Since I've been quarantined due to a cold, I have a lot of time on my hands. So, I did what any backpacker with too much time on their hands does. I checked out new gear! Packs to be exact. After browsing and reading up on lots of packs, (Thanks to Jolly for all his help with my many questions over the last year. Even though he doesn't think he is, I think he's the King of lightweight and ultralight weight gear, Check out his blog! Jolly Green Giant.) I found a lightweight, internal frame pack. It's the GoLite Quest pack for women in the Coriander/Thyme color (or green as I like to call it. haha!) It's a small torso, top loader, weighing in at 2lbs an 12 oz, which is a third of what my previous pack weighed. I love the stretchy side pockets and the hip belt pockets. It's got a detachable top to go even lighter. It'll hold 62 liters or roughly 4000 cubic inches of stuff and it's made out of ripstop nylon. I went ahead and ordered it! Whoo hoo! Can't wait to test it out in April :)
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
New Gear :)
Since I've been quarantined due to a cold, I have a lot of time on my hands. So, I did what any backpacker with too much time on their hands does. I checked out new gear! Packs to be exact. After browsing and reading up on lots of packs, (Thanks to Jolly for all his help with my many questions over the last year. Even though he doesn't think he is, I think he's the King of lightweight and ultralight weight gear, Check out his blog! Jolly Green Giant.) I found a lightweight, internal frame pack. It's the GoLite Quest pack for women in the Coriander/Thyme color (or green as I like to call it. haha!) It's a small torso, top loader, weighing in at 2lbs an 12 oz, which is a third of what my previous pack weighed. I love the stretchy side pockets and the hip belt pockets. It's got a detachable top to go even lighter. It'll hold 62 liters or roughly 4000 cubic inches of stuff and it's made out of ripstop nylon. I went ahead and ordered it! Whoo hoo! Can't wait to test it out in April :)
Monday, March 22, 2010
Being sick SUCKS!
I caught a cold during the St. Patty's/rock climbing weekend and have been battling it out every since. So far the score is me 0, cold 10. It's been exactly 10 days and I'm still hoarse, coughing up a storm, sore throated, and runny nosed It's no fun. I did nothing fun this weekend. Just laid on the couch, slept, drank lots of water, coughed up a lung, blew my nose, and watch crap on TV. I'm so mad that I haven't even been able to continue with my jogging program. So now I have to redo week 9. Arrrggg! I hate being sick. All I want is my mom, some homemade soup, and sleep! But alas... I am a grown ass woman and make do with what I got. I microwaved me some canned soup, curled up in a blankie on the couch, and tried not to cough cause it gives me a headache if I cough too hard. Being sick SUCKS.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Rock Climbing
So I've been wanting to get into some rock climbing for a while now. No indoor climbing, but solid real rock climbing. I had an opportunity to go with some really experienced people who took a few of us novices out to Crowders Mountain. Now let me preface by saying, it was the first day of daylight savings time and we met at the mountain at 8am, so really 7am, meaning leaving my house at 6am to get there on time. Coupled with the fact that yesterday I may have over did it with the St. Patty's beer in the day and the wine drinking at the dinner party last night, I may, just may, be a wee bit hung over today :( And I knew I was climbing this morning, I just didn't think I would stay so late or have so many glasses of wine at the dinner party.... oops. So yeah, I'm f
eeling it. I get to the mountain and it's a chilly 36 degrees. It's windy, freakin cold, and the cheerios I ate for breakfast an hour ago, are long gone. I sit in my warm car til everyone arrives then I brave the weather and join the group. After passing out gear, (helmet and harness) we begin our adventure. My stomach is doing flips, not sure if it was b/c of the nights before indulgences or if I was really nervous. I mean, if you think about it. Rock climbing IS a dangerous thing. What was I thinking?!? I decide to just think of it in increments. Let me just get past this hike to the climbing walls, then I'll think about the climbing. The hike is considered strenuous and for first thing in the morning it was. Straight up for one mile, (one steep mile) then climb 300 stairs, then ascend down again to the practice walls. After reaching the top of the stairs, I was ready to take a break! My legs were feeling it already. While our guide tied 3 top ropes, we all took a break, sipped water and us newbies tried to calm our nerves. After about 15 minutes, we walked down to the practice wall and man did it look HUGE from this stand point. Over the next hour, our guide goes over safety, vocab, safety, knot tieing, safety, and the use of our equipment. Oh, and did I say safety? It's all so overwhelming, but he does a great job at making sure we all get it. I keep practicing my double figure eight knots as he demonstrates some moves while bouldering the rock. But this point I am so amped to start climbing I can't contain my self and my leg starts bouncy away to try to rid it of excess energy. I am READY! BRING IT ON ROCK!
eeling it. I get to the mountain and it's a chilly 36 degrees. It's windy, freakin cold, and the cheerios I ate for breakfast an hour ago, are long gone. I sit in my warm car til everyone arrives then I brave the weather and join the group. After passing out gear, (helmet and harness) we begin our adventure. My stomach is doing flips, not sure if it was b/c of the nights before indulgences or if I was really nervous. I mean, if you think about it. Rock climbing IS a dangerous thing. What was I thinking?!? I decide to just think of it in increments. Let me just get past this hike to the climbing walls, then I'll think about the climbing. The hike is considered strenuous and for first thing in the morning it was. Straight up for one mile, (one steep mile) then climb 300 stairs, then ascend down again to the practice walls. After reaching the top of the stairs, I was ready to take a break! My legs were feeling it already. While our guide tied 3 top ropes, we all took a break, sipped water and us newbies tried to calm our nerves. After about 15 minutes, we walked down to the practice wall and man did it look HUGE from this stand point. Over the next hour, our guide goes over safety, vocab, safety, knot tieing, safety, and the use of our equipment. Oh, and did I say safety? It's all so overwhelming, but he does a great job at making sure we all get it. I keep practicing my double figure eight knots as he demonstrates some moves while bouldering the rock. But this point I am so amped to start climbing I can't contain my self and my leg starts bouncy away to try to rid it of excess energy. I am READY! BRING IT ON ROCK! After our tuto
rial, we split up between the three ropes. With such an urgency to start, I volunteer to go first. In hindsight I wish I would of gone last b/c I could of seen where everyone was placing their feet and hands and learn from their mistakes. But as luck would have it, I volunteered first, so I got to be the guinea pig. Truth be told, I was so disappointed in my first climb. I barely made it off the ground. I didn't realize how much you rely on your hands to, not so much to hold you, but to balance your body, and that really fatigued my fingers out. Also, lots of core strength is needed to just hold your body in place and shift your weight from foot to foot. But, in my defense, when I slipped, my belayer dropped me cold on the ground. I landed on my back and I think because I was so nervous and shaking, I didn't feel the pain, just the nerves. Everyone gasped and asked if I was alright. I said I was and wanted to try it again, so with shaky fatigued arms and hands, I tried again, and could not get past a protruding rock. Dismayed I untied my figure 8 knots and let the next person try. Only one of us was able to go further than I did, and she only went up a foot further. So I didn't feel too bad, but I did second guess if I could be a good climber.
rial, we split up between the three ropes. With such an urgency to start, I volunteer to go first. In hindsight I wish I would of gone last b/c I could of seen where everyone was placing their feet and hands and learn from their mistakes. But as luck would have it, I volunteered first, so I got to be the guinea pig. Truth be told, I was so disappointed in my first climb. I barely made it off the ground. I didn't realize how much you rely on your hands to, not so much to hold you, but to balance your body, and that really fatigued my fingers out. Also, lots of core strength is needed to just hold your body in place and shift your weight from foot to foot. But, in my defense, when I slipped, my belayer dropped me cold on the ground. I landed on my back and I think because I was so nervous and shaking, I didn't feel the pain, just the nerves. Everyone gasped and asked if I was alright. I said I was and wanted to try it again, so with shaky fatigued arms and hands, I tried again, and could not get past a protruding rock. Dismayed I untied my figure 8 knots and let the next person try. Only one of us was able to go further than I did, and she only went up a foot further. So I didn't feel too bad, but I did second guess if I could be a good climber. By noon, our time was up, but we were invited to stay and practice more. All the newbies left but me. So there I was, with REAL rock climbers. I watched for a good 45 minutes, then was egged on by Sara and Laura to try the other two walls. So, I braved on my helmet and did just that. Mark was an awesome belayer and he sai
d he saw my fall and would of never let that happen to anyone. I knew I was in good hands. With all his experience, I trusted him and listened to where he directed me to place my feet and hands. I could hear Laura and Sara telling me good job when I would find the right grip or groove to put my hands and feet on. Well guess what..... I climbed up a 1/3 of that wall before my hands fatigued me. And when I looked down to see how far I went up I was stunned! I calmly yelled "MARK!" and he calmly replied, "I got ya. Just let go of the wall and stick your legs straight out." I did and gently rappelled down to the ground. Sara, Laura, Jamie, and Mark all cheered for me and made me feel like such a pro that after a break, I attempted to climb the third top rope!
d he saw my fall and would of never let that happen to anyone. I knew I was in good hands. With all his experience, I trusted him and listened to where he directed me to place my feet and hands. I could hear Laura and Sara telling me good job when I would find the right grip or groove to put my hands and feet on. Well guess what..... I climbed up a 1/3 of that wall before my hands fatigued me. And when I looked down to see how far I went up I was stunned! I calmly yelled "MARK!" and he calmly replied, "I got ya. Just let go of the wall and stick your legs straight out." I did and gently rappelled down to the ground. Sara, Laura, Jamie, and Mark all cheered for me and made me feel like such a pro that after a break, I attempted to climb the third top rope!I learned so much from my experience today. First off, rock climbing is alot harder than I thought and I may just hit the climbing indoor gyms before I attempt to come back out. Secondly, rock climbers are some of the funnest, encouraging, awesomest people I've met. Finally, in order to rock climb, you better be a good hiker, cause you have to hike alot to get to some of these walls! Seriously, I would love to continue training to get waaaaay better at rock climbing. Til next time... GET OUTDOORS!!!
Monday, March 15, 2010
St. Patricks Parade
Dressed in some green duds, this morning we hopped on the train and headed into town to catch the annual St. Patricks Day parade and GREEN Festival. Since my husband is part Irish, and I'm Irish (by m
arriage, haha!) St. Patty's day is kind of like Christmas in our home, so you can probably guess how excited we were. The train was packed! It was like a can of sardines piling in there. Almost everyone was in the spirit of the day. There were green hats, green beads, Kiss me I'm Irish t-shirts, green shamrock glasses, green painted faces, green wigs, you name it and it was there in green! I kind of felt like we were going to Mardi Gras hahaa! 20 minutes later, we pulled up to our stop, hopped off the train, and walked up to the parade route. We found a great spot (right near the judges table) and waited a few minutes for the parade to start.
arriage, haha!) St. Patty's day is kind of like Christmas in our home, so you can probably guess how excited we were. The train was packed! It was like a can of sardines piling in there. Almost everyone was in the spirit of the day. There were green hats, green beads, Kiss me I'm Irish t-shirts, green shamrock glasses, green painted faces, green wigs, you name it and it was there in green! I kind of felt like we were going to Mardi Gras hahaa! 20 minutes later, we pulled up to our stop, hopped off the train, and walked up to the parade route. We found a great spot (right near the judges table) and waited a few minutes for the parade to start.I think the most exciting part about this event, is the people watching. We saw so many people dressed up and face painted out it was crazy. One little 
girl had a long green wig, huge glasses, little green outfit that she looked like a leprechaun. The parade finally started and we watched the countless bagpipe bands blow down the road in kilts, Irish dance schools jig down the street with bouncy curly hair pieces, the Guinness truck advertising it's three staple beers (Guinness, Harp, and Smithwicks) slowly roll by making our mouths water, the local roller derby girls skate through in a mock roller rink, and several overly m
ade up pageant winners float by on corvettes. Some of my personal favorites were the great dane rescue society walking these huge horse like dogs. They looked so silly dressed up in huge green bowties and hats! Then there was the golden retriever club, tons and tons of goldens walking in the parade, I mean there must of been at least 100 goldens. But I think one of my favorite floats had to be the "RiRa's" Irish pup float. (They had just re-opened after some extensive remodeling.) They had a giant flat bed float, complete with green costumed dancers, cheering, dancing, and singing, Then on the top tier of the platform, all to himself, they had a guy dressed up like a Leprechaun dancing like a fool to a Flogging Molly song. It was funny and the music so exciting that it even got me dancing! haha! Then of course you had Ronald McDonald in his giant shoe make a presence and the secessions of firetrucks wiz by. In general, it was just lots of people, Irish or not, having a good time, dressed in gree
n, playing/listening to some good music, and enjoying and celebrating good old Irish traditions. Like for instance, there was a Mexican restaurant handing out free coupons and the only almost Irish thing they had was a guy dressed up as a huge green lime wedge with a sombrero. It wasn't Irish, but it was hilarious and just worked. In other words, it was just an excuse to party. haha!
girl had a long green wig, huge glasses, little green outfit that she looked like a leprechaun. The parade finally started and we watched the countless bagpipe bands blow down the road in kilts, Irish dance schools jig down the street with bouncy curly hair pieces, the Guinness truck advertising it's three staple beers (Guinness, Harp, and Smithwicks) slowly roll by making our mouths water, the local roller derby girls skate through in a mock roller rink, and several overly m
ade up pageant winners float by on corvettes. Some of my personal favorites were the great dane rescue society walking these huge horse like dogs. They looked so silly dressed up in huge green bowties and hats! Then there was the golden retriever club, tons and tons of goldens walking in the parade, I mean there must of been at least 100 goldens. But I think one of my favorite floats had to be the "RiRa's" Irish pup float. (They had just re-opened after some extensive remodeling.) They had a giant flat bed float, complete with green costumed dancers, cheering, dancing, and singing, Then on the top tier of the platform, all to himself, they had a guy dressed up like a Leprechaun dancing like a fool to a Flogging Molly song. It was funny and the music so exciting that it even got me dancing! haha! Then of course you had Ronald McDonald in his giant shoe make a presence and the secessions of firetrucks wiz by. In general, it was just lots of people, Irish or not, having a good time, dressed in gree
n, playing/listening to some good music, and enjoying and celebrating good old Irish traditions. Like for instance, there was a Mexican restaurant handing out free coupons and the only almost Irish thing they had was a guy dressed up as a huge green lime wedge with a sombrero. It wasn't Irish, but it was hilarious and just worked. In other words, it was just an excuse to party. haha! 
As I was watching the parade go by, I catch a glimpse of a TV camera crew. I think, no big deal, it's probably one of our local news stations reporting on the parade. But when I glanced to see which news anchor it is, it dawns on me that this person isn't one of our local anchors, but is someone I recognize. Then it hits me. It's Lisa Ling! She's in town reporting on the St. Patricks parade and how we have the largest St. Patricks bar crawl in the US. (Oh yeah... we have a crazy, 20 bar crawl every St. Patty's day, see, an excuse for a party haha!, lots of fun for everyone!) Well, I go over to the camera crew and get right up on them and snap a pick of Lisa Ling. THEN, I ask her if I can get a picture with her. She smiles and says sure, so Boo snaps our picture and I turn to her and say "Welcome to our town!" She smiles and thanks me. I
t was so surreal. For those of you who don't know who she is, she used to be on the show "The View", but now she's a National Geographic Explorer journalist and a very humble person.
t was so surreal. For those of you who don't know who she is, she used to be on the show "The View", but now she's a National Geographic Explorer journalist and a very humble person.After the parade, we were all set to get our Irish beer on and head over to the St. Patty's festival when Boo gets a call from a friend that says he's down there with is family. So we decide to meet up and check out the fe
stival together. As we walk to meet up with Patrick and Tracey, a guy with a ton of green beads walks up to me and hands me a strand of beads and wishes me a Happy St. Patricks Day. Embellished in my new green beads and huge grin, we grab lunch at a local and famous soul food restaurant and head out to the festival. Everyone is in such good/giving spirits it's hard not to have a good time. One lady who was buying herself a green feather boa, saw us coming and immediately says that Tracey's daughter K
ia needed a green boa too, and she BOUGHT it for her! WOW. Sometimes the kindness of strangers really impresses me :)
stival together. As we walk to meet up with Patrick and Tracey, a guy with a ton of green beads walks up to me and hands me a strand of beads and wishes me a Happy St. Patricks Day. Embellished in my new green beads and huge grin, we grab lunch at a local and famous soul food restaurant and head out to the festival. Everyone is in such good/giving spirits it's hard not to have a good time. One lady who was buying herself a green feather boa, saw us coming and immediately says that Tracey's daughter K
ia needed a green boa too, and she BOUGHT it for her! WOW. Sometimes the kindness of strangers really impresses me :) Boo and Patrick run off to get beers while Tracy, her kids (Kia and Aiden) and I navigate the streets and check out the different booths, crafts, and Irish peddlers. I love being in the middle of all this craziness. We stop for Aiden to play a round of cornhole (bean bag toss) so he can win a some green beads and I spot Boo and Patrick. They look so happy and care free, just smiling, talking, sipping their 32oz beers. I just smile and am so glad they are having a good time too. Tracey decides to get us some beers, so she goes off while I watch the kids for a bit. We fi
nally all meet back up and decide to check out the kid area for the carnival rides, while Tracey takes Kia to get her face painted. After bags of kettle corn, cotton candy, free bracelets, pictures, and rides, we call it a day. But the day isn't over for me just yet. I have an all girls dinner party to get to that night, I need to get home and primp! hahaha! It was a great, though chilly, St. Patricks day out. We caught a parade and a festival, spent some quality time with friends, celebrity sited, and indulged in a little Irish beer drinking, all while people watching. Today was a good day. Til next time... GET OUTDOORS!!!
nally all meet back up and decide to check out the kid area for the carnival rides, while Tracey takes Kia to get her face painted. After bags of kettle corn, cotton candy, free bracelets, pictures, and rides, we call it a day. But the day isn't over for me just yet. I have an all girls dinner party to get to that night, I need to get home and primp! hahaha! It was a great, though chilly, St. Patricks day out. We caught a parade and a festival, spent some quality time with friends, celebrity sited, and indulged in a little Irish beer drinking, all while people watching. Today was a good day. Til next time... GET OUTDOORS!!!Sunday, March 14, 2010
Week 9, Run 1
On Friday, Boo and I headed to the track for our run. I am FINALLY on week 9! The last week of the program. Can you believe it? I can. All that hard work is paying off. I am really running for 30 minutes. :) Today's run was good. I was confidant that I could push for 2 more minutes so I (literally) hit the track running! I pushed through that first mile alot faster than I had anticipated (12 min, which for me is fast.) So I forced myself to slow it down in order to sustain the run. The funny thing is, it's not my breathing that's the problem now, it's my legs! My lungs have finally caught AND surpassed my little chicken legs. So I know I can push harder/faster once my legs don't fatigue as quickly. Everything I've been reading on ACTIVE under the running section has suggested I work on endurance first, before I work on getting faster. So, I'm plodding along and running for time over distance. I figure I will get the distance with more training. After all, though it seems like a long time, I've only been running for 9 weeks. I've got a couple of ideas for what I want to do after I finish the program, so stay tuned to see what kind of craziness I get myself into next. ;) hahaha! Til next time... GET OUTDOORS!
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Week 8, Run 3
With hiking this weekend my calves were killing me! Not sure why, b/c the hike wasn't that hard. I decided to take 3 rest days to recover b/f going running again. Well, my calves were still sore to the touch when Boo and I decided to hit the track. I kept thinking I over did it and needed to rest a week, but Boo told me I needed to work the lactic acid out. So we went running in the sprinkling rain and I ran the entire 28 mins. I ran strong. My calves were sore the first 3 mins., but after that, it's like they loosened up. I got into a groove and just ran with lots of energy. After it was over, my calves were back to normal. So strange! I think Boo was right, it was the lactic acid build up that just needed to be flushed out. I had probably one of the best runs I've had so far. My next runs are for 30 mins. and I am looking forward to them. Til next time... GET OUTDOORS!!!
Monday, March 8, 2010
Tallulah Gorge State Park
On Saturday, nine of us headed out to Tallulah Falls, GA for some hiking and backpacking. (Sailing seas
on is underway, so Boo didn't go backpacking. But he had a great time this weekend and that's all that counts. We both did what we enjoyed and met up for dinner on Sunday.) So, it was me, Kirsten, Cathy, Tammi, Andy, Andy P., Gary, Tim, and Akin. After a snowy week, the weather man promised a warmer and sunny weekend, in backpack terms that means 60 degree in the day and 28 at night. Perfect! The caravan of cars arrived at the interpretation/visitors center around 12:pm and we set off to hike the north and south rim trail of Tallulah Gorge for a total of 4 miles. Easy right? Well.... they didn't mention the 1,000 stairs we had to climb! yes, I said THOUSAND steps. Well worth it though, this was a
beautiful hike and believe it or not, we finished up in less than 2 hours. So we started on the south rim, and stopped at all the views for the Gorge and waterfall. It was such a beautiful clear day and it made for some spectacular views. After snapping photos at the overlooks, we started the stairs that climbed down into the gorge. We even walked over a suspended bridge that was very shaky, but alot of fun. When we all made it down to the gorge floor, we took our waterfall photos and then hiked the two miles back up to the vis
itors center on the north rim trail. So up we went. The stairs literally kicked my ass. I thought my quad muscles were going to slide off. They felt like pure jello all the way up to the last step. Talk about a workout! The rest of the hike was pretty easy and enjoyable. Back at the visitors center, we stopped for a quick lunch break before we donned on our backpacks and hiked out 4 more miles to our back country campsite.
Around 6:30am, I slipped out my hammock, went to water the leaves, and came back to pack up. I took my time b/c everyone was still sleeping. I wanted to get a good head start on the climb out b/c I thought it would take me a while. Around 7am, everyone started to rise up and we all talked about the crazy animal noise that woke us up. Everyone in the shelter agreed that someone snored so loud they all had an awful time sleeping. Not me! I was far away and had a great nights sleep. Most said they froze their toes off and the hard platform made for a uncomfortable sleep. Not me, I was comfy and snug in my hammock :) 
on is underway, so Boo didn't go backpacking. But he had a great time this weekend and that's all that counts. We both did what we enjoyed and met up for dinner on Sunday.) So, it was me, Kirsten, Cathy, Tammi, Andy, Andy P., Gary, Tim, and Akin. After a snowy week, the weather man promised a warmer and sunny weekend, in backpack terms that means 60 degree in the day and 28 at night. Perfect! The caravan of cars arrived at the interpretation/visitors center around 12:pm and we set off to hike the north and south rim trail of Tallulah Gorge for a total of 4 miles. Easy right? Well.... they didn't mention the 1,000 stairs we had to climb! yes, I said THOUSAND steps. Well worth it though, this was a beautiful hike and believe it or not, we finished up in less than 2 hours. So we started on the south rim, and stopped at all the views for the Gorge and waterfall. It was such a beautiful clear day and it made for some spectacular views. After snapping photos at the overlooks, we started the stairs that climbed down into the gorge. We even walked over a suspended bridge that was very shaky, but alot of fun. When we all made it down to the gorge floor, we took our waterfall photos and then hiked the two miles back up to the vis
itors center on the north rim trail. So up we went. The stairs literally kicked my ass. I thought my quad muscles were going to slide off. They felt like pure jello all the way up to the last step. Talk about a workout! The rest of the hike was pretty easy and enjoyable. Back at the visitors center, we stopped for a quick lunch break before we donned on our backpacks and hiked out 4 more miles to our back country campsite.With our packs on our back, we headed down Stoneplace trail and to our campsite. We start the hike around 2:30pm The trail was pretty easy, very soft rolling hills. I took off with the guys from TN, (Gary and Tim) b/c they liked to hike fast on the downhill and so do I. The next thing I know, we are at the campsite and it's only 4pm! I hiked 4 miles in 1 and 1/2 hours! Whoo hoo! While they gather 
up firewood, I start to set up my hammock. The rest of the group rolls in one by one and by the time I got my hammock all strung up, the last person makes it in. Most everyone is staying in the shelter, so they don't have much to unpack. I change into a dry shirt, down jacket, and my wanna-be crocs, while everyone claims a spot in the shelter and the boys start chopping wood for the fire. (The guys all either brought an ax or saw in their packs.) I finish up my camp chores by walking down to the spring with Tim to filter water for the night and next day. By dinner we had a nice roaring fire happening. Akin, who is brand new to backpacking, went to change into his camp clothes and when he came back, we had field day with his camp clothes. The boy comes out in his pajamas, complete with house slippers! It was too funny. I started snapping photos and told him his trail name will be "slippers" and everyone got a good chuckle. 
In an effort to go lightweight, I'm testing out a new stove. It's an esbit stove and I have to say. I was very impressed with the little stove. It's small, easy to use, and boiled two cups of water in about 7 minutes. One fuel tablet was all I needed and it melts away cleanly, so no messy clean up. I think I'm going to keep it. I also have an etowah alcohol stove to test out, but so far this little esbit stove gets the job done. I did miss my jetboil for a split second, but not the bulk or weight of it. I'm actually excited to test out the esbit again!
up firewood, I start to set up my hammock. The rest of the group rolls in one by one and by the time I got my hammock all strung up, the last person makes it in. Most everyone is staying in the shelter, so they don't have much to unpack. I change into a dry shirt, down jacket, and my wanna-be crocs, while everyone claims a spot in the shelter and the boys start chopping wood for the fire. (The guys all either brought an ax or saw in their packs.) I finish up my camp chores by walking down to the spring with Tim to filter water for the night and next day. By dinner we had a nice roaring fire happening. Akin, who is brand new to backpacking, went to change into his camp clothes and when he came back, we had field day with his camp clothes. The boy comes out in his pajamas, complete with house slippers! It was too funny. I started snapping photos and told him his trail name will be "slippers" and everyone got a good chuckle. 
In an effort to go lightweight, I'm testing out a new stove. It's an esbit stove and I have to say. I was very impressed with the little stove. It's small, easy to use, and boiled two cups of water in about 7 minutes. One fuel tablet was all I needed and it melts away cleanly, so no messy clean up. I think I'm going to keep it. I also have an etowah alcohol stove to test out, but so far this little esbit stove gets the job done. I did miss my jetboil for a split second, but not the bulk or weight of it. I'm actually excited to test out the esbit again!
After dinner, it started getting chilly, so we all sat around the fire warming ourselves up.
That's when the "medicine" started coming out and the camp fire stories started getting crazier. Tim pulled out a water bottle that he filled with a Jack Daniels that he called his Medicine. Kirsten pulled out her bottle of cosmopolitans,
she called it her medicine, and Tammi pulled out her boxed wine. All the items were passed around and we all indulged in some "medicine". Now, I'm not usually the type who likes to drink while out in the woods. I think it makes for a bad next day. I like keeping my body "clean" or "alcohol" free, but I couldn't help getting into the social atmosphere around the fire. Call it peer pressure HAHA! 
It was all in good fun. Besides, I only had a swig of each item, no even enough to feel it. Around 10:30pm, we decided to call it night. I walked over to my quiet hammock, while the rest piled into the shelter. The weather had dropped significantly and I could feel we were in for a cold night. I closed up the ends on my tarp and huddled down deep into my down sleeping bag. I shifted around in the hammock til there wasn't any cold spots, then I fell asleep. I woke up once to a terrifying screaming animal in the woods. I was so afraid to peek out of the hammock that I just laid there, hoping it wouldn't find me. It was the most awful noise. Like something being killed by another animal. After a while the noise seemed to grow more distant and faint til I couldn't hear it any longer. (Later on at the visotors center I told the rangers about the noise and they said it was an owl. An OWL! Who would of thought and owl could scare the crap out of me.)
That's when the "medicine" started coming out and the camp fire stories started getting crazier. Tim pulled out a water bottle that he filled with a Jack Daniels that he called his Medicine. Kirsten pulled out her bottle of cosmopolitans,
she called it her medicine, and Tammi pulled out her boxed wine. All the items were passed around and we all indulged in some "medicine". Now, I'm not usually the type who likes to drink while out in the woods. I think it makes for a bad next day. I like keeping my body "clean" or "alcohol" free, but I couldn't help getting into the social atmosphere around the fire. Call it peer pressure HAHA! 
It was all in good fun. Besides, I only had a swig of each item, no even enough to feel it. Around 10:30pm, we decided to call it night. I walked over to my quiet hammock, while the rest piled into the shelter. The weather had dropped significantly and I could feel we were in for a cold night. I closed up the ends on my tarp and huddled down deep into my down sleeping bag. I shifted around in the hammock til there wasn't any cold spots, then I fell asleep. I woke up once to a terrifying screaming animal in the woods. I was so afraid to peek out of the hammock that I just laid there, hoping it wouldn't find me. It was the most awful noise. Like something being killed by another animal. After a while the noise seemed to grow more distant and faint til I couldn't hear it any longer. (Later on at the visotors center I told the rangers about the noise and they said it was an owl. An OWL! Who would of thought and owl could scare the crap out of me.)
Around 6:30am, I slipped out my hammock, went to water the leaves, and came back to pack up. I took my time b/c everyone was still sleeping. I wanted to get a good head start on the climb out b/c I thought it would take me a while. Around 7am, everyone started to rise up and we all talked about the crazy animal noise that woke us up. Everyone in the shelter agreed that someone snored so loud they all had an awful time sleeping. Not me! I was far away and had a great nights sleep. Most said they froze their toes off and the hard platform made for a uncomfortable sleep. Not me, I was comfy and snug in my hammock :) 
The boys got the fire going again and it felt so good. After a breakfast bar, I said goodbye and decided to start out at 8:15am. I just knew someone would catch up to me. Well guess what? All the running has finally paid off! I hiked 4 miles back up to the visitors center in 1 hour and 40 minutes without stopping! and no one caught up. In fact, I had to wait an hour at the visitors center for everyone to show up. Now that I think about it, I should of stayed and hiked up with everyone. But I had a great morning, was able to snap a couple of more photos, and I got to hike my own hike. This was a great trip with a good group. I had so much fun and am so glad Spring is right around the corner! Cause I'm so ready for more backpacking trips. Til next time... GET OUTDOORS!!!
Friday, March 5, 2010
Week 8 Run 2
Since our local middle school's track was being used by the local middle school soccer team. Boo and I had to make plans to jog somewhere else. Luckily, our city has lots of greenways to walk along. So we picked a close section and went jogging! I was a bit excited b/c it was my first "real" jog, not around a track, since starting the program. It was ok, I think I enjoyed the track more. Maybe it's because it's what I'm used to. Who knows, but as I learned from Zonya Focco, I need to give things a try 11X in order to change my habit. So I'll give the greenways another try. This run was tough! I only jogged 22 minutes, walked for 2 mins. then jogged the rest of the 28 mins. Boo tells me he notices that my Thurs/Fri jogs are always my toughest runs. I wonder if my legs are getting enough rest. I might have to redo this run, b/c I didn't get in a solid 28 mins. hmmmm.... Oh well, at least I'm running right? haha! Til next time... GET OUTDOORS!!!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Week 8, Run 1
Today was the beginning of my 28 min runs. I knew I could do 25, so bring on the 28's! It was snowing all day today and I kept thinking, maybe I should just go jogging tomorrow. When I got home after work, it seemed like the snow was falling even harder. I decided to just sucked it up. I put on my sneakers, grabbed a scarf, and headed out to the track. The snow was pouring 
out of the sky. Not like the cute little snowflakes floating down to the ground, but these huge snow fluffs, pelting down like rain fall. It was crazy! Luckily, it wasn't sticking, so the track was clear, just alot of puddles. Water I can deal with, ice... I can't have. I thought it was safe to go ahead with my run. So with snow fluff the size of gum balls, I started week 8. The music podcast for this week was all P-Diddy/Bad Boy records songs, right away, I knew it was going to be a great week for music :) Boo had a meeting to go to that night, so he didn't run with me. He did show up to check up on me before he left and in jeans, and he ran the very last minute of my 28 min run with me. It was a great way to finish up my run :) We walked the cool down lap around the track with the snow covering our clothes, then headed to the cars. After hugs and kisses, he left for his meeting and I hopped in my car to bounce home, change and head out for Book Club. Til next time... GET OUTDOORS!!!
out of the sky. Not like the cute little snowflakes floating down to the ground, but these huge snow fluffs, pelting down like rain fall. It was crazy! Luckily, it wasn't sticking, so the track was clear, just alot of puddles. Water I can deal with, ice... I can't have. I thought it was safe to go ahead with my run. So with snow fluff the size of gum balls, I started week 8. The music podcast for this week was all P-Diddy/Bad Boy records songs, right away, I knew it was going to be a great week for music :) Boo had a meeting to go to that night, so he didn't run with me. He did show up to check up on me before he left and in jeans, and he ran the very last minute of my 28 min run with me. It was a great way to finish up my run :) We walked the cool down lap around the track with the snow covering our clothes, then headed to the cars. After hugs and kisses, he left for his meeting and I hopped in my car to bounce home, change and head out for Book Club. Til next time... GET OUTDOORS!!!
Monday, March 1, 2010
Week 7, Run 3
This was a mentally tough run. I attempted to do this run on Thurs. and could only get thru the first 12 mins. before my calves felt so stiff that I couldn't even walk. I had some bad lactic acid build up, so I took a few rest days, loaded up on water, and attempted this run today. I was nervous I hit a wall and couldn't complete it, but I stretched really good and started out slow. The next thing I knew, I had finished up my 25 min run! So glad I pushed through it. It was actually a good run, not too fast, but steady and getting easier. I wonder if I had pushed it too hard the last couple of runs by attempting to go faster.... hmmmm..... I so want to hit the 10 min mile mark instead of the 12.5 min mile pace I got going on right now. I suppose I should concentrate on just finishing the program before I try to speed up my pace. So bring on Week 8! The runs are for 28 mins each. Til next time... GET OUTDOORS!!!
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