The Shoes We Work In

It was pointed out to me lastnight that I am spending time off in the same shoes that I work in, which says a good amount about my shoes. Having just spent another three days backpacking it is a little strange to think that all I have to do is floss my chacos, wash them off and they are good enough to walk around town. No transition from kamp to town or town to kamp. Simple. The way it should be.

A picture from an outing on the boat and wakeskate. Everyonce in a while I get the luck of not having to take a third backpacking trip and when that happens I jump at the opportunity to go to the lake. This is from the last time out. Lets hope I get the chance to go again.

Video Test

MVI_1190

Originally uploaded by bmaloy

So I don’t know if this will work or not, but I am going to try anyways.

This is a video from one of our trips up Burnt Timber where we found a huge hill and just goofed around. As you can see, I tried to make a snowboard and it just barely worked.

Explode

IMG_1114, originally uploaded by bmaloy.

Another sunset at 12000 feet. Although to say it like that really belittles the grandeur of the wonder that was before us.

12961

IMG_1044, originally uploaded by bmaloy.

39 feet shy of 13000. Oh well, maybe next time.

My Office

IMG_1151, originally uploaded by bmaloy.

This is one of the views of a trail that Brian and I get to hike up all summer. Obviously it is buried in snow and is exceptionally beautiful being back lit by the sunset. Thankfully it hasn’t been too cold as we need to take a second group of kids along this ridge to see how much snow has melted.

Other than that the trips are going well. On our last one we had a situation within the first six hours of leaving kamp.

One of the girls started vomiting as soon as we got to our campsite. Seeing as it was her snack she had eaten a little bit a go we were concerned but decided we could just monitor to see if she was going to get better or worse. Thirty minutes later she lost her lunch again as it was just a bit of granola that she was trying to get in her. “Well as long as it is just food she can manage” I kept telling myself, all the while hoping to keep her hydrated. By the time she threw up the third time I knew we had a problem as she could no longer keep her water down. I pulled out our satphone and said the words I hoped to not speak all summer. “We are code: black. We are walking her down the mountain and need a pick up in two hours.”

Thankfully, we made the right call getting her our of there because she was already sick and being at 11000 ft exacerbated her sickness to the point of puking.

Yup, kamp is great and so is my job.

I’m going to try and steal more of Brian’s photos too.

Kamp and Beds

So I have been at K-Colorado for a month as of today. A friend and I are leading backpacking trips into the Weminuche Wilderness for the past twelve days. Actually it’s been nine of those twelve days that I have been out in the backcountry. All of that translates to three three-day trips. Two of said trips have taken place in the last week. It’s been an experience to say the least, but extremely rewarding. I’m going to see if I can steal some pictures of our trips from Brian Maloy’s flickr account.
Some snow on the road to the Cave Basin trail head.

Sunset Ridge blanketed in a summer snow.

Sunset Ridge Sunset

All of these were taken our overnight trip to see how much snow there was. The answer we arrived at was that there was only a little bit of snow at 10500 ft and a little bit more at 11800ft.

I’ll see if I can find more pictures when he or I upload them.

Also, tonight will be the first time in two weeks that I will have have the first of two nights in a bed. Weird to think about.

Behind the Bridge

Welcome to Bricktown!

Like a Kid on Halloween

Ever get so excited that you can’t help but run around and open your arms like an airplane? Even making the ROWWWRRR sound as if you were seven years old? Well, I haven’t done that yet, but I am close to it.

A large combination of events and happenings is going on where I am can literally feel myself about to take off the runway and fly. It’s not a bad feeling.

Anyways, I have been shirking off of writing when really for April I should be writing more seeing as it is national poetry month.

I do have some things I want to spend time on in writing so those will definitely pop up as well along with the poems that I plan on penning. Pictures will also be more frequent as I go through my hard-drive.
The title comes from a band I have been listening to thanks to my brother. Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin.

Morning

It’s almost eight. Despite going to bed at two this morning being awake has its advantages. It is still in the apartment, and even quieter than that. The piercing whistle of the BNSF makes its way south through Norman and makes me yearn for travel.

The morning is a good time to ponder. Thoughts arrive at the door of my mind slowly, and as such, having time to mature, they knock with a firmness that only friends knock with.

I’ve been thinking about what I am good at, which is strange to think about since everywhere I walk people scream ‘WORK ON YOUR WEAKNESSES!’ Yet as I walk past them there are people who are very strong writers with great novels and stories to their name. There are people who have taken beautiful pictures, and painted wonderful portraits. There are people who have advanced medicine, set records in all kinds of sports, and stood on the moon.

After walking past all these people I see that they have not used their weaknesses to succeed, but rather have used what strengths they possess to succeed. Well what about an example? I saw this the other day and what he said really struck me, so if you want to hear the whole question and answer it starts around two minutes in, but the meat of what was said is at four minutes. Here is what I am talking about.

Well, so if someone knows that they are good at, what is stopping them from accomplishing lofty goals? It appears that weaknesses are not, yet possibly fear?

As the coffee is replacing my blood it appears that Thoughts are no longer waiting at the door, and instead are now rushing into my mind, as such is the case here is a question.

What are you good at, and what are you doing to improve?

Sunsets and Climbing

Walking home today I saw the most beautiful sunset. I was looking east and the sky was as beautiful as an amethyst yet something was drawing my attention westward. As I noticed the pink traces of tiny clouds what really stole my breath was my brilliant and overwhelming sense that a great fire was in the distance. Everest Training Center was at the very center of this wall of orange as it extended past my field of view. At this point I was walking backwards, which must have looked funny to the drivers on Lindsey.

It was here that I was reflecting on my bouldering for the evening and how satisfying it can be to simply pull on plastic and move some muscles around for a bit. While still pondering the spiritual nature of climbing and whether or not there is a spiritual nature (there is…I think) I was stopped of my walking backwards and had to just stand still. The sky exploded! All of a sudden where clouds had been pastel pink they were now as if coals, with the fading sunlight blowing them hotter and brighter with each passing moment.

The sunset was not unlike this, but was greater in magnitude and magnificence. Sadly I did not have my camera, which is why this one is taking its place in the imagination.

Why is it that sunsets and sunrises can cause us to stop what we are doing, stop thinking, stop speaking, and simply astound us with its beauty. I think I have an answer.