This Place Is Awesome!

Well our homeless and jobless plight continues. So far it has been awesome though. It has been nearly two months since our last day of work and having a place to live. Since then we have been back to the East Coast to see our families, Clay has finished his EMT Course, and we have moved from futon to floor, floor to futon, and back again. We did stay at one location for almost two weeks thanks to some house/dog sitting duties. Our current accommodations (which this is our 2nd cycle through) are probably my favorite thus far. The amenities include a bed, homemade ice cream, a hot tub, and a funnel cake maker. I know a funnel cake maker...amazing. Our hostess Elizabeth Maki aka Mak Dawg has been insanely generous offering up her home to a couple of homeless vagabonds. She has offered her unending EMS wisdom, endured instructional woodworking DVDs followed by UFC Fighting, and even offered up one of her many ice packs for my swollen butt (keep reading). She has taught us invaluable lessons such as how to make popcorn the 'real' way and what those half popped kernels at the bottom of the bowl are called. Clay and I on several occasions have said, "this place is awesome!" But the sweetness of this place is not just limited to Chez Maki. The dynamic Lysdahl duo offered up their abode complete with Aerobed. The leg wrestling and whiffle ball game at 11:00 pm were some of my favorite events. Even the routine trip to post office is above average here. We stopped to mail a couple parcels in Moose and were greeted by the postmaster with hot cider and homemade cookies. Then there is also the copious amounts of snow that make this place so spectacular. After getting off to a slow start winter has fully arrived in Jackson Hole with several big dumps this past week. Clay and I entertained ourselves with a short backcountry trip this past weekend off of Togwotee Pass. Then after waking up to 18" of fresh powder yesterday morning we headed to Snow King for some shredding. It was an emotional day that was unfortunately cut a few runs short due to an untimely chance encounter between my tailbone and a rock. Insert ice pack here. Apparently the un-tracked run that Clay and I chose to head down at 2:30 pm was un-tracked for a reason. Clay took a huge chunk out of his bases and I out of my tailbone. As I sat there hoping the snow would numb my butt and the pain would subside Clay (having just learned that he passed his EMT National Registry test) immediately took C-Spine. When he started trying to get a SAMPLE history I shoved him down the hill. Just kidding. Although I don't think it is broken it did cause me to miss out on the trip to Targhee we had planned for today. Stupid. But as I said goodbye to several good friends today I can't help but be sad to leave this place yet again. At the same time I can't help but smile and feel blessed to live in such an amazing place where I have been inspired by so many amazing people. I truly feel so thankful for each of the people that help make this such a special place for us. Clay and I are leaving here tomorrow heading for another special place and some more special people in Southern Colorado. And we are stoked for the good times that are sure to be had.

Digging out the car after 18" overnight. Soon after this picture was taken the car was sideways in the driveway. Neat.

Hannas for Herwiggy.

Clay looking gangster showing off his homemade skis after their first powder day ever off of Togwotee Pass. Clay enjoying an extra large bowl of popcorn at Chez Maki.

Things you do with a broken toe

Normally at this time, I would be skinning up Red Mountain Pass and enjoying stunning views and some hard earned turns in mediochre snow. Unfortunately, that damn toe is still deformed and waiting for my podiatric consult next week. So, we got creative. Well, not really, but we did learn some stuff. We loaded all the dogs in the Subie and headed down to Telluride in our big winter boots. We hiked the Idorado Mine trail in the snow. We read every single sign. Why? Because I can't ski. I'll spare you all the dissertation on Colorado's mining history. It's a delightful substitute for skiing. Really. Although, brokenness does encourage vehicular exploration. The Last Dollar Road was lovely and I have included this picture. Let's just hope that the exceedingly poor choice of barefoot ultimate in July does not lead to a book on Colorado mining history. But until I get unbroken. here's to educational experiences.

Vanity

And per request of the boy, here are some better pics of the dogs. Some people are so vain about their pets... really. Good thing we don't have any kids. Can you imagine? I can't, so lets just leave that there.

Moving on, Again

So, honestly, how many times can one post that? We are indeed moving on. We have left the lovely snow covered wilds of the Eastern Sierra and have landed back in Montrose, CO. It's lovely. We're going to play disc golf this afternoon. I am looking forward to a December visit from my fellow bloggers, so hopfully we'll get ourselves into some shenanigans worthy of, once again, a joint posting from MAC and Beardog. Until then, here are some of my favorite wrap up shots from the Eastern Sierra... In order... 1. Izzy and a pine cone. (No we did not stage that) 2. Bear actually playing with Tiksha, not eating her. 3. Sotcher Lake in the Fall (Near the Postpile) 4. The Minarets at sunset.

A Retrospective

I sympathize with my fellow bloggers in their homeless plight... I am indeed finally permanent, yet I am still living as a seasonal. Awesome. I'm living on government credit cards and off the goodwill of my friend Barb, who has graciously taken in me, Jon, and the three dogs. Actually, this is somewhat by choice, as Mammoth Lakes is rather expensive and I am very much looking forward to going back to Colorado. I have been fortunate and scammed a shared position with Black Canyon. There were several things driving my decision to leave one of the sweetest backcountry skiing areas in the country to go to Western Colorado for the winter. One was that damn toe and all those torn ligaments associated with it leading to an uncertain ski season. It's still purple. Wear shoes. Seriously. Another was my need for a change of scenery. To be diplomatic, sometimes the human scenery is the most important to change. (See above comment about leaving the sweetest backcountry skiing area ever.) Possibly the most important was the need to go back to a place that I love so much when I finally have someone to enjoy it with. Sounds corny, huh? Having never been a particularly outwardly emotional touchy feely person, I agree. Corny. But in my dealings with friends and colleagues of late, I have, I believe, finally come to terms with my wanderings. I am a "grass is greener" kind of person. I am ALWAYS looking for jobs. This was supposed to be my dream job. I spent 9 weeks in seasonal LE academy hell trying to find the greener grass. I left the Tetons. Who does that? Who leaves the Tetons? For Nevada. Seriously. Again. This week I am at a conference with some of the most creative and helpful people in the entirety of the National Park Service. I am learning how to be better at my job- how to reach out and make my passion for these places relevant to others. It is challenging to sit and be inspired by so many people who are doing such good work and still feel this overwhelming need to move, to go elsewhere and do other things, knowing that deep down inside your place is better for having you there and you have good work to do there. Here's the thing... and it's something I should have learned from my parents (who have lived in Alabama, Indiana, and Ohio- all places that in my book kind of suck)... It is only partially about where I am, for I am strongly connected to place, but more about who is there. I moved to Nevada because my people were there. Although it was a difficult winter, I laughed more than I cried thanks to those people. This winter I am very much looking forward to experiencing Black Canyon and the entirety of Southern Colorado, both places that I have come to regard as the places that feel most like home of anywhere I have ever lived, with someone else for the first time. I would say that I will have people there, though that is not quite true as I will have a person and three dogs. In the last three years, I have spent a lot of time looking for greener grass. It started my 2nd summer in the Tetons on a hike with two very good friends and one very slobbery dog up to the top of Jackson Peak. I was contemplating a GS-4 job in a less than desirable place trying to find some sort of direction- some missing element. In my search, I agonized over the adoption of a three legged dog that, as it turns out, has changed my life and oddly enough, made me a better person. That's right... my dog made me a better person. I've come to terms with that. I have changed careers three times. I have called four states and four different parks home. I have come to terms with the idea of killing another human being for the greater good of society. I then learned to shoot a gun. I helped save peoples lives and found a passion for it. I did junior ranger programs with three year olds and realized that I love that too. All of these thing were done in the most beautiful places on earth. And yet, I was always looking for something else. In retrospect, these all seem to me to be the choices of someone who is searching for something that they are not going to get from their job. I have one of the most fulfilling jobs in the world, and I can't get it all from my job. That is perhaps the biggest lesson that all of this has taught me. And it took another person wandering into my life and becoming a part of it to make me realize that, although we may all still look for greener grass, no shade of green will bring any of us the joy of sharing our lawns, whether green or brown, with our people, whoever they may be.

Sleeping Bags, Homelessness, and Unemployment

These three phrases pretty much sum up my life right now. Yesterday was my last day of earning a paycheck and having a place to live until....umm the spring sometime. Don't get me wrong I am not complaining, merely contemplating. These circumstances are all self induced. Yesterday ended the Hanna season in Grand Teton once again. Overall it was an amazing summer and we are truly fortunate to live, work, and play in such a special place. But now starts another adventure in our lives. An adventure where we rely on our friends offering up their couches, futons, and floors, we hope Clay's financial frugalness pays off, and our sleeping bags become our beds. (We thank all of you who have already offered up your couches and floors to us) If you were a reader of this blog last fall when it began you would know that this vagabond lifestyle is not something new to me. As much as I loathe packing up my life every several months I am always excited for new adventures. Right now we are heading back to the east coast for some family time. But we will return to Jackson Hole so Clay can take his EMT class and learn how to save lives before we head to the southern hemisphere for the rest of the winter. See it's really not as bleak as it sounds, the homelessness and joblessness that is. The lack of income will reduce our taxes, living with our friends will only enhance those relationships (I hope), and the sleeping bags...well at least they zip together ;)

1st Annual Signal Mountain 1/2 Marathon

It is amazing the lengths to which we will go for good Nachos! This past weekend we went 13.1 miles. The Signal Mountain 1/2 Marathon has been a long time anticipated but never quite implemented. I am sad to say though that many of the original schemers of this event were not here to participate. But they ran with us in spirit. Last weekend the Signal Mountain Lodge was closing for the season and we decided to help them. Due to work schedules only 3 of us were able to run the full 13.1 miles, which started just north of Highlands and ended at our table in the lodge. But about half way through the run our stellar support team picked up and dropped off 6 more nacho motivated runners. Our support team provided motivational music, signs, snack, and headlights once it started getting dark. Good times were had by all. Hope you enjoy the pics:)









Our Stellar Support Team






The Runners


I made a t-shirt. Clearly. I was hoping it would get us some
freebies at Signal Mountain, but all they would give me
was a high-five.


Finish Line :)

Snow Day

Winter arrived in our little corner of the world last weekend. As always we are super stoked about it. See.

I would love to show you a lovely shot of the snow covered Teton Range, but alas we have not been able to see the mountains yet!

A Field Trip

Bear and I went on a field trip today. I was indeed, slightly ill advised, but entertaining nonetheless. We took advantage of our last weekend as a team and headed, torn ligaments and missing leg, mapless into the Hoover Wilderness. We started at Virginia Lake, a lovely sub alpine lake at 9000 feet. Then, I looked up and saw what promised to be a great trail leading to stunning vistas, or at least I hoped. So I put on some sturdy hiking shoes (okay, they were approach shoes that are neither sturdy nor designed for hiking, but they're currently the only thing my foot fits in at the moment) and Bear and I headed up the trail. It was a perfect fall day... aspen leaves, just turning gold, shaking in the wind. About a 1/2 mile or so up the trail we found the first lake, which had I brought a map, or owned a map, I would name for you in this blog. Bear went for a swim. It was great. Then we headed up the trail for about another mile. Not having a map, or consulting a map, I really had no idea where this trail was taking us, but I saw what appeared to be a opening above us, which I was hoping, as Bear was now panting and drooling and breaking every 200 yards or so, was a lake. Well, after hiking up this jaggedy rock cliff thing, sure enough, there was a gorgeous alpine lake. We napped and took pictures. Bear is now done for the day and is napping under my table at the Looney Bean. All in all, it was a pretty good trip. Next weekend the "pack" arrives and Bear and I will both be adjusting to a very new life. For today, he seems to be living the dream as my only dog. Here's to hoping he likes the new critters! I took some photos. Enjoy!

Been a While

Since I posted on this blog. So, here's my contribution to the August blahs... I do not have anything quite as witty or funny as the Hanna entry. See, at the Pile, as I affectionately call my park, we aren't ever very busy and we really only get visitors from Southern California. Seriously. I had 30 people at my Evening Program last weekend and not a one of them was from anywhere North of Bakersfield. Wow! And in case you were wondering, no, I did not do a new program. See, I'm not so much ever in the schedule, so in a pinch, I changed some scenics and reinvented the Log of Life. It was a hit. Admittedly, I think it was mostly due to the gratuitous photos of baby animals. Seriously.

So, and update on the toe... it's still broken. This week will bring an ortho specialist into my life. Thank goodness for insurance.

And a note about my living situation... So, the other evening, I had just finished my 2nd gin and tonic of the night and decided at that moment, it was time for a nice hot shower. Clearly. So I put my glass in the sink, grabbed my shower bucket, put on my crocs, and draped my towel around my shoulders to take the chilly walk to the showers as if I was 19 again in the dorms. See, the difference is that when I was in college, I didn't have to walk outside to both pee and use the shower. Just when you think you're making strides in your life... So anyways, I walk into the shower and put my little girly floofy thing down on the shelf and I saw something hop out from underneath it. Outstanding. As I was standing there in a towel, I looked up on the stainless steel wall of the shower and saw this little tiny frog that I almost overwhelmed with the "sensual amber" scent of my floofy thing. I couldn't help myself. I had to postpone the shower and watch the little guy crawl through the soap scum sticky little pad by sticky little pad. Hilarious, really. Standing in a freezing shower half naked watching a very cold frog climb through soap scum. He finally crawled up and out of the shower and my entertainment for the evening was over. I then proceeded to pull other people's fur out of the drain so the shower quit filling up with water and got on with my shower. Some day I will have my own shower with no frogs and I'll know where the soap scum and the fur came from. Whoa! Dream big!
Okay, so that is this week's rant. Till next time...

It's August....

Well it is August here at the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center, and most other places I would assume. It is a special time of year here. The nights are starting to get colder, football season starts in a week, the morning scooter commute is a bit more painful, and the good rangers that open these doors every morning to the thousands of visitors wondering where Jenny's Lake is, are cranky. We have told approximately 124, 376 people where Hidden Lake (Hidden Falls) and Cascade Point (Cascade Canyon/Inspiration Point) are. It's that special time of year when we start self-dispatching ourselves to anywhere except behind the visitor center desk. It is a self preservation tactic. I personally got out of all of my desk time yesterday thanks to some ambulance calls and my stellar husband covering for me. Last week I passed one of our interns pulling out of the parking lot in the middle of the day. She stopped me and asked if it was ok if she went and picked up her sister in Colter Bay (25 miles away) so she could come to her program. Hmmm... I said, "Don't get in a wreck and we did not have this conversation." Another ranger self dispatched away from her desk shift early for her championship kickball game. I was pretty jealous of that. It is that special time of year when our answers are a little shorter and every once in a while our sarcasm sneaks out in our responses. In honor of our cynicism we have gathered together many of our favorite moments from this summer.

So here they are in no particular order, our Summer Superlatives!

Best VisitorSuggestion :
Move the Gros Ventre Campground. For you folks that are not familiar the Gros Ventre Campground I think is about the size of Rhode Island. It is 300+ sites full of RVs bigger than any house I have lived in for a while. To set the stage for you this gem of a suggestion came from an older couple camped there who probably owns one of those above mentioned RVs. The whole time the husband is telling me how we should move the campground closer to the highway, his wife is chatting about how much extra gas it takes to get to the campground. I was so stunned by the suggestion all I could think of to say was, "Well sir that would be a huge project." His response, " Well yea but they could just regrow the old campground area." Clay suggested we offer them the Park Planner position.

Most Awkward Moment:
I sold my Gynecologist a boat permit. I had just been in her office that morning. Neat.

Best Ranger Advice to a Visitor:
Visitor Question: What is your best hiking advice?
My Response: One foot in front of the other.

Best Visitor Question:
What is the sexiest part of the Tetons?

Most Cynical Ranger Statement:
Bob Henry: "Oh it's fine I'll take C-Spine."
This statement was in response to us watching three small children climb to the top of some rocks outside the visitor center 20' above the ground.

Best Ranger to Ranger Comment:
"Since no one seems to want to talk to you about rocks could you cover the desk, I gotta go take a poop."
From David Coyne to myself after no one came to my Geology Talk.

Best Phone Conversation With a Visitor:
Me: Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center this is Aimee
Golden Age Pass Holder from Arizona: Do you have lodging in the park?
Me: Ye...
Husband of Golden Age Pass Holder from Arizona: Is there one central reservation number for all national parks? (apparently he was on the phone in the living room and she was in the kitchen..super)
Me: No.
Wife: But so is there lodging in the park?
Husband: So is there one central number for reservations to all national parks?
Wife: She already told you no.
Husband: But I am just trying to ask if there is an 800 number for lodging to all national parks?
Wife: She already told you no.
Husband: So there is no central reservation number?
Me: Nope.
It was super fun conversation that actually lasted much longer than this. But I think you get the idea they talked to one another a lot and I would just either confirm or deny their questions.

Best Morning Report Incident:
Visitors trying to ride a moose calf.

Best Intern Moment:
Our Park Superintendent attended one of our first year intern's walks. She also brought some of her Superintendent friends from other parks. And his supervisor was coaching his program. We all just sat in the back watching him leave making comments like, "I would need extra deodrant and a change of pants."

Best Interaction with the Bookstore Clerks:
Clerk: Apparently someone couldn't make it.
Ranger: What?
Clerk: Someone peed in the middle of the bookstore.
Ranger: Copy.


*I would like to thank Mr. David Coyne and Mrs. Kristen Dragoo for their contributions to this blog entry.

Mullets, Sparkly Stuff, & Organic Beer

Clearly the 3rd Annual Highlands Prom. I woke up this morning feeling like I had just fallen asleep. I had. As I slowly and cautiously got out of bed I began to survey the damage. My kitchen floor was full of other prom attendees, including the Prom Queen herself. There was hairspray, bobby pins, safety pins, a bedazzler, glitter, an iron, and 14 different shades of eye shadow thrown all over my kitchen table. My bathroom floor was littered with someones (not mine) clothes, including a diamond studded bra in my dirty clothes basket. My front porch resembled a Barber shop with hair and trimmers all over the place. Clearly all evidence of yet another outstanding Highlands Prom. After several cloudy moments the events of last nights prom start flooding back. Will, who hasn't had a haircut in over six months decided he needed a mullet for prom. I helped make that happen for him. The theme this year was "Tasseled and Bedazzled," hence the glitter, bedazzler, and sparkly stuff thrown all over my house. The dance floor stayed busy and Clay rocked the bar tending and kept everyone's cup full of tasty beverages. The Highlands Prom was once again a huge success. We were without many of our founding members and we missed them immensely. But they were all called last night. Some of them multiple times. Oops!

Cliff, Clay, and Nate keeping it real at the bar. Creating the mullet. Needs no explanation.
The Prom King Nominees.

Damn the man, save the empire!

Okay, I'm on week three with the stupid toe, so I decided to take my fancy new government insurance and go to the doctor. She was able to tell me, "I don't think it's broken, but you do have 'turf toe', which is common in people who play sports barefoot." I was given 2-4 weeks in this sweet blue shoe thing. Ah well... But, that means I need to take up a new hobby...
I tried crocheting and knitting-both met with varying degrees of success, but nothing that would make me open a craft shop. Then I thought, "Of course! I'll get a ukelele!" but, alas, that would necessitate learning to play yet another instrument that I don't currently own. I think maybe I should get better at the ones I've already attempted. So, the solution, you ask? Fly fishing. Of course. I went this morning and decided it was pretty darn fun. I caught two little fishies (otherwise known as brown trout) and promptly dehooked them and threw them back. But the fish were lovely and it was a pretty good way to spend a morning with a silly stupid toe. And Bear likes to go. I jumped a little when I caught the first one, it was super exciting. I'll post some pics when i remember to bring my computer and camera on the same day. Till then, off to try to catch some more fishies.

That's Why We Come Up Here...

NATURE! (And to glissade) Even though tons of snow still lingers in the Tetons (6' at Surprise Lake for you kids that know where that is) we have been getting out and enjoying the mountains.

Top of the South Teton looking over into Avalanche Canyon.

The snow makes the descent much more enjoyable. This glissade was probably only several hundred feet, but we did one later that was close to 1,000 feet. Outstanding!

View from the South Teton into Avalanche Canyon and Snowdrift Lake. TONS of snow!!

Clay and Elsa with the Sawtooth Mountains in the background.

Clay's priorities after hiking in the Sawtooth Mountains in Idaho, Cheetos and beer. Note Sierra Nevadas chilling in stream.

bear the three legged wonder dog strikes again!

Just because I'm lame doesn't mean Bear has to be... This past weekend we went to Horseshoe Lake, a lovely little spot just outside town. It is Bear's favorite new swimming hole, mostly, I believe, because every time we go there it's like going to a dog park. Last time he met four irish wolfhounds at the same time. I was nervous. Fortunately, he realized he was out muscled and way out legged, so he behaved.

This week we were carrying on with out normal game of "I hobble around on the shore and throw this piece of what I can only assume to be $17 gold I bought at the pet store, and Bear swims out and gets it." We repeat this about 8,000 times until I get bored. Well, there were these kids playing with a tennis ball. You know, dad playing catch with the kids in the 27 degree water? Anyways, as bear was paddling around with his red toy, I watched an over-zealous dad hurl the little green ball well into the center of the lake, beyond the reach and over the heads of the six swimming kids.

Bear, meanwhile, had made it to shore and proceeded to shake all over my skirt. Awesome. In this brief moment of embarrassment in being covered with dirty water, the dad comes up to me in a sheepish way, looking down at the ground.

"Um," he says, "Do you think your dog would go get that ball?"

"You mean my dog here with the three legs?" I asked.

"Yeah, I was wondering about that..."

He apparently saw the irony as well.

"No problem."

He asked what the dogs name was. "Bear," I said.

So, Bear, not being the sharpest tool in the shed, promptly began swimming after a rock that I threw in the general direction of the tennis ball. Meanwhile, all six kids are on the shore jumping up and down screaming, "GO BEAR, GO!!!"

Bear triumphantly brought the ball to shore after about 7 minutes of super swimming and all the kids giggled.

Oh man, is my dog cool.

The Technical Revolution Has Slowed

I'm working on getting some better pics up on this silly site, but here's the skinny... I have to sit in hot coffee shops that play bad music to connect to the internet and... I lost my camera somehow. So, my apologies. Plus, my toe, although less swollen, is neither ultimate, nor adventure ready. I'm coping. So bear with me in this difficult time of crappy internet, no camera, and a busted toe. Oh, and my fellow adventurers are currently in the Tetons, so that makes it hard too. We'll have that fixed this fall. ;) Better blog entries to come.

Why I Should Separate From My Dirtbag Past

Two Words: Barefoot Ultimate. So I went to ultimate yesterday and forgot my shoes. Some of you may remember that this is not a new thing... there was this 17 mile hike I did in Chacos because I left my shoes in Wyoming. Clearly. But I figured I'd just play like all the other dirtbags in Mammoth... barefoot. BAD IDEA! I managed to break my toe, or so I am assuming since I can't go in for xrays till tomorrow. Lame. Life lesson: always wear shoes.

Bear-Tearing it Up

I had a big week this week. I hiked a total of 6.5 miles, chased a ton of squirrels, swam for 3 hours, and had a sweetness day with my head in a hole. I almost got him. But now my face is full of sap. I'll return to that hole under the tree. It was awesome. I could hear the little guy. He will be mine some day. Some day!

Family Night Dinner

Family Night Dinner has been a tradition in the Highlands since last summer, and has continued to this summer as well. Spring finally showed up here so the festivities were able to take place outside, which I think was the cause of the increased attendance and shenanigans. The workshop on the Hanna porch was transformed into the Waffle House. Clay was staged all night at the waffle griddle complete with his woodworking apron on. He said he lost track of the waffle count after mixing up the third batch of waffle mix. I am excited to say that Family Night Dinner has finally dissolved the Mason-Dixon line of the Tetons. By the number of people that showed up from the "North" you would have thought they borrowed the trail crew bus to transport everyone. But reportedly it was just one Honda and a lot of sitting on laps. We came up with a new game as well. It's called, "Get every piece of play equipment at the Highlands and throw them all around at once." Neat. With the seven frisbees, kickball, and footballs all going at once I kind of thought we might have to have Medic One respond to the Highlands. (wouldn't be the first time though) We were close though. My frisbee was quickly snatched out of the bonfire, with no harm to the frisbee nor the snatcher. Overall another excellent night at the Highlands.
Waffle House on Hanna porch. Jessica I think is posing for a commercial for Ready-Whip. And Kristen was very stoked about her waffle. A super safe game of "throw all your play equipment at once."Elsa showed up after changing lives at a Twilight Talk and started making Aebleskivers. I think around midnight we finally got to sample these Danish delights.

The Randomness That is My Life...

Despite the constant rain and snow here in the Tetons summer shenanigans are in full swing. See photos.


Cliff stuffing marshmallows in Elsa's mouth. Clearly.
My brother came to visit for a couple weeks. Despite the crummy weather we got to show him around this place. Clay took him snowboarding off of Teton Pass. I taught him how to use an ice-ax while crossing snow fields in Garnet Canyon. And of course we introduced him to all the craziness that goes with living at the Highlands.

My husband who makes me laugh out loud on a daily basis was so excited today about his new shipment of wood that he couldn't wait for me to bring it home after work. (I drove a vehicle with four wheels, which tends to make transport of such items easier). Instead he opted to put the 20 lbs. of wood in his backpack and crawl up Windy Point Hill on 'The Phoenix'. I think his exact words were, "A dedicated wood-worker." His latest project was made for the Herwiggy Ski Company, in celebration of the upcoming Lobsinger-Piggott Union.

More shenanigans to come....