TOUGH CALL: Part Two

    
     So, everything you read in Part One actually happened to my team on trail last weekend. Weather moved in on and forced us to make a decision while we stopped for a snack break at 9300 feet. As I sat gazing between my map, my watch, my team and those ominous clouds, I knew I was going to need to make a decision quickly.
     A more “hardcore” group out there may have made a different choice. Many an outdoors-person would have kept going without hesitation. But what RC has always been about is accessibility. I want outdoor experiences to be as positive as possible, as often as possible (all while discussing the realities of what COULD go wrong). I had advertised this trip as being accessible for the beginner hiker.
     I approached my team and we talked it out. There was an incredible campsite beside the waterfall where we were…we could take it. We could take it but miss our hoped for destination. I explained all of the risks and benefits however, I knew that ultimately it was my call as trip leader. If we lost visibility, if someone became hypothermic, I would ultimately be responsible and it was my responsibility to see that nothing like that happened….prevention!
     So, the thing about the chicks is they really are a very easy group to lead. Amazingly, I have never been challenged in my leadership role. No one has fought me in a decision as part of this group. I am thankful for this but recognize that leadership challenges are generally the norm. Think about it…if you had paid $8000 to climb Kilimanjaro, you’d be pissed to have to turn around anytime before the summit, regardless of the reason.
     In the end, I’d say we found a happy middle ground. We camped where we were, set up the site a whole 2 hours before we’d expected to do so. This allowed us time to then hike, pack free further up the trail, seeing additional waterfalls and getting more time exploring in the backcountry. Having made this choice allowed us to take our time in making dinner, relaxing for a while around a warm fire and getting to bed early and warm.
     It rained and snowed all night. Even waking up to 2 inches of snow on our tents the next morning, we still couldn’t see our original 10300 ft summit…it was STILL receiving it’s pounding of precipitation. Our tents were heavy with the wet white stuff, virtually unheard of this time of year in other locales.
     And from the warmth of our tents, with the rain/sleet/whateveritwas, we made the team decision to skip the cookout oatmeal breakfast I had planned to hike back out…to hot eggs and bacon. I’ve never seen a group of women pack up camp that fast! We stayed back when threatened with weather and sure, while we were all a little bummed to not reach Crater Lake, I would say that overall, we were happier to be safe, warm, happy and ready to take on the next adventure

TOUGH CALL: Part One

It’s no news that things don’t often go according to plan. In considering this statement, it occurs to me that really NOTHING I have ever planned as gone as predicted. Often, these hiccups teach us a lesson, give us something to consider, but don’t necessarily interrupt our lives. Other times they can become huge inconveniences, with very real consequences. Interesting how something as mundane as the weather can place one in this situation.

The plan: A team of 10 women on Real Chicks Getaway complete a 15 mile hike and overnight camping trip, gaining 2000 vertical feet and camping at one of the most beautiful spots I’ve found in Colorado

The directions: bring rain wear, waterproof boots, warm clothing and a long list of other essential typical fall camping equipment. Each woman carries no more than 30 lbs. We have PLENTY of food, water and essential survival gear.

The forecast: 55 and mostly sunny for both the hike in and the hike out

The hiccup: my prospective co-leader becomes ill, leaving myself as the sole leader of the excursion

Pre-trip Solution: hiker in the front with a map, hiker in the rear with a map. All hikers are familiar with the trail on the map, the emergency skills each team member possesses (including a Wilderness First Responder, several police officers/firefighters and even a nurse…pretty stellar team, eh?), sign in at the trail head with start date/time and expected exit date/time and make sure several people back home know our itinerary.

Emergency plan: hike with a SPOT emergency locator beacon (review to follow)

The reality: Rain. Drizzle. Sleet. Snow. A LOT of it.

The tidbit: we ran into 2 guys coming down the trail. They had been the only other group to sign in with the same destination. They turned back after seeing an inch of snow of the ground upon reaching the top.

The turning point: at 1000 vertical feet and our halfway point, we can see our destination get socked in with snow.

The options:

A. Keep going. Make it to our initial destination, set up camp, cook and head to bed knowing the weather could go from bad to worse.

Those risks: getting too much snow could force us to wait for a break to hike out and/or cover our trail to    exit.

Those solutions:

• could include relying solely on our map/compass skills to get out,
• following the water back out (as our trail ran along a river between one lake and another),
• pres the “help” button on our beacon

The weather: I had asked my teammates to be equipped for fall camping, not winter. They were all pretty well prepared but it had also been raining all day and we were all a little wet.

B. Camp where we are.
Those risks:

• Missing our initial destination, potentially disappointing a group of women who had paid to be guided into the backcountry…to this destination.

So, before I tell you what decision we made…what would YOU have done? What questions would you need to ask? How do you make a smart, informed decision and how would you going about making that call, particularly if others are relying on you. Leave a comment and let me know.



Wrapping Up

      There's a lot to say about the Real Chicks Adventure this past weekend but to be completely honest...I'm still recovering from our closing margarita night! I will post many stories, pictures, tips and reviews over the next few weeks as well as lessons learned in trip planning but to start, let me just say that you chicks are the most INCREDIBLE group of women I have ever met.
      Our hiking excursions were wet, cold and challenging. We had 2 suffering through head and chest colds, 1 with a bum knee, myself with a broken foot, tents with collapsed rain flys, ridiculously incorrect weather forecasts. We had one who conquered her fear of heights to ZIP LINE! She also crossed mountain biking off of her life's bucket list. Several made their first campfire...and did it with wet wood!
     I often wonder how the trip would have been different if men were there. In fact, trip or not, it is curious to me how we are different with men than we are just with ourselves. Would we feel more inclined to complain? Would we have sat back and let ourselves be taken care of rather than taking care of ourselves? Would we have been vulnerable in talking about what it's like to raise a child? To struggle with spirituality? Would we have climbed a tree to hang a bear bag? Would we have leg wrestled in the living room? Would we have talked about bodily functions less? AT ALL?
      There is something so rewarding about a group of women setting out for an adventure. Relying on their own skills of navigation and first aid, pitching their own tents, building their own fires, breaking their own trail. Responding to challenge...together. And let me tell you how high my head was held...walking into a restaurant for breakfast after our campout with the 9 of you. Muddy, dirty, wet, sleep deprived and yet LAUGHING and PROUD of yourselves!

     For those who couldn't be there, know you were missed. To those of you who were, THANK YOU for allowing me to be part of your lives this weekend. I can only hope that you realize how much I love you...miss you...and am completely overwhelmed with inspiration by you. Until next time...solidarity!

Buon giorno!!

After 6 months of planning, ONE week from today, I will be boarding a plane with my fella for ITALY!!

M has never been out of the country, which is one of the most exciting aspects of this trip, in my opinion. I haven't been to Europe since my first trip abroad to Greece in 2003.

Here are a few of the things we plan to see while there:

Cinque Terre...the 5 Villages on the Western coast, accessible by train only, connected by a hiking trail that I will be attempting...in my fashionable boot

 The bottom of an EMPTY wine glass.

 The Roman Coliseum

 Pompeii and Mt. Vesuvius

 Cooking class in Tuscany

The Mountains of Turin. M really wants to ski so he's hoping there will be some snow by mid October.