Summer is almost here and it's finally starting to feel that way! It's rained every single day since I came back almost three weeks ago, but it's currently 7pm and the skies are still blue. I decided to spend a summer out here to experience life in Colorado when the snow isn't falling.
Of course Steamboat is a really expensive town to live in, so I decided to go the easier route and live for free... for a few months at least. Living in the dorms is one of the many perks of being a Summer Conference Assistant at Colorado Mountain College. There are five of us and we are here to take care of all the summer groups that come and use our facilities. So far we've been responsible for everything from putting linens on beds for guests to making bulletin boards. We check guests in and out, and ensure a safe living environment. It's a really fun job with lots of perks; we get to live here for free, there's plenty of delicious food, and we get to meet a lot of great people. We also got to help out with S.O.A.R, the summer orientation for kids coming out in the fall, and it's exciting getting to know them.
Other than work, my priorities have been online classes and house hunting. I've decided to take two online classes this summer- College Algebra and English Comp 1. Although at times I find myself wondering why I decided to spend my summer with more academics than necessary, it's really not so bad. Even though I have deadlines to meet I never have to worry about getting up early for class or missing an important lecture.
House Hunting has been quite the learning experience. Mia (my future roommate) and I decided to get an early start so we could have as many options as possible. After calling at least 30 people we checked out a bunch of places, and it's amazing the kind of stuff we saw. Everything from a beat down house that was practically underground to a log cabin that seemed like it would hardly maintain heat in the winter. We also saw some beautiful homes, and picked one out that is absolutely perfect. It's a two bed, two bath town home that's fully furnished. Although it's on the higher end of our price range I really like the feel of it and think we'll be comfortable living there. Living in the dorms was fun,but I miss being able to cook whenever I want and can't wait to do my own thing.
I went Rocky Mountain climbing...
Thursday, June 4, 2009
I am definitely not a huge fan of country songs but I do find some of them pretty catchy from time to time. If you haven't figured it out, Tim McGraw's Live Like You Were Dying is the inspiration for this blog title.
On our third day back in Steamboat, all of the CAs went on a two day retreat in Silverton, CO for some group bonding. I had never tried to hike a mountain before, and coming from sea level I'll admit I was incredibly nervous. It didn't help that everyone else had a lot of hiking experience, but everyone was in high spirits when we headed out around 8:30am. Their motivation kept me going, and our conversations made the time fly. I also have to admit that Mia helped me out by carrying our backpack uphill a majority of the way. Making it as far as we did was very rewarding, the views were stunning and I felt like we really accomplished something.
Unfortunately we were unable to make it to the summit because there was too much snow on the path and most of us were only wearing sneakers. It was still a lot of fun, and we are planning on hiking a 14er in Summit County within the next month. After that I guess I'll need to start looking for a bull named Fu Man Chu...
all of us standing above tree line
we couldn't make it to the top because there was too much snow
the house we stayed in
Kendell mountain at night
On our third day back in Steamboat, all of the CAs went on a two day retreat in Silverton, CO for some group bonding. I had never tried to hike a mountain before, and coming from sea level I'll admit I was incredibly nervous. It didn't help that everyone else had a lot of hiking experience, but everyone was in high spirits when we headed out around 8:30am. Their motivation kept me going, and our conversations made the time fly. I also have to admit that Mia helped me out by carrying our backpack uphill a majority of the way. Making it as far as we did was very rewarding, the views were stunning and I felt like we really accomplished something.
Unfortunately we were unable to make it to the summit because there was too much snow on the path and most of us were only wearing sneakers. It was still a lot of fun, and we are planning on hiking a 14er in Summit County within the next month. After that I guess I'll need to start looking for a bull named Fu Man Chu...
the whole summer crew except Lynda
all of us standing above tree line
we couldn't make it to the top because there was too much snow
the house we stayed in
Kendell mountain at night
Tomāto Tomäto
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Shopping sprees, card games, hanging out with family, painting pottery, water skiing, tubing, babysitting, twilight, lunch with old friends, visits from new ones, Canada, homemade gelato, four wheeling and so on...
So far this summer has been packed with nonstop fun, but by far the most interesting experience I've had has been working with my father. He works for a produce distribution company, heading the repack division. What this means for me is countless hours of sorting through tomatoes, throwing out the rotten ones. I've never been a fan of tomatoes myself, although some people find them interesting because they aren't fully fruit or vegetable, and some people simply enjoy eating them. I however hold a personal grudge against them that seems to grow every time I work there. It is perhaps one of the most tedious jobs ever, sorting through endless boxes of tomatoes to make sure they are of the highest quality. In fact, it's probably something most people never even think about; all the hours of labor put into making sure your produce is perfect for the supermarket shelves.
So how can such a tedious task be one of the most interesting experiences of my summer so far?
Well, it turns out that while working with my father I have had conversations with some of the most fascinating people I've ever met. When I first met them I didn't know what to think, mostly that they were people from the inner city, living a different lifestyle than I'd ever been exposed to. I wasn't sure we'd have anything to talk about, or if we'd even be able to communicate since many of them speak very little, if any English. However, it turned out that many of them aren't originally from the US which intrigued me, because I love to learn about different cultures. This is my view of their struggles...
Over one hundred years ago many of our ancestors stepped off a boat and into a world of possibilities. It wasn't easy. They had to wait in seemingly endless lines just to see if they'd be accepted into this new country, hoping they wouldn't be sent home for contracting something as simple as modern day pink eye. As they were herded like cattle through various rooms they held onto their most important possessions, often no more than a suitcase for many.
Many people were separated from their families and flat broke, but they risked it all in hopes of a better life. Once accepted into the country, they worked very hard for little pay to try and make it better for the next generation of their family. After all isn't that what the American dream is all about?
This all sounds like ancient history to many of us, but the struggle to become a citizen in this country is still very alive.
One man I talked to while working with my dad came here from Africa. I had seen movies like Blood Diamond, so I had some understanding of the fighting and mass killings that were happening over there. Yet the Hollywood film didn't seem to do it justice after talking to a man who lost it all over some precious gems. As difficult as it was for him to talk about, he managed to tell me how his entire family had been killed, and he knew he had to leave or he would probably die as well. He decided to come to come to America because he speaks decent English and wanted to work for the government as a translator. I don’t know much about how he gained citizenship, but after hearing accounts of these atrocities first hand I made a promise to myself- I would never purchase or wear jewelry unless I knew for certain no lives were taken for it.
I also had the privilege of working with a woman who was able to escape from her life in Cuba. She explained how she used to be a gymnast, and came to the United States to compete. As her fellow gymnasts prepared to head to the airport, she arranged for a friend to pick her up. This was the beginning of her seven year struggle to become a permanent resident of the United States. She started out in California, where she didn't even have enough money to file papers for citizenship. Since she didn't have a green card, she couldn't get a job, so she had to work under the table doing things such as cleaning houses. Eventually she decided to take a three day bus ride to Buffalo, NY so she could live there. During the ride she was completely terrified of being caught and deported back to Cuba. She had also just started learning English so she couldn't communicate well enough to order food at rest stops. As if that’s not difficult enough, just imagine taking all of you possessions with you on a bus. I know I wouldn’t be able to do it. Luckily for this woman, after years of struggling and working hard she was finally able to gain full citizenship for the United States.
When I asked her why she decided to leave she explained that living there had its positive sides, for example you never had to pay for medical care or education, and everyone pretty much made the same amount of money whether they were a doctor or a school teacher. But it also had its negative sides, because the country often ran low on food, and she remembers endless nights of going to sleep with an empty stomach. In her broken English she also tried to explain that she was friends with children whose parents worked for the government, and they always seemed to have more than her, more money, more food; more anything matters in a communist country where everyone is supposed to be equal.
So far this summer has been packed with nonstop fun, but by far the most interesting experience I've had has been working with my father. He works for a produce distribution company, heading the repack division. What this means for me is countless hours of sorting through tomatoes, throwing out the rotten ones. I've never been a fan of tomatoes myself, although some people find them interesting because they aren't fully fruit or vegetable, and some people simply enjoy eating them. I however hold a personal grudge against them that seems to grow every time I work there. It is perhaps one of the most tedious jobs ever, sorting through endless boxes of tomatoes to make sure they are of the highest quality. In fact, it's probably something most people never even think about; all the hours of labor put into making sure your produce is perfect for the supermarket shelves.
So how can such a tedious task be one of the most interesting experiences of my summer so far?
Well, it turns out that while working with my father I have had conversations with some of the most fascinating people I've ever met. When I first met them I didn't know what to think, mostly that they were people from the inner city, living a different lifestyle than I'd ever been exposed to. I wasn't sure we'd have anything to talk about, or if we'd even be able to communicate since many of them speak very little, if any English. However, it turned out that many of them aren't originally from the US which intrigued me, because I love to learn about different cultures. This is my view of their struggles...
Over one hundred years ago many of our ancestors stepped off a boat and into a world of possibilities. It wasn't easy. They had to wait in seemingly endless lines just to see if they'd be accepted into this new country, hoping they wouldn't be sent home for contracting something as simple as modern day pink eye. As they were herded like cattle through various rooms they held onto their most important possessions, often no more than a suitcase for many.
Many people were separated from their families and flat broke, but they risked it all in hopes of a better life. Once accepted into the country, they worked very hard for little pay to try and make it better for the next generation of their family. After all isn't that what the American dream is all about?
This all sounds like ancient history to many of us, but the struggle to become a citizen in this country is still very alive.
One man I talked to while working with my dad came here from Africa. I had seen movies like Blood Diamond, so I had some understanding of the fighting and mass killings that were happening over there. Yet the Hollywood film didn't seem to do it justice after talking to a man who lost it all over some precious gems. As difficult as it was for him to talk about, he managed to tell me how his entire family had been killed, and he knew he had to leave or he would probably die as well. He decided to come to come to America because he speaks decent English and wanted to work for the government as a translator. I don’t know much about how he gained citizenship, but after hearing accounts of these atrocities first hand I made a promise to myself- I would never purchase or wear jewelry unless I knew for certain no lives were taken for it.
I also had the privilege of working with a woman who was able to escape from her life in Cuba. She explained how she used to be a gymnast, and came to the United States to compete. As her fellow gymnasts prepared to head to the airport, she arranged for a friend to pick her up. This was the beginning of her seven year struggle to become a permanent resident of the United States. She started out in California, where she didn't even have enough money to file papers for citizenship. Since she didn't have a green card, she couldn't get a job, so she had to work under the table doing things such as cleaning houses. Eventually she decided to take a three day bus ride to Buffalo, NY so she could live there. During the ride she was completely terrified of being caught and deported back to Cuba. She had also just started learning English so she couldn't communicate well enough to order food at rest stops. As if that’s not difficult enough, just imagine taking all of you possessions with you on a bus. I know I wouldn’t be able to do it. Luckily for this woman, after years of struggling and working hard she was finally able to gain full citizenship for the United States.
When I asked her why she decided to leave she explained that living there had its positive sides, for example you never had to pay for medical care or education, and everyone pretty much made the same amount of money whether they were a doctor or a school teacher. But it also had its negative sides, because the country often ran low on food, and she remembers endless nights of going to sleep with an empty stomach. In her broken English she also tried to explain that she was friends with children whose parents worked for the government, and they always seemed to have more than her, more money, more food; more anything matters in a communist country where everyone is supposed to be equal.
It's crazy to imagine how different people live, whether they choose to or not. It was definitely interesting talking to these people and hearing about their struggles in life, and I am happy that they were able to make it as far as they have. I guess it's just something to think about next time you pick up tomatoes in the grocery store.
Bye Bye Steamy B
Monday, April 27, 2009
It honestly feels like just yesterday I boarded a flight to Steamboat Springs, Colorado to embark on a journey. I had only been to the town once before and didn't know anyone that lived here. I was clueless as to where I'd end up, if I'd enjoy it or despise it. But here I am almost nine months later finding it impossible to say good bye to this town. As I began packing up my room last night it was almost painful to realize I'm going home. I don't want to say goodbye to all of this beautiful scenery and all of my friends. I think about all the great adventures I've been on and all of the new things I've tried. I'll never forget climbing up Howelson Hill my very first day here, or floating down the Yampa with strangers who quickly became good friends. Eight months ago I was completely unable to do 180s, and I never imagined working for Grenade in Vegas.
Luckily for me this journey's not over, I'll be back out in Steamboat June 1st to work as a Conference Assistant at the school. And of course I'll be starting my second year in August. Still, it's going to be very sad saying goodbye to close friends who have become like family throughout the past few months... I read this right before I left for Steamboat and it always makes me feel a little better about things.
A Reason, A Season or a Lifetime
People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person. When something is in your life for a reason, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or spiritually. They may seem like a Godsend and they are. They are there for the reason you need them
to be. Then without any wrongdoing on your part, or at a inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on. Some people come into your life for a season, because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. They bring you an experience of peace, or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy.Believe it, it is real. But only for a season! Lifetime relationships teach you lifelong lessons, things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person, and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind, but friendship is clairvoya
nt. Thank you for being a part of my life, whether you were a reason, a season, or a lifetime. -Author UnknownThe Mysterious Birthday Surprise
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Main Characters:
As time passed I realized I had a big night ahead of me, it was my friend Mariah's 19th birthday, we had a Student Activities Appreciation Dinner to attend and in less than 24 hours I'd be turning 20.
12:16 pm
After nourishing myself with a meal at the dining hall I headed back up to the dorms. It was a windy day and I feared it might rain, putting a damper on the night's events. I tried hard to put those thoughts aside and remain optimistic about the night. As I walked down the hallway I ran into a kid Zach, who I see all the time but hardly know anything about. We said our hellos, then he continued the conversation by wishing me a happy birthday. "It's tomorrow" I responded, "But thank you!" It caught me off guard, I didn't understand how he'd know such a thing, so I assumed we were friends on Facebook and left it at that.
4:00 pm
We began to get ready. Steamboat is a rather casual town when it comes to attire, and this was a rare opportunity to dress up like we were heading to the Grammy's. As girls, we needed to be sure we had enough time to do our hair and make up. For the men who still don't understand why we need such a long time to get ready, it's because we don't like being rus
hed. We like taking our time and bonding with our friends while we prepare for a fun night out.
6:23 pm
We headed to Tamara's office to meet up before dinner. As we walked through the hallways and out to the car we turned a lot of heads. In a school composed of mostly males, women tend to let their guard down. We stop worrying about our hair and make up so much, and occasionally skip a shower. To see people in dresses was very out of the ordinary. We walked quickly, hoping to not bring too much attention to ourselves.
6:34pm
We arrived at The Boathouse Pub located on Yampa Street. It was a very well decorated restaurant located right on the river. The food was delectable, I ordered a Portabella Mushroom Sandwich which I'd recommend it to anyone who goes there. It's always exciting to eat out, especially when you're a poor college student and in good company. It was a bitter sweet ending to a year filled with many events such as Late Night Bingo, an Illusionist, having several bands come play, and even a CMC Talent Show.
7:42 pm
After finishing our meal, Mariah brought up the topic of dessert. She wanted some ice cream for her birthday, but was talked out of it. Instead we decided we'd go to Safeway and pick some up, then eat it in the MPR. I thought it was peculiar that Tamara suggested we eat in the dorms, since her office is located in another building and all our meetings are held there. But I once again brushed it off.
7:51pm
We were finishing our meal when Mia's mother called. She said it was important and she had to take it so she left, promising she'd meet us back at the dorms. After the bill was paid, Jake, Mariah and I headed to City Market while Tamara went to pick up her "Little Sister". When we arrived at City Market Jake instructed Mariah and I to get two giant tubs while he dropped his movie off at Blockbuster. "Why?" we asked. "There are only five of us, we don't need that much ice cream. Besides, the tubs aren't as good as the other stuff." Promising him
we'd take care of it, Mariah and I went in and picked out our favorite types of ice cream. As we were picking out toppings Jake found us and kept trying to convince us to get the bigger tubs. We told him if that was what he wanted to he could go for it, but there was no way I was giving up Cookie Dough ice cream for that stuff. Finally he caved in, picked out another flavor and we checked out.
8:07pm
We arrived at the dorms. As we walked past the windows to the MPR we noticed the lights were out and there were a ton of people in there. I immediately thought it was a huge mistake deciding to meet in there because everyone would want to eat our ice cream and we only had three cartons. "Why are there so many people in there?" I asked, to which Jake responded that it must have been a movie night. Once again I should have thought harder about this because I'm on both Student Activities and RHA so I always know when events in the MPR are going on. I figured another club must have been putting an event on and brushed it off. When we walked into the MPR someone flicke
d the lights on and everyone yelled "SURPRISE"! They sang Happy Birthday to Mariah and I and we both stood there dumbfounded.
I would have never guessed that Mia was going to throw us a surprise party, but she did. As I looked back at the day I began to piece it all together. She never really went to the library, she was at our friends house baking cake. All of the random people that kept saying Happy Birthday thought it was my birthday because of the flyers that had been passed out. Mia's mom had never called her, she just needed an excuse to get away and set everything up. And obviously, Jake wanted to get the giant tubs because he knew we wouldn't be the only ones enjoying them.
It was a great start to my very first birthday away from home. After that we head
ed over to a friends house to hang out. I slept in until almost noon on my acutaul birthday, then attended a meeting for my job as a CA this summer. After relaxing for the day I ended up going to the Strawberry Park Hot Springs as the perfect way to end the night. I just want to say thank you to everyone who made it such a great couple of days!
Mariah
Mia
Jake
Tamara
Jake
Tamara
Date: Thursday, April 23, 2009
10:34 am
It started out as a typical Thursday morning. I woke up with a rumbly tummy, bummed that I had missed breakfast and eager for lunch to start. To pass the time I decided to call my friend Mia to see what she was up to. It turned out she was at the library in town and very preoccupied because she had to get off the phone rather quickly. Although I never thought Mia was the type to spend her day at the public library I didn't think anything of it.
10:34 am
It started out as a typical Thursday morning. I woke up with a rumbly tummy, bummed that I had missed breakfast and eager for lunch to start. To pass the time I decided to call my friend Mia to see what she was up to. It turned out she was at the library in town and very preoccupied because she had to get off the phone rather quickly. Although I never thought Mia was the type to spend her day at the public library I didn't think anything of it.
As time passed I realized I had a big night ahead of me, it was my friend Mariah's 19th birthday, we had a Student Activities Appreciation Dinner to attend and in less than 24 hours I'd be turning 20.
12:16 pm
After nourishing myself with a meal at the dining hall I headed back up to the dorms. It was a windy day and I feared it might rain, putting a damper on the night's events. I tried hard to put those thoughts aside and remain optimistic about the night. As I walked down the hallway I ran into a kid Zach, who I see all the time but hardly know anything about. We said our hellos, then he continued the conversation by wishing me a happy birthday. "It's tomorrow" I responded, "But thank you!" It caught me off guard, I didn't understand how he'd know such a thing, so I assumed we were friends on Facebook and left it at that.
4:00 pm
We began to get ready. Steamboat is a rather casual town when it comes to attire, and this was a rare opportunity to dress up like we were heading to the Grammy's. As girls, we needed to be sure we had enough time to do our hair and make up. For the men who still don't understand why we need such a long time to get ready, it's because we don't like being rus
hed. We like taking our time and bonding with our friends while we prepare for a fun night out.6:23 pm
We headed to Tamara's office to meet up before dinner. As we walked through the hallways and out to the car we turned a lot of heads. In a school composed of mostly males, women tend to let their guard down. We stop worrying about our hair and make up so much, and occasionally skip a shower. To see people in dresses was very out of the ordinary. We walked quickly, hoping to not bring too much attention to ourselves.
6:34pm
We arrived at The Boathouse Pub located on Yampa Street. It was a very well decorated restaurant located right on the river. The food was delectable, I ordered a Portabella Mushroom Sandwich which I'd recommend it to anyone who goes there. It's always exciting to eat out, especially when you're a poor college student and in good company. It was a bitter sweet ending to a year filled with many events such as Late Night Bingo, an Illusionist, having several bands come play, and even a CMC Talent Show.
7:42 pm
After finishing our meal, Mariah brought up the topic of dessert. She wanted some ice cream for her birthday, but was talked out of it. Instead we decided we'd go to Safeway and pick some up, then eat it in the MPR. I thought it was peculiar that Tamara suggested we eat in the dorms, since her office is located in another building and all our meetings are held there. But I once again brushed it off.
7:51pm
We were finishing our meal when Mia's mother called. She said it was important and she had to take it so she left, promising she'd meet us back at the dorms. After the bill was paid, Jake, Mariah and I headed to City Market while Tamara went to pick up her "Little Sister". When we arrived at City Market Jake instructed Mariah and I to get two giant tubs while he dropped his movie off at Blockbuster. "Why?" we asked. "There are only five of us, we don't need that much ice cream. Besides, the tubs aren't as good as the other stuff." Promising him
we'd take care of it, Mariah and I went in and picked out our favorite types of ice cream. As we were picking out toppings Jake found us and kept trying to convince us to get the bigger tubs. We told him if that was what he wanted to he could go for it, but there was no way I was giving up Cookie Dough ice cream for that stuff. Finally he caved in, picked out another flavor and we checked out.8:07pm
We arrived at the dorms. As we walked past the windows to the MPR we noticed the lights were out and there were a ton of people in there. I immediately thought it was a huge mistake deciding to meet in there because everyone would want to eat our ice cream and we only had three cartons. "Why are there so many people in there?" I asked, to which Jake responded that it must have been a movie night. Once again I should have thought harder about this because I'm on both Student Activities and RHA so I always know when events in the MPR are going on. I figured another club must have been putting an event on and brushed it off. When we walked into the MPR someone flicke
d the lights on and everyone yelled "SURPRISE"! They sang Happy Birthday to Mariah and I and we both stood there dumbfounded.I would have never guessed that Mia was going to throw us a surprise party, but she did. As I looked back at the day I began to piece it all together. She never really went to the library, she was at our friends house baking cake. All of the random people that kept saying Happy Birthday thought it was my birthday because of the flyers that had been passed out. Mia's mom had never called her, she just needed an excuse to get away and set everything up. And obviously, Jake wanted to get the giant tubs because he knew we wouldn't be the only ones enjoying them.
It was a great start to my very first birthday away from home. After that we head
ed over to a friends house to hang out. I slept in until almost noon on my acutaul birthday, then attended a meeting for my job as a CA this summer. After relaxing for the day I ended up going to the Strawberry Park Hot Springs as the perfect way to end the night. I just want to say thank you to everyone who made it such a great couple of days!
The Great Escape
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Don't get me wrong, I love living in Steamboat. Whenever someone from out of town asks how I like going to school here I smile and reply "It's awesome, it's like living on a permanent vacation". But sometimes you just need to get away for a little bit. My room mate and I reached that point, we weren't sick of anything in particular, our friends are great, the town is still beautiful and friendly, but we needed a break from our every day routines. So we packed our backpacks, hopped in Heather's car and headed for her home town- Grand Junction. I'd been there once earlier this year for a conference, but we hardly had time to explore the town. This time I got to see the place VIP style, and it was a blast. After driving for about three hours we reached Grand Junction and Heather decided to show me some places around town. We saw the house she used to live in, the river where everyone floats during the summer and *gasp* a mall. I have to admit I almost forgot those things existed. Then we went to her house where her mom made us pizza and we just relaxed. Followed by that was my favorite part of the trip- White Rocks. She said we'd be doing some climbing so I threw on some sneakers and a light hoodie in case it got cold when the sun went down. The place was gorgeous. We started climbing and at first it was nothing too difficult, it was very similar to bouldering. The rocks were close enough to the ground that I felt falling would mean little injury. Then Heather decided to climb up a huge rock and jump over to another one. I was immediately reminded of my fear of heights and decided to find an alternate route up. Once I got up there I saw why she was so insistent upon it. The views were amazing. After hanging out there for a while we headed back and I eventually passed out. The next day her mom made us a delicious homemade lunch and we headed back to Steamboat.
Living in a Postcard (Snow O Part II)
Friday, March 6, 2009
Imagine going four days without any technology. No cell phones, palm pilots, no laptops or high speed internet. No satellite TV or high definition video games, not even an alarm clock. All you have is the gear you need to survive, and an optional snowboard if you wanted to bear the weight in order to seek out some fresh turns. To most people in my generation this sounds like some form of cruel and unusual punishment, but for me it was a little piece of heaven. That's right, its Snow O round two, more exciting and adventurous than ever.
Day 1
It was the most grueling three mile hike I'd ever been on. My pack didn't bother me too much but the sled I was pulling seemed to drag me backwards every time I tried to move forward. I don't know what kept me going because at times my body told me to give up but I knew it was something I had to do, so after taking a second to catch a breath of fresh air, I kept trekking along. Once we finally decided on a site we had to start digging because we only had a few hours of sunlight left. Quinzees are a lot more difficult to make than the snow shelters we had made the previous week. You need to pile up a ton of snow, let it sit for at least a half hour to harden, then dig out a cave to sleep in. I'll admit I was kind of out of it, and Hunter ended up doing most of the digging while I helped with snow removal. We ended up making a ridiculously large quinzee and it took the help of three other people to finish off the "Taj Mahal". After that we ate supper and I went to sleep completely exhausted from the day’s work.
Day 2
We had a late start, I think everyone was exhausted from the previous day, but we decided we'd go on a hike. Before heading out Sean briefed us on what to bring while traveling away from camp. When we were all ready to go Kelen was put in charge of the map and guided the way. Let me just say, this was not your typical leisurely New York type of hike. This was an uphill battle with deep powder and the heat of the sun beating down on us. Yet the scenery was stunning, each time we stopped to take a look around I would think to myself, “we are living in a post card”. Along the way we studied animal tracks, learning how to identify squirrels, fox and snowshoe hares. Pete also taught us about how to identify different types of pine trees and their benefits to the environment. We learned that in an emergency survival situation pine needles are a good source of vitamin C and okay to eat. I tried one-- if you're wondering what they taste like just imagine eating a Christmas tree. It's definitely something I'll save for emergency situations from now on. Soon after that Sean showed us how to start a fire using cotton balls, twigs and a lighter. We then hiked up a little further for some amazing views and then began our descent back to camp.
Day 3
It was once again difficult to get up in the morning because I was so cozy and warm in my sleeping bag. I debated staying in there for the whole day, but it was time to snowboard. We decided the previous night that we would hike up to the same spot and get in some fresh turns. So immediately after breakfast we headed out. I was very low on energy and motivation, but every time I looked up to the area we'd be riding my body became instantly energized. Once we got to the top I was really thrilled for my first experience backcountry riding, and best of all, they gave me first tracks! It was amazing just flying down the mountain without the worry of running into someone, and there were very few barriers to look out for. If you've never done it it's difficult to describe the experience. It's like a natural high where you are floating on a cloud. After my first run I just kept wanting more. Sean and I took turns with my board, Pete, Jackie and Kelen skied, and everyone else went sledding. It was one of the most amazing experiences, and it made me even more excited to know I was getting college credit for it. Once we made it back down to camp we began digging a fire pit and collected some dead tree branches. After dinner we all sat around keeping warm and sharing stories. Eventually we ran out of wood and headed off for bed.
Day 4
We woke up pretty early to head out. Camp breakdown didn't take long at all, so after eating we left. Along the way we decided to dig an Avi pit just for some basic knowledge on what to look for. It was an eventful weekend but I was ready for some running water and a nice warm shower. Overall it was a great experience. If I learned one thing on the trip it was appreciation. With all our modern technology I feel like we are constantly taking so much for granted. It was awesome to get out there and connect with nature, something I think everyone should do at least once in their life. Although I don't see myself snow camping again in the very near future I'm glad I was able to experience it. I can now say I've done something more than 90% of the population would never even think about trying.
Day 1
It was the most grueling three mile hike I'd ever been on. My pack didn't bother me too much but the sled I was pulling seemed to drag me backwards every time I tried to move forward. I don't know what kept me going because at times my body told me to give up but I knew it was something I had to do, so after taking a second to catch a breath of fresh air, I kept trekking along. Once we finally decided on a site we had to start digging because we only had a few hours of sunlight left. Quinzees are a lot more difficult to make than the snow shelters we had made the previous week. You need to pile up a ton of snow, let it sit for at least a half hour to harden, then dig out a cave to sleep in. I'll admit I was kind of out of it, and Hunter ended up doing most of the digging while I helped with snow removal. We ended up making a ridiculously large quinzee and it took the help of three other people to finish off the "Taj Mahal". After that we ate supper and I went to sleep completely exhausted from the day’s work.
Day 2
We had a late start, I think everyone was exhausted from the previous day, but we decided we'd go on a hike. Before heading out Sean briefed us on what to bring while traveling away from camp. When we were all ready to go Kelen was put in charge of the map and guided the way. Let me just say, this was not your typical leisurely New York type of hike. This was an uphill battle with deep powder and the heat of the sun beating down on us. Yet the scenery was stunning, each time we stopped to take a look around I would think to myself, “we are living in a post card”. Along the way we studied animal tracks, learning how to identify squirrels, fox and snowshoe hares. Pete also taught us about how to identify different types of pine trees and their benefits to the environment. We learned that in an emergency survival situation pine needles are a good source of vitamin C and okay to eat. I tried one-- if you're wondering what they taste like just imagine eating a Christmas tree. It's definitely something I'll save for emergency situations from now on. Soon after that Sean showed us how to start a fire using cotton balls, twigs and a lighter. We then hiked up a little further for some amazing views and then began our descent back to camp.
Day 3
It was once again difficult to get up in the morning because I was so cozy and warm in my sleeping bag. I debated staying in there for the whole day, but it was time to snowboard. We decided the previous night that we would hike up to the same spot and get in some fresh turns. So immediately after breakfast we headed out. I was very low on energy and motivation, but every time I looked up to the area we'd be riding my body became instantly energized. Once we got to the top I was really thrilled for my first experience backcountry riding, and best of all, they gave me first tracks! It was amazing just flying down the mountain without the worry of running into someone, and there were very few barriers to look out for. If you've never done it it's difficult to describe the experience. It's like a natural high where you are floating on a cloud. After my first run I just kept wanting more. Sean and I took turns with my board, Pete, Jackie and Kelen skied, and everyone else went sledding. It was one of the most amazing experiences, and it made me even more excited to know I was getting college credit for it. Once we made it back down to camp we began digging a fire pit and collected some dead tree branches. After dinner we all sat around keeping warm and sharing stories. Eventually we ran out of wood and headed off for bed.
Day 4
We woke up pretty early to head out. Camp breakdown didn't take long at all, so after eating we left. Along the way we decided to dig an Avi pit just for some basic knowledge on what to look for. It was an eventful weekend but I was ready for some running water and a nice warm shower. Overall it was a great experience. If I learned one thing on the trip it was appreciation. With all our modern technology I feel like we are constantly taking so much for granted. It was awesome to get out there and connect with nature, something I think everyone should do at least once in their life. Although I don't see myself snow camping again in the very near future I'm glad I was able to experience it. I can now say I've done something more than 90% of the population would never even think about trying.
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