Tuesday, September 29, 2009

October.... in September

... or "What I did on Vacation"

So when you climb, hike, bike, paddle, camp, swim, explore, run, rappel ... etc. for a living, just what do you do for vacation down time? That was my dilemma. Having been on the go 7 days a week since early April, I found myself needing a break...
Of the three adventure activities (that I love) that I consider relaxing and vacation- worthy, two of them require cold, snowy / icy weather.. and the third required something I did not possess... a fast sea kayak.

What better way to accomplish two goals at once than a boat-building class with the Wooden Boat School?? (specifically a CLC sea kayak)

Something I've had in mind for years.. finally done...
so what's in store for future years' vacations? Expeditions... by boat... stay tuned....






..and while the boat is still not finished, it is getting closer by the day.. 30 minutes here, an hour there. Maybe by Thanksgiving we'll be ready for a maiden voyage..

Friday, September 18, 2009

all the buzz...


We had time this week for a few "re"s..
We rehearsed an Adventure Race program we' re doing for a regional middle school, we re-visited our favorite bee tree (as in wild honey) here on the left. It's still going strong for more than four years now.. it's nice to see the wild hive returning ..and I had the chance to catch up on some reading and re-reading.
That was particularly rejuvenating...

One of the periodicals TL/SMG subscribes to is ORION... In the December 2008 editorial, "From the Editors" (Page 1) is a discussion of current political atmosphere in the country..

"Meanwhile, in a quiet corner of Olympic National Park, rains will fall onto the lichen-covered trees of that teeming ecosystem. A beaver will reinforce its lodge on Lake Umbagog in northern New England in preparation for the oncoming winter. And uncounted Americans will gaze into the star-filled skies and reflect upon the order of the cosmos.
Which of these realities is more real? The voices coming from the television? Or the trees and heavens and stars and the rhythms that have carried them through history? Which matters more?
It is neither newsworthy nor particularly insightful to observe that Americans live in an Orwellian world where language is twisted, culture is co-opted and many of us, to put it bluntly, are duped- duped in part by the unremitting Potemkin world of television and radio, newspapers and magazines, blogs and websites. But the reality of the natural world and the intelligence manifest in it- the world that lies behind the false-front constructions thrown up by political posturing, greed-driven economics, and self-centered gratification- is a profound truth. Beyond being the source of our sustenance and a wellspring of inspiration, the natural world today serves a new function: it is a baseline of honesty at a time when we desperately need honesty."
Amen.
I was glad to see the bees back and at work.... making honey for the tough times ahead.

Saturday, September 5, 2009

slip slidin' away.... with an occasional jump



..so with only one way in.. and only one way out, and much of that being on rope, Chad's first safety brief of the day begins...











and just like that, summer starts to wind down into Fall..














But it is ever so sweet while it's still with us!

Friday, September 4, 2009

MirZuk FITVENTURES meets the mountain..

What happens when you gather folks from NY to FL who are interested in active vacations?
When you gather on our home turf of Shenandoah National Park..
You all have a ball!
..climbing, hiking, paddling, swimming... and that is all just in 3 days!
see their site mirzukfitventures