Paradox Sports, and planning and promoting Dovetail retreats!  A little hectic, but also wonderful as I will be off climbing both April and May.  This also means the "Corpse Pose" time of my life is over.  Training time begins!
Yesterday I climbed at Movement and discovered my endurance is, well, um, what is endurance again?

I excited for my upcoming adventures this spring and summer!  I am super  inspired by my fellow Trango Athletes latest adventure, Amy and Myles, http://roamingbanditos.blogspot.com/2013/01/plate-tectonics-vi-512-c1-east-face-of.html!  So rad!!
Can't wait to train, climb outside, teach some yoga, visit the desert, the big ditch and Greenland!!!

More on my adventures and training soon......

Shavasana

It is a new year, time for new goals.

Last year at this time, I had committed to climbing the Nose with careful preparation as days turned from January to late May.  I began slowly with my training regimen -- easing on the ice cream, alcohol, and exercising too.  If you know me, you know that I am sort of non-stop.  This was an endurance training, so non-stop was great, but I didn't want to wear too quickly.


After the Nose in June, I cancelled a massage appointment and to this day haven't made time to reschedule....





It has been an awesome year, but I have realized that I need to rest.  I want to have another rad year!!!
A little nap in the midst of the already full year of events-- 2013 has a full schedule of trips, expeditions, retreats, training and more training, work, growth, and hopefully laughter and health.

I have athletic ambitions, as well as, work commitments.  Dovetail Mountain will take another leap....for the best I can only hope!!!

To start this year, I have moved to the beach for a month of yoga, surfing, running, napping, and handstands.   I felt strong before I left Colorado--forearms full of endurance--- but the earth was also full of freezing cold temperatures.  Rock climbing season was in hibernation.


This is my mini-hibernation.

I do worry about loosing my endurance or mental strength, but am also aware of this much needed break.  It is a new year.  Time for new beginning.

Re-set, let go, start from a base that is even better than the year past.

Looking, standing, breathing again!  

The Raptor!

I am not an ice climber....well, I have now gone, liked it, and I will most certainly go again!

My first experience was years ago with an acquaintance.  I wasn't quite sure what he was looking for, but we hiked around a lot up the Lawn Lake Trail.  I never took my tools off the pack, even to this day I have no idea what moderate ice we might have been looking for.  Oh well.

All Mixed Up, Thatchtop Mt., RMNP

My second experience, was this November a few weeks after my whipper in Zion.  My experienced friend was very patient while I gimped up the trail, and even more caring when we stopped at the base of All Mixed Up to gear up and my feet were already frozen.  After attempting to warm them, feed me, hydrate me, dance around, we ended up turning around.

What a sissy!

I am from Minnesota, I used to tolerate the cold so well.  Wow, too many winters chasing eternal fall!

My third experience was just after Thanksgiving and it went swimmingly.  Granted I borrowed warmer, more appropriate, boots.

The three of us, 2 non-experienced ice climbers and a third who had previously climbed at our desired destination, Hidden Falls.  We had a leisurely breakfast, drove to Wild Basin in Rocky Mountain National Park, strapped on the packs, and wandered down the road, now winter trail, west.

Then we wandered down the road east, back tracking.  We wandered a short trail parallel to the road for awhile.  Then we wandered about another pull-out and trail.  Finally, we wandered further west definitively.  Our third, "leader", didn't quite remember how far to wander the road, where Hidden Falls might be hidden, and surely didn't even know what day it was.

All in good fun.  We arrived, just as another pair of climbers was hiking out.

Perfect.  Place to ourselves.

I just top-roped, but messed around with dry-tooling (which I had done before last winter in the Cascades), but I also got to climb a few pitches of just ice.

I was enjoying my new ice tools, and the boys were also enjoying my new ice tools.  The Trango Raptors saw 8-10 pitches on their first day out.  These nice tools have an aggressive pick, are quite light, and have an excellent grip.  I really enjoyed the grip set up, allowing me to switch hands comfortably, gripping above the standard grip location was equally as comfortable and easy.

Get your new pair at http://www.trango.com/ice_gear/Raptor  

Integration

I love climbing.

Central Park this fall

I enjoy moving in the mountains for hours at a time.  

I love a good glass of wine and laughter filling the room.  

I love falling in love, playing the piano, learning, teaching, and a full breathe filling my lungs.

The list could go on.    

This fall was filled with some unbelievably good times along with some heartbreaking ridiculousness.  

I haven't slept in the same bed for more than 3 nights since September 1st.  This in part to--too much travel, a break-up turned sour, and two residential moves.   

2nd Meat Wall -Indian Creek (Photo Nathan Welton)

We have had two fires in the town of Estes Park.  The first one, in June, saw KMAC evacuated and the boys running around to save Harry's house and property.  As I write, the Fern Lake fire continues to smoulder over Eagle Cliff --closing in on the 66 corridor.    

Top Sirloin -- Nathan Welton

In early November, I took a 25 foot fall in Zion, thinking I broke my hand and my femur.  Fortunately, my helmet-less-ego-hurt body faced only minor injuries considering the rock broke, my blue Alien popped and I fell upside-down below my belayer and the ledge he was standing on.  Andrew caught me abruptly.  The only other piece I had placed was a .03 Black Diamond Cam and it was only 4 feet above our belay.  I limped noticeably for 2 weeks with a giant softball muscle wad in my left thigh and a purple thumb/palm that still refuses to hold a plate or zip my fly without pain.  

We also elected, as a Nation, to keep our current president.  I am happy about that.  I had an amazing 80's prom themed birthday party and I have made some moves towards forwarding my company Dovetail Mountain Endeavors.

Lightening Bolt Crack-North Sixth Shooter (Nathan Welton)

All of these events have thrust me into a whirlwind of thoughts and actions.  Learning to trust myself, my instincts.  More importantly, to ask for help and take it when it is given selflessly. 

  

I am learning to place less value on the things in my life.  I am thankful for the people within the moments and the moments as they happen--good or bad.    

The gang atop the N.Sixth Shooter-- Nathan, Quinn, Dustin, Prairie, and Matty.  

I continue to climb because it is ingrained in my soul to move, to explore with a sweaty brow, to push through my fears with tears welled in the corner of my eyes.

I continue to teach, to learn, to grow.  I feel a little slow in my attempts towards integration...but better than not at all....Right?

Taking in the vast Canyonlands vista

"Think of the state of mind you were in before you began reading.  It was a fresh mind.  With no ideas, you came with a fresh mind to look at this book (blog).  If we can maintain that state in our daily lives, that is known as integration.  To be fully integrated means to integrate oneself totally from the body to the self and also to live in integration with one's neighbours and surroundings..... In this way we remain ever fresh, ever peaceful, and with ever growing intelligence."

BKS Iyengar--The Tree of Yoga

  

Lungs filled, hearts sighing.