Our First 14er: Mt. Bierstadt

Since before we actually moved to Colorado, I've had the goal of hiking a 14er this summer. A "14er" is a mountain that peaks at 14,000 ft or greater. I'm proud to say - mission accomplished! I chose the easiest peak because, well, I thought it was the smart thing to do... I'm relatively new to hiking (beginner/intermediate), and hadn't yet hiked above 10,000'. I think I chose wisely :). My hubs and I, with our good friend B hiked to the summit of Mt. Bierstadt at 14,060 ft on August 28, 2010. We took the west slopes route (class 2) for a total of 7 miles RT.

A look back a little ways up Mt. Bierstadt

We woke up around 6:30 AM (even though I tried to convince B to leave earlier), and got to the trailhead around 8:15 AM. The parking lot was PACKED. I knew it was going to be busy on a Saturday morning but I really didn't expect to see the lot overflowing. The first mile is the easiest, mostly flat and goes through the willows, and then we started to climb.

I was surprised by how good I felt. I've had really bad altitude sickness before (though it was a long time ago), and I was a little nervous that I would be nauseous, or worse get sick along the trail. I started to really feel the altitude around 12,500 ft. I had to stop every once in a while a lot to just catch my breath. It was almost like a hitting walls at certain points, from the lack of oxygen. I would feel the lack of oxygen and get tired, then it would get easier... my body adjusted to the altitude. Then I'd hit another wall, it'd get easier, and then I'd hit another :). I think this happened about 3 or 4 times. But overall, I felt great, even after I rolled my ankle the first time *rolling eyes*.

I wish I had a picture of the boulder scramble at the top. I was prepared for it after reading other's trip reports, but there was quite a distance of hiking up and over boulders. I think we hung out on the peak for ~20 minutes. It was crowded at the top, but we found a spot, had a snack and took some pictures. The boulders were OK going up, but a PITA on the way down. I rolled the same ankle twice more... but I was still doing OK. We were trying to beat the storms that were forecasted for that afternoon, so we were trying to hustle on the way down. The clouds were rolling in, and you could see rain in the distance. B was half running down the mountain. Seriously. My quads, knees, and sore ankle were singing to me! Honestly, I wasn't too worried, but I didn't want to be out there above tree-line dodging lightning if a storm hit either. So I went as fast as I could (which was slow compared to the guys) while paying attention to where I planted my right foot, being careful with my ankle. We made it back without getting wet, thankfully the storms moved south.

Here's some pictures:


It was a great experience! Unfortunately I messed up my ankle. I couldn't walk on it the next day. I haven't run since, and missed out on a hike in Rocky Mountain National Park last weekend.  I did go hiking a couple of days ago, and it's achy but doing alright. I'm hoping to get back to running soon... I'm just nervous of hurting it more and not being able to do the hikes I have planned this fall.

Anyway, now that I know what to expect, I can better train/condition myself to hike more difficult ones next summer. I've got my eye on Grays, Torreys, and/or Quandry. :)

Have I mentioned lately how much I love living here?

A few of my favorite things...

I've been seeing lists like these around the blogosphere and thought it would be fun to make my own. Here goes, in no particular order, a list of a few of my favorite [material] things:

1.  My iPhone 4. Heart. Love. Huggy squeezy. Especially now that AT&T replaced the sim card and it doesn't drop calls anymore. 

2.  Teva Olawahu Flip Flops. I have 3 pairs and want need another pair in maya green. 

3.  LUSH shampoo bars. They are the best, easy to use and great for travel. My favorites are the Seanik and Godiva bars... see my previous about these here. 

4. Body Shop Vitamin E Lip Care SPF 15. I've tried many others and I always come back to this one.

5. My Keens... I love them. I'm proud to say they are much dirtier now than they were when this picture was taken! 

6. My FREE hand-me-down Kindle DX. Thanks, Dad! This is up there in the huggy squeezy category. I've only had it since mid-July (special delivery by my little bro) and I'm reading my 6th book on it, which is why I'm STILL in the middle of the paperback version of The Girl Who Played with Fire, which I started around the same time my Kindle arrived. Honestly, I'd love to have the smaller version that can fit in my purse but in the same breath, I love that I can read pdf files on the full screen (recipes, class material, etc.). LOVE!

I tried to keep this list short... I may have to add to this later though. 

Review: REI Traverse 30 Women's Backpack

My goal this summer was to hike my first 14er, which I did, and will post about ASAP! In order to do this, I knew I needed the proper gear, and thus my backpack search began. My beloved Camelbak M.U.L.E. NV just wasn't going to do the job, I needed more volume to hold those 10+ essential items. I compared and read reviews online from multiple sources, and then went and tried on 5 different packs loaded with weights.

I chose the REI Traverse 30 Women's Backpack.

I chose this pack for a number of reasons, mainly because I like how streamlined it is, while still having plenty of pockets - 1 main compartment, 4 organizational pockets, and one small pocket on the hip belt.  There are also mesh pockets on either side to carry water bottles or snacks, and an internal sleeve to hold a 3.0L reservoir. The major bonuses for me with this pack are 1) the hidden rain cover which many of the competitors I looked at did not have, and 2) it appeals to the green nerd in me... this pack is made of 100% recycled PET polyester fabric. Which means this pack keeps 24 16-oz. plastic bottles out of landfills. :)

This pack lived up to it's hype. It easily held the essentials, with room to spare for additional items that would be necessary for longer hikes. On Saturday, we hiked ~5.5 hours and the pack was comfortable. I really liked having the easily accessible side pockets for my water bottle of Pure Fitness and snacks, and the hip belt pocket that perfectly held my chapstick, camera, and tissues.

The only downside I could find for this pack is that there isn't a small organizational pocket inside to hold things like my ID, search & rescue card, and cash (in case I need to pay-off a bear?). I'm concerned that it's too easy for this type stuff to fall out, or get accidentally pulled out of the existing pockets. However, this isn't such a big deal as I've figured out a work around. I plan to get, or find in my closet somewhere, a change purse type thing to hold such items and attach it to a hook in the main compartment. Problem solved.

Another plus with purchasing this pack through REI is if for whatever reason this pack doesn't hold up, I can return it to REI no questions asked.

Here's a list of the other major competitors (for me):

• CamelBak Fourteener Hydration Pack - Couldn't find it to try it!
• REI Venturi 30 - Women's - The large pockets on each side of the hip belt hit my arms as I walked, which drove me bonkers.
• Gregory Jade 30 Pack - Women's - Couldn't get past the ugly color...

I really thought I was going to get the CamelBak Fourteener (in the yellow/charcoal color)... but REI was sold out in the store, and after calling around and not finding it anywhere in order to try it out with weights - I decided to go with the Traverse. I still want it. I mean, it's called the Fourteener! Bad, I know...

I might have to start collecting packs like I collect Coach purses. :D

Here's my collection so far, aren't they purty?

Catch-up: July

I'm still trying to catch up... We kicked off July with our trip to Jackson, WY and then kept rolling. Here's a list of highlights:

• Renaissance Festival: Went with some friends and enjoyed the junk food and people watching, but I think I'm good for another few years before I need to go back!
  
• Lilith Fair: I was able to score $10 tickets to Lilith Fair, so I got some girl friends to go with and we had a good time. I swear what money we saved on tickets was easily spent on food and drinks! Bottled water (which you couldn't bring in yourself) was $5, and this concert started at 2PM and went until 10 PM! The highlights for me was Erin McClarey, Ingrid Michaelson, and obviously Sarah McLachlan. I have to say I was disappointed in the format of Lilith. If you wanted to reserve a good spot on the lawn for the main artists, then you couldn't be at the other stages. I really wish that ALL the Lilith artists went to ALL the Fairs nation wide, like they did in the late 90s. I've heard that they are trying to make it better 2011... I hope so!

Sarah McLachlan

Finale - all artists

• Rocky Mountain High: Event at Denver Museum of Nature and Science... we met up with some friends, and made some new ones! We had a great time, and learned about how the Rocky Mountains were formed over cocktails while enjoying this view:

Sunset over the Rockies

The Denver skyline

• My little brother came to visit for 10 days! He's 8 years old, and wow, what a whirlwind that was! We kept busy, as I tried to show him all that Colorado has to offer :). Here's a run down of our activities:
• Hiked the loop around Red Rocks
• Saw the movie Despicable Me, and we both loved it!
• Hiked at Elk Meadow Park and saw a mountain lion (from a safe distance)
• Took a lantern tour of Cave of the Winds - his favorite part of his visit!
• Walked around Garden of the Gods
• Went bowling with M & K :)
• Camped and hiked at Rainbow Lakes - fire and s'mores need I say more?

Whew, I think that's it for July! 

Catch-up: July 4th in Jackson, WY

This summer has been crazy, and I've loved every minute of it... but it's starting to wind down and it is time to play catch-up on some posts. July was packed and flew by... Um, happy belated Independence Day!

We took a road trip for July 4th weekend to Jackson, Wyoming. It only took us about 9 hours to get to the Grand Tetons - how great is that?! We rented a house in Jackson Hole with 7 other people and had a fantastic time... I swear, it was like being back in college. We spent a day in Yellowstone National Park (elk, bison, deer, and bears, OH MY!), a day chillin' by Jackson Lake in Grand Teton National Park, and a day roaming downtown Jackson Hole. It was such a great time... I can't wait to go back! Here are some highlights...

Yellowstone National Park:


I got up before the crack of dawn on July 4th to go with my hubby, the photographer of the family, to take pictures of the Grand Tetons at sunrise. It was cold that morning - in the 30s. I thought my gloveless hands were going to completely freeze and fall off! But seriously, what a fantastic way to start off Independence Day! Here are some somewhat decent shots I got with my iPhone 4 while John did a photo shoot with his D40...


We celebrated Independence Day hanging out at Jackson Lake in Grand Teton National Park. This day pretty much goes down in the books as one of the best days ever... I was so sad to leave!


Jackson Hole, WY:


I seriously can not wait to go back... the Grand Tetons are still my favorite mountains. We had such a great time, met some new friends, and hope to travel with them again!

Hike: Goose Creek Trail

This post is long overdue! In June, I met up with some great girls to hike the Goose Creek Trail in the Lost Creek Wilderness. We started at the Goose Creek Trailhead, and hiked up to shaft house and back for a total of 9.4 miles round trip.

These pictures do not do the area justice, it's absolutely beautiful. The boulders are just... HUGE. Here are some of my favorite pictures from the trail:



This was one of my first hikes using our new point and shoot camera, and I regret that I didn't learn how to use it properly beforehand... I'm a little disappointed with the pictures.

Schedule for a TV Junkie

Update: Somehow I forgot Modern Family the first go round, and I think I'll check out the new NBC show, Under Covers (picture updated).

I know I've promised to post pictures from our summer adventures and I meant to have a couple of catch up posts yesterday, but instead I got distracted by a somewhat urgent matter for a TV junkie like myself... Peeps, it was time to make my Fall 2010 TV Schedule spreadsheet! You can laugh, I'll wait.

........

Yes, I'm a dork. I'm an admitted TV junkie and engineer... are you really surprised that I have a spreadsheet? I've actually had quite a few requests to share it, so here's my schedule:

So far I haven't decided if I'm going to try out any new shows next season. Obviously, I have enough shows for my TiVo to keep up with... actually too many for Monday and Tuesday. I will have to rely on Hulu and online network viewing to fill in the gaps. I'm actually a little relieved that Lost, Heroes, and Deep End were cancelled. Every season I say that I'm going to stop watching One Tree Hill, but like a train wreck, I keep watching. Speaking of TV show train wrecks, True Blood Season 2 Disc 1 should be waiting in our mailbox tomorrow from Netflix...

What shows are you looking forward to most? Any new series you plan to check out? I'm most looking forward to Glee, Grey's Anatomy, Parenthood, and Vampire Diaries. Quite a mix I know... :)

Oh Canada!

Note: I wrote this last week when I didn't have a WiFi connection, and forgot to publish it later. So... here it is finally. More Canada highlights and pictures will be posted soon! 

We started our Canada adventure last week by hanging out on Devil Lake (Ontario) with my husband's entire family. We spent the week swimming, fishing, playing games, and relaxing. I read two books while we were there! We also took a day trip to Ottawa. It was a great week, and we had some real quality time with everyone.

Once we left Devil Lake we took a VIA train from Kingston to Montreal (Quebec) and spent a couple of days there. We spent the entire time in Old Montreal with the rest of the tourists. We couldn't believe how crowded it was there. We went on a walking tour which was very informative, and also went to the Montreal Museum of Archeology and History - which I would recommend visiting if you're ever in Montreal - and learned about how the city was born and became a metropolis.

This morning we took a train to Quebec, and are staying at a hotel in the heart of Vieux (Old) Quebec. I'm in love with this area. It's like a slice of Europe in North America. It's beautiful, and I just don't think we will be able get enough out of our two days here. We definitely want to come back!

I'm typing this from a ferry we are taking a joy ride on to see the city from the water (we are waiting at port). Here is a picture of Old Quebec from the St. Lawrence seaway.




After Quebec, we are flying to Halifax, Nova Scotia and renting a car to explore Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia. I'm so excited for that portion of our trip.

Till next time....

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