Jump!

 This one is for my aunt Mary, who had this great idea of compiling jumping pictures. I did not invent the "jump shot," in fact I don't think I ever took one until my current bf introduced me to them. I will not be the last to take them either BUT I will admit that, now that I have been exposed to the joy of jumping, I may be hooked. It makes picture taking a whole lot more fun when you go out of your way to be ridiculous in them. So, here are a few of my favorites although while looking through these (and laughing to tears), I was disappointed to realize just how much my broken 5th metatarsal set me back this year. Oh well...here's to 2011 jumping pics.

 In front of the Green Monster at Fenway

 The Zapata Ranch

 Sandia Mountains, Albuquerque

 Grand Lake, Colorado

 Poudre River, Fort Collins, CO

 Tour de Fat..I'm a fly

 The FoCo group shot

 Another FoCo Tour de Fat pic...there were too many good ones to choose from

Helton Creek, NC

Estes Park, CO (moments before the "dancer's break")

In The Trenches

 Okay, time to talk about something gross. We're getting far too mainstream here. Let's see...we've covered the pee funnel. There's a blog to come about other...ahem..."business" in the woods. Hmmmm. Oh, I know! Let's discuss FEET! Feet can be pretty icky, smelly things in and of themselves but how about hiking feet.

 If your feet aren't happy while hiking, then your trip is destined to be miserable. Think about any time you've had a blister, a hot spot or frostnip/bite. I'm getting the heebie-jeebies just thinking about it. We can be nastier than all of those though. Let's discuss TRENCH FOOT!

Trench foot (or immersion foot) is characterized by itching, swelling, pain and numbness. The skin gets blotchy and cold and may cause that pin-and-needles feeling we all hate. When your foot is affected and warm, it may also be dry and red. It gets its name from our veterans, who dealt with trench foot during times of war.Yikes! Can you imagine?
And how does one acquire such a malady? Well, I'm thinking about a time when a group of chicks I know chose to stomp across a stream to get to our rest site...midway through a hike. :) That could cause it, particularly as cold water can certainly aggravate the situation. Basically, any time your feet get wet and stay wet for an extended period of time, you are susceptible to TF.
If your feet get wet while hiking, you can avoid this stinky situation by drying and elevating the feet after they've become wet. Change wet socks and shoes as soon as possible. If it's too late and you've hiked too long in your sopping boots, the next step is to keep the situation from worsening and/or spreading. To do this, clean your feet thoroughly and air dry. Change your socks daily, wearing only those that are clean and dry. You should avoid sleeping in socks or really wearing them any time it's unnecessary.
 Any affected foot should be soaked in warm water for about 5 minutes and you can apply a warm pack for about the same time. You should also find a doctor as soon as you can. Remember that this is an injury to your feet and they will be more susceptible to infection if you're suffering from trench foot. Make sure you check regularly for infection as you heal.

Real Chicks Kilimanjaro 2012

 Some of you might be looking for something to motivate you toward keeping your resolutions, whether that be fitness, adventure or community driven. Hollie and Cara gave use their 2 cents. And now I guess it's about time I officially announce another option on the blog. Backwoods Adventures is teaming up with the Real Chicks to bring you a women-specific...

Kilimanjaro Ascent and Safari in February of 2012!! 

 The idea for this trip was hatched last March during the Adventure Getaway Weekend. The ladies on that trip were having so much fun trying new sports and enjoying one anothers company that they started to talk about bigger adventures we could all take together. We have all stewed on it for a while and have finally decided to make a go of it.

  I am including some details of the trip along with a few of my pictures from Kili in 2006. This is going to be an incredible trip and, for comparison, I spent $8000 doing this trek 4 years ago, without a safari. So, needless to say, I feel this is a great deal! I will be joining this group as a guide and am so excited to be able to show the group that means so much to me exactly how much their bodies are capable of.

  In preparation for this trip, I will be writing a monthly update on the blog as a way of supporting trip participants. I will cover topics from training to immunizations, gear to hygiene. For those of you who won't be joining the trip, these topics are easily transferred to expeditions you may be planning elsewhere and I hope you will find them just as useful. If you are planning to go on the trip and have specific items you'd like to hear about, let me know and I will incorporate those into the blog as well.

  I hope you will consider joining me and Backwoods Adventures for this trip of a LIFETIME! And what better way to experience it than surrounded by a supportive, encouraging network of women? Tell your friends, your family, your coworkers.

Women’s Kilimanjaro Ascent & Safari

$6,750.00 (International & Domestic Airfare included)

Dates: February 18-March 3, 2012

Activity Level: II-III

Days: 15

Group size: 14-16

Details: This fabulous trip will take you to climb the highest peak in Africa via the Machame route, followed by an incredible safari to three amazing National Parks. We utilize local guides and porters to carry our gear, cook and handle all the camping duties while you hike with a light day pack and rest in camp. After the mountain experience, we will travel by land rover to see a multitude of African animals including elephants, lions, hippopotamus, zebras, and giraffes.

For full details, gear list, photos, and trip facts please click on the following link:
http://backwoodsadventures.com/adventure-trips/kilimanjaro-ascent-and-safari-trip.html

If you would like to take advantage of this offer we require a deposit of $500, $350 of which is non-refundable. The balance of the trip cost will be due 90 days prior to departure or November 18, 2011. To make your deposit you can contact Joe Koehly directly (316.200.5780) with a credit card number or visit your local Backwoods retail location.

Sugar Shock

  Gasp! A blog post about resolutions! How original.

  While I won't exhaust you with a list of all that I hope to change, achieve, accomplish in 2011, I am working on a project that I think some may be interested in. In my ongoing effort to improve my health and fitness and to satisfy the science nerd in me with an experiment, I am choosing to spend the month of January on a diet of raw food. This is more of a detox plan than any sort of weight loss initiative but, having been curious about eating raw for a long time, and with my insane travel schedule finally dying down for a while, I decided that January was as good a month as any to give it a shot. There are a lot of books/articles written on the health benefits of going raw. If you're curious about some of them and what eating raw means, click here.
  I've had a bit of an obsession develop in the last year or two. I love reading about food! I find this amusing because I am not a "foodie" and could really care less about what I eat or how it tastes, which I think evolved when I was rowing crew and began to see food more strictly as an energy source than something to be enjoyed for it's appearance or even flavor. This has been a good thing in that I am perfectly happy with just about anything set before me. It has also led to my eating more junk/refined sugars that are just convenient rather than being completely thoughtful about where I'm getting that energy.
  I have now been a vegetarian for a little over three years and have really come to appreciate the effect that change has made in my life. I have more energy, spend less time worrying about calories (meat dishes are often the same ones with think sauces/high fat content) and it takes an awful lot of food for me to get "stuffed." I suppose that I am now in a process of finding the next diet shift to improve my overall heath.
  Raw may not stick beyond this month. I anticipate that eating out will be nearly impossible and that I will need to be carrying more food with me for dinners with friends and cravings. I would suppose I'll find myself eating constantly as roughage doesn't fill for long BUT I am really excited to discover what, if anything, will change in my body. Will I have more energy? Will I be a better athlete? Will my body "crash" coming entirely off processed foods and refined sugars? Will I actually die from giving up coffee (this may be my biggest concern)? Will my grocery budget need to double in size? Will I even be able to find all that I want/need to be eating for a balanced diet up here in my small mountain community?
  In our world of toxic environment...chemicals in water, air, land...and growing cancer rates, infertility rates etc, I feel food is one of the last strongholds that I have a choice in. I am choosing what goes into my body (sorry for about 20 of those years, body). Thankfully, I have not dealt with many health maladies to date but that doesn't mean that I'm immune to them and won't someday have to stare something scary in the face. I guess I'd like to look back and know that I did everything I could to take care of my body before something goes wrong.
  So, I have a few friends who lived this diet for a while and am anxious to solicit their input and support. I will also be reading the following books over the month in an attempt to round out my education (no book is the end all-be all but they're a jumping off point):
The Food Revolution
Sugar Shock
The Raw Food Detox Diet