Life Update

It has been awhile since I last posted on MK.  Recent posts have been on my other blog, Guide 2 Hiking, which is intended as a resource for the hiking community (mostly those folks I hike with on tours).  :-)  This blog, Mountain Kaleidoscope, was started to cover my personal adventures and day to day life in the mountains.

Lately, I feel like I have been "living the dream" somewhat.  I've started to experience a nice balance of work (guiding seasonally and fitting in my massage training working for a local chiropractor), art (this month on display at Cafe Dawn here in Salida, CO), and physical activity (currently training for my first 25-mile trail run event, the Collegiate Peaks).  All that, plus maintaining day to day relationships with friends & family.

Skiing and ice climbing have taken more of a back seat this year to massage therapy.  I've met some great people and (hopefully) helped relieve some of their aches and pains.  It has been a bit frustrating being a new therapist at age 50.  Patience has been the key.  Practice and do what I am currently trained to do; know that experience will come in time.  Listen to clients.  Be present.  Practice good body mechanics because massage work is much more challenging than it looks like from the outside!  I'm grateful for the opportunity. 

I've had half a dozen ski days and no ice days this winter...!  Although I miss being out there, that doesn't mean I'm not training.  It is hard to describe the joy I feel out running the trails.  It's one of my favorite past times.  We are lucky to have so many singletrack trails nearby with fabulous views of the Collegiate and Sangre de Cristo mountain ranges.  I've had my eye on the CPTR for quite a while and finally (eek) signed up for it this season!  By no means am I fast.  I was one of the slowest runners in my class growing up.  Geek material.  I am awe of ultrarunners (50k, 50m, 100k, 100m+).  Just developing the ability to be able to spend the whole day exploring the mountains really piques my interest.  Trail running allows for even more options than a long day hike.  Multi-day adventures could be possible as well.  All I really want to do with this race is finish.  Upright, preferably!  :-)

As for art, well, aside from finally hanging some pieces in a local coffee shop for the month of March, I'm awaiting my next project and inspiration.  Maybe it will come from playing with new media, maybe from an upcoming tour in the Grand Canyon.  Who knows?  But my pencils, papers, and paints await, ready to go when Inspiration arrives.

Thanks for visiting!  Keep a look out at Guide 2 Hiking for new posts in the near future.  

N.  

 



 

A View from Here

Above:  Looking NW towards Mt. Shavano, 14,229'.  Lots of snow up in the mountains, but virtually nothing in town: 

Above:  Looking towards Salida from south of US hwy 50.  There's a great trail system in the Arkansas Hills above town (near the "S").  Low snowpack has had me enjoying most of the trails up there this winter!

Meet William, The Mountain Goat.

Meet William.  William Edward Goat.  Or Bill E., for short.

He's one of our "mascots" while on the road.  William and his friend, Zwiggie (a stuffed teddy bear) usually live in the front window of whichever van we happen to be driving on tour.  Looks like William got ahold of my camera for a "self portrait" on the top of Beartooth Pass last summer.  If you look closer, you might be able to make out some of William's relatives in the background...

A Few More Pics from 2010 Tours

Here are a few pictures from the Vines & Vistas tour 2010.  We had fabulous weather the whole tour with beautiful fall colors!

Above: The gang taking a rest stop on the Grand Mesa descent.

Steve biking up Grand Mesa.

Elli & me during a rest stop after tackling a hot, challenging climb!  Pfewf!  I can't remember how hot it was, but it sure didn't feel like September in Colorado.  :-)

Some Pics from 2010

Here are some pics from earlier this year.  We had a nice trip on our own to South Dakota / Wyoming in early June.  It was my first time to Devil's Tower NM. 

Above: Interesting rock formations in the Needles area of South Dakota!

Mt. Hood from Timberline Lodge (June 2010).  It was snowing when we pulled up to the lodge with our hiking group.  Got the van & trailer stuck in the parking lot because the snow was so wet & slushy.

Hiking on the Glen Aulin trail, Yosemite National Park, CA.

View from Glen Aulin trail -- note all the water!  High runoff made for some awesome waterfall flow.  Yosemite NP.

The high waterfall flow of Yosemite Falls.  Half Dome in background.

View of Half Dome's face from North Dome.  Yosemite NP.

One last view of Half Dome -- from Panorama Trail.

I'll try to post some more pics from the road soon.  Thanks for visiting!

New Computer, etc....

I guess it's about that time again to blog some more.  We've moved our stuff out of the storage shed and into yet another apartment/condo for the winter.  My old computer went down the tubes and I recently purchased a new one.  Haven't connected my old digital camera to the new machine yet so pardon the lack of photos for the time being.  :)  

Now that I've recovered from a great season of tour guiding, it's time to plan some winter adventures.  Yep, got the ski pass.  Haven't been up to Monarch yet, though.  They just opened the other day.  Snow is coming!  All this relaxing & recovering has got me completely exhausted.  I've got to get out and do something!  Somehow that sounds backwards...?  

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.  Think snow (for the ski areas, of course)!         

New Drawing

Here is a 5"x5" drawing done in ink & Lyra colored pencils (the colors are richer than in the photo).  Just playing with simple designs.

I can tell I've been living in a "river" town all winter since I'm starting to draw kayaks!  Hope you have a great weekend.