new

in with the old, out with the new.

A lot of things have changed in my life... I was about to write "some changes I have made, and others were out of my control..." but, i think everything is ultimately in our control... especially in how we react.

i don't want to write long letters to myself online anymore.  instead, im' going to post photos, music and everything else in between on a new space: http://stephanieeeeeb.tumblr.com/


book mark it.  it will be updated more frequently and with way more wit then this blog has seen since it's inception over two years ago.

with all things, there's a point to let go and move on.  I'm doing a lot of that today, and this is one of the last things to go.

Progress!

Yesterday was pretty exciting. I got my cast off (to be replaced by an air cast) and then also discovered I got staples and had those taken out! I received the news that in 2 more weeks I can start applying some weight and then by end of September I can start PT and my cast will be off!!! No running until December if everything goes well. Fingers crossed. To celebrate we drove up to artists point and I had a mini accomplishment by Crutching .5 miles around picture lake. Yeah!! Back to the ELC for a few days then off to upstate new York! I'll get some photos and stories up from the evac this weekend. Promise!!

Things I wish I hadn't done

Putting on my running clothes this morning was not a good idea. I automatically went for my favorite tank top and shorts this morning. They're so comfortable, especially when it's hot out and the fabric is so soft. As I put the tank top on, I realized what I was doing and immediately started crying. I don't know when I can run again, and saying that is the hardest part. What's worse is that I don't know if I'll ever be able to run the same distances on the trails I have always loved or the ones I was planning on . I appreciate hearing from people that it's ok, youll be back up and going in no time. But will I? If I don't know, how can you?

Sorry, just in a sad spot this morning. On a positive note, my friends took me on my first ever full moon wheel chair ride. We traveled to a beautiful lake formed from a glacial cirque. It was dusk when we arrived and the alpen glow was lighting up the tips of the peaks as a waterfall cascaded down hundreds of feet into this lake. Nick brought his accordion and Alex brought his knowledge of alpine ecology and beers. The night was capped off by my two favorite hiking partners, who were also with me when I got hurt, coming down from a near by hike and joining us as the full moon rose over the mountains an shone on the lake. Moments like that making having a broken leg pretty great.

Request fulfilled

I've been informed by quite a few people that since I am now immobile for quite some time, I can finally catch up and get some blog entries posted.  So, I ask that you give me a few days to go through some photos over the past few months and I'll start getting some stories up... and if you're lucky, i'll even post about my evac/surgery. 

In the meantime, here's my favorite photo from my evac

Pond skim

Wyatt an I went out for a 12ish miler in the chuckanuts. Unfortunately for Wyatt, he is not a warm weather dog. All outdoor activities must now be planned in and around water sources. Today was another success as we found a perfect beach at cedar lake. Wyatt took to the water like a true chocolate lab.

This made my day

After spending a quite a bit of time running on single track through wildflowers this weekend... i feel that this poster from runners world is only fitting. 

Moving

In two weeks, i'm moving back up to NCI to live somewhere along highway 20.  Everyday, i kind of understand that i'm leaving Bellingham, but it really hasn't hit me.  It also hasn't hit me that I'm going to have an amazing job and work with inspiring people in a National Park.  are you freaking kidding me?!  NCI posted this NASA shot today, and i'll be living somewhere smack dab in the middle... but can be found adventuring all over.  Come visit!

Dog life

After a difficult morning of sleeping in a circle, followed by treats and then assistant to the lawn mower, we took a break for lunch. Bug chasing and bone eating ensued.

We're prepping for the first weekend that the pass opened where Wyatt will cheer me and team tiger claw on during the sunflower marathon relay. After that, well return west and search for the snowboarding ginger.

It will be a good weekend.

Also, I will need to update the theme of my blog soon. I am now an employed masters student that will be living in the north cascades permanently. Hoooozah!

The Gulf Coast

I've taken a break from the northwest to come back east to help my mom move. We started in Philadelphia last Thursday and today I find myself in Biloxi wandering the beaches and casinos. I return home tomorrow with more driving stories and photos.

For today, two photos highlighting the beauty and still prevalent destruction from Katrina

Road Trip - Still Going

On the final day of our trip, we made the decision to venture into the canyon and try to get as far as we could down the Bright Angel Trail. We had a deadline to get into Las Vegas before dark (around 8pm) so unfortunately our time was limited.  We set out around 10 am with the turn around time of noon I believe.  We knew it would take significantly longer to get out then to go down, so we were trying to be conservative with our estimate.  We also knew that even though the canyon rim was around 40 degree's when we left, the high for the day was the low 60's while forecasts for phantom ranch were in the low 80's.  Boo ya!  so, it was going to be a warm hike as well.  However, the first mile or so of switchbacks lays in the shade, and still had a significant amount of snow and ice build-up on it, so it was a little difficult to get down and we took our time.  As we progressed down the canyon, we were constantly reminded to "look up" at the beauty that surrounded us.  The day grew hotter, and we were both happy that we had brought a bit of layers and water... and of course cookies.  Finally around noon we made it to 3 mile hut, which is 3 miles down the canyon trail.  It took us longer then we had expected, but since we were at our turn around time, we had to go back.  We took pictures, ate cookies and drank more water before turning around and heading back.  We got to the trailhead at 2pm.  Still a mystery how we got up as fast as we went down... but now we know for next time.

It was sad to leave the Grand Canyon, as we both wished we had more time and the knowledge we now had on future trip ideas.  Just another reason to go back.  We picked Wyatt up at the Grand Canyon dog kennel, where he had made quite a few new and good friends and then off to Vegas we went.

For both of us, it was our first time to Vegas.  I'm 31 and my dad is 68.  I'm just going to simply say that neither of us felt compelled to stay, and we were both eager to leave the strip by midnight and go back to the hotel and go to bed.  Death Valley was our goal for the next day.

 Upon leaving the Grand Canyon, we stopped at a car wash.  Wyatt's first car wash experience

Start of the hike down

Snow!

beautiful views

pointing toward the future - of the trail we have to hike back up

vegas bound

All cleaned up and out on the strip!

Road Trip - Continued

My dad, Wyatt & I spent the next two days exploring the Grand Canyon.  Unfortunately, Wyatt was only able to join us on the first day, as dogs are not allowed to enter the canyon... so we made due, and explored the S. Rim trail for a 10 mile walk the first day.   It was so amazing to walk along the rim and get quick views of the river below, and even see rafts float on by, or be tied up at Phantom Ranch.  It brought back a lot of great memories, but we were also able to create new ones.  We started off the morning with an amazing breakfast at El Tovar restaurant on the South Rim.  We then set out on our walk, where they have an interpretive path called the "walk of time" or something like that.  They take rock samples from each of the different layers in the canyon and display it in relative geologic time along this path.  It's pretty amazing and lends to tell the geologic story of the canyon well.  We spent the better part of the day on the rim trail to finally return to the car so I could eat cheese, and my dad could drink a beer.  We put Wyatt in the car for a late afternoon nap, and we took the bus out towards Hermits rest in order to catch a different view of the canyon as well as some sunset views.  We ended our day with a cocktail by the fire at El Tovar while making plans to hike down the Bright Angel Trail into the canyon the following day.

Coffee & an amazing breakfast with dad at El Tovar

Snow dog and dad on the rim

!!!

Views down below

encounters of the horse kind

scoping the hiking trail out for the next day... while drinking coffee

sunset over the canyon

final views before a sky filled with stars

Road Trip

Over a year ago, a group of us floated down the Grand Canyon for 20 some days.  During that trip I had huge goals of venturing up toward the rim.  Simply put, I wanted to see what it looked like from "up there."  Everyone typically made fun of me, and on two separate trips trying to hike out of the canyon, I experienced the beauty that the different plateaus have to offer... but still never made it to the rim.  Since that trip, it has remained a goal of mine to return to the Grand Canyon and this time, look down on the river from either the North or South rim.

So, around graduation, my dad came out with the intent that the day after graduation, we would go on a road trip.  We had been planning this since December, and the trip itself had taken many different forms including a road trip to the grand canyon via flights in/out of Las Vegas, a drive up to Banff National Park or a trip down the Oregon Coast ending in the Red Woods.  When it was time to finally leave, none of these options were working.  This was due to inclement weather that was approaching or really expensive airfare.  So, we changed our plans, again, loaded everything into the car and headed South.

The first day we drove to Utah with the goal of making it to Salt Lake.  Unfortunately, we got stuck in a snow storm, and made it to Ogden.  But that was close enough.  The second day, we made the drive to the South Rim via some side roads through Utah.  My dream was finally being realized.  That evening, I would watch the sunset from the Watchtower on the Grand Canyon as the colors lit the canyon walls as I stared at the canyon where the Little Colorado met with the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River.  It was a great evening and the start to an amazing road trip.

Wyatt enjoying first sun in the canyons of Utah

Arizona!

Glen Canyon Dam - with the Colorado River behind

Wyatt vs. Dinosaur prints

Sunset over the canyon

Canyon dog!

Watchtower

Catching up

Photos and trip info from the past two months to come.

Holy Shit

It's March!!!!

I kept looking at the last blog post and kept thinking to myself "oh, that's not too long ago...." 

I"ll get on to posting something good shortly.

Running

So, i've spent the past month running... a lot.  I mean, i guess it's all relative, but so far this month i've logged over 100 miles.  Next month, if everything works out, I hopefully will log over 200.  wow, i just realized i might need to revise my training schedule.  Anyway... i've gotten to run in a lot of cool places this month, so here are some photos.

Running with Wyatt! in the Chuckanuts

Made it to the top of Sehome hill!

Flatirons out in Boulder, CO

Sunset Run at the base of the Flatirons

Running up City Creek Canyon outside of Salt Lake

Did our normal in-town 6 mile run with Wyatt's new pack

two things

1.  I'm really really really really sick of the damn rain.  I have so many more expletives I'd like to add to that sentence.  im just over it.  Every day I go running, I get rained on.  ahhhhhhhh

2. a friend told me about this song a month ago.  I just listened to it, and it makes me feel like going to Hawaii.


2.5, heading to Boulder, Colorado for an interview on Thursday/Friday.   It's supposed to be 60 and sunny.  insert expletives.

new years!

so, this past week has been filled with running, snowboarding and random rain storms.  Wyatt has survived all of them.  Last week we ran a total of 35 miles... not too much, but we're getting there!  And he also went skinning with  me yesterday and sprinted behind a snowmobile for a while.  Anyway, this post has no point except to ramble about the past week.  It was great.  We had a lot of great friends in town, and had two nights of just hanging out, watching youtube videos and laughing.  Life can't get much better then that.  Yesterday we went up to one of my favorite places in the area, and enjoyed the snow and the views.  Here are some photos from the day.

Snow Dog!

Frankie doing something

Being chased by dogs

Trying to teach Wyatt to get on the sled... result = me driving around on a sled and Wyatt running behind

p.s - in the spirit of the new year, i got a new background.  booo-ya!