Ah, snow :)

Here's a couple of pics from last week's not quite so epic yet still amazing snowshoe up Mt. Lincoln in Franconia Notch. I think it's safe to say that I'm addicted to snowshoeing, and that the mountains in the notch are becoming my favorites. I can't even begin to describe how amazing it is to drive 93 northbound and enter the notch, covered in snow, looking so forbidding and breathtaking. And then to hike up to the top and on a clear day have 80+ miles of visibility in all directions. I don't think I ever want to leave New Hampshire. Yesterday's adventure was to the top of Mt. Lafayette, but due to the below zero temperatures and even more brutal windchill, there are no photos. But next week's plan is to go back to the waterfalls pictured below, the Falling Waters Trail, and this time with fresh camera batteries. I don't think I'll ever get tired of the sight of water freezing in motion.

Ah, it's good to be bad ass...

Mt. Washington from the top of Mt. Lincoln. Mt. Washington is on
docket for the coming weeks I hope. And for those who know my story
I can tell you that I'll be coming down in daylight this time.

Epic Snowshoeing

In keeping with the title of my blog, I decided that I would try to share my snowshoeing adventure from yesterday. The only word my friend could used to describe it was epic, and while that's not a word I'll use lightly, I thought that it seemed perfect. Our adventure started small, neither of us being an experienced snowshoer. I've had mine for a year and until yesterday they never left my front yard. He hadn't been on snowshoes since he was 8. So, I picked an easy trail, we got some elevation and a great view of a lake up in the mountains. And then we got creative. Running off the high of achieving our goal so quickly, we decided that we should summit the mountain we'd been climbing. It was only another 1.5 miles, how bad could it be? Well, anyone who's hiked in New England will know the answer to that question. Whoever built these trails must have thought that the best way to get up to the top would be straight up, and as I've discovered on rainy hiking adventures, those trails usually follow water drainages. While this wasn't a problem in the winter, we instead had trails that were made even steeper by all the snow fall we've had and trails that would be mildly hairy and exciting in summer, became downright sketchy. But we were determined once we began, neither of us being the type to back down from a challenge, or listen to reason, apparently. Well, we made it, after several sections that required taking the snowshoes off and climbing precarious vertical snowfields, and as you might be able to tell from the picture, turned around to head down after the sun had set. Cloudy night, light snowfall, but thankfully warm, we had a great combination of luck, and my route finding ability by feel--on my butt, sliding down to cover ground more quickly--we made it down relatively quickly and safely. Lesson learned, next time pack a headlamp and stove, as well as extra layers just in case a night on the mountain becomes necessary. Luckily, we were both able to keep the panic at bay and even laugh as we slid down the mountain, using the distant snowmobile lights as our guide and have agreed to tackle another 4000 footer next weekend. At least this time, we'll be prepared. I do have to say though, I love the exquisite tiredness that follows days like that, and a plate of spaghetti becomes the most amazing thing ever. And surprisingly, I'm not sore. I guess I'm not that old after all :)

Update

The last couple weeks have been a whirlwind and I haven't really had the chance to think about my next post. I guess I should say first off that my visit to Beth Israel confirmed my gut reaction that I do not have cancer, and even better in the immediate sense, I don't need to have surgery any time soon. I do have what's known as a vascular malformation, a condition that I've had since birth where the blood vessels in my calf are essentially dilating and creating an expanded pocket of tissue. I'm not sure why it made itself known to me so suddenly, but I have my theories. In any case, I've been told to train at the level that I want, and we'll watch and see what happens. I'll have follow up MRIs every 3 to 6 months to track it's growth and some sort of surgical intervention is probably in my future, but hopefully only after I have better health coverage. It is still a tumor of sorts, and it does bother me, but if I don't have to have someone carve out my gastroc, I'll deal with the annoyance. So...half iron, here I come.

Brings me to this idea of new year's resolutions, which I don't generally believe in, but in observing my own behavior over the past two weeks, I guess on some level I do believe in that fresh start. I haven't exercised, other than skiing, over the holiday period. I've eaten poorly, slept even worse, and consumed more alcohol than I should have. I think initially I told myself that I was celebrating the news from Beth Israel. Then I was finishing up finals and then family was here for a week for Christmas. In truth, I think I needed a sloth period before the ramp up in intensity my life is about to take. I start class again tomorrow for my winter semester, and in less than a month I'll be 30. I'll get all the rest of my grad applications in and hopefully by early spring, I'll know where I'm off to next. Throw into those life changes some serious training, a couple of classes, a full time job, and the best damn winter New Hampshire's had in a while drawing me out to the slopes whenever possible and I can see the next months passing in a flash. So the last two weeks have been my calm before the storm, my chance to wallow a bit in my singleness before redefining my reality and truly embarking on a new life path.

In terms of training and races, my current plans are for the Rhode Island half iron in July, and the Vegas marathon in December. I'm working on convincing a friend that she really wants to do the Nike Women's marathon in San Francisco in October, but for me that all depends on how crazy PT school turns out to be. And while some of my friends enjoy great outdoor training weather all year round, I find myself grateful for inventions such as four wheel drive, fleece, tractors with plow attachments, and soon enough either treadmills or spikes on my running shoes. I've never seen this much snow before and it's fantastic, but it does tend to inhibit the training. I think snowshoeing will have to substitute.

(Sorry for the goofy ass placement of photos--still figuring out how this all works and clearly not there yet)