Adventure Addict in Love With Life

Kickstarter >> Save a Small Museum by M Susan Barger

2010-09-03T14:34:00.000-06:00

There are some awesome small museums in NM. My friends wrote a really kewl guide to visit them all but need your support to help print the guidebooks. Go to this link at Kickstarter to find out more about this project and how you can help.

Thanks everyone!

Back in the USA

2010-07-10T10:02:00.001-06:00

Apologies for not posting on this blog till now. Could not access in India and had really bad internet connection throughout Northern India. Anyhow will make this short and sweet with a few shots as I took over 3000 photos but have not had the time to edit everything just yet. I'm putting together a DVD of all my favorite shots so please email me if you want a copy of this. Love you all!

For a detailed Travel Log of all the stories along the way please click: HERE

Namaste from India

2010-06-08T22:05:00.000-06:00

Greetings from the Dalai Lama's Temple. You were all in my prayers this morning. I have limited access to email and internet. Internet is painfully slow and poor quality. I forgot my photo card reader in Delhi so cannot post any photos for now. I'm staying at Chonor House room name: Nomad...appropriate huh?? ;) Going to Norbulinka Institute soon. It is very peacefull here, stunning sunset last night.
I ended up taking the local bus from Chandigarh at 10:30 AM reaching Dharamsala at 6:30 PM. It was interesting...more on that later. Kashmir was unbelievable and I left a huge chunk of my heart there and several kilos I lost trekking the beautiful mountains nearby ; ). On my way to Manali tomorrow. Love you and miss you all!!!

Urban Trekking

2010-05-04T22:26:00.009-06:00

It's been a while since my ankle and finger injury allowed me to get physical but today afterwork was my rebound back into my training. Because mercury was in retrograde nothing is ever smooth but I still managed to adapt and make it work. So here is what happened:
So it is 5:10PM and I had just pulled out of the office parking lot onto St. Francis waiting for the red light. Next thing I know, my neck snapped and I realized that I was just rear ended. Damm. I was just writing down the information of the driver that hit me when a motorcycle cop showed up and directed us off the street onto a parking lot. Luckily no damage to my vehicle but my neck felt a little wierd. Had a great conversation with Officer Otero...if you are reading this thanks for all the great ideas for sponsors for my Himalayan trip!
For all my BCMT.com friends, he's driving a Honda ST 1300!!! Can you imagine all those horses?

I hurried home to change and load up my backpack for an urban gear test. 50 pounds later, I head out to my target REI some 5 km away. It was strange walking on cement and dirt instead of my usual snow. My Pack was so heavy and just try to tie your shoe laces with it on...it's comedic for people watching me trying to keep my balance. Close to REI, I snapped this photo of the Railyard area. In the distance on the left you can see my weekend snow trek, Santa Fe Baldi and the Ski Valley....the object of my weekend adventure and workout.

The heavy pack and poor insoles were taking it's toll. I barely managed to get home in the dark a little after 9PM. Sore back and legs and my soles were tender from the weight. Time to upgrade to better insoles for my trekking boots. Showered and in my pajamas, I'm typing this in bed knowing I can haul 50 pounds 6.2 miles and still fall asleep with a smile on my face. The countdown begins...24 days to launch!

Epic 12 Mile Slog up Aspen Vista Trail

2010-04-12T20:50:00.001-06:00

Wah...Another beautiful weekend here in Santa Fe so of course I was up I the mountains. I did not get much trekking done on Saturday due to a stomach cramp so I hung out to take pics of the sunset then drove home. Coming down the mountain I almost hit a bunch of deer all over the road. It was quite dark by then and I had my highbeams on...thank goodness.

Yesterday's trek, (Sunday) was a killer one up Aspen Vista Trail to Tesuque Peak which is the backside of the ski valley. BTW it is also the highest elevation sumit trail in this area. Though it is only 12 miles round trip with top elevation at 12,045 feet, this has to be the toughest Snow Trek to date! This trail if definitely Skiers and Snow Shoes only! There were areas when I was sunk in snow up past my knee up to my thigh and it was hard getting out with 40 lbs on my back. Having the trekking poles were a lifesaver! Every other step was torture but I didn't give up. I really have to get a set of snowshoes...I cannot do another trek this way. I was agai the last one down the mountain and barely made it to the parking lot by 7:39 PM..even the sun had beat me setting it's last rays while I was still slogging in kneedeep slush of four feet of melting snow.

OK nuff whining here are the pics from yesterday's snow adventures.

2010-04-05T09:26:00.004-06:00

Yesterday I was back up the Santa Fe Basin fully loaded for another breathtaking trek. I wasn't kidding when I said breathtaking...huffing and puffing up the first two miles of the trail. It was narrow in some spots to eight inches wide and a sheer drop off the side. I was seriously wishing I had snow shoes on as veering off the trail by 2 inches sinks you into the snow a foot and a half...in my case up to my knee. It gets old after a while and I was feeling every step like The StairMaster from hell. I got all the way up to the base of Baldie and realized that I was the ONLY one on the mountain at this point. The sun was casting this incredible golden light over everything and I can kick myself for running out of battery on my camera. Still I got some good photos and am coming back next week for more.

This trail was more difficult than Wheeler Peak in my opinion. Maybe it's because I'm fully loaded and the trail is narrower. Anyhow, going back down was tricky as the snow freezes late in the afternoon and all the ski tracks are now super slick. I slipped a few times and was happy there were plenty of trees to grab and break the fall otherwise I would be at the bottom of the mountain. Anyhow, the sunset on the mountain was magnificent but I was so beat at this point all I could think of was a nice cup of hot Chai in my hands and some hot food in my stomach. I drove straight to India House and rewarded my tired body with 3 cups of chai, Chicken Makhani, Peas Pallao and Garlic Naan…perfect ending to a perfect day..life is good :-D

Weekend Gear Test

2010-03-28T21:15:00.004-06:00

Well folks, with the arrival of my new backpack and ski poles I was looking for some adventure. My budget kept me close to home so I chose to break in the new backpack on the beautiful trails off the Santa Fe Ski Basin. Putting on the 40 pound + backpack at the trailhead was a strange experience...like carrying a 12 year old on your back. Weirder still was navigating the trail downhill without rolling on my back like a tortoise in the desert. I was laughing hysterically and grabbing trees to keep from falling. Thankfully no one was around. The new pack performed like a champ remaining dry and was surprisingly comfortable despite the weight. Even though I packed it to the gills it still had more room! It started snowing and all was quiet except the birds; they were chirping in the trees…I hummed along to their songs and I was completely in another world. After ten minutes, I worked up a sweat and had to take my gloves off. It’s hard to imagine that these trails are less than an hour away from the hustle and bustle of downtown Santa Fe. Elevation of the Santa Fe Ski Basin is over 10,000 feet but still has an abundant of large trees which I so love.

It was getting late in the day so I hit the road to find the campground only to discover that all the campgrounds were closed for the winter. I pull into a driveway to turn around only to get the Non 4x4 stuck in the driveway. Twenty minutes later after trying every conceivable way I finally give up. There was a log cabin so I went to knock on the door for help. Nothing…then I went to the back door and knocked…again nothing. I looked around for something I can use to put under the tire as the floor mats did not work. I saw the woodpile so I “borrowed” 2 pieces to put under the tire. As I was walking away, a young boy came out and I told him of my embarrassing situation. I’m now feeling like a total loser then the boy’s father came out and told me that I could not have picked a better spot on the whole mountain to get stuck…you see it was the Park Superintendent Joe Christopherson and his wonderful son Stetson that came to my rescue. If you are reading this gentleman, I can’t thank you enough for your help, the wood to keep me warm and your priceless advice. I took a picture of them but it did not come out : (

I ended up camping at the RV camp down the road. There were a million stars out and the moon was almost full so the forest had a wonderful glow to it. Unfortunately, my camera was not good enough to capture the magic of the sky last night. I had a nice fire going and feeling mighty sore from the hike, I fell asleep in no time. It was the icy sleet hitting the tent that woke me up. The temperature had dropped like the titanic and I could not get back to sleep after that. I was shivering hard and remembered what the good ranger told me…get in the car and turn up the heat. I did just that and made a mental note to get a warmer sleeping bag or add a micro fleece cocoon for colder conditions. By 6:30 AM, I was up and broke camp. Everything was frozen and my tent was “crispy” with a new layer of ice. The drive back down to civilization was beautiful and serene and Santa Fe was just waking up to a new and glorious day below the mountain sans the heavy snow. This is what I live for...this very moment is all that I really have. We cannot predict how long we are here for so for this moment, I am in paradise. Thank you thank you!

For a detailed account and more photos please click on this link to my BCMT thread

HAPPY ST PATRICK'S DAY!!

2010-03-17T11:22:00.001-06:00

Brutus and Daisy; these are my coworker's beloved dogs dressed for St. Paddy's day.

Hope you all have green on! We all get to choose Irish names for the day...I'm so not original so my Irish name is ...SCARLET O'HARA...yeah you can giggle.

Big News...

2010-03-05T17:32:00.001-07:00

My Ten year visa for India just got approved...wooohoooo. I spent every dime I had to buy airline tix before the price goes up...again. It went up 200 dollars in two weeks! Thank God ji I have plenty of food and the wits to sell something to make the rent check...teehee :) A special shout out to my UPS guys...thanx heaps!!! A huge sigh of relief...I've never been so happy and flat broke at the same time :) India...here I come baby!!!!!

So much for my weekend plans...

2010-02-28T14:57:00.001-07:00

Bad tooth infection = Antibiotics and yanking of a naughty tooth. The pain I can handle...the Antibiotics though make me dizzy, congested and dying of thirst no matter how much water I drink. I guess Pikes Peak will still be there when I get off this bloody prescription. OK rant over...I hope everyone had a good weekend. Happy Holi to all my friends in India and Amrika :)

Day Trippin to Taos

2010-02-21T22:56:00.000-07:00

Some photos from my quick trip up to Taos. Every year I volunteer for most of the events at the Millicent Rogers Museum. Saturday night was the annual Miniature Show. Like a dummy I left my camera in my sister's office the whole night so I didn't get pictures of Jack or Jill. The resident photographer did get some pix of me and my sis so will post them when the museum proccesses them. For now you will have to settle for some I took today. Some from Kat's house on the Taos Pueblo Reservation and the rest driving back down to Santa Fe...oh and It snowed parachutes from the sky too.
View from Kat's front door

yay...

2010-02-19T21:14:00.000-07:00

my new helmet finally arrived..yippee. So does anyone else get this excited for new gear??? Anyway...yes , I know I look like a giant cartoon bug...but I'm not caring...teehee

New Gear and Training Update

2010-02-17T22:31:00.004-07:00

In two weeks I will attempt a Solo Trek to summit Pikes Peak Colorado. Although it is only 14, 110 FT or 4301 meters the trail has severe altitude gain and will be covered in snow and
deep in most areas. Time for some snow trekking/camping adventures...yeehaw

My new Helmet:

Lunar New Year and V-Day

2010-02-14T13:23:00.001-07:00

Wishing all my friends and family a wonderful day filled with love, light and peace. You are my world and.... I love you all very very very much!

Another Lovely Santa Fe Sunset today

2010-02-07T20:00:00.000-07:00

Ride on the wild side

2010-01-28T17:42:00.001-07:00

It has been snowing since this morning so the daily commute today was...well rather interesting. I'll let the photos do the talking. Hope you are all warm and cozy where ever you are!

Today's ride to the UPS Store near the plaza

2010-01-23T20:24:00.004-07:00

Local artwork at Warehouse 21

“When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.”_ Jimi Hendrix

“Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens.”_Jimi Hendrix

SOLAR OVENS FOR HAITI

2010-01-22T12:36:00.008-07:00

On January 28, 2010, FOHO (Friends of Haiti Organization), in partnership with Feed My Starving Children, will be sending a shipping container with 270,000 meals and Sun Ovens to

Port au Prince, Haiti. There is room for additional Sun Ovens to be included with this shipment and additional shipments are being planned.Dear friends and family, this is how I will contribute to help Haiti. This project will last much longer than money.
SOLAR OVENS FOR HAITI

Today's Commute

2010-01-20T19:51:00.000-07:00

gimme some light

Fire in the sky

Under a blood red sky

Looking the other way the sky is totally different!

Here comes the train!

Looking down from the light pole

Train light pole now known as Roxxi's personal Photo Tower :)

Looking down at my backpack

Gear Test

2010-01-19T15:54:00.007-07:00

OK so I'm testing my new tent for the snow load and so far so good...tonight I will sleep in it to test for leaks.
Cute isn't it?

Let it snow...

2010-01-19T15:42:00.002-07:00

Getting to work today sure was...fun. We got about 8 inches of snow last night. I rode my bike and got about half way to work then the bike chains froze on me, so I tried dragging my bike. That got old real quick...so I had to finally lock it in front of the Second Street Brewery until I can get it after work. I schlepped the rest of the way to work and thanks to my brand new Ski pants (on sale at REI), I was nice and dry when I arrived :) Here are some photos of my adventure:

My bike route

A Friendly Smile

Nature's Artwork

Where the hell are my feet???

Looking back at my lonely tracks

2010-01-14T16:14:00.000-07:00

Posting this for Nikhil and Susan.

Find yourself a decent Hotel near Connaught Place to use as a base to see the sights.

I'll post some Delhi contacts for you soon :)

My thoughts on blogging

2010-01-14T10:17:00.000-07:00

I set up this blog as a platform for my family and friends to mostly keep track of me on my next trip to the Himalayas in Northern India end of May 2010. Even though I have a Facebook account, I wanted a separate space devoted to this trip in particular. In preparation, I've been riding my mountain bike (Beast) since August of 2009. Beast is generously on loan from my friend Jennifer...thanx Jen Jen :) It was interesting to "gear up" every morning before riding to work. My wardrobe suffered a drastic change and I started to purchase only Smartwool products. On the crazy snowy and freezing days, the Smartwool base layers and face protection is a total life saver...I cannot even imagine life in the wintertime without it! Anyhow, since I joined an online India Travel Forum (BCMTouring.com), I've been inspired to get out more and taking lots of photos of my training or travel or just my daily commute.

My First Post on my blog

2010-01-13T13:01:00.000-07:00

Hey Y'all! Is this thing on? How exciting that this is my very first post here!