HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEGAN!

oh megan. the woman i met. while learning to kayak, which i cannot regret. with her beautiful smile and her stark straight brown hair, a goddess it seemed, one could not help but stare. the moment i met her. how could i know? what friends we'd become, that together we'd grow. well grew we did, and friends we became, but more than just friends, we were sisters, the same. we paddled in rivers, we drove in our cars, often fell asleep laughing, under the stars. and when moonlight fell down, she stood without waiver, she'd smile at the group and say, do me a favor...? reluctant but willing, we went out on a limb, and followed our megan for a cold midnight swim. 

of course we grew older, each of us did, but our friendships grew closer, and megs had a kid. that's when it happened, seemed without even tryin' -- she became a wonderful mother, to little jack ryan. she moved from a condo, into a home, then left springville together, but did't leave us alone. no. the cards they came in the mail box of course, and phone calls and blog posts, some long, and some short. but no matter the distance, no matter the state, we still love eachother, that's what happens with fate. 

that's right i said it, i know that it's true, somehow dear megan, i was meant to meet you. and meet you i did, and love you i do, miss you most often, and that smile of yours too. so thank you my friend for loving me too, i need you, forever. happy birthday. to you. 

//

kernville update //

well. it's crunch time, i'm five days into a month straight work session here in kernville. currently i am working with 20 some odd 8th graders from fancy school hollywood. they are pretty cool, i have a bunch of them rolling, and... being kayakers. after work we try to get a late session in, often paddling till dark. then it's dinner, play with the pup, rehydrate, sleep, and wake up to do it all again.

hiking into the forks // 

classic portrait on the water with this kid // 

and, back at the take out, just in time for sunset. 

Raising an Avalanche Dog

it all started years ago. growing up skiing, watching the avalanche dogs. they seemed like heroes. i knew nothing of what they actually they did, but they were dogs, on ski patrol, running about in the snow, riding chair lifts, wearing the cross. i was fascinated. as i became a member of the ski patrol i learned more about the jobs these creatures did, and became more intrigued, how would it be to one day become a dog handler myself? a dream it seemed. 

it happened on a wednesday, i was leaving the locker room, heading out to work, when the dog coordinator stopped me and asked me about possibly joining the dog team. i was shocked. me? of course. yes. yes. as the discussions followed, i slowly began to think in dream, i imagined myself with my own creature wearing the cross, riding the lift, skiing, searching, working. i started looking at different breeds. the dog team i would be joining was made up of 4 labrador retrievers. it was obviously the breed of choice, not only on our mountain, but in the avalanche rescue dog community. 

i wanted an english shepherd. a herding dog. it's like a border collie. 

this was an issue, i didn't realize how much the organization wanted me to choose a labrador, until it was made clear that i was choosing something different. it seemed as though they were hardly interested at all in learning about the breed i chose. i was becoming a little disheartened. but i knew that at the end of the day my dog was going to be my dog, not just an avalanche rescue dog, but my companion, my buddy. i followed my heart. i started looking at breeders. 

7 months after my last discussion with the dog team, i found myself picking up my new mate in denver colorado. meet sir leif roweyn. he was 8 lbs. he was a black tri male from a litter of 12. he was terrified. so was i. 

we jumped into life together. leif and i went everywhere together, into the mountains, we saw the snow, he got to ride in a life flight helicopter, me and my buddy. i was lucky to spend the entire month of november just focussed on leif. crate training, chew toys, dog food, vet visits, come, sit, stay, vacations to the beach of course, and more training, trusting, and learning how to live with one another. 

growing up at a ski resort, leif learned a lot fast. he learned to love the snow, his first chairlift ride was in the dark. he tried to follow the footprints of the bigger dogs, doing his best to keep up, he wore his training vest with pride. my little guy was gaining quite the fan club at the resort. 

a typical day for leif included, getting up in the morning, "taking a break" eating and going to work. he roamed the locker room during morning meeting, taking a moment to be pet by each of the patrollers. them it was off to the lift. leif had to learn how to run beneath my skis, while in a snow plow i did my best to protect him from the sharp edges of my skis. he did his best to keep up. i often carried him when he got tired. riding the lift was no big deal for leif, when it was cold and snowy he cuddled between us patrollers, digging his nose down into his paws. he loved running in the snow. 

slowly we started working on training beyond the everyday aspects of being apart of the ski patrol. we entered into the 4 phase method of training leif to search. we started playing the game. the whole goal of training an avalanche dog is to create environments of fun and success. being an english shepherd, leif wants to work, so we worked. our work was playing a game of hide and seek. simply taking leif's favorite toy and running away from him, teasing him and getting him excited was the first step. then it got progressively harder, next i would run and jump in a snow cave, and he would come find me. then the snow cave entrance would be covered in snow, he had to dig. next i crawled into the hole with a stranger who had leif's toy, our hope was that he was more interested in finding the toy at this point instead of me. and finally we moved to having the stranger go into the hole buried in snow with the toy. ALWAYS with the goal of having leif end on a positive successful find. 

he was learning the game. and he was good at it. which made me so happy. it can be a bit disheartening when you watch your dog lose interest in the search after a seemingly successful find, you may think that your dog "gets it" and then you see him stop in the middle of a search and chase an imaginary butterfly. but i tried to keep my head up and try again, making sure leif knew how happy i was when he succeeded. 

leif grew so much in our first season together. soon he grew out of his first training vest, of course he chewed through it several times before finally outgrowing it. he moved up into a "real" vest. and he was proud of it. ultimately the goal of an avalanche rescue dog is to be apart of a search and achieve a "live find." leif's job this first season as a candidate dog in the program was to learn the ropes at the resort, to learn to work with the patrol and to respond positively to the public. he did great, and he is starting to understand the game. next season we will test for our level A certification. this test involves leif and i going to another ski resort and searching a 100 x 100 avalanche path, which may have 1-3 victims and multiple articles of clothing. leif and i are to search and clear the path in 20 minutes, finding all victims and recovering them. the clothing articles are bonus points. leif will also be required to pass an obedience test. 

there is so much work to do still. we require so much help from the entire ski patrol team. i am so grateful to have been given this opportunity. i have a dog. but i also have a companion. from here on out it's me and leif. 

winter came to an end. leif is adapting well to his new summer job as a river dog. 

updates to come as we move through this adventure together // 

moving on //

"It's time to move on... it's time to get going, what lies ahead I have no way of knowing, but under my feet babe, the grass is growing, it's time to move on, it's time to get going."

-Tom Petty

Yesterday I sold the happiness bus. A month ago I sold the element. A new leaf has been turned. The family that bought the trueler are from Heber and plan to continue in it's restoration. I look forward to updates. I had an awesome time restoring that trailer. It was a lot of work, 21 days of cleaning, painting, cutting, replacing, caulking, reflooring, re-dooring, washing, designing, more painting, re-roofing, bed making, wall replacing, plumbing, lighting, and decorating. It was my little home my first summer away. 

"The road goes on forever... the party never ends." -REK

B Boy

When I was 11 years old my big brother cody brought home a little puppy. He called him Brasco. He was a Basset Hound and he was awesome! We ended up calling him Mr. B and B Boy. He had huge ears. As the years went by he slowly began to grow into those elephant ears and giant paws. But he always seemed quite disproportionate. His belly hung low to the ground, his paws were huge, big enough to support his long body. he was a roamer, a low rider and an Eeyore like character who walked slowly with his nose glued to the ground. Brasco had a deep bark and though he was the slowest, the shortest and the oldest of the other dogs, he was respected. 

When he got excited, B would hop, like a bunny rabbit and became light like a little fox, momentarily anyway. He was my buddy. On Thursday we let Brasco go. His fur grew white with age and his joints struggled to support his body, he was happy, but in pain. I said goodbye to my buddy of 14 years Thursday morning. I sat down with him on the porch, his face in my hands and tears in my eyes. I held his long floppy ears one last time and I thanked him for being such a good boy, for being my buddy and for loving me as much as I loved him. It was hard to say goodbye. I prayed that B's spirit would make it safely from this earth, that he would be freed from the pain that he has endured, that he would never forget me and that he would be reunited with his friend Copper. I prayed that he would know how much we love him and how much he would be missed.

Thanks for being apart of my life and my heart Mr. B. I can still hear the slow clicks of your nails as you stroll across the tile, I can still feel the soft fur on the top of the nub on your head and I can still see that tail start to wag and the rest of your hind quarters wag with it. 

I miss you B Boy // 

McCall Idaho Yurt Tour

^{Early January the 10th – the 13th, I headed up north into the beautiful world of McCall, Idaho. I spent 4 days completely immerged into the world of snow science, avalanche safety, back country ski touring and winter yurt living. My ski patrol partner joined me on the trip. It was an awesome adventure. We spent day one in the classroom, while we sat with our heads buried in books and power points it began to snow and continued to do so throughout the entire day. We woke up to 1.5’ of new snow and we were stoked, ready to load our gear and get into the backcountry. To get to the yurts we took a now covered road 12 miles back into the backcountry via snowmobiles. 45 minutes later, our toes were frozen, and we were at the yurts, our new home for the next 3 days.} 

^{There were 6 students total, Jeanette and myself (professional ski patrollers) and 4 experienced backcountry skier men (1 single guy and a family of three). I feared that Jeanette and I would be the least experienced of the group, being that we spend the majority of our time in bounds rather than skinning up mountains in the out of bounds. We learned quickly that the instructors would require us to work together as a team, make backcountry travel plans together and rely on one another. I realized something early on: Jeanette and I, although admittedly not as experienced as everyone else in backcountry travel, had something the others didn’t. We’ve seen avalanches. A lot of them. Being professional ski patrollers we do a lot of avalanche control work, so we have a better idea of when and how snow will move and that relates directly to how to make decisions in back country travel. Often times the group would debate how to get to a certain slope, while Jeanette and I often asked why we would even risk travelling across a suspect terrain. Different goals.}

^{Each evening upon returning to the yurts we did extensive beacon drills, working multiple deep burials, partner rescue scenarios, and digging and probing techniques. Dinner was at 1800 hours, and desert would follow with more classroom discussion. We went over our day’s observations, snow pit profiles, grain classification jargon, and more awesome snow science geeky stuff. It was awesome. My brain was swelling with knowledge. It was freeeeeeezing-ass-cold. The temps never got above -5 in the sunshine and at night they dipped way below comfortable living conditions. Luckily… we had the yurt, a fantastic wood burning stove and heaps of firewood to keep it stoked through the night. The best thing though, was the sauna… after post dinner classroom we stripped down and ran to the sauna for an amazing warm your bones and heat your soul experience. I loved it. With the new snow I spoke of, the skiing conditions were great, however so were the avalanche conditions, which actually made for a very educational class. Our snow profiles had a persistent weak layer, a lot of variance in the layers, a deep ice layer, and a potential for a deep slab. So, the tests were relevant, the results were interesting and I learned a ton!}

^{Jeanette and I didn’t stop smiling, it was such an awesome trip, I wish I could go back and do it again. Leaving ski patrol work for a few days in the middle of the season was a treat, leaving my avalanche rescue puppy was a bit of a challenge. Knowing this would be hard for me the patrollers back home sent me with a mini version of my puppy dog, travel size. So he came along with us, to the yurts, to the sauna, to the backcountry. The Payette Powder Guides put together a perfect course. I would highly recommend it to anyone.}

Happy New Year //

Often times I find myself posting hopes and dreams for the upcoming year, resolutions and such. A place to set goals and announce what I plan to do with myself during the next 365 days of my life. It's always fun to reflect on past goals, met or not. I enjoi reflecting on the year previous, and thinking about how lucky I am to be... me. So, a quick reflection.

I started off the year of 2012 completely immersed in the ski season. Working full time as a ski patroller at Sundance Ski Resort and spending my days off working as a Videographer for a California based company shooting video of Utah Ski Resorts. The snow was a bit skimpish through the season but I managed to have a good time. Made a lot of new friends, smiled a lot, got a few face shots, and skied till my toes were destroyed ...

The season at Sundance came to a close, I quit my job of 9 years at Parks Sportsman, I jumped in the truck and was off to Kernville yet again. I started off the season great, competing in the Brush Creek Slalom and Down River Races. I loved it! It was nice to be back in Kernville, back in my boat and back to work. I spent the first 2 1/2 weeks couching at Johnny and Wendy's home. Entirely grateful to have a place to sleep and exist. 

I then moved into the Joneses home. Where I house sat. I fed the cat. I suffered the cats generous gifts/killings. And I watered the plants. I checked the irrigation, I serviced the hot tub, I used the wifi, I vaccuumed the floors and I slept in the master bedroom. It ruled. 

I kayaked heaps with my bestie and the crew. Shared a bunch of high fives and loved teaching people how to be kayakers. I had plenty of work and was stoked to be apart of it all. 

Discovered a PINK stomper and enjoyed messing about in it. 

Made a handful of trips to other drainages, and loved seeing new rivers and new places. Had a "close call" one day on the Kaweah. You can read about it here. Made it through that situation, grateful to be alive. 

I learned how to rock climb // in the traditional sense. I made a new friend called Val. She rules, a friend for life. And I discovered a deeper friendship with an old friend. I found myself loving the rocks. 

We ran out of water in kernville so I left. I was north bound, driving into darkness. I ended up getting a job at Otterbar. Completely pumped, overwhelmed and full of stoke I spent the rest of my season there. New friends, new rivers, new challenges, and good times. I spent many a night sleeping in the back of my truck and in my tent. I was happy. I read a lot of books, my favorite being: The Art of Racing in the Rain. I was so stoked for the people I met there and the growth that occurred in that short time. 

then I came home. for a moment. next it was off to the middle fork which turned out to be a fantastic time on the water. I very much enjoyed myself. beautiful place. wonderful people. lasting memories. 

Living in the fast lane, I got home and immediately ran back to California. I spent a week with Tom on the Klamath and loved it. I love working for Tom Moore. I am so grateful that our friendship has continued to grow. I am lucky to have a man like him for a boss and a mentor. 

next stop. moab. went on a biking, climbing and paddling trip with wiley and friends. which turned out super fun. mountain biking is super cool and incredibly challenging in the mountains of moab. I loved climbing and challenging myself and just hanging out in great company. I believe I even worked on harmonizing around the campfire. Then I was off to the East Coast. I was fortunate enough to spend some time in Tennessee and North Carolina with an awesome friend called Jeff whom I was lucky enough to meet while at Otterbar; kayaking with the Jackson crew, networking, and just experiencing a completely new world to me. SO FUN! 

Man. life was great. I never really stopped! Before I knew it I was in Denver, CO. Picking up a puppy. My new traveling mate. My new best little pal. Leif Roweyn. 8 lbs of pure happiness, I brought my little guy home and I life changed forever. I loved spending my fall with this little guy, running around the mountains, getting to know one another, and realizing that I need him as much as he needs me. I learned how to make dog food, I watched training videos, I cuddled, I bought chew toys and I laughed. Leif and I traveled to California together. Visiting Otterbar and the coast. He loved it! I loved it. Exploration //

and now we've come full circle. but things are different. we are a we. before it was just me. now we go to work at sundance just about everyday. I've loved showing Leif the ropes up at Sundance. It's so awesome to have a little creature running around with me. He is so smart. So far the season and the year have started off great. Plenty of snow, beautiful days, cold weather, good friends, sore feet, fresh snow, and happiness... So that brings us to 2013 

My Goals. 

1. Continue in my Yoga Practice. 

2. Make it to New Zealand. 

3. Take time to meditate and find time for quietness each day. 

4. Live with the 3 E's - Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy. 

5. Focus on positive. Forgive Fully. 

6. Continue to pursue this path of my kayaking career, grow. 

7. Design more. Photograph more. 

8. Be confident.  

9. Be thankful. Be Kind.

10. Learn more about ropes, climbing and rescue. 

11. Focus each day on others. Reach out. 

12. Learn more about cooking, eat healthy. 

13. Be strong. In everything. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR! May this season be peaceful! MUCH LOVE //

Mountain Khakis // Alpine Utility Pants, Peaks Flannel, Utility Bag Review

I travel a lot for work. I'm a whitewater kayak guide/instructor. Late September, just after returning from a week of leisure kayaking the Middle Fork of the Salmon, I had to jump on an airplane and fly to northern California, where I would be working as a safety kayaker. I had to pack light. I brought with me my Mountain Khakis Alpine Utility Pants, my MK Peaks Flannel and my MK Utility Bag.

The job entailed one week of time spent on the river with 25 high school juniors in paddle rafts. Days on the water could be long, we paddled 100 miles over the course of 7 days. It was so nice to get into warm dry clothes at the end of each day, and I smiled every time I was able to slip into my Alpine Pants. Lets talk a bit about the Alpine Pant. Compared to other utility pants from other manufacturers, I have two words that describe these pants. Light & Durable. The perfect combination of a hard working pant and a comfortable light weight pair of your favorite broken in pair of jeans. These pants are fantastic. On cool fall days/nights they keep you plenty warm, yet during a river de-rig in 100 degree weather they manage to keep you cool. I'm a huge fan of these pants, I wore them every day on the river trip and on the flight home I still looked presentable... by a river guides standards, but I will say the pants looked great. A great fit, very true to size, and simply comfortable. I love love LOVE my MK Alpine Utility Pants. 

The MK Peaks Flannel. Now let me just put it out there that I am a flannel gal. I love a good soft flannel on a crisp fall day, I use them to layer while skiing, I go out on the town in them, I laugh in them, I live in them, I roll my sleeves up in them and I get to work. Life is just a little sweeter in flannel. Now these were thoughts about flannels long before I met the MK Peaks Flannel... and somehow, the minute I put this sweet set of threads on my heart seemed to grow 7 sizes. This is bar none, the best fitting flannel I've ever worn. The length is perfect, certainly not too short, it has a form fitting fit, and most importantly, it has stretch. Stretch!? Yes, the best thing about this perfectly fitting uber comfortable flannel is that it moves with you. 5 stars to the Peaks Flannel, and I must say, after a week of work in the thing, it smelled just fine! A winner indeed and a must have on any road trip, river trip, or ski trip. 

The MK Utility Bag. This bag is incredibly simple. One big zipper up top and chuck everything into the guts. Certainly reaches the durablity standard set by Mountain Khakis, I use this bag as my quick grab and go bag. Training an avalanche rescue puppy has given me the opportunity to stuff this bag with toys, treats, and all sorts of puppy essentials as we make our daily trips up into the mountains. Upon closer inspection of this super simple tough little bag; there are some impressive details, leather zipper ends, large easy acces front pockets, removable wallet pouch on the inside. This is a great little bag for quick adventure into the hills, out to the market or just a jaunt into town with a pack full of books, clothing, snacks, and other daily essentials. A plus plus.