A nerve-wracking thing about having had a preemie is that for months, I've been worried I was going into labor - I ended up calling my doctor's office on Christmas Day and things had gotten to the point where Jon was nervous every time I sent him a text. Which is awkward when you're married and have to coordinate things, ya know? OTOH, Jon pointed ( Read more... )

Andrea Lankford's Ranger Confidential was a monthly $2 Kindle book at some point and I'm surprised I picked it up, because I rarely read memoirs, let alone outdoors memoirs. She was a ranger in Yosemite, and several other NPS locations, and tells her stories and those of her friends. She claims that NPS staff get shot at more than even BATF or the ( Read more... )

I feel bad about how the weekend went, bc so many people were so helpful, it must be my fault it went wrong. Fri night, we drove to the Daks, stopping at Poughkeepsie EMS where a hurried, but helpful, then concerned employee showed us the only map they had of Mt. Marcy and sold us a poncho bc I forgot my rain shell in Manhattan (I think). We ( Read more... )

Oddly enough, I was feeling very grateful the week before Thanksgiving, for the many blessings the universe has been sending me, even if none of them is an actual job. Then, on the actual holiday itself, I felt very meh, about as unpresent as I could be ( Read more... )

MLev arrived at 10 Fri night and fortunately for me, even though she's on Mountain Time, she only wanted one beer before bed. I've described our Saturday. Sat night was the annual Alpine Club dinner. GMac cancelled as I was starting to get ready for the event due to what turned out to be a stomach bug. I had a doozy of a stomach bug last month, so ( Read more... )

I've always had a soft spot for PYF, ever since we climbed my first favorite Gunks climb, Airy Aria, even though GMac didn't seem entirely comfortable with his safety. Most years, he trains two leaders, so last year, I asked if he wanted to go climbing on a weekday. We finally hooked up on Saturday. ( Bloody Mary and Arch )

In case you couldn't tell, I've been kinda burnt out on climbing, but the season is limited and Jon likes it and it's exercise, so. Julian figured out that the problem is that I'm now climbing with people who are less experienced, so I constantly have to be aware. When I try hard things, I don't have the reassurance that someone else thinks it will ( Read more... )

My first two climber sleepovers in the Daks were so great, it's hard to believe how much my weekend sucked. In the past, I loved how sticky the rocks were to climb, the companionship of sharing a bunkhouse with 20-odd people I sorta know, and GMac's thoughtfulness in planning an itinerary we'd both enjoy. This trip had none of that ( Read more... )

I haven't felt like leaving my apt much lately. My best theory is between the chigger bites and the Rainier sunburn, I've trained my body to have an aversion to sun and fresh air. I don't even seem to want to leave to buy groceries, let alone go running ( Read more... )

For me to join the easiest (but still not easy) guided trip up Rainier is what it must be like for a Division III athlete to play in a Texas high school football game. ( experience counts )