Teva Mountain Games, Vail Colorado

Perhaps you are reading my posts and thinking...does this girl ever do any real work? Well, yes actually. In fact, that is what brought me here to CO..."work".


First assignment: attend Teva Mountain Games in Vail and watch friends and students throw down in Extreme Creek, Freestyle and Downriver competitions all weekend.






In addition, the world's top extreme athletes in climbing, biking, running and more were there all weekend to compete making for plenty to see and do in between kayaking events. Here are some of the highlights...

Here is Jake Greenbaum (shout out to local Ohiopylian) pulling hard on Homestake Creek for the extreme creek race. Jake is a fellow Nature Cure Race team member (he and I make up the kayaking team).





Nikki Kelly, female winner of the Homestake Race and long time Teva Athlete. The women all the young kayaking ladies look up to (including myself).







Pyranha team memeber Nicole Mansfield competed in both the extreme creek race as well as making it to the Finals for Women's Freestyle.












The competitions also gave me the opportunity to meet some of my students and their families who will be traveling with WCKA next year. Just a few weeks ago several of them made the Jr. National Freestyle Team in Glenwood Springs, allowing them the opportunity to travel to Switzerland this summer to compete for a World Title.
















It was a great, and exhausting, weekend. Put some of the world's most talented athletes together in a party town like Vail and you not only get some spectacular events, but even more spectacular parties.

If you know me at all you can imagine the torture of just watching these events. Next year I plan to enter and win. Watch out.

Next stop...FiBark in Salida, CO, June 17-21st...then CHINA!!!!

Who'se a cover model? Oh hell no...

I thought those back home at Penn State might be interested to see what I've been up to lately. Apparently it was interesting enough for the center article and cover shot! Just my way of telling all my professors, mentors and instructors back in Reading how my education helped me to get such a great job.

Thank you!

New Landscapes

After no more than a week spent in Colorado, some time with Grandma in the big city as well as Aunt Margie and George in Idaho Springs, Megan decided to take me on a vacation to Moab, Utah. Since I had never been and all. And since she was sick of living out of her truck in the cold/rainy/snowy weather Vail just kept dishing out.

Keeping with tradition we leave late in the evening, keeping the canyonlands hidden in the night alongside I-70. We immediately drive up to a place called Gemini Bridges, quickly gaining elevation as she weaves her car along the 4-wheel drive path cut into the mountainside. Vehicles on the highway below turn into matchbook cars, then disappear altogether. The whole time, my mind is painting pictures of what I imagine the view to be.

I wake up the next morning to this.

With no others camping in the area, we hung out in our personal canyon all morning. Simply soaking in the sun, reading, exploring and relaxing.

Megan's new truck couldn't fit her lifestyle any better. Equiped with kitchen shelves, a comfy, carpeted bed and even a "princess lair" she can basically go anywhere and still be at home. Oh, and rarely do we travel without a box of Delicious Red.

Driving out of Gemini Bridges exposed the amazing landscape, with aerial views of Arches National Park and the snowy peaks of the distant mountain range (whose name I can't remember). Amazing.

Hanging my feet out the rear of Meg's truck while driving around the canyons. Kind of like my own viewing window. 10 times better than TV.

The desert is a landscape I look forward to exploring more in the future. So raw and stark, with bursts of life in the most unlikely locations. I hope it begins with some trips down the classic rivers that carve out the canyons in this part of the country. Lucky for me, some good new friends call this part of the world home and might be excited to share it with me!

beyond the concrete chaos

Maintaining peace is a fine balance in the city. It is possible that I attract this type of urban experience by attempting to complete an absurd amount of errands and chores in a small amount of time. Today there was too many stop lights.
Too many one way streets.
Too many Target-Panera-Nail Salon malls.
Too many off ramps.
Too many things to take my money.
Too many shut-down bike stores…ok, just one of those.

I could feel the stress-level begin to snowball. Unable to kayak—not just because there are no rivers in downtown Denver—and unable to bike on a flat, I dropped my car off at the shop, grabbed my longboard and ipod, and took off.
Two hours later, exhausted and elated, I remembered that stress is often a useless and fake emotion. I also remembered that for me, this epiphany usually comes with the release of adrenaline.

reprogram

I have referred to every vehicle as van. "We'll pack your van later...i mean truck" By the third time I noticed the pattern, realizing how many times i've said van in the past two months.

Done and Done.

Graduation day and now its over. It felt as abrupt as that sentence. Now I’m reminding myself what it is I do with myself when no one is planning out my day for me.

Mornings of review or finals and afternoons of surfing comprised most days throughout the week. The group also came together to beautify our home base, Crystal Springs, by laying stones for a walkway that circled around to the side of the house. Looking at the finished project, I am amazed at what you can accomplish with 13 students and 5 teachers shoveling, leveling, hauling and fitting.

What do you do when stressed? Jesse plays dress-up.

After the flurry of finals week slowly came to a close the weight of classes was lifted off the student’s shoulders. They began to feel summer’s presence and the end of a semester of experiencing, traveling, paddling and living the dream getting even closer. Many were only just beginning to process what just happened, most will take the rest of their lives to fully appreciate the time we have spent together. I know I will.

Erik and Jerry Johnson

Parents began to arrive, hugs and stories were exchanged and good food was eaten. As a teacher, it was fun to play the Who-Belongs-to-Who game. Facial features, mannerisms and, of course, nametags all gave it away pretty easily.

Graduation platform, overlooking Alberton Gorge

I happened upon help, yet again. Sam’s dad, Stan Makman the Orthopedist, examined my shoulder offering advice and help as to how I can continue treating it. Next came Amy the physical therapist, Dave Zinn’s girlfriend, who moved my shoulders in every way possible and sent me a plan to begin more intensive therapy for it.

Thank you world. I needed that.

Now there is this overwhelming sense of freedom. First, celebration. Graduation and LJ's birthday. Best in the West, Sushi and probably ending at Charley's. Where else?

Ten Days Ago

No more miles to be covered, no more kitchens to be assembled, no more tent sites to be scouted. At least not for a few months. The final leg of our journey, however, was not without flair. Rumor of a “short cut” through the backcountry Montana had us on windy, country flattened strips of land (purposely not using the word “road”). With multiple unhitching of trailers to turn the caravan around due to wrong turns and deep, muddy snow we backtracked to the mail road, found the real short cut and continued on to Crystal Springs, our home base, with only a few hours lost thanks to a short cut.





I fight the desire to settle into my place here. Lucky enough to have my own room (4 walls! A mattress! A door!) I can imagine setting out all my books, organizing my “closet” and building a study space. But I know 5 days from now I will be wrapping things up again, compacting them into my vehicle and driving away. Thus I settle for the minimal in my temporary home; sleeping bag, computer, backpack.

A week of writing reviews, creating finals, grading essays—not terrible, just wait—and hanging out with the incredible group of youth and staff who have experienced the world with me alongside a deep river gorge amidst the mountains of western Montana.



Business mixed with pleasure as usual.

Falling with Water

Take the 360 degree views of verdant slopes, dripping with the earth’s moisture despite the lack of precipitation. Combine this with steep gorge walls, steep grades and basalt rock and you get the Pacific Northwest.

Go for a walk in the woods.

Meander over the soft terrain where each foot step sinks into the earth slightly giving you a bounce in your stride.

Weave around the towering pine trees and smaller shrubs and brush.

A small stream appears, flowing slowly and calmly around small river rocks. You decide to follow its path through forest.

Light shines through to a clearing ahead. As you approach the light, the earth turns rocky and abruptly ends.

A canyon hundreds of feet drops out in front of you. The innocent brook cascades off the end of the earth; falling, falling, falling.

It lands in a deep pool, clear and fresh, and continues its smooth and easy journey downhill as if it hadn’t just thrown itself off a huge cliff.

Spirit Falls, Little White Salmon, Washington

Nate Garcia, coming out from behind the curtain at Spirit

Downstream shot from the lip

Jesse Shimrock's tree-slide, Sweet Creek, Oregon

I forget the name of this one, just outside Hood River, Oregon

Downstream of the gorge after Punchbowl Falls on Eagle Creek, Oregon

Nate Garcia going off the lip at Punchbowl

Eric Parker sticking his line

Jason Cohen, about to punch the bowl


We barely scratched the surface of the waterfall fun in these parts. I can't wait to return on my own, perhaps with my girl Megan, to fall off these amazing drops over and over and over again.

So much yet to explore...

Oregon and Washington: My Future Home (one of them at least)

With only 3 weeks left in the semester, we have already covered a significant distance. From the Feather and Trinity Rivers in northern California our traveling circus headed west for the coast where ocean waves would allow us to dust off our playboats. I found yet another slice of heaven amongst the Redwood trees at our campsite in Jebadiah State Park. For two mornings the team’s workouts consisted of a meandering trail run to one of the oldest groves of these trees on the west coast, aptly named Stout Grove. Like the gold at the end of the rainbow, suddenly your quick footsteps bring you around a bend and the undergrowth melts away to reveal 20-30 of the biggest trees I’ve ever gotten to wander beneath. I was halted by their beauty, unable to look down at the trail.

Adding to the list of firsts for the year, possibly longer than previous years already, I traveled up the epic Oregon coastline toward Florence, our next destination. Around every bend was yet another view of steep cliffs dropping into the ocean, waves crashing and the sun setting. As this passed out of view the vans weaved through the magnificent coniferous forest waiting to reveal the next jaw-dropping vista. I wished I could stop at every one and take in the view completely. Another time perhaps.

From Florence, the group split between more ocean surfing and Sweet Creek, a short stretch of slides and waterfalls easily

lapped via a riverside trail. The whole scene was glowing in every shade of green, alongside the mountain walls, hanging from every limb and branch. Every breath felt like thousands of microscopic, pristine water droplets entering my lungs and filling my body with a crisp, clean air. Although I had been taking it easy on my shoulder, I was able to get in several runs on the creek, each time remembering how much joy is felt from a single boof. Unfortunately, I also realized that my shoulder would not get any better if I were to continue testing it before completely healed.

Eugene’s River House became our next home. This building houses the city’s recreation programs, led by multiple friends as well as one of our students who lives in the area. After finally visiting a doctor and getting told to take several weeks off the water, I let go of my hopes for paddling more in Oregon and began to embrace other avenues of adventure, such as longboarding.

While students paddled in the afternoon, I rode my new longboard through the streets of Eugene, exploring the city’s markets, drum circles, playgrounds, walkways, alleyways, bums on benches, rose gardens and more. Over an excellent Americano with honey I was entertained by the styles of Eugene’s drag queen population as they prepared for a show that evening. I still wonder how they manage to walk on those high heels with such grace. Weaving through the streets toward home, I met several friendly people who kindly directed me back toward the River House, some correctly, some slightly off, all appreciated.

Now, our current campsite resides on the property of All Adventures Rafting company on the White Salmon River, Washington State. This stop will be our longest for the quarter, approximately 10 days total. If you were here, you’d understand why.

Each day we drive into the chill town of Hood River for class, crossing the broad, wind-swept Columbia River into Oregon. Almost every morning kite boarders and wind surfers dot the flat surface of the river, taking advantage of the gorge’s famous winds to catch epic air and carve out turns at high speeds. Afternoons the group heads down any one of the multiple creeks in the area; Farmlands, Green Truss, Little White Salmon to name a few. With more water and gradient, these creeks provide a generous challenge to each student, no matter their skill level. A future post will include some great shots of these runs!

Kaweah and Three Rivers

We have exploded in the Three Rivers Hideaway, a campground and RV park on the banks of the Kaweah River, just outside of the Sequoia National Park.

Home for me is now the blue North Face in the right of the photo. First contained in a Rubbermaid bin and large Watershed dry bag, I unload the pieces and assemble the cozy nook I will escape to every night and anytime I need a break from the chaos that is our traveling circus. With each new home I find myself outfitting even the tiniest space with pieces of comfort. Certain books, a cozy sleeping system, my journal. Quickly it transforms into a home, different from the last and the next but perfect for right now.

Frisbee before breakfast and we are on to our classes for the morning. A student-teacher team prepares meals every day (I'm wednesday) and by the afternoon with the sun shining bright upon our small world, we load up the boats and head into the park for a section of the Kaweah. After a heart-pumping afternoon of granite, boofs, sun and pure joy the stresses of the school day have been put into perspective. I realize I can accomplish necessary class prep, menu planning and other daily chores without excess stress, thanks to the daily reminder of the river.


Here our group awaits at the bottom of the first slide, a stout rapid for some of the crew members and an incredible way to begin a day of kayaking.

Further downstream the more experienced group members run a section known as Hospital Rock. A section full of California's classic steep, technical, canyon rapids and plenty of waterfalls. About 3/4 of the way down this run I fumbled, attempting to brace my way back upright going over a small slide. Something pinched in my shoulder, causing me to walk off the run before the final few rapids. Luckily, the river isn't going anywhere.

A weekend field trip deeper into the park and suddenly we were surrounded by giants. Snow blanketed the surface of the forest and intermixed between normal conifers trees were the towering Sequoias, bright red bark, thick trunks and incredible height. General Sherman, the tallest of these beasts, was beyond words. Somehow it didn't even seem like a tree to me, perhaps some sort of other man-made structure placed there to amaze our tiny species. Yet, it also stood with a quiet confidence that proved its living presence.


A final day in the park meant a creative trip down the river. Teachers and coaches organized a mini adventure race for the students. Broken into four teams, each member was to run to the put-in (uphill of course), tag a team-mate who would race down. Each team-member had to complete both sections of course (with a nice break in between the legs to gear-up). Students muscled head-to head on the water and pushed thier way through the hot sun up the hill. Taking photos, and running with some of the groups, I was still able to enjoy the day, despite being inured and off-water.

Here, a student drops into the final pool, crossing the finish line. This last rapid was one of the best on the run, a 3-drop sequence with seivey consequencse (water coming through rock on right).


Next stop, former student Justin Pat's house and the Yuba river!

Another example of life handing you exactly what you need: J Pat's dad happens to be a chiropractor and was able to take a look at my shoulder, apply some electric shock therapy and give me exercises. What luck? How do you say thank you for such care? Not to mention they opened their house to our insane explosion, kitchen, bathrooms, living space...where ever we go, we immediately take over. However, our departure is flawless as the group comes together (with much prodding from teachers) to clean and organize the space as to hide our catastrophic presence. Thank you Pats!