GRRRL Power- Outdoor Inspiration- A Divine Line

My good friend Jaima has started a new website to help connect the female backcountry enthusiasts of the Wasatch. Her site is called A Divine Line and her aim is to have a forum, gear reviews, classifieds to buy and sell used gear, interviews, and great trail information for ski touring and climbing in Utah. Jaima is an amazing athlete, from snowboarding, to backcountry skiing, to climbing, she is pretty much a badass, and her website will no doubt be a fun, inspiring place to visit and a great way to connect with other women who enjoy the Wasatch backcountry. Stop by and join her forum today!

AscenDance

My good friends Skippy and Isa came to town to put on a helluva good show at the Outdooor Retailer street party last Tuesday.

AscenDance can be described as dance-climb fusion, and as a former dancer, gymnast, and current climber, I think it's pretty badass.

Isa and Skippy live in the Bay area, and they are incredible athletes and all around great people. Isa's choreography was beautiful and displayed so much strength and grace in each piece. They made it look effortless, and trust me- it's not. They taught me one move, and I was sore for a week!

Check out their website, AscenDance Project.

 

 

 

Need a Lift? Volunteer!

My good friend Rachel, recently back from her kick ass 10 month climbing road trip, asked if she could come and check out what we do with the dogs when we volunteer for No More Homeless Pets. We were thrilled to have her, and Sparky the pit bull was even more thrilled. Rachel fell in love, and Sparky was a fantastic breed ambassador. Rachel has an inspiring view on volunteerism- give back by choosing a weekly volunteer project! She not only takes time out of her busy life as a brilliant venture capitalist, but then takes even more time to spread the word and the mission of whatever lucky, wonderful organization that she has helped. Awesome idea!

 

 

Joe's Valley

 

 

 

 

It has been forever since I climbed outside due to injuries and/or weather, so this last Friday when Ashley and Rachel were psyched to get outside, I jumped at the chance. We had a fabulous girls day. Thanks ladies!

 

 

 

Skippy and Isa Come to Town

I love Skippy and Isa, and everytime they pass through town I get happy. They are some of the most positive, talented, and fun people you will ever meet. Skippy is an aspiring fashion guru, and Isa (along with Skippy) runs the AscenDance (http://ascendanceproject.com/) in the Bay area. Check out her website for some cool pics and the story of her vertical dance company. It is my dream to do this with her someday! If you ever run into Skippy and Isa at the crag, be sure to say hi and settle in for a little Southern (Skippy) and German (Isa) charm!

Fort Fun

They don't call it that for nothing! Ft. Collins was just what the doctor ordered, literally! Our wonderful friends Jay and Traci finally tied the knot, and dammit, my batteries were dead for their incredible wedding and reception. Trac and Jay have been great friends and climbing partners over the years, I'm so happy we could share their day.

Coming back to Ft. Collins was so good for us, it was a wonderful homecoming, and it seemed like at every turn, we ran into a familiar and friendly face, from the minute we pulled into town, until we left. Many people came back into town and my friend Rick said it best: it was a reunion of people from the heyday of the Ft. Collins climbing scene.

Many of you have asked about Tiggs, and all I can say is that he had an amazing turn around while we were there. We were lucky enough to consult with CSU vet teaching hospital, and they spent 3 hours with us. They were great about consulting Tiggs' vet here, and they agreed that his treatment is on the right track. Not only that, but his blood work was great while we were there, and his energy seemed to triple! Also, we were able to reduce his meds slightly, which will help us manage some of the less desireable side effects he is experiencing (can you say diaper pull-ups???).

Thanks for all of the well wishes with Tiggs; he keeps reminding us to take it one day at a time. His liver is enlarged from the meds that he takes, and he is at risk of developing a clot, but overall, if we stay on the right track, we are hopefully close to a balance of drugs that will help Tiggs stay healthy without too many problems.

John and Lisa hosted a fun bbq for our last night. I wish I had a pic of their cute little girl Ella, she is so darling!
Melissa C.'s dad Alfred, out from Conneticut to help Jimmy get their stuff out of storage and into their new house. So nice to see him!
Andy and Jamie- happy newleyweds

Tiggs hoping that Ethan and Lisa's beautiful baby Cade will drop a nugget that he can have...man, that Prednisone makes you so hungry!
So cute!
My pimp, Jimmy Jam, just back from Lusaka, Zambia! Completely serendipitous to have him in Ft. Collins after he and Melissa's 3 year teaching stint in Africa!
Da Boyz!

I love this girl! My friend, the beautiful bride, Traci.
The dashing groom Jay (in the plaid), with the Schwartz-Savage contingent
Marc and Adam, chillin with some good Ft. Collins brews
Is this the same dog? Tiggs showing what good quality of life looks like! He finally felt good enough to enjoy the beautiful Poudre river...look at that smile!

I snapped this pick last week before we left for Ft. Collins- Tiggs during a rough week with IMHA...Win was so concerned, she decided he needed a cuddle buddy.
Tiggs waiting for his docs at CSU Vet Teaching Hospital...looking much better!
Great to see Marc and Rachel!
Adam and Ethan

Kim and I had to Leap Frog for 5 leaps each for our round of Quelf.
Kim's friend Shanny from Moab made this delicious and rich cake with rasberries and lavendar from Kim's yard. It was amazing!
Wendy will kill me for posting this, but I love this picture of her. She is so cute and still a sexy mama to be....any day now!

Bday prequel

Here is Winn, now nearly 13 years old. She is so sweet to people, but she does want to eat other dogs...

We played Quelf Saturday night, this is a hilariously random game, where players have to do ridiculous things, like play a round with their hands on their heads...

Kim's Room- Before and After....

These pics are some 'oldies' from late Spring when we redesigned Kim's bedroom...I finally got her to give me some pics. Here is a 'Before'
In progress...
Bye bye ceiling fan.
Kim gets to work sewing her new pillows.