tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58208350644224215562024-02-19T21:07:23.690-08:00WanderlustA strong desire to explore the world...Tesha Karnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15226138995900361055noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5820835064422421556.post-33227645206558515752015-07-26T14:28:00.000-07:002015-07-26T14:28:19.611-07:00I have been away...<br />
<br />Apologies to all as I have been absent for quite some time now. It has been a busy couple of years.... I am now a full time resident of Telluride, CO, a full time mother, a full time wife and a full time entrepreneur. Yes, you read correctly, I am now the ridiculously proud and happy mother of a beautiful two year old girl. And just to be clear, although absent from my blog, I have not strayed from my wanderlust ways.<br /><br />There is nothing easy about traveling with strollers and pack and plays, NOTHING. But....it is very doable. So listen up all you fellow wanderlusters, don't think parenthood means you have to stay put.<br /><br /><div>
Come on people, we don't want to raise uncultured weenies. Lead by example and show your children that traveling changes you. It puts you in places that will force you to care for issues that are much bigger than you. It makes you see that the world is both large and small. And most importantly, it will teach you to respect pain and suffering.</div>
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Help me spread the word! </div>
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PS: Pictures soon to follow! </div>
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Tesha Karnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15226138995900361055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5820835064422421556.post-23420868120267151582011-11-16T16:35:00.000-08:002011-11-23T13:18:05.231-08:00Hong Kong<style>@font-face { font-family: "Times New Roman"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }table.MsoNormalTable { font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }</style> <p class="MsoNormal">After getting WFR certified and falling completely in love with Colorado, Cody and I made our way back to LA to catch our flight to Hong Kong.<span style=""> </span>Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated areas in the world.<span style=""> </span>In other words, it was a huge contrast to the Rockies and we found ourselves jetlagged and slightly overwhelmed.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Traveling with a backpack full of backcountry climbing gear, we did not have the right attire to get into any of the yummy restaurants I had been salivating about nor did we have any desire to shop for various real and/or fake luxury items. This left us with nothing to do but people watch, stroll around town during a typhoon in head to toe Gortex, and embark on my favorite urban hike in the world. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">If any of you end up in Hong Kong and find yourselves in a similar situation, I highly recommend the Dragon’s Back trail in Shek O Country Park.<span style=""> </span>The trail is a fairly easy stroll rather than a hike, but truly well worth the little amount of time you need to complete it.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">The views from the ridge are spectacular.<span style=""> </span>If you look to the east, you’ll see the Clear Water Bay peninsula islands, and if you look to the west, you’ll see the Stanley peninsula.<span style=""> </span>The hike makes you feel like you’re a million miles away from everything. In case you need more convincing, the Dragon’s Back trail had been voted the best urban hike in Asia by Time magazine.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqtIwJq-CvGRIFKq-0GQiDeru0KTy8rvCAqwLg13vXIfqeFpNw7jb5FOhpvbJi4T_Xh2Y_TLJSYWX1SpRSXCqmpgftCaOU4pEfv_U27g14c1UFJMotKQQ7aQPBTCtJaDb4R6xLiAeqqGbZ/s1600/HongKong.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqtIwJq-CvGRIFKq-0GQiDeru0KTy8rvCAqwLg13vXIfqeFpNw7jb5FOhpvbJi4T_Xh2Y_TLJSYWX1SpRSXCqmpgftCaOU4pEfv_U27g14c1UFJMotKQQ7aQPBTCtJaDb4R6xLiAeqqGbZ/s200/HongKong.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675763716436265586" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Hong Kong reminds us of Manhattan in Hawaii filled with busy Asians and ex-pats: a truly intense place to visit.<span style=""> </span>All in all, we are stoked to make are way onward to Thailand. </p>Tesha Karnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15226138995900361055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5820835064422421556.post-18338723866328334432011-09-03T10:54:00.000-07:002011-09-03T10:57:27.537-07:00Wrapping summer up...<style>@font-face { font-family: "Times New Roman"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }table.MsoNormalTable { font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }</style> <p class="MsoNormal">After a few miserable workweeks in LA, Cody and I headed north to Yosemite to fill our little souls with the best climbing in the world.
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<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">We quickly found Yosemite climbs to be crazy hard.<span style=""> </span>The glacier-polished rocks offer few handholds and thus, force you to jam your limbs into cracks and smear on virtually nothing to get up walls.<span style=""> </span>Climbs here require extra water, mosquito repellent, patience, balance and a tolerance for crowds.<span style=""> </span>5.9 climbs feel like 5.11s.<span style=""> </span>Everything is trad and nothing is easy.</p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">We spent two solid weeks bumming around Camp 4 at night and battling it out with classic climbs like Bishops Terrace and The Nutcracker during the day.<span style=""> </span>My body has never hurt more.<span style=""> </span>I think I was even less bruised after my Mount Shasta fall than my stint in Yosemite!
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<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Feeling defeated and dehydrated at the end of our Yosemite stay, we made our way to Tahoe in hopes of cooler weather and easier climbs.<span style=""> </span>We were also super excited about having a real home to live in for six weeks!</p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Tahoe without snow is a whole new world.<span style=""> </span>Our winter home base was now barely recognizable and full of so many more activities than we had imagined.<span style=""> </span>Climbing and mountain biking had been our original priorities this summer, but sitting on the shore of the lake while drinking beers, floating down the Truckee River and barbequing became priorities as well.</p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Big Chief, Donner Pass, and Lover’s Leap gave us days of great climbing.<span style=""> </span>Northstar gave us days of great downhill mountain biking and the abundance of peaks and alpine lakes gave us great days of backcountry hiking. The one drawback to this ideal location is the plethora of people, “gapers” as locals call them, that pour into the Tahoe basin every day of the week.
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<br /><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Looks like next stop is Boulder, CO for a Wilderness First Responder course with NOLS.<span style=""> </span>Can’t wait to be outdoor safety savvy! <span style=""> </span></p> Tesha Karnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15226138995900361055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5820835064422421556.post-34049148741166131572011-08-27T22:42:00.001-07:002011-11-12T15:40:22.664-08:00Summer!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgFYdRaocdDKr6qcZiUXu3t6czf2pQ0ipB5AnKwUtjukwjUxASEJtmXCjfHgC1MJS7LVaLpqNkpHhSCrt99NWhHKqQRkEI8pxuC16iqVdU4XSLS-AqVY2HcIFp-RCrt03_k7Qru_jeRLqG/s1600/MymtnBike.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgFYdRaocdDKr6qcZiUXu3t6czf2pQ0ipB5AnKwUtjukwjUxASEJtmXCjfHgC1MJS7LVaLpqNkpHhSCrt99NWhHKqQRkEI8pxuC16iqVdU4XSLS-AqVY2HcIFp-RCrt03_k7Qru_jeRLqG/s200/MymtnBike.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5674256609851988002" border="0" /></a><br /><style>@font-face { font-family: "Times New Roman"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }table.MsoNormalTable { font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }</style> <p class="MsoNormal">By the time I got back from the Alps, I had to face the harsh cold fact that winter was over and it was time to put my K2 Got Backs to rest and resuscitate my Trek Fuel EX8 mountain bike and trusty Metolius climbing harness.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Before my muscles had very much time to readjust to summer activities, I eagerly left LA to join up with fellow rock climbers, Dave, Tara and Walter at Red Rocks.<span style=""> </span>The weather was certainly not conducive to climbing, but we made the best of it.<span style=""> </span>The first day was shockingly cold and windy which made our exposed 4-pitch climb one hundred percent more scary.<span style=""> </span>We climbed in our puffy coats, yelling at the top of our lungs during the entirety of the route.<span style=""> </span>Who would of thought Red Rocks would be so cold and unforgiving in mid-May?<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">As a little side note, I'm so proud of you Walter for starting a climbing consulting company that can be viewed at onropeconsulting.com !<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL8widekttodLJO5eGLDEDv66MJFnaaRuxALbA_VmmHL-g7IiqMlBOQoypQkPzl_ZDcpBVr0jtbx0i2X8rU6ZZCDUZ9HCYnrBLRn2bb4qJpuGRjitYSpMT8LEcWY6MXiyJ-yfOUaTgYY-H/s1600/Walter.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL8widekttodLJO5eGLDEDv66MJFnaaRuxALbA_VmmHL-g7IiqMlBOQoypQkPzl_ZDcpBVr0jtbx0i2X8rU6ZZCDUZ9HCYnrBLRn2bb4qJpuGRjitYSpMT8LEcWY6MXiyJ-yfOUaTgYY-H/s200/Walter.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5674257240747908066" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">We all let out a few stingy tears the next morning as rain graced us with its cold sloppy presence.<span style=""> </span>In turn, we grudgingly decided to spend the day gorging at all-you-can-eat buffets and gambling on a plethora of casino activities.<span style=""> </span>Expectedly weary of Vegas, I decided to leave the following day to meet Nicole, Joe, Asher and Matt in Moab for a mountain biking adventure.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">After seven hours of driving through a series of isolated, torrential downpours, I quickly reached Moab and quickly fell in love. After meeting up, my friends and I quickly decided to find refuge at the Slickrock Campground, holding our breaths all evening as the ominous clouds sporadically drizzled on us.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">For those of you that don’t know, the Slickrock trail made Moab the mountain biking Mecca it is today.<span style=""> </span>Hosting nearly 100,000 mountain bikers a year, Slickrock is perhaps the most popular trail in the world.<span style=""> </span>Interestingly, the name “Slickrock” was conceived when early settlers noticed their horses sliding on the barren sandstone in the area. In contrast, however, mountain bikers find the same barren sandstone to have amazing grip, allowing riders to go down the most radical angles.<span style=""> </span>Needless to say, my friends and I were all excited to experience the hype for ourselves.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Morning came and with great relief, we all stepped out of our tents and indulged in warm beams of desert sun. <span style=""> </span>It was the perfect day for mountain biking!<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>To put it as simply as possible, the Slickrock experience is intense, steep and unique.<span style=""> </span>The whole trail crosses an elevated platform of sandstone surrounded by petrified sand dunes and cliffs cut out by the Colorado River all complimented by the La Sal Mountains to the east.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>I honestly didn’t think I’d make it the finish line as I huffed and puffed my way up and down behind my four amazing mountain biking friends. To my surprise, I found just enough strength to make it through 12 miles of steepness.<span style=""> </span>Not until the end did I realize I had just completed the best mountain biking trail I have ever been on!<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkKX3Ye8TYakrYWxCLDw2IKPsHMR_OmA-2Do7Xr5kLJL-saJDfaGC_Oln03HyohBdIaUarpc4RzLWfjchG6qczWSSP3HlsEJK6AEr0mwiGKWakD1Ts16NFws0KPUTUWuY8jGkge2RBUPuT/s1600/SlickRock.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkKX3Ye8TYakrYWxCLDw2IKPsHMR_OmA-2Do7Xr5kLJL-saJDfaGC_Oln03HyohBdIaUarpc4RzLWfjchG6qczWSSP3HlsEJK6AEr0mwiGKWakD1Ts16NFws0KPUTUWuY8jGkge2RBUPuT/s200/SlickRock.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5674257966135166562" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Immediately after the four-hour Slickrock experience, my friends and I drove straight to the grocery store and purchased everything we could find with a high calorie count. It took a family-sized bag of Doritos, a few slices of pepperoni pizza and copious amounts of beer before my puny mountain biking muscles began to de-cramp enough so that I could go to bed.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">The next day was another sunny surprise.<span style=""> </span>Despite the pain and odd new cuts from slipping on clip less pedals, I followed my friends on the Porcupine Rim trail.<span style=""> </span>Another fantastic trail that was less strenuous as it was mostly downhill, but much more technical than the Slickrock trail.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">The Porcupine Rim trail is probably the second most famous trail in Moab.<span style=""> </span>It is 15.6 miles of everything you would expect out of a highly technical trail, perfect for fit expert riders.<span style=""> </span>However, don’t let it intimidate you. As a relatively novice mountain biker, I was able to survive by walking my bike down dangerous sections that required god-like mountain biking skills.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Needless to say, I left Moab knowing I’d definitely be back.</p>Tesha Karnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15226138995900361055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5820835064422421556.post-7967404478991066912011-05-01T12:51:00.000-07:002011-11-23T13:15:41.141-08:00I'm alive and ski-mountaineering the French and Swiss Alps!No idea how this happened, but I have no broken bones, just nasty scars and nightmares! Whohoo! Therefore, after a few weeks of pain induced by Mt. Shasta, I became myself again. In other words,<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik1jFudm8PI0okI5pounXc7yq24flxnGsfQEXaeqG753JoiWJqR3_xAbli5fBsfam56e849dCWyR8uFjwQzPXFk8jdJWFgD9xlBm9ausCWNshX1UhHby0dJWx9uDx6FRvYESz_C4tvpgvL/s1600/Alps.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik1jFudm8PI0okI5pounXc7yq24flxnGsfQEXaeqG753JoiWJqR3_xAbli5fBsfam56e849dCWyR8uFjwQzPXFk8jdJWFgD9xlBm9ausCWNshX1UhHby0dJWx9uDx6FRvYESz_C4tvpgvL/s200/Alps.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678300215249976546" border="0" /></a> I began to look for the next big adrenaline-filled adventure.....<br /><br />What better way to celebrate the end of the ski season then in the most sublimely elegant, yet rugged place on earth--the Alps! Stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Lichtenstein and Germany to France in the <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLOA-FTl4kemahAI4VJfLjgBCTv0ZjG-YhdkCIuG4SjRGCQaVqT4rl6xhQ5FmtAbcw6_T_kZsFT5emNSupWL3WVslLCva_qCHdsaWZWXVmekpzBbxOkxovnyTiQP8FrkC2VU5uuMjjKmss/s1600/HauteRouteEquip.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLOA-FTl4kemahAI4VJfLjgBCTv0ZjG-YhdkCIuG4SjRGCQaVqT4rl6xhQ5FmtAbcw6_T_kZsFT5emNSupWL3WVslLCva_qCHdsaWZWXVmekpzBbxOkxovnyTiQP8FrkC2VU5uuMjjKmss/s200/HauteRouteEquip.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678302792132612498" border="0" /></a>west, it is quite the mountain range.<br /><br />My fellow mountaineer, Catherine, and I decided to make our way to Europe in hopes of experiencing the famous Haute Route that begins in Argentiere, France and ends in Zermatt, Switzerland. After a lengthy flight from LAX to Geneva, a beautiful two hour shuttle from Geneva to Chamonix, one day of logisitcs and a short bus ride to Argentiere, we were off.<br /><br />Our highly anticipated first day on the Haute Route (via Verbier) was hell. It was a long vertical 12 hour stretch that required vexing transitions between, skinning and boot-packing. But somehow or another, we pushed through and reached the Trient Hut.<br /><br />The days passed rather quickly due to the inexplicably captivating alpine scenery. I barely noticed the sweat and pain as peak after beautiful peak and couloir after beautiful couloir unfolded before my eyes and glistened under the bold European sun.<br /><br />Second night was spent at the nearly empty Montfort Hut, third night was at the also nearly empty Prafleuri Hut, fourth night was at the packed Dix hut and the last night...well it was suppose to be at the Vignettes Hut...but to no surprise, things didn't quite go as planned and we made are way to the city of Arolla instead. Weather didn't seem conducive to muscling through two long days to Zermatt, so we decided to play it safe and duck out.<br /><br />After a near death experience on Mt. Shasta, I didn't want to risk another injury. I guess Shasta really was a blessing in disguise. It taught me to respect the sublimity of mountains.Tesha Karnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15226138995900361055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5820835064422421556.post-81138409708524237282011-05-01T12:50:00.001-07:002011-06-15T13:28:17.377-07:00Emergency Room!!!My adventures have suddenly come to a halt after a miserable evening in the emergency room.....let me fill you in on the last couple of weeks....<br /><br />After my fill of Utah, I drove north to an eclectic town called Livingston, MT about 30 minutes east of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Bozeman</span></span>. Livingston is a great place to be if you love the burly Montanan wilderness, don't crave food post 10pm on a weekend night, and if you know a man name Ryan Von <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Luit</span></span>. Ryan is the ultimate mountaineer <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Yoda</span></span>. He radiates with knowledge, which is why I'm so pleased to see it shared through his company, Outdoor Safety Institute (http://www.outdoorsafetyinstitute.com/).<br /><br />Ryan took Cody and I on an epic back-country ski adventure up Emigrant peak (10,921ft). After a solid 4,000ft ascent, we found a lovely stash of snow to ski down. Once we reached the car, we made our way to Chico Hot Springs Resort and Spa. For an entry fee of $5, I melted away quad pain as I submerged into the comfort of 120 degree water.<br /><br />The following day,<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3vB1bFOnlAcLLRPMvSD0B_OICwKw6PCnPb0RogtkIgKDS_QYUkVDWhuCA6fQmZYoz9qzekV6DE8YuYH84GLfkw9CdHFQGXWlKAeI_a7256OvQ8Y7lSb_-6iBIj9ZQEwDOdRtonpSHSHOa/s1600/CodyinMTSki.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 221px; height: 137px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3vB1bFOnlAcLLRPMvSD0B_OICwKw6PCnPb0RogtkIgKDS_QYUkVDWhuCA6fQmZYoz9qzekV6DE8YuYH84GLfkw9CdHFQGXWlKAeI_a7256OvQ8Y7lSb_-6iBIj9ZQEwDOdRtonpSHSHOa/s200/CodyinMTSki.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618544153443772210" border="0" /></a> we made a significantly shorter ascent (approximately 2,000ft) to an unknown peak about 45 minutes outside of Livingston. The ice luge section of our descent was certainly entertaining to ski down, but quite challenging at the same time. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Split boarders</span></span> beware!<br /><br />After a few days of relaxing touristy fun, we attacked <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Bridgier</span></span> Bowls' side-country terrain. It was a freezing, icy day, which inspired us to go find more back-country stashes and pure Montanan solitude. We decided to hit up Emigrant peak again. This time, the mountains granted us an abundance of powder, which encouraged us to climb a bit higher and hit a few more turns on the way down. The only drawback were my goggles, which had frozen during the ascent and were thus of no visual use on the descent. I made the 4,000ft plus descent with my eyes closed. It was not an ideal situation.<br /><br />It was hard to leave Montana, but my climbing partner and I eventually made our way to Mt Shasta where we imprudently decided to conquer the 14,162 ft beast the next day. Outfitted in a black diamond ice axe, black diamond crampons and brand new <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Kayland</span></span> mountaineering boots, I thought I was adequately prepared for our one day, 7,000ft ascent.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjds8qxsFl8WJ_qh6ER_q9jD5D2BHvQZoRgOsg76qQPqb13AFk-4Msh2bNg9ZX08Id1MS1a8-YIxDM3lB-8adWTZJrnwxtqGDUBsQh6VEQLXI8CGhroq0u-Bb38USF3iCFiWIRmf__wmJBo/s1600/ShastaTeshaSitting.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjds8qxsFl8WJ_qh6ER_q9jD5D2BHvQZoRgOsg76qQPqb13AFk-4Msh2bNg9ZX08Id1MS1a8-YIxDM3lB-8adWTZJrnwxtqGDUBsQh6VEQLXI8CGhroq0u-Bb38USF3iCFiWIRmf__wmJBo/s200/ShastaTeshaSitting.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618544606385421538" border="0" /></a><br />We left at 3am, seemingly impervious to the strong head winds that were blowing ice chunks at us. Our crampons screeched in the ice as no snow had graced the mountain since December. Needless to say, my climbing partner and I did not listen to the mountain. We kept going, eager to slay the summit.<br /><br />As noon approached, we were in between the top of Red Banks and the base of Misery Hill at approximately 13,000ft. We could not keep pace due to the icy conditions and headwinds and thus decided to turn around<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5TYDEhNCcbN0RI4Eq0dMqjTuFkO0QL60RZEK7IsL7fz73fIMpmhB2qbZkeJpjEvk8nLGEyops0lJoKTJmfZdp7KR0beB-UnJuuiyRat3IGzvbJk9TAdbm2EVjzff4ZfUVVdlcDobxdgEb/s1600/ShastaIce.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5TYDEhNCcbN0RI4Eq0dMqjTuFkO0QL60RZEK7IsL7fz73fIMpmhB2qbZkeJpjEvk8nLGEyops0lJoKTJmfZdp7KR0beB-UnJuuiyRat3IGzvbJk9TAdbm2EVjzff4ZfUVVdlcDobxdgEb/s200/ShastaIce.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618545564941889810" border="0" /></a> as we would not be able to summit and make it back before nightfall.<br /><br />The down climb was uncomfortably treacherous. The sun did very little to ease the slippery daggers of ice that covered the mountain (see picture to the right of this paragraph). Just below the top of Red Banks, my left crampon slipped, my self-arrest didn't hold and I slid down the steep grated face of Mt.Shasta for about a 1,000ft until I reached the bottom of the Heart.<br /><br />According to my partner, I slid down about 200ft directly into a boulder, went limp, then proceeded to <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">somersault</span> my way down until I was out of sight 400ft from the start of the fall. My partner assumed I was either unconscious or dead as he followed a trail of gear and blood before reaching my mangled body about 45 minutes later.<br /><br />To his surprise as well as mine, I was hurt, in shock, yet conscious. After being able to wiggle my fingers and toes, a small painful sigh of relief escaped my lips. 9 horrifyingly long hours later, we reached our car and anxiously made our way to the emergency room.Tesha Karnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15226138995900361055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5820835064422421556.post-49587834875923516342011-01-26T22:21:00.000-08:002011-01-26T23:01:55.304-08:00In search of the good stuff...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqKKSdj4JU134cwz172VdNzaUb9de3PZwvenOSXFQOjYq3rBkibgvx2EwzCkyvxyvLVcVdN7iNGQoZ_nzfP5rfA85NidI8v3QC1C_DS1lp8-kwmolHGtseQNKBWq86eS0C_ots8mZOXOhp/s1600/Snow+Shelter+Tahoe.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqKKSdj4JU134cwz172VdNzaUb9de3PZwvenOSXFQOjYq3rBkibgvx2EwzCkyvxyvLVcVdN7iNGQoZ_nzfP5rfA85NidI8v3QC1C_DS1lp8-kwmolHGtseQNKBWq86eS0C_ots8mZOXOhp/s200/Snow+Shelter+Tahoe.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566747901960508738" border="0" /></a> To the dismay of many Lake Tahoe transients, our mountains were graced with another warm, snow-less weekend. Despite the spring conditions, three fellow mountaineers and I decided to venture out for some overnight back-country fun in Desolation Wilderness. Although skinning on ice and skiing down wet sticky snow was frustrating, we seemed to make the best of it. There was laughing, eating, discovering the sweet warmth of Bailey's and stumbling upon the ultimate snow shelter. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP4DyH_sOZFU2rNY46kfbRiYuDkbPeS0574s57f70x3-iBEgt0r8uVSBc-cUQDfDd_BWolkll_rFsb5JT6tRf5vBhtqqdYWJtplyG9ylONJsygbfyqpzOGkB_byDMD4ywTj73BwvpHpDEy/s1600/Backcountry+Utah+Blog+Pic.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 103px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP4DyH_sOZFU2rNY46kfbRiYuDkbPeS0574s57f70x3-iBEgt0r8uVSBc-cUQDfDd_BWolkll_rFsb5JT6tRf5vBhtqqdYWJtplyG9ylONJsygbfyqpzOGkB_byDMD4ywTj73BwvpHpDEy/s200/Backcountry+Utah+Blog+Pic.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566747897979427986" border="0" /></a>After the weekend came to a close, I decided it was time to find actual snow to play with. It just so happened that my powder compass pointed towards Utah. After several unsatisfying laps at Deer Valley Resort, Park City yesterday I headed straight to the back-country today. I took a mellow approach via Days Fork in Big Cottonwood Canyon South. After a long tiring ascent to an unnamed point at 10,561 feet, I took a few turns down a pleasant, semi-powdery and semi-crusty drainage. Not perfect, but much better than Tahoe. Can't wait to find more stuff to play on tomorrow.Tesha Karnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15226138995900361055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5820835064422421556.post-51304904097839665092011-01-13T14:54:00.000-08:002011-01-26T23:12:32.641-08:00Another little update on my whereabouts.....<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRyKZ2ShWcZeiv7BjggK20im1TOTawyyvjTm-21vNhc4BiBh48DcXMK0drkP7XMw2HcKYaLFvk5-ovGotwO8EkGBQxkLKsDqYuEjcNyBj0zSWP99lBJKegaFxes_MBS4RH6dSpWp3FDLpm/s1600/Livestrong+Challenge+.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRyKZ2ShWcZeiv7BjggK20im1TOTawyyvjTm-21vNhc4BiBh48DcXMK0drkP7XMw2HcKYaLFvk5-ovGotwO8EkGBQxkLKsDqYuEjcNyBj0zSWP99lBJKegaFxes_MBS4RH6dSpWp3FDLpm/s200/Livestrong+Challenge+.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566760104943121234" border="0" /></a><br />Greetings from Tahoe City, CA!<br /><br />A lot has gone down since returning to NYC in October. After a few days of good clean rest and dreadful office hours in the the big apple, I booked it to Austin, TX to participate in the Livestrong Challange with my little brother. Running isn't my favorite activity, but Austin is one of my favorite US cities. Aside from the timed runs, we dined on mind blowing Tex-Mex, took long relaxing bike rides around Town Lake and indulged in great music. It was not an easy scene<br />to leave. Although I must admit, running is starting to grow on me...<br /><br />Thoroughly Austinified, I made it back to NYC to pick up my friend Marc who needed a bit of help and companionship getting himself and his belongings to Los Angeles, CA. In two swooping weeks, we stopped and explored the following stellar cities: Asheville, NC; Atlanta, GA;<br />New Orleans, LA; Austin, TX; Taos, NM; Boulder, CO; Vail, CO; LasVegas, NV. In contrast to my prior eastbound road-trip there was more eating than any life threatening adventure. Needless to say, traveling with a fellow foodie is simply glorious. By the time I<br />reached LA, I was about 10 pounds heavier and ready to start "shredding" again.<br /><br />After a few weeks of work in San Francisco, I made my way to Tahoe City, CA the day after Thanksgiving. To my amazement, there was an epic amount of snow waiting for me. I purchased a ridiculously expensive season pass to Squaw, pulled the trigger and bought<br />a new pair of skis with awesome AT bindings and headed back to the comfort of mountains. Ever since that weekend, it has been non-stop adventures in powder. Although quite early in the<br />season, I have managed to ski Squaw, Park City, Vail and Jackson Hole. And I must say, Jackson is simply phenomenal. And ladies, if you are single and ready to mingle, move to Jackson. This place is brimming with hot mountainy men.<br /><br />I'm currently back in Tahoe, pondering my next destination However, one thing does remain pretty clear, I'm heading somewhere with lots of powder.Tesha Karnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15226138995900361055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5820835064422421556.post-59383229034439031492010-10-17T11:57:00.000-07:002011-01-26T23:21:01.217-08:00Home Sweet Home!Greetings from NYC!<br /><br />So after about a week of lounging in Whitefish, Montana, Cody and I drove south towards Wyoming in hopes of peaking the Grand Teton (13,775 ft) before winter arrived. Upon arrival, we were thrilled to find that luck was on our side. Me and Cody were granted exactly two days of 75 degree weather before endless weeks of winter storms. It was too good to be true!<br /><br />We hiked into Garnett Canyon and set-up base camp at The Caves. The following day, <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfi9g-oOeMP4tXmdZ9DxGT8PmIIs9XTFuFLk8Iar2TBk5WqSldAnuYQSrSCg4lI2qdc2WRuI6fKc40h2AgjMGpzuSzqZZlKGb3OpD1xtKsXycGFkHJjfuzyCLus0aU9N4LqS-abi4JVQtC/s1600/Grand+Teton+Cave.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfi9g-oOeMP4tXmdZ9DxGT8PmIIs9XTFuFLk8Iar2TBk5WqSldAnuYQSrSCg4lI2qdc2WRuI6fKc40h2AgjMGpzuSzqZZlKGb3OpD1xtKsXycGFkHJjfuzyCLus0aU9N4LqS-abi4JVQtC/s200/Grand+Teton+Cave.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566761537922644258" border="0" /></a>we woke up at 5am, quickly indulged in some oatmeal, and headed out at about 5:30am. Our goal was to climb the Upper Exum Ridge and return to our base camp within 8 hours or so. To our dismay, we somehow got off route, which extended our climb to the summit by nearly 6 hours. After a countless number of pitches and hours of scrambling, we summited the rugged Grand Teton. The climb to the top was exhausting and frustrating, but the view and the weather on the peak were simply uplifting.<br /><br />Needless to say, neither of us wanted to head down. We were tired, our fingers were bloody and our bodies were bruised. To top it off, by the time we reached the saddle, we were quickly beginning to lose the sun's gracious light and were thus, forced to return to our caves under an unforgiving moonless sky with one headlamp. We reached camp at 9:30pm....starving. Needless to say, it was a truly epic 16 hour day.<br /><br />The following morning, we slept in and somehow managed to peel our sore bodies from our sleeping bags so that we could pack up and hike out in nasty rainy conditions. Although tired, wet, and cold, Cody and I made an effort to wine and dine in Jackson Hole to celebrate our<br />first technical ascent up a mountain.<br /><br />The next morning, we made our way towards Devils Tower, Wyoming for some more rock climbing. Devils Tower (5,112 ft) is a monolithic igneous intrusion, or in other words, <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Tem0S4fg76RWbHkCFcJlGBZDqq5okFf0d27h7Mm-PTOlLH-0FdDwoucfUKx7mPh44lePAeQ-Tvab9kr3Er4LxJ-RqhwUJzwGJaJO9v7gwu-xPUupnSjv44fMjJFc3nlWuBstXkB9MECV/s1600/Climb+Devils+tower.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Tem0S4fg76RWbHkCFcJlGBZDqq5okFf0d27h7Mm-PTOlLH-0FdDwoucfUKx7mPh44lePAeQ-Tvab9kr3Er4LxJ-RqhwUJzwGJaJO9v7gwu-xPUupnSjv44fMjJFc3nlWuBstXkB9MECV/s200/Climb+Devils+tower.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566762202856797970" border="0" /></a>it is the core of a volcano exposed from erosion that rises 1,267 feet above the surrounding terrain. Interestingly enough, Devils Tower was the first declared United States National Monument, established on September 24, 1906 by President Theodore Roosevelt. Anyway, the thing was sheer vertical rock.<br /><br />After a bit of research, we decided to climb the famous Durrance Route. I was rather numb during the 6 pitches to the top and two long rapels down. Apparently the Grand Teton really did a number on me.<br /><br />I began to feel somewhat more alive after a million celebratory Coronas at the base of Devils Tower. Therefore, we took this opportunity to congratulate ourselves on all of our accomplishments these past few weeks and decided that Devils Tower was the perfect finale to our adventure together.<br /><br />We headed out for a long, sleepless drive to NYC the next day, only stopping to get gas, consume chicken fried steak, snap cheesy pictures of us in front of Mt. Rushmore and grab beers in Chicago with an old friend, Reid. Sleep deprived , Cody and I haggardly crawled into my<br />NYC apartment and slept for a few days. It took several hours to detangle the 5-week-old knots in my hair, scrub the dirt from my skin, and bandage my gruesome scars, but I am now clean, rested, and ready for my next adventure!Tesha Karnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15226138995900361055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5820835064422421556.post-72488881107255608992010-09-25T09:57:00.000-07:002011-01-26T23:28:03.573-08:00<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;font-family:arial,sans-serif;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I am still alive! Post Park City, Utah, Cody Davis and I took a a bit of a detour. Instead of traversing directly to the Tetons, we decided to make a couple of extra stops....<br /><br />Our first stop was Mt. Timpanogos (11,749 ft). Although a 14-mile round-trip hike, with almost a mile of elevation gain, the summit is suppose to be one of the most-visited and rewarding peaks in the Rocky Mountains. We just couldn't pass it up! And yes, the view from the peak was stunning. One of my favorite vistas so far.<br /><br />To rest our quads a bit, we decided to avoid hiking for a couple of days and engage in some rock climbing instead. Therefore, the next morning, we drove to the City of Rocks, Idaho, to get our hands on some granite spires. One of the many reasons the park appealed to us was the fact that in the 80's, City of Rocks was home to the most difficult routes in the US. After three days of rock-climbing, I can no longer feel my fingertips and I have never had so many cuts and bruises on my arms and legs. Rock climbing does not seem to be one of my key attributes. However, despite the pain and challenge, it was </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;font-family:arial,sans-serif;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">all odd</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;font-family:arial,sans-serif;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">ly exhilarating. There is something very overtly rewarding about gaining focus and problem solving your way up a massive rock face.<br /><br />Anyway, on a bit of a whim, we woke up a few mornings ago and decided to make our way to Glacier National Park, Montana. We easily obtained backcountry permits and decided to "shred" the Dawson-Pitamakan route (18.8 miles, elevations gain: 2,935) in the Two Medicine area. The<br />mountains of the Two Medicine area are recog</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;font-family:arial,sans-serif;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">nized</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;font-family:arial,sans-serif;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> as the "Backbone of </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;font-family:arial,sans-serif;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">the World" among the Blackfeet Indians who use the area for vision quests.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;font-family:arial,sans-serif;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxgKLEyz1Rf4kZpNL0LkwMIAwukkDWB8yagwCfvMzEc5vcRLFcBY3BRavX4TzyfwoMNEMjV6tRh84AGSGoziOddOyGwJIXxzH6WUSRlUGInUuXEl1yrk3ZyI3hFqHj59IWlH2KU_uBGoqq/s1600/jet+boil+MT.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 130px; height: 174px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxgKLEyz1Rf4kZpNL0LkwMIAwukkDWB8yagwCfvMzEc5vcRLFcBY3BRavX4TzyfwoMNEMjV6tRh84AGSGoziOddOyGwJIXxzH6WUSRlUGInUuXEl1yrk3ZyI3hFqHj59IWlH2KU_uBGoqq/s200/jet+boil+MT.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566763627610146610" border="0" /></a></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;font-family:arial,sans-serif;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">To no surprise, the route was incredible. However, as we ascended towards Dawson's Pass (8,099 ft) weather conditions became worrisome. During our four hour hike through the pass, we trudged through ic</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;font-family:arial,sans-serif;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">e, snow and 50 mph winds. It was hard to keep both feet on the ground. We were hoping to veer of the pass and peak Rising Wolf Mountain (9,513 ft) but a white-out settled in and we decided to play</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;font-family:arial,sans-serif;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">it safe and make our way towards lower elevation. 10 miles later we made it back to our car and found our way towards cheeseburgers and fries.<br /><br />I'm currently posted in Whitefish, Montana, where I am staying at my friend, Roberto Guterrez' winter rental. A shower and bed! Very exciting....</span></span></div>Tesha Karnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15226138995900361055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5820835064422421556.post-4546746208408716402010-09-17T06:25:00.000-07:002011-01-26T23:35:53.433-08:00<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;" >Hello Friends,<br /><br />Life has been great si</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;" >nce I left NYC S</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh25JriKTx9644Jk1YJU1for51BXCDelHHtiNpE_ePDk7FernfkMAEIS7uQpYwKhbkX6cwAGidF2eKEh5SWok9w5TYlC3YnPPo3y7tcin-LbId1TeRMEBCJjsuZq5xL8AL84rk9fAiH6EB8/s1600/Car+pic+for+blog.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh25JriKTx9644Jk1YJU1for51BXCDelHHtiNpE_ePDk7FernfkMAEIS7uQpYwKhbkX6cwAGidF2eKEh5SWok9w5TYlC3YnPPo3y7tcin-LbId1TeRMEBCJjsuZq5xL8AL84rk9fAiH6EB8/s200/Car+pic+for+blog.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566765242726620946" border="0" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;" >eptember 2nd. For the first</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;" > time in a while, the only thing I worry about is which canyon to slide into or which mountain to climb up before I</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;" > make my way overseas in search of reclaimed wood for a client.<br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;" >In case some of you are wondering where I've been, the story is as follows....... </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;" >about 2 weeks ago, I flew out to San Francisco where I recruite</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;" >d my friend, Andrew, for an epic adventure down the California coast.. Our first stop was in Big </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;" >Sur, where we climbed up Cone Peak (5155ft). Great peak with a great view. Our second st</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;" >op was near Santa Barbara where we climbed Montecito Peak (3173ft). The drive to the trailhead was alm</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;" >ost better than the actual climb to the top, but all in all, it is another great peak with a great view.<br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;" >The following morning I met up with my friend, Cody. We drove out to Lone Pine to meet Heather and Matt in hope</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;" >s of conquering Mt. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;" >Whitney (14,446 ft). We somehow made our way up the infamous </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;" >mountaineer's route (3.4 miles and 6,000 ft elevation gain), which led to a burly solo vertical scramble for the last 2,000 feet up. Needle</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;" >ss to say, it was an intense three days in the backcountry, but well-worth it.<br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;" >Cody and I left Heather and Matt as we made our way to Vegas for a bit of gambling before our next climb. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;" > We eventually escaped sin city with a lot less money and drove to Zion, Utah for some spectacular<br />canyoneering. We may have </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;" >executed twenty 50-100 ft repels and a million super dangerous down climbs by the time we</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;" > left the national park. Although the scenery was out of this world and the 10 hour, "Birch Hollow/Orderville/Narrows" hike was relativ</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;" >ely easy, it was truly exhausting. Our knees and ankles barely made it out with us.<br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhVZb-zYln3sPClQSFTmM1lCP30non5fWoA6nKAum-wVIez0wJPPB7wzsL7p15pTJGlC0kPhEQtXeAYVmW59CITtr6wmGNfqtT_hET_SokjFQCEetIaHsAC5tgtdFHWYTKjFMHpaJW-TiQ/s1600/Bryce+Pic+for+Blog.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhVZb-zYln3sPClQSFTmM1lCP30non5fWoA6nKAum-wVIez0wJPPB7wzsL7p15pTJGlC0kPhEQtXeAYVmW59CITtr6wmGNfqtT_hET_SokjFQCEetIaHsAC5tgtdFHWYTKjFMHpaJW-TiQ/s200/Bryce+Pic+for+Blog.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566765232005818754" border="0" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;" >Our next stop was Bryce Canyon. A bit sore from Zion, we decided to<br />stretch out our bodies by waking up before dawn to jog an undulating,<br />1500 ft elevation loss and gain, 5.5 mile trail in and about the<br />canyon. Still not sure if this was a good idea, but it was nice to<br />see the rock formations in light of a rising sun. Truly pooped, we<br />gritted through a 6 hour drive to Park City where I am currently<br />posted. The weather here is fantastic and I'm not really sure when we<br />are going to even consider leaving.......<br /><br />It looks like the Grand Tetons are up next.<br /></span>Tesha Karnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15226138995900361055noreply@blogger.com0