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 :)