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On April 11, 2012, I made my first blog post. I was inspired by words from a podcast.
Now, one year later, this blog continues to be an enjoyable endeavor. I appreciate every blog follower and visitor.
In this anniversary post, I’m still inspired by podcasts. What can I say…I listen to lots of them!
The following quote, from Vinnie Tortorich’s Angriest Trainer podcast, really sums up the FREEHEEL VEGAN lifestyle.
“Put life into living, and do it with enthusiasm!”
FREE YOUR HEELS…
Elisa at Mission Ridge
Elisa at Long’s Pass – May 2004
Can’t Telemark? Sucks to be you!
PLAY IN SNOW…
Eric at Mission Ridge – February 27, 2010
Mt Bachelor – December 26, 2009
LIVE LIFE…
Eric’s 1974 BMW – LIVE LIFE!
Eric in Kauai – May 24, 2008
Elisa at Lake Chelan Slidewaters – July 23, 2010
Elisa at Galbraith – August 27, 2011
BE SILLY & LAUGH…
Silly nephew – June 24, 2011
Silly niece – December 24, 2012
APPRECIATE THE “LITTLE” THINGS…
Wenatchee, WA – July 29, 2011
Bellatazza Coffee in Bend, OR – October 27, 2012
HANG OUT WITH A BUDDY…
Goats at New Moon Farm Goat Rescue & Sanctuary – April 16, 2010
Roosters at New Moon Farm Goat Rescue & Sanctuary – February 15, 2013
Eric makes a chicken friend in Kauai – May 8, 2011
LEND A HELPING HAND…
Member of the NMF Manure Management Team since Fall of 2008!
Eric gets some love from Opie while scooping the poop – March 19, 2010
LOVE SOMEONE…
Millie – December 5, 2011
Love them all. Eat plants!
FREE YOUR MIND. FREE THE ANIMALS…
Think about the animals. Don’t eat them!
“Put life into living and do it with enthusiasm!”
I love that quote and I love Vinnie’s podcast. But, I have a little more to add.
Yes- put living into your own life. But- also allow others to live their own lives.
To the fellow listeners and fans of the Angriest Trainer podcast:
Don’t be a “carnivorous vegan,” be an actual vegan. You can do NSNG (No Sugar No Grains) VEGAN style!
Adopt the FREEHEEL VEGAN lifestyle…and do it with enthusiasm!
I don’t have many pictures from the current ski season, so here is a backcountry trip down memory lane…
The time was January 1-2, 2011.
The place was the “Back Bowls” of Mission Ridge Ski & Board Resort, in Wenatchee, WA.
The weather was bluebird.
The solitude was magical.
The skiing was exceptional.
The snow was our art canvas.
Our Telemark turns were the brush strokes…
DAY ONE – JANUARY 1
DAY TWO – JANUARY 2
The conditions were a little different when we came “Back” to the bowls this year, Skiing Among Burnt Trees.
January 5, 2013 – Mission Ridge Backcountry
In lieu of skiing in-bounds on Saturday, we decided to spend the day further exploring slopes we like to call the “Back Bowls.” Eric modified our climbing skins so they would fit our new(ish) skis. Yay!
The last time we skied the “Back Bowls” was January 1-2 of 2011. At that time, we were treated to absolutely perfect fluff on a bluebird day.
Saturday…not so much. You could describe the avalanche conditions as “welded.” HA! It was fun, but in a different sort of way. It was immensely enjoyable just being out there exploring. (Truth be told, we did find a few soft spots.)
We skied into some trees that were burned during the huge Ellensburg/Wenatchee forest fires of Sept/Oct 2012. The fire line stopped just short of the Mission Ridge ski area. Whew!
There is something starkly imposing about burnt trees that remain standing after a fire goes out. It’s fascinating how something beautiful and impressive can emerge from such destruction. The black char against white snow in winter is particularly striking…
Lighting captured with the Go Pro 3.
Lighting captured with the digital camera.
We like to call this area the “Back Bowls.”
Skiing among burned trees.
A tree that survived the forest fire.
Char
We decided not to ski lower than this. We’d already dropped about 1300 ft!
Typical rock formations.
Enjoying the skin up.
Midday light.
Skin track.
Entering the burn zone.
Burned tree silhouette.
Black against white.
A bigger tree in the group.
My favorite image.
This is where we first skied the “Back Bowls,” in 2011.
Pretty needle coloring.
Canyon Creek & Damfino Lakes – Mountain Biking – September 29, 2012
Canyon Ridge Trail (#689) was our intended mountain bike ride for the day. Eric had been wanting to check it out because it’s the only trail in the Mt. Baker Ranger District open to mountain bikes. This trail is just a “stone’s throw” from Canada, immediately north of Mt Baker, in Washington State.
On our Green Trails map (#13, Mt Baker), Canyon Ridge is a dotted line trail, which can be code for “bushwhack.” As such, I started the day with an attitude of adventure, thinking that any “good” riding would be a “bonus.”
Little did we know that our adventure would start sooner rather than later. Right at the highway, the Canyon Creek Road (#31) was CLOSED. What?!
We found out from the ranger at the Glacier Public Service Center that the road had actually been closed for 2 years because of a partial road washout. (That shows you how often we frequent the Mt Baker highway!) When we got home, I found this page on the Forest Service website, showing the list of road conditions.
Instead of going elsewhere, we decided to ride up the road to see what was up there. As I have done before, I called this a “Gratitude Saturday.” To me, that means I’m open to how the day will unfold, instead of trying to make it live up to preconceived plans. It also means that I feel particularly content and appreciative of the “little” things. On this day, I loved just being on my bike, with my husband, in the mountains, under the trees, next to the creeks, and among the critters. Bliss 
Canyon Creek Road (#31) leaves the Mt Baker Highway 542 at about 900 ft elevation. It terminates at 4200 ft elevation. The trailhead for Canyon Ridge Trail (#689) and Damfino Lakes Trail (#625) is located at road’s end.
We ended up biking the entire 15 mile road…a workout! About the first third was paved. The middle section alternated between pavement and gravel. The final third was gravel. By the time we got to the trailhead, we decided that the destination for the day would be Damfino Lakes rather than Canyon Ridge.
The short, 0.8 mile trail to Damfino Lakes (#625) was in surprisingly decent shape for being essentially cut off from the majority of civilization. (Although we did see motorcycle traffic that day). The trail climbed 400 ft. The lakes were small, but beautiful.
In these pictures, you will see some of the “little” things that I photographed during the day, with gratitude:
- Grey-blue glacial water flowing in the N. Fork Nooksack River
- Peek-a-boo views of the Canyon Creek Valley
- Fields of fireweed in a clearcut (I just had to imagine how intense the color must have been when it was all blooming)
- Old logging signage from the 1950′s
- Canyon Creek as it parallels the road
- Bridges, flowers, mountains, valleys, patches of snow
- Damfino Lakes
- Glimpses of Mt Baker
[Click on an image to enlarge and view in a photo gallery]
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- Green Trails map of Canyon Creek Road
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- Green Trails map of Damfino Lakes
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- Glacier Public Service Center
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- N. Fork Nooksack River
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- N. Fork Nooksack River
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- Canyon Creek Road Closed
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- Canyon Creek Road partial washout at ~1 mile
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- Eric in the clearcut
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- Old logging sign
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- Canyon Creek
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- Bridge near Canyon Creek Camp
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- Whistler Creek Valley
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- Excelsior Ridge
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- Bumble Bees
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- Near the end of Canyon Creek Road
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- Eric on Damfino Lakes Trail
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- Damfino Lake #1
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- Looking toward Damfino Lake #2
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- Damfino Lake #2
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- Damfino Lake #3
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- Elisa at Damfino Lakes
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- Bald Mountain
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- Mt Baker
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- Mt Baker
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- Mt Baker
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- Church Mountain
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- Mt Baker
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- Church Mountain
Alder Ridge – Mountain Bike – September 15, 2012
This mountain bike ride to Alder Ridge (trail 1523) was actually “Plan B.” Our intended ride was Chickamin Tie (trail 1561) via Minnow Ridge (trail 1524). Although the Chickamin trails were open when we checked, they were closed at some point before we arrived at the trailhead. The closures are/were due to extensive forest fire activity in the area.
The Alder Ridge trailhead is located just down the road from the Chickamin trails. This is near Lake Wenatchee, WA. To get there, turn off Highway 2 onto Highway 207, then take the Chiwawa River Road to the well-marked trailhead. This general area is called the Entiat/Mad River/Lower Chiwawa area.
This was a solid day trip and worthy of a repeat. We started at 2400 ft and climbed steadily to a high point of 6200 ft in about 8 1/2 miles. The singletrack tread was mostly smooth toward the bottom and a bit more rocky toward the top. It was “steepish” but mostly “rideable.” (Subjective, I know!) I felt strong and I didn’t have to get off my bike too many times . Due to dry conditions, the trail was sandy in places, but not bad. Dust…yes, there was plenty of that. The descent was a blast and over too fast!
This is a multiple use trail system…which means that our fresh air was briefly fouled with the toxic fumes of several motorcycles on the ascent. (Cough, cough – deep, forceful exhales!!) That was the only negative part of the trip. Fortunately, the motor traffic was probably “light” due to the fire closures.
Our biking group of 3 vegans and 1 omnivore also met a pair of hunters. They seemed nice enough, though I’ll never understand how anyone can take pleasure in killing a deer.
After that, I rode on, repeating silently in my mind over and over…
“I manifest good luck to the animals in the forest.”
Click on an image to enlarge and view the photos in a gallery. In the photos, you will see maps of the area, views of Glacier Peak, and views from our high point of 6200 ft. (We didn’t quite make it to Mad Lake.) We photographed the Basalt Peak fire to the north and the Wenatchee fires to the south.
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- Alder Ridge Trailhead
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- Chiwawa River Valley
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- Devils Backbone, Entiat, Mad River, Lower Chiwawa Sign
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- Alder Ridge Trail Map
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- Green Trail Map #146 – Plain, WA
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- Basalt Peak Fire
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- Alder Ridge Trail
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- Alder Ridge Trail
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- Downy Woodpecker
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- Glacier Peak
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- Glacier Peak
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- Old Forest Fire on Alder Ridge
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- What kind of mushroom?
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- Santa Cruzin’ the Forest
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- Wenatchee Fire View 1
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- Wenatchee Fire View 2
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- Wenatchee Fire View 3
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- Glacier Peak
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- The Boys at 6200 ft
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- Basalt Peak Fire
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- Glacier Peak & Basalt Peak Fire
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- Elisa & Eric
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- Elisa & Eric
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- Elisa & Eric
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- Flat Tire on Alder Ridge
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- Burned Tree
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- Wenatchee Fire
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- Wenatchee Fire (Zoom)
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- Elisa at Alder Ridge (Photo Credit: Ken H)
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- Elisa at Alder Ridge (Photo Credit: Ken H)
Vesper Peak, WA – Backcountry Ski
This was a trip to remember…Lucky Sevens! 7/07/07. Vesper Peak is accessed from the Mountain Loop Highway, just before Barlow Pass. Take the Sunrise Mine road (#4065) and Sunrise Mine trail (#707).
(Click on a picture to enlarge and view in a photo gallery.)
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- Del Campo Peak
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- Wertz Basin
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- Sperry Peak
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- Sperry Peak
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- Wertz Basin
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- Headlee Pass
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- Headlee Pass
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- Vesper Peak
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- Vesper Peak
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- Mt Rainier
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- Summit
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- Glacier Peak
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- Copper Lake
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- Three Fingers & White Horse
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- Big Four
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- Glacier Peak
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- Sperry Peak, Headlee Pass, Morning Star Peak
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- Del Campo Peak
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- Foggy Pass
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- Descent tracks
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- Headlee Pass Gully
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- Wertz Basin tracks & ’74 BMW
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- Tracks from the road
Some videos of the descent. Despite the sun cups and rain runnels, the corn (snow) was nicely cooked!
I love the following video! I didn’t know that I was being filmed, but this was a euphoric moment. I had to take a minute to savor it, because the descent from Headlee Pass was steep, narrow, and not a place where I wanted to fall!
Here is a video of the main creek crossing:
Heliotrope Ridge, Mt Baker, WA – August 4, 2007
This trip sticks out in my mind as one of my all-time best backcountry ski days. The Heliotrope Ridge trail and Coleman Glacier are accessed from the Glacier Creek Road, off the Mt Baker Highway (542). (Click on a picture to enlarge and view in an image gallery.)
“Experience the Cabela’s Adventure Today” -Cabela’s website
A new Cabela’s store opened April 19, 2012 in Tulalip, Washington. “Hunting. Fishing. Outdoor Gear. World’s Foremost Outfitter.” Oh, joy. Exactly what the world needs more of: glorification of animal killing.
“Walk through the main door and look up to see two mounted Orcas chasing a school of Chinook.” -HeraldNet
Since opening day, the parking lot’s been constantly packed. I know this because I drive past the place every time I drive to and from work. (Between the Tulalip Tribe Resort/Casino, the new Cabela’s and the adjacent Seattle Premium Outlets (outlet mall), there is no evidence that I can see of our “down economy.” But, I digress.)
“Displays will feature 200 animal mounts, including bears, elk, grouse and otters.” -HeraldNet
There is a banner displayed on the outside of the store: “Personal Defense & Home Protection.”
Let me see if I’ve got this straight: You’re the quintessential Cabela’s customer. You enter the store to buy items that are specifically designed to– track, sight, call, bait, lure, decoy, catch, shoot, target, kill, gut, skin, butcher, season, cure, brine, grill, dehydrate, smoke, grind, slice, and vacuum seal– living, breathing, sentient animals who are simply minding their own business, trying to survive and thrive. Right so far?
You– Mr. Average Joe Hunter & Mr Average Bob Fisherman– go out in nature with all of your Cabela’s “goods” with the hope that something– someone– will die at your hands. If the purchased items fulfill their intended purposes, then lives will be taken.
You want to take the life of an animal. It’s not your life, it’s his life (or hers). But you want it for yourself. His body belongs to him, but you don’t care. You feel entitled to it. You don’t consider his needs, only your own wants. You don’t empathize with the animal, despite the fact that he will fight to survive in whatever situation becomes threatening to him.
How ironic that…
When you navigate the world, you want to remain comfortable. You seek contentment. You know that your life is your own. Your body belongs to you. You withdraw from pain. You don’t want to be hurt, and you don’t want to be killed. You will defend yourself against threats to your safety and the safety of your family. Maintain “PERSONAL DEFENSE.”
When you come home, you expect that your shelter will be undisturbed. You don’t want others to take that which does not belong to them. You assume that your belongings are secure because “what’s yours is yours.” Maintain “HOME PROTECTION.”
Sorry, I don’t get it.
You want to take the life of another, but you don’t want to have the same circumstance visited upon yourself? It makes no sense to me whatsoever. Can’t you see the contradiction? Can’t you choose to live in a better way? If you think you have the courage to do so, then I can help show you how. Let me help you.
“This is freaking impressive,” said Tyler Schmidt, a 16-year-old from Arlington making his first visit to a Cabela’s store. “When I die, this is where I want to go.” -Marysville Globe
I like this comedy bit from Ellen Degeneres about hunting:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DB4KtOmFok
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20120328/BIZ/703289893
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20120412/SPORTS/704129877
http://www.marysvilleglobe.com/business/148172445.html
http://www.cabelas.com/browse.cmd?categoryId=112426380#feature
Driveway Butte Hike – September 22, 2007
Animals share with us the privilege of having a soul. -Pythagoras
June 2, 2007
Backcountry ski: Scott Paul Trail to 7770 ft up the south side of Mt Baker (Easton/Squak Glacier)
