Frozen Onion

If you can ride a bike and love winter I suggest you consider checking out ORS Frozen Onion. Montpeliers crown jewel is host to this years first winter bike race! Come out and race or spectate either way it's going to be a blast!

Boltron valley nights.

A late night skin after work with John, Meghan and Dudley and the unexpected late arrival of Phil and Kip! Beers, good turns and smiles were had by all as usual!


FYI: one of these good friends is always sure to show if he tells you right off the bat he can't make it, I guarantee it.

Cheers.

Doin' the humpety-hump...

Every so often I like to kick my own ass to put things in perspective. Last fall it was the Reach the Beach 200 mile relay which I ran 17 miles of. This year it has been the Camel's Hump Challenge: 25 klicks of BC touring that allowed me to discover muscles that I didn't know existed and use pain to filter my thoughts down to the basic. Thankfully it was a good crew, all moving at about the same pace, and there was significant beauty (and snow!) at elevation to keep us going.

I've found it's when I've completely exhausted myself that all the petty worries and thoughts melt away and what is truly important becomes starkly apparent. Good friends, a beautiful environment, enjoyment of life and relationships are some that came to mind this past weekend. These are things that I will try not to lose perspective on again so quickly.

Thanks Dan, Ryan, Tristan, Alex and Johannes for an amazing experience.

Back at it again.

A last minute decision to get out and get some turns led us to where we had just been a mere two days earlier and like usual we had a blast. Unfortunatley when its just the two of you a dog and a fleeting sunset there is just to much fun going on to take pictures, sorry folks.

Camel's Hump Challenge - behind the scenes!

After my solo hike, and while Tristan was out skiing, I came back and met some of the organizers of the CHC, and then helped to get the soup going.

First Solo Hike

It only took me 29 years, but today I did my first solo hike. I just wanted to see what it would feel like: everything on my terms. I hiked the Burrow's Trail on Camel's Hump, and was up and down pretty quick. It was nice!

Odin missed Tristan, though!

I hiked in my Bogs, which were really nice and warm to hike in. I also tried out my brand new microspikes, and the traction was awesome. I even saw a touch of ice near the top, but felt totally secure on the 'spikes. Here's our feet on the way back down....

It's a two-sauce day.

Today I'm making spaghetti sauce - one meat and one veggie. We're having a pasta dinner in preparation for tomorrow's Camel's Hump Challenge. Yummm...

Ahhh. This is the life.

I'm sure of it.

I'm Counting My Blessings

Odin is such a great friend. This picture is from Christmas day 2009, when we skinned up Bolton with dogs and friends and I made my first tele turns on groomed powder in my new skis. When I look through our pictures, I feel so fortunate. And content.

I think this is because I have simple pleasures. I let life be, rather than trying to jam it into some shape I think it should take. Everything always works out beautifully when you just let it. I can laugh at myself. And I take the time to be grateful for the people who truly know me and continue to love me, the blue lines of hills and pink fluff of clouds through the stark trees, my fortune at being born to a place where I feel safe and free, my strong legs, heart and lungs, the way Odin huffs and prances and smiles at me, for the feeling through your body when your ski glides through fresh snow or you feel like your bike is part of you or your legs wobble from exhaustion. I have so much. And I never forget that it can all be taken away in short time; none of this is going to last for ever. What we have is now, and each other. I choose to let it be, to enjoy it thoroughly, and to be so thankful that it all happened. That is the key to contentment: look at all that you have! How lucky are we.

Be well, happy trails!

Ooot and abooot..