Rolling with it

As we all know, I don't do well with change. I have a hard time adjusting to things that deviate from The Plan. Today my friend/climbing partner/tripmate shared the news that his hand would indeed need surgery and he is unable to go to Ecuador as planned.  The injury is the result of an unfortunate spill during a training hike in the snow and ice a few weeks ago. Until today, I had largely put it out of my mind that him not going was a real possibility. I was trying to exercise my magical thinking skills-- If I wished hard enough for it to be nothing, then it would be nothing.  His physician made it clear however that he cannot climb.  As my climbing partner put it, he can not even hold an ice axe, nor put weight on it, nor self arrest to save himself or others he is roped to on the glacier. I know its the right way to play it, but it sucks nonetheless. I'm glad he has trip insurance to recover some of his cost, but I feel bad that he's planned for so long for this and trained so hard, and now its put on the back burner. Selfishly, I feel bad for me too.
I hope he will still listen to me drone on and on about the minutia that I have been up until now--- like the gear reviews, climbers blogs, and crevasse rescue videos ad-nauseum. And I hope to bring him back some realistic information as to what to expect on HIS climb to the crater when his hand heals.

Taking a rest

The boys trudging through the fields in new snow with me

New Snow

Discipline vs. Rest Days

When its -6 outside with a wind chill of -15, and its 4:30 am and your bed is cozy, its easy to blow off the gym. I am by nature a morning person and getting up and working out at that time every day does not bother me. It’s just the routine I've been in for about 8 years. I get up and get dressed before my brain and body realizes what’s happening.  Last night I slept well and in fact got almost 7 hours of it, but as my alarm went off, I struggled to find a reason to get to boot camp today. No person in their right mind goes out in this cold just to get in a workout. I got up, flipped the lights on, went into the bathroom and promptly decided I wasn't having any of this nonsense and crawled back in bed. I laid there having the debate in my mind "You’re up! Just go!"/"Going now when you least feel like it will be beneficial later!"/"You'll beat yourself up about it if you don't go!" versus the, "Oh my God its warm in this bed!"/"What sane person willingly leaves this comfortable place?"/”You've worked out tons this week, take it as a rest day!"

This was the day that I almost succumbed.

But I willed myself to get up and get ready. Coffee always seems to make things seem more doable and today was no exception. I opened the garage door and started my car so it could heat up before I got in. I grabbed my gym bag and was off.

I never regret working out, but today I slogged through much of the class and it didn’t seem to change my mood much for the better.

The chaos of the holidays always throws me. To add to it, I found out last night that an old friend/coworker/mentor had passed away. I am profoundly saddened by the sudden change to her health that she experienced but glad that I knew about it in enough time to send her a letter telling her how much she impacted my life. I know she read it, because a mutual friend shared with me that she showed it to a visitor recently.

Simply put,  Donna is the reason I always give people a second chance.  When Donna and I first started working together, I slaved long hours at the hospital while she skated by doing the minimum (or so that was my impression) with no repercussions.  She was larger than life, classy, direct, and had a wicked sense of humor. She was full of character and everyone loved her and I could not understand why, as she completely rubbed me the wrong way. I constantly felt I was left to clean up her messes at work. There were many days that I came home from the hospital and started my dinner conversations with my now-husband, "Do you know what Donna did today??!!”

To spare you the details of a long story, she turned out to be one of the funniest, most generous, and most caring people I ever encountered.  The day I left that job, she stopped me in the ER on my way out and we had a really long discussion about how I wear my heart on my sleeve and how difficult that makes things in a professional setting. To this day I think about her words of advice.

We still stayed in touch a decade later, mainly through our Christmas cards but every so often I would hear a story about her from mutual friends. Usually one that would make me roll with laughter.

I was initially down on myself for not being disciplined enough to give it my best effort this morning at the gym but I ended the day by chalking it up to being nice to myself and merely calling it an off-day. Using the time to reflect on my friend was by far a better use of my time.

Sparkles

When all was said and done we got about 4 inches of snow and then the bottom dropped out on the temperatures. I tried a thinner sock combination in my boots today and hated it- not only did it run colder, there was too much slide inside the boot and I had to keep readjusting my laces, which completely sucks when its 10 degrees out with 12 mph winds. On the other hand, it was a good measure of just how long it takes for my fingers to freeze when exposed. About 30 seconds. 

It was 90 minutes total with a 30 lb pack but no incline, only uneven grassy horse trails.  Cold, but there was definitely the reward of the sparkle and quiet of new snowfall and the absence of any footprints before me that day.

Pretty proud of myself

It all fits on the first try-not even using any stuff sacks. And that's with an extra backpack at the bottom of the duffel bag.  I do however use Pack-It cubes from Eagle Creek for sorting purposes http://shop.eaglecreek.com/packit-cube/d/1081_c_212 

Crampons and boots and a few miscellaneous expensive and delicate items will go in my carry-on. Next up, figuring out what tech gadgets to bring.

Forest preserve in the snow

The first real snow of the season yielded a perfect time to try some new gear combinations for warmth. It also made me decide to buy a pair of goggles to throw in my backpack "just in case". 90 minutes later when I was back at the car, my whole body was warm but my eyelashes were full of snow and ice.

Headlamps

The temperature dropped to 15 degrees today but nonetheless I talked my son into a night hike around the wetlands in our backyard under the guise of,  "you can use your headlamp!". He is extremely happy-go-lucky and willingly obliged.  Although it's only a mile and a quarter "around the lake" (as we call it), its pitch black and heavily wooded on one side. Deer and coyote frequent the area and at some point on the dark path we both remembered this but neither of us said it aloud. As the wind picked up we sped up, staying on the light side of the wetlands nearer to the houses. In less than a half an hour we were back home deciding that daylight was a better time to practice in the elements instead. 

Fog

December is a mix of many things, but usually not fog and rain. I spent the better part of the afternoon trudging uphill in the forest preserve to test a few pieces of my gear and some clothing combinations. For as much obsessing as I did about my boot selection, I'm really happy with the way the Sportiva boots are treating my feet. So for a girl who's bothered by the flatlocked seams in her running tights every day, its always dicey to have to throw on layer upon layer in the mountain without getting irritated. If there's one thing I detest, its getting hot and sweaty and aggravated gearing up. Ask my parents, I have been like this since the day I was born.  Ask my husband- when I have to get dressed up for a wedding or formal event, I'm downright b*tchy as I get dressed. So today it was my new gaiters thrown into the mix.  I was first introduced to gaiters when I lived in Norway as an exchange student and I wasnt a fan of them then either. I don't really see the point.  Do they keep you that much cleaner and drier? Eh, can't be sure.  But with the addition of the crampons on this trip, the Outdoor Research Crocodile Expedition gaiters are a must so as to not rip my pants to a shred if I snag a point. Still, its just one more layer to mess with and I can never get them just right. Until today. Maybe it was the zen-ness of the gentle rain in the quiet forest, but the gaiters didn't bother me at all. I even adjusted them perfectly on the first try. The rain picked up throughout the hike, but listening to it hit the leaves on the trail took my mind off the fact that my pack was heavy. I do feel as strong and as fit as I have ever been these days, but will I feel as strong at 19,000 feet? 

 Climbing doesn't always entail blue skies and fair weather. Sometimes it pours, sometimes its really windy, and sometimes its bitter cold. I believe in training like you play. Dragging myself out in bad weather now will pay dividends later.

Sweetwater Creek and Kennesaw Hikes

The sacrifices of Kelly

This is my friend Kelly. We visited him and his wife in Atlanta during Thanksgiving, along with their two dogs Shamrock and Shady. One day we piled in his wife's car so we could go hiking at Sweetwater Creek State Park and he graciously sat in the back of the SUV with the dogs during the drive so we could all fit. In exchange I told him he'd get an entry on the blog :) 

This might be one of the funniest pictures in recent memory of my kids. It makes me laugh every time I look at it only because it displays the younger one's personality so perfectly. Older brother was not happy with the photobomb of what he called his "Jesus statue in Rio" pose.