perspective.

It's all about perspective.

This summer I decided I needed a bit of a change, and really what I mean by change is I needed to build on my previous experiences.  I needed to grow.  In high school I started to grow through an amazing outdoor organization for young adults called Adventure Treks.  I was fed the dogmas that I attempt to express today, which have been important elements in my life: 

1. Adventure Treks taught me real communication.  Although cell phones weren't quite as prolific as they are today, social media was on the rise, & the "cool factor" stemmed from what kind of phone you had & what song was on your MySpace profile.  Not at AT.  You were cool for being you, which is unfortunately quite rare these days.  I just brought my personality flair & some "reaching out" techniques & I got to truly know people.  Who needs to hide behind a phone anyway when you can just be you at AT?  I think I just put this into perspective for you...

2. Adventure Treks taught me about community & respect.  It may sound cheesy to someone who doesn't have the AT background, but community is an indescribable element of AT that forms fast and forms strong.  It is almost like a large family unit & with that comes respect.  Respect for your friends in the community and respect for yourself.  With group gear & small living quarters, there is no room for negativity & selfishness.  Some of the individuals I met in my years at AT are people I respect & venerate the most.  They are real people with real perspectives.

3. Adventure Treks taught me about pure happiness & being humble.  AT was the first time I truly realized how lucky I was.  How many 14-year-olds get to travel for 16+ days, climb live volcanoes, glissade down snow-covered peaks in mid-summer, & white water raft without parental supervision?  (That is not a rhetorical question... very few!)  I was & still am a lucky kid & with that, I learned that not everyone shares these amazing opportunities & it is important to be sensitive to all sorts of diverse people around me with different perspectives on life.  

Although Adventure Treks taught me way more than that in my 3 years as a student, what it did not teach me was how much background work went into making the "adventure of a lifetime."  As a student you have this perspective that AT is magic.  No I'm not kidding... AT just transpired into this incredible trip that took no effort to plan or organize & was just filled with amazing students from all over the world.  With a wave of the wand, a flick of the wrist & an Abracadabra... boom, a mountain summit & a perfect sunrise to go with it!

But not really.

This summer I definitely experienced a new & unique perspective... I interned in the Adventure Treks office.  It's funny because I remember walking into the "AT barn" on my first day of work, looking around & thinking, "what are all these people doing on computers... I mean what kind of 'work' can they actually be doing?  They are all probably just on Facebook!"  But they were doing work. Real work that takes the whole year to plan.  Trip logistics, permits, regional director plans, travel information, waivers (all 47648653743 of them), outfitter communication, unaccompanied minor details, trip photos, welcome packets, social media strategies, t-shirts & hats, food, rental vans, health history binders, application forms, birthday cards, phone calls, pay checks, Treks Checks, graduation packets & much much more.  Honestly, that's not even the half of it. 

It's not like I expected to waltz into a room full of magicians, but I just never realized what really went into making an AT trip successful.  Dock told me I was the first AT student to actually work in the barn, which gave me a very unique opportunity because I still understood and felt the surreality that is AT.  I can explain the importance of evening meeting & still get goosebumps on my arms, I can still picture the wicked dance moves kids had when retrieving items from the "bin of doom," I can still hear Bob Bailey recite, in complete accuracy, lines from "Shrek" as the Gingerbread Man, I can still see Haley's face as she paddled our canoe backwards on the Clearwater Lake, I can still feel the tears in my eyes as I left AT for (what I thought would be) the last time in 2009, I can still tell how long a 3 minute shower really is, I can still remember laughs I had with Haley & Jenn Tanner over kidney beans, I can still smell Ramen Extreme & Oatmeal, I can still feel the "natural mattress" of sand on the Olympic Coast, I can still taste my very first AT pineapple that grew straight from the ground, I can still see smoke spewing from the crescent of Mt. St. Helens, I can still recall practicing head stands in the British Columbia with Niki Gaeta & I still CAN'T explain why I am so in love with Adventure Treks, but I am.  

2007

2008

2009

I learned a lot this summer from some incredible co-workers with some varying perspectives:

Perspective 1. Emily taught me to go for it & that decisions are never easy.  She taught me to be myself & she helped me act like a total goofball in my attempts to YOGA.  She also accepted me as her "right hand wo-man" & taught me her ways. 

Perspective 2. Joan taught me selflessness & how one person can be so loving, giving, & special.  She taught me (& Emily too) how to best approach a decision & how to conquer it & also that FSU has some awesome Alumni (tell anyone & I'll deny it... just kidding) & that Talenti bars may be the death of me. (Meow)

Perspective 3. Jan taught me how to be 24 & professional & that using headphones in the office may lead to a paperclip throwing fight.  But really he fed me some rad technology/systems knowledge.  

Perspective 4. Holly taught me the parent perspective & how hard it is to give up your child for any period of time.  I remember her telling me she missed the "pitter-patter" of her son's feet when he woke up in the morning & it hit me that I never thought my mom & dad would be "child sick" while I was away, having the time of my life, at camp. 

Perspective 5: Stacey taught me that sometimes not everything works out, but that with a little self-determinism and personal strength you can do anything & be anyone.  

Perspective 6. Dock taught me that working in an office can be pleasant & accepting & that no matter your age, you have a place with Adventure Treks.  He also gave me a sense of importance that I am truly grateful for.  

So I guess what I am trying to say is thank you for such an eye-opening summer.  Thank you for letting me indulge in my summer camp obsession.  & thank you for EVERYTHING!!

Adventure Treks may not be magic, but what transpires within each individual trek is truly magical & can only be understood when under its fantastic spell.

~Ciao-Ciao

american.

What's the most perfect way to act festive & American on the eve of July 4th? 

Hike up to 11,000 feet to: 

AMERICAN LAKE

Well... I guess scarfing down ice cream afterward is pretty American too... 

which we did...

Anyway, today we got ready for the parallel universe to Cathedral Lake, which we did last week.  American Lake runs along the opposite valley as Cathedral & is completely beautiful in a different way.  The trail began with about a billion rather steep switchbacks through fields of the whitest aspen trees, quivering in the wind, & wild flowers growing up in the pockets of sunlight between the trees.   

My aunt calls it Oz, but I call it Home. 

      

The steep switchbacks eventually gave way to a pine forest that smelled like Christmas (the best holiday... I can say that because I am Jew-"ISH," emphasis on the -ish).  Nature smells so good in Colorado.  It might not smell that good on me after a 5 hour hike, but it sure does smell better than the Floridian nature... if you can call it nature.  Another great aspect of the Colorado nature is how much pride people take in it.  Wilderness & National parks are used everyday & people are outside staying fit everywhere.  Like I said the other day, hiking Aspen Mountain is a morning exercise for the locals.  The Floridian morning exercise is just walking outside & sweating.  Somehow all that fresh mountain air & lack of humidity truly make a difference.  You just want to be outside here; respecting & taking advantage of nature at its finest.

Allora, the pine forest curled up higher into the alpine, where a giant scree field emerged overlooking the entire valley.  Pine trees as far as the eye can see spread into the other mountains & right up to American Lake.  American Lake is a beautiful crystal turquoise clear body of water that reaches out to the base of a mountain face.

Although Cathedral also ended at a beautiful mountain lake, American Lake was just mesmerizing.  The wind danced over the water, the sky hovered protectively around its mountains, & the trees raced up their rocky faces.  There was a totally different ambiance at American Lake.  Is it because the 4th of July is tomorrow & I'm just feeling patriotic?  Or is it because I just love America so much?  Or... I will never know, it was just perfect.

After the trek back down, the sun receded behind the clouds & it provided a perfect cool down.  We were all pretty exhausted, so we resorted to ice cream.  We have 0 shame... we hiked this morning & we our proud of it.  Plus, we were celebrating our American roots!

Have a great evening everyone!  And Happy 4th of July Eve!  Ciao!

journey.

The top of the Ute Trail

Today was filled with some unexpected surprises.  We knew the trek we were about to take was going to be challenging, because our hiking book told us so, but we didn't know how challenging...

Our plan:
-wake up.
-act casual.
-drive up to the Ute Mountain Trail Head.
-hike for a little over a mile over steep terrain.
-relax at the top.
-eat lunch at the Sundeck.
-take the gondola down.

Except... the gondola & the Sundeck weren't at the top when we got there.

As it turns out, that steep, switchbacky, rocky, & slightly difficult trek to what is known as "the rock" is in fact only part of the hike to the gondola & the local's morning exercise.  They practically run up the thing before their morning coffee. 

When we reached the top of "the rock," we realized quickly there was not enough room anywhere for a popular mountain restaurant or a giant gondola, so we decided that the rest of the trek to the top couldn't be all that hard... right?  WRONG.  We had quite the journey this morning.  A trek that did not go as planned, but was rewarding all the same and probably even more.  The locals described it as a difficult hike, but one that people regularly & actively do.  We decided we couldn't back down from the challenge & started up.  & up... & up.

It was not as simple as it was made out to be.

I lost sight of my parents pretty far back & was on my own for the majority of the trek, which ran up the double black diamonds of Aspen Mountain.  Jackpot is a run that I have never snowboarded down, but I can now say I have trekked all the way up!  I know I have done trails comparable or possibly even more difficult through my experiences with Adventure Treks & with 30+ pounds on my back, but this hike was more of a wake-up call for me, as I have not hiked anything this difficult in years!

I was glad to have my 2 liters of water in my Camelbak because otherwise I would have run out of water.  Speaking of my Camelbak, I did something really stupid the other day.  I pulled it out of it's storage after a year of not using it & it had some mold congregating in the tube & inside the mouthpiece.  I know... YUCK!  Anyway, I was working on this problem endlessly for hours... how do you clean a small, 2 foot long tube?  I washed it with soap, I soaked it in hot water, I massaged it, I did everything, including creating a device from scotch tape.  I rolled up some paper and covered it in tape, creating a tube-like utensil to clean out the inside of the tube.  Everything was going great... it was really working, cleaning out the mold.  Until it didn't.  My device broke in half.  In half!  And guess what?  Not only did I have a mold problem, but now I had a scotch tape problem too.  DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME!  Rookie mistake... luckily tubes are replaceable & only $9.99.  The simpler solution.

This picture doesn't do the vertical-ness justice.

Back to business... the trail just seemed to never end.  From the lookout point with "the rock," the distance was only about 2 more miles, but the 2,000 more feet of elevation gain was never mentioned.  I'm serious... the trail was 100% vertical, 99.23% of the time.  Interestingly enough, the portion of the trail that was actually walking up the double black diamond terrain was actually easier for me than the second half on the blue slopes.  Go figure.  Maybe it was because I was tired or maybe because the altitude was higher, but once I got to the rolling blue slope, I was only making about 20 steps before doubling over, completely out of breath.

Luckily there was a nice man behind me who gave me some good advice about my hiking skills.  He told me that hiking is a marathon... it is not as important how fast you get there, but that you get there & that I needed to slow my pace, control my breathing, & not take breaks so I do not confuse my heart rate.  I listened.  I followed his pace & made it up the last 600 vertical feet without dying.  Go Carole (Juno if you are confused by that reference)!

Let me tell you... it was worth the huffing & puffing because that beautiful panorama of Aspen Highlands, some Snowmass, Sopris, & of course our Bells.  There was bluegrass music playing by a live band & families were everywhere... enjoying the afternoons.  It was a pleasant place to be.

I waited up there for a while until my dad came & we ate lunch in the Sundeck.  I was receiving sporadic texts from my mama bear exclaiming how tired & exhausted she was... but where was she?

At one point I walked down a ways to see if she was on her way up... nada.  I asked a couple if they had passed a woman in a blue shirt, maybe in the need of a lift?  They said they had passed no one.  My original thought was "oh oh," but then I decided we must have just missed each other... she entering the restaurant from the other entrance just as I exited from the back.

I walked back up & saw my dad waving to me from a bench & let's just say mama bear was TIRED!  I won't go into any more detail because I will be toast, but this was the. hardest. thing. that. she. has. ever. done. (as I quote from her facebook status).  Proud of both my parents today... facing challenge & conquering like champs!  You guys are awesome! 

Yes... I have 3 arms.  Don't worry, I got it removed.  This is what I looked like before the plastic surgery.  

Peace & Ciaos.

biking, hiking & rock&roll.

Colorado is awesome... I mean I already knew that, but it is a completely different breed in the summertime.  Why wasn't I born here?  I belong in the mountains... I am a mountain child.  One of the best parts about being here is seeing the different sides of my parents.  They are mountain people too?  Well... apparently so & they haven't been doing half bad either. 

So back to the title of this post, biking, hiking & rock&roll, that has been the agenda these last few days. 

Yesterday we went biking from Snowmass Village to Aspen, which is about a 9 mile trek through some hilly terrain.  Now I know I am a wimp & a terrible bike rider... but that first couple of miles was rough stuff.  If you promise not to tell anyone, I may or may not have walked my bike up a section.  In my defense, I almost couldn't walk up it either... 

After conquering the more challenging trails, we eventually became one with the wind and began flying down.  It was awesome.

When we arrived in Aspen, we ate lunch at this restaurant in the downtown area called BB's Kitchen, where I scarfed down a pulled chicken salad and a banana-blueberry smoothie.  I am attempting to be a bit more healthy since my stint in Italy.  Day 5... still. eating. gelato.  Why??  I told my mom to starve me.  It is hard when she likes food just as much as I do...

After lunch, we attempted to ride around the city a bit more, but lucky me, I had no padding in my shorts and I was starting to feel a little uncomfortable... if you know what I mean.  Melissa McCarthy from "Bridesmaids" would be more frank about it, but I will stick to subtleties... my but was sore.  I will admit it... I am no Lance Armstrong.  (But then again, I don't think he is either.  Too soon?)

Every day I return to the condo feeling 100% satisfied that I lived in the moment.  I feel tired, but that good kind of tired that proves you did something valuable with your day.  I never feel like I am wasting my time away out here.  We are always on the move, always hiking, biking, & hiking more... & the small amount we relax is important & definitely much needed.  We use our time wisely out here!

The great thing about summer in Snowmass are the free weekly concerts on the slope.  Around 6:30 the music began to call us down the mountain to where everyone in the valley was.  Where did all the young people come from?  I literally didn't know real young adults lived in & around the Snowmass area except during winter time.  It was a completely different atmosphere with the green hills, blue skies, teenagers & college students, live music, beer instead of hot chocolate sold on the slopes, & the lifts not in motion.  You almost wouldn't recognize the place.  The band that played is a British band called the Dunwells... they were nice to listen to, but played quietly.  Mostly people were there to socialize rather than listen to the music... it still counts as rock&roll, even though it was quiet!!


We stayed there for about 2 hours when we heard "Scandal" calling us from the condo.  You always listen to Olivia Pope...she kept us entertained.

Allora, this morning we woke up a little earlier to attempt to leave the condo for Cathedral Lake.  After a bit of a late start, we finally headed about a half an hour away to the trail head.  Cathedral Lake is a 6 mile round trip hike to this alpine lake at 11,900 feet.  We gained about 2,000 feet in elevation, hiked casually through groves of aspens, tripped over rocks in bouts of scree fields (a little bit of rock&roll if you ask me!), & practicaly keeled over and collapsed from the steep switchbacks.  But it was worth it because at the end of the trail there was a bright blue lake surrounded by rocky mountains that resembled cathedral spires.

We sat by the lake for a bit enjoying the ambiance when a dog walked up behind us... it was a shiba-inu.  If you don't know what that means... first off look one up because they are adorable & second off, it is the type of dog we have.  We greeted the shiba with a "hey Suki," because that is the name of our dog & it seemed fitting.  I guess we were right, because guess what that dog's name was?  Yep, Suki.  I know, I know... you can't believe it.  We couldn't believe it either!  That just made the day even better.

And beyond that we ate at this cool restaurant, which is only accessible during the winter by snowmobiles or cross country skiers.  It is literally in the middle of no where, but it was a very delicious meal... especially after a great 5 hour hike! 

Cathedral Lake

Sporting my Camp Pinnacle Hat

So far this has been such an amazing summer!  The only thing I am looking forward to now is seeing my little kiddos at camp, but hey... that can wait because I am living every moment in the moment.

Ciao-Ciao

I signed an aspen tree :)

caution: smiles ahead.

Welcome to my backyard.

I err on the side of caution

I walk out my front door to a national park.  Nature at its finest.  Fields of wild flowers growing up the ex-ski slopes, the greenest hillsides reaching right up to the completely blue sky, natural caution signs that grow along the sides of the trails, dogs everywhere, and the fresh, flowery air.

What could be better?

After yesterday's warm-up hike along the Rio Grande, my mom and I checked out the slope outside our condo.  Of course we were in our obviously flattering pajamas when we casually ran into some male hikers on Fanny Hill.  Fitting right?  FANNY HILL... get it?  Of course you do...  Just our luck!  Snowmass has interesting obsession with slopes names after a certain body part: will start with the obvious... 

Fanny Hill

Bear's Bottom

Assay Hill

Bottoms Up

Snowmass

And then, of course, there is Naked Lady...

 

Just being clear... there is even Aspen.  You can find t-shirts all throughout the city with the saying:

"How's your Aspen?" 

John Denver Memorial

Of course we had to visit our beloved Aspen

This morning we headed to what is known as Ditch Trail near the Campground Lift here in Snowmass.  It was a pretty easy trail, but was beautiful because you could see all across the Snowmass-Maroon Bells Wilderness Park, which is a lush valley leading to the areas around the Maroon Bells, Snowmass Mountain, and Mt. Daly (also known as Ribbon Mountain because of this strange, lightly colored ribbon of land that traverses the mountain face). 

If your checking out the map (which is old by the way..) you can see the lift to the far right.  That is where we were hiking!

Today I finally pulled out the GoPro... jealous of the shots Erika and Cole got in Italy!  It was a great day to use it and be outside.  The weather was PERFECT, the dogs were out and curious about my camera, the sky was 100% blue, and I was tasting some outdoors. 

Just taking a sniff

"Careful"

EW

Oh, Hey!

Ciao-Ciao